You’ve probably all heard the following story, which has a lot of truth in it:
“This is a little story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody.There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought that Anybody could do it, but Nobody realised that Everybody wouldn’t do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.”
I sometimes think we have the same approach to prayer. We know that prayer, our lifeline to God, is not restricted to specific times or places. We know we can pray at any time and in any place. But I also think that if we do not set aside specific times and places to pray, we will end up not praying. Prayer is hard work at times, and we need the commitment of a regular time (just as we need regular times to eat, sleep, work and so on) and a regular place (Jesus talked of going into a room and closing the door to be alone with God (Matt 6:6).
Just as it is useful to have longer periods of times for things on occasions (think of the weekend, that rest from work, or holidays when we set aside time to relax and take time out from work), it is good to set aside specific times to pray. The Day of Prayer today is one such occasion. Furlong Road Methodist Church will be open from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. today so that we can set aside time and go to that place to pray. I would encourage us all to do just that, not because we have to, not because God will strike us down if we don’t, but because prayer is the most important thing we can do for our own souls and for the world around us. It’s easy to feel helpless and paralysed with discouragement as we look at world events and even at some of the things happening in our communities, but instead of despairing, wringing our hands or launching into impassioned rants against the youth of today, Barnsley Council or any other organisation, let’s pray. Let’s believe that God inclines His ears to the prayers of His people and that He delivers us from the troubles surrounding us (Ps 34:15-22). Let’s believe that as we set aside time to seek God, He will meet with us and do amazing things. (Jer 33:3)
