Thought for the Day 2^nd June 2020.

“Is Prayer your spare tyre or your steering wheel?!”

This question is attributed to Corrie ten Boom who helped many Jews to escape from the Nazis during World War 2 by hiding them in her home.

I have given this considerable thought during the last week or so wondering what she was actually saying.

I think a spare tyre is useful and we are grateful to have it to rescue us in an emergency. So in relation to our prayer life, if it is a spare tyre, we are glad to be able to pray during the course of the day—perhaps before visiting somebody in distress. These prayers, sometimes called “arrow prayers” can be helpful.

We don’t, of course move very far without our steering wheel and we can’t serve God and do His work without spending time in prayer with Him for guidance. Jesus spent time apart in prayer and prayed whenever He entered a new town. He encouraged Martha to slow down and listen. God always hears our prayers and answers them----not always in the way we might expect or want.

He steers the time we spend in prayer: we must be prepared to accept that God will sometimes “tweak” or fine tune the steering wheel and cause us to change direction in our Christian lives.

Verses from a favourite hymn of mine

Father hear the prayer we offer,
Not for ease that prayer shall be,
But for strength that we may ever 
live our lives courageously.

Be our strength in hours of weakness,
In our wanderings be our guide
Through endeavour, failure, danger,
Father, be Thou at our side. Amen.