Surely we must stand amazed at the comparative lack of prayer in the British churches.
Think about our nation at present. Family breakdown is rife. Street crime is at record levels. Our media is awash with pornography. There is abortion on demand. Drugs are easily available. The churches are dwindling. Islamic extremism is on the rise. I can imagine the Lord Jesus standing at the door of many a church prayer meeting and thinking to himself: 'What has to happen to this country before my people will come and take prayer seriously?'
Thankfully some churches are beginning to be more earnest about prayer. The latest prayer letter from evangelist Roger Carswell speaks of people coming to the Lord at a mission in a church in the north where he was speaking recently. Of this particular church he writes: 'People ask why they have seen so much blessing over the years. Well, they do have a prayer meeting 365 days a year É'
The re-emergence of heavy shepherds
What would you think if you received a letter from your church leaders that read like this? ‘Are church members …