‘To think of someone is to pray for them.’ (Thérèse of Lisieux)

May out of sight not be out of mind

Anglicans have long prayed in communion services, ‘Lord have mercy upon us, and write all these Thy laws in our hearts, we beseech Thee.’ May the Lord likewise write the people and the places and situations on our hearts that He would have us take to heart – and may our prayers be very pleasing in His ears and on his palate to His taste. We can’t respond to everything, but we can respond to some things, and He weaves our prayers into His bigger picture – for He is vitally interested and concerned for many matters that fall outside the scope of traditional church and Christian circles. May the Lord inspire us to take many matters to heart, and then, as we lift them before Him, may He make great use of our little prayers in the heavenly places.

We can only take on so many topics and campaigns in prayer, dear Lord.

You do not expect a naval marine unit to rehearse tank battles on desert plains.

From the plethora of things I see and hear, set filters, Lord, to sift, strain and screen out much that I can safely leave to others;
but empower me to catch the particular people places and nations that You would have me focus on, together with the state of many people’s heart condition.

Your lead and my part in perfect partnership.

Yes, Lord, whether because a matter is right there in front of me,

Or one I only glimpse out of the corner of my eye, alert and inform my spirit to those whom You would have me lift to You:

this hour, this day, this week, whether long term or in passing prayer:
Your lead, and my response, to the honour of Your name.

Expand my heart to hold these people and their situations near.
so that rather than out of sight being also out of mind,
my prayers may become a bridge for You to pass across;
a means whereby You rescue some from the swirling waters
and strengthen many in Your service.
Your part, my part, to the glory of Your name.

Yes, Lord, may You be gracious to these nations, and bless them, and make Your face to shine on them, so that Your ways may be known on earth, and Your salvation among all nations. (Ps. 67:1-2).

*Ubi Caritas* (Where love and charity prevail, there God is)

A friend wrote to me recently to say that she had heard Joan Baez saying in an interview that writing her songs without love in her heart is like trying to get dried up toothpaste out of the tube! Suzie says that she had found that to be SO true – and that what when preparing teachings for church she can look back and see that the places in which she had got ‘stuck’ are precisely the places filled with her own thoughts, rather than those inspired by the Holy Spirit.

This is so true in conventional spiritual circles, but I think there are things here that we can apply on an extended circles out in the more abrasive and decidedly less charitable world of politics we will be looking at in this edition, along with other key areas.

To help us pray in the right spirit I am suggesting two very different approaches here. Firstly, why not listen to this beautiful Taizé song a few times over, and see where the Lord leads you in prayer?

What a precious thought to reflect on and to put into practice! Both the implication that it is the Holy Spirit who brings people to our attention to pray for them – and the awareness that even our thoughts can count as prayers in the Lord’s sight. As I was reflecting on this, these words came to mind:

In the plethora of concerns I see and hear each day, Lord,
draw my attention to the particular people,
places and situations that You would have me focus on.
Guide me so that I may cherish, prize and pursue these in prayer:
the matters that matter to You because they matter to Your beloved ones.
Filter, sift, and screen out much else:
Your part, my part, in perfect partnership.

Whether consciously in fellowship,
or out of the corner of my eye,
alert and inform my spiritual senses
to remember those people, places and situations,
this hour, this day, this week,
whether in long term prayer or just in passing;
Your part, my part, in one accord.

Expand my heart in non-slip ways
to hold these ‘someones’ and their situations near,
so that rather than out of sight being out of mind,
my prayers become a bridge for You to pass across:
breeches filled and markers placed whereby You rescue
straggling, struggling souls from swirling waters:
Your part, my part, to the glory and honour of Your name.

• Do explore, too, the twin Sound Clouds we released on the theme of Tenderness.  https://ruachministries.co.uk/rakak-expanding-our-heart-of-tenderness-2/

Photo by kyler trautner on Unsplash