Thought for the week (we 18th August 2013)

We lived in Pembrey Road in my teenage years. We didn’t have a phone in the early days and all calls were made from the phone box at the corner of Coldstream Street and West End.

I once had to rush over to call the doctor when a neighbour fell ill and the phone box became the means of sharing news both good and bad. Before long our dependence on the ‘phone box was no more when we, like many other households had a phone of our own.

Even then it was not exclusively ours and for a time we had to share a line with a neighbour in what was called a ‘party’ line. Then the day came when we had a line all of our own – we did feel important!

Long before Alexander Graham Bell thought of the telephone God gave us the wonderful gift of prayer. How prayer actually works is as much a mystery to me as the latest communication technology. Prayer, of course, is not confined to time and space, it does not dependent on systems or technological expertise.

It is as simple as a child coming to his or her Father and knowing that he listens and cares because within the greatness and glory of the God who fills the universe is a Father’s heart of love reaching to all who call upon him.

There may be times when the answers never seem to come and our faith is tested. It is then we need to be reminded that God has eternity to work out his purposes and that all the prayers we offer for the good of ourselves and others are heard by him and answered according to his will.

Jesus said ‘Ask and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds and for everyone who knocks the door will be opened.’

The lines are open and the God who listens is always at the end of the line!