Thoughts for the Day

Jesus said, 'Whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

(Church in Wales Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

When I was training as a Deaconess many years ago, our Pastoral Lecturer gave us a piece of advice. She recommended us to use our afternoons to visit people in the parish, and as we walked towards their house to pray for them - to use that moment we opened a gate and walked up the path to think about them and offer their name and their circumstances to God. It has always stuck with me.

Jesus has quite a bit to say about those who stand in the synagogue or temple and ostentatiously pray, he advises his followers to pray in silence because God knows what they want to say. How might his words affect our own prayer life today, and what else can prayer be other than that which we offer in a church? Prayer can also be :

• A silent plea for help, for others or ourselves to God, in an emergency.
• A time of quiet when we read some prayers and offer the thoughts to God.
• A moment to offer someone's name to God as we walk towards them, or knock on their door.
• A time of quiet when we empty our mind to find out what God wants us to pray for.
• A moment of quiet to say thanks to God for something that has happened.

In this way, we can wrap our lives in prayer and in God.

Heavenly Father,
You call us to lift our daily lives to You
and to consult You in everything.
May we bring all our concerns,
all our joys,
and all our woes to You each day,
praying for others
and for ourselves.
Amen.