Page 13 - PT-Spring-2021

GOd dOES NOT
REvEAL THE
But before I sent the email I prayed about dEEP THINGS And what is it that keeps the channels
it for two weeks. On the morning that I clear? Love, repentance, forgiveness. It
sent it I spent between half an hour and OF HImSELF TO is always worth taking time to prepare
an hour praying again in a specific way – PEOPLE WHO in prayer, to make sure those qualities
letting go of the email, allowing the Lord are in place, so that the power of God
to be completely in charge of it, whatever jUST CALL IN FOR can really flow.
the response. A CASUAL CHAT. I read an interview with a local
Inside five minutes seven of the ten Northern Irish woman recently. She was
Head Teachers were back to us, excited at asked what is the best piece of advice she
what we had offered, and wanting to work with us in setting was ever given. She said that on her wedding day her sister
up Homework Clubs and more teams of Volunteer Tutors said to her: ‘Never go to bed if you have had an argument
going into schools. without saying “sorry”.’ St. Paul said the same thing in
It does not always happen just as dramatically as different words 2000 years ago: ‘Don’t let the sun go down
that. But I can honestly say that before I do something, on your anger.’ 3
sometimes even small things, if I take time to pray, and A few years ago I had a section of my prayer book
especially to release it to the Lord, it always goes far better, reserved for people who had angered me or hurt me in
and sometimes the response is fantastic. some way. I used to pray God’s blessing on them every day,
until I came to the point where I could honestly say that I
Secrets to success held nothing in my heart against any of them.
Billy Graham, the evangelist, was asked one time what Then I stopped praying through the list – and it was a
is the secret of a successful mission? A good man to ask, mistake. I should have continued praying God’s blessing
since he had been conducting successful missions all over on them, which is my way of forgiving. I realised that I was
the world since the late 1940s. Billy said that there are allowing low level resentment to come back in again against
three secrets: prayer, prayer and prayer! Years ago I read some people. Once I became aware that I was feeling
his autobiography, Just As I Am. It is a book of 800 – 900 resentment I was able to do something about it, starting to
pages. Towards the end of the book Billy took some time to bless them again. Now once more I have a section of my
thank those who had worked with him over many years. prayer book reserved for those whom I have found difficult.
He went through a long list, but eventually came to Every day I am praying God’s blessing on them, and my
thank the intercessors, people who had spent time praying peace is again being restored at a deeper level.
in the background for his ministry. Without them, Billy
said, nothing would have happened. Final preparation
Not that the ministry would have been weakened, not Possibly the most important form of preparation of all is
that fewer people would have been converted. No. Without preparation for when we leave this life. Every time I take a
them nothing would have happened. funeral, towards the end of my address I point to the coffin
Is Billy the epitome in a Christian sense of what and say that every one of us will be in this position one day,
Muhammad Ali, the greatest boxer the world has ever seen, ready to make the biggest journey any of us will ever make.
was talking about in a general secular way? Ali said, ‘The It is of vital importance that we be the best prepared we
fight is won or lost far away from witnesses, behind the possibly can be to make this journey. And I leave it at that.
lines, in the gym, out there on the road, long before I dance There is a Brother in the Society of St. Francis who is
under those lights.’ Preparation is everything. I was very one of the busiest and most active Christian men I have
aware of this during the years that I worked in the healing ever met. A great fellow, but always moving at a fast pace.
ministry. A pioneer of the healing ministry worldwide was When he turned seventy his spiritual director told him
an American woman, Agnes Sanford. She said: ‘Faith allows that he needed to cut down on outside ministry and start
us to approach God with confidence.’ Keeping the channels to focus his attention on getting ready for the next stage of
clear allows the power of God to flow.’ life. That seemed to me to be good clear advice.
I said in a recent article for The Plain Truth that
I felt God was saying to us as a society, through this
experience of restriction and lockdown, ‘slow down, you’re
going too fast.’
Does that link in with what I am saying here about
preparation and the importance of prayer? If we don’t take
that seriously we ourselves will be the losers.
A friend said to me when I told him about the theme of
this article, ‘God does not reveal the deep things of himself
to people who just call in for a casual chat.’

1 The Elephant to Hollywood: the autobiography of Michael Caine, published
2010, ISBN 978-1444700015.
2 www.equippingforlife.org.uk is a charitable company based in Belfast,
No: NI654291, and an HMRC recognised charity No: NI00884.
3 Ephesians 4:26.
Photo Credit: istockphoto.com/BrianAJackson

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