In Depth:  prayer

All topics
Do you pray for our Parliament? Now is the time.
politics & policy

Do you pray for our Parliament? Now is the time.
David Burrowes David Burrowes

St Paul wrote about its primacy, Christian political greats like William Wilberforce banged on about it and Parliament can’t begin without it. What am I talking about? Prayer of course!

We look on politics and our leaders with a variety of feelings: ranging from a healthy Romans 13 respect to a cynical ‘Have I Got News’ sigh. But do we really pray for them?

Praying in the face of failure
sport watch

Praying in the face of failure
Jonny Reid Jonny Reid

How should sportspeople pray? Can they pray to win? 

A wealthy widow called Proba asked a similar question to one of the greatest theologians of the first millennium, Augustine. Augustine majored on one main theme in his advice around prayer: 

We need divine help more than ever, Ukraine pastors say

We need divine help more than ever, Ukraine pastors say
Iain Taylor Iain Taylor

Only divine intervention can bring about a lasting peace in Ukraine, church leaders there say.

That’s the message from a mission organisation working in the heart of the ongoing and bloody conflict caused by Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked invasion.

How five coins and prayer changed millions

How five coins and prayer changed millions
Emily Andrews

The National Probation Service for England and Wales is one of the least known and understood wheels of the criminal justice system, sadly only making it into the news when mistakes are made.

Even less is known of the wonderful origins of this core organisation. In order to learn more about the history, we have to travel back in time to 1878 and Victorian England. This was a time of great poverty, especially for those in some of the most deprived London districts.

Year-long prayer-walk ends

Year-long prayer-walk ends
Nick Mudge

After exactly a year, a prayer-walking initiative encompassing every street in the whole Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole conurbation has been completed.

The elders at Gateway Church, Poole, launched the walk in February last year. It covered a population of just over 400,000 people, more than 3,800 roads (see map below) and 900 miles of walking.

Letter

Prayer and mindfulness
Date posted: 1 Mar 2024

Dear Editor,

Thank you so much for publishing Kirsten Birkett’s article ‘On prayer, mindfulness and contemplation’ in your January edition. Surely if Christians are about anything it is prayer, for without our Almighty Father we are hopeless and helpless. May we indeed ‘yearn’ for His Holy Spirit to be at work in all our being, ideas, plans, activities.  It’s incumbent upon us ordinary Christians in the pew to demand that prayer is at the core of all our purpose and priorities, living everyday and work in church and community. But do I ever ‘yearn’? May we all dare to learn to do so.

‘Orwellian’ prayer ban worries

‘Orwellian’ prayer ban worries
Nicola Laver Nicola Laver

Moves to ban Islamic prayers in a school have potential ‘Orwellian consequences’, a representative of Christian teachers says.

Lizzie Harewood, executive officer at the Association of Christian Teachers (ACT), was expressing her thoughts after Katharine Birbalsingh, high-profile head of Michaela Community School in Brent and self-styled ‘Britain’s strictest headmistress’, introduced a ban on Muslim prayers during lunchbreaks.

Intimate prayer in a pandemic
pastoral care

Intimate prayer in a pandemic
Steve Midgley Steve Midgley

Restriction is a key part of our new vocabulary. We are restricted in our activities, in our social gatherings, restricted in our travel, and even restricted in church.

There is so much that we cannot do, and the experience is tiring, irritating and not a little disorientating. We know there is ministry to be done, but we just can’t get to do it. We know there are friends to encourage, but we have such limited access to them. We know there is a Lord to be worshipped, but we can’t even sing His praises. It is all so frustrating. When good things are out of reach, frustration is appropriate.

Prayer app sees record growth in Covid

Prayer app sees record growth in Covid
Prayermate.net

The PrayerMate app has seen growth during 2020 with record numbers of users in March and April.

Reaching a total of 444,000 downloads, there were 42,000 active users at the height of the UK lockdown. The PrayerMate community prayed for over 19 million prayer items in 2020 which is over 1.6 million items per month.

What are you like at wrestling in prayer?

What are you like at wrestling in prayer?
Sarah Allen

Wrestling is a strange image of prayer. If you read some of the pieces written about prayer today, it seems even more strange.

They tell us (rightly) that prayer is about intimacy and relationship, about knowing God. The Bible’s image of wrestling suggests instead conflict and hard work. It may be an intimate way to fight, but it isn’t sweet. This kind of fighting is sweaty, painful – and all about endurance.

Spend a day in prayer!
John Benton

Things are not going to be better by Christmas. The pandemic continues.

The country is in trouble. The churches are under strain. We need help and encouragement. This ought to be one of those occasions when Christians give themselves to prayer in a concentrated form – perhaps for a day or half a day. But how do you do that – especially if you are not used to such things?

‘The church is less honest than the Bible about unanswered prayer’

‘The church is less honest than the Bible about unanswered prayer’

As a new edition of God on Mute is published, en speaks to its author, Pete Greig

Pete Greig arrives a few minutes late online for our interview, having grappled – as we all do – with some issues relating to Zoom.

Registered Charity No. 296794. All content Evangelicals Now