13 hours ago
Faith matters: Heartfelt prayers make a difference
The words are so familiar that it is easy to say them without really pausing for thought, asking ourselves 'what is it we are actually praying for?' and 'do our prayers really make a difference?'
Let me be up front: I do think prayers, heartfelt prayers, make a difference. They make a difference to us, and they make a difference to the world around us. Occasionally, the difference is dramatic, miraculous even, but more frequently, the difference takes place slowly and imperceptibly.
Every year a period of nine days, running from Ascension Day to the feast of Pentecost, is set aside for reflection on the Lord's Prayer which includes the phrase 'Thy Kingdom come thy will be done, on Earth as in heaven.'
If we are going to pray these words, from the heart, it strikes me that we need to understand the attributes or virtues that characterise God's Kingdom and will. In understanding these terms, we are given a glimpse into what heaven may be like, and what earth could be like. When we pray, one of the hoped-for outcomes is therefore that the gap between heaven and earth shrinks. In the words of the 1980's rock ballet singer Belinda Carlisle, heaven' becomes 'a place on Earth.' Fantasy? Possibly. Worth praying for? Definitely.
So, what is God's will? Well, it's simple really: that our lives are characterised by love, love of God, and love of neighbour (see Matthew Chapter 22 verses 37-40). The Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10, 25-37), however, makes it clear that Jesus' definition of neighbour extends way beyond those just like us, members of our natural affinity groups. Christian love should be both expansive and lavish. Christian love does not, or should not, discriminate.
St, Paul wrote this in his letter to the Romans (chapter 14 verse 17): 'for the Kingdom of God is not food and drink but justice and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.'
When we pray the Lord's Prayer, from the heart, we make a series of commitments. We commit to love God and neighbour and, we commit to pursue justice and peace. We make these commitments in the belief that in their enactment we will come to experience a deep sense of spiritual joy.
Does prayer make a difference? Yes, I believe it does, both within and beyond ourselves.
'Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as in heaven.'
Andrew Lightbown is chaplain to the City of Newport, St Woolos Cathedral.
