The power of prayer

God cares about every inch our lives and of those who don’t know him.

And God who is the only one who can makes sense of and redeem the life we have.

So we can pray:

• That God would bring help, change and restoration where it is needed, and show me how I can play my part.
• That God would reveal Himself to them and show me opportunities to share the gospel with them and their situations.

I love this quote from the late Michael Green who, when he heard about a problem, would offer to pray, saying: ‘I’d like to pray about that. Would you like me to pray now or should I wait until I get home?’

Prayer is how we bring our lives, and the lives of those we care about, before the God who can make a difference.

And it changes our own hearts too! Since I’ve begun praying for my neighbours on my street, I’ve noticed that I care more about getting to them.  I don’t just sneak a peek across the road as they make tea but find myself catching a glimpse of their lives and praying for them. I find I want God to give me chances to serve them and to be friendly as we interact.

When I step out of the house only concerned about my shopping list or my plug myself into my headphones on the bus, I notice the unwillingness in my own heart to engage with the people around me. God is showing me what my heart is like.

Ready to look up and connect with your friends and neighbours? Read part three: Opportunities are everywhere. 

Having trained as an English Literature teacher, Katie Shaw now works with Christian Unions in Sheffield, helping students meet Jesus at university.   

This blog is part on of our 'Jesus on my street' series, based on a series of seminars given by Peter and Katie at Word Alive 2019.