Thought for the week (we 8th February 2015)

‘Facebook’ went down last week. Just after 6.30am last Tuesday the site displayed a message saying ‘ Sorry, something went wrong’ and immediately there was something short of panic even though everything was back to normal in a very short time.

Whatever went wrong was dealt with and the massive response makes you realise how much we have become to depend on these new forms of communication. Networks like ‘Facebook’ and ‘Twitter’ have, of course, created a new era of communication that we would never have thought possible even a few years ago.

Even texting has become standard form and I am amazed at the pace some youngsters get up to as they send and receive texts in record time. This is even getting me around to thinking of changing my ten year old mobile which according to many is now a museum piece!

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. It’s worth, however, has been proved so many times in the lives of those who believe that God hears the prayers of those who turn to him. Prayer, of course, is not confined to time and space, it does not dependant on systems or technological expertise.

It’s 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 we want 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. The lines are open, they never go down, and the God who hears our prayers is always there for us.