Last week in my blog I suggested that we could use this time of Lent as an opportunity to grow closer to God.  I would like to revisit my suggestion that we put aside regular time each day to have a conversation with God (which is what prayer amounts to).  After all, the way we get to know people better is to spend time talking with and listening to them, so presumably the same is true if we want to find out more about God.  As in any conversation, if we do all the talking, we don’t learn anything about the other person, except to discover that they are a good listener.  So part of our conversation time with God needs to involve us saying nothing and quietly stilling ourselves to listen to what God may be sharing with us.  Mother Teresa once wrote: “Prayer is not asking.  Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of God, at His disposition, and listening to His voice in the depth of our hearts.”

That said, I’m sure that God is a good listener, so when our hearts are full to bursting with disappointment, anger, grief or any overwhelming emotion, God will provide us with the perfect listening ear.  It is hugely beneficial for us to be able to pour out our innermost grievances to someone who is impartial but sympathetic: God is always waiting for us to have that conversation with Him.  Feeling really angry about something?  Tell it to God.  Feeling desperately upset by someone?  Tell it to God. 

The Book of Psalms in the Old Testament was written over a period of several centuries (starting from at least one thousand years BC) by people who wanted to express praise, lament, anger and gratitude either to God or with God at different times.  These outpourings articulated a sense of abandonment on occasion that God didn’t seem to be listening to their prayers.  And whenever we experience a similar feeling of despair, it is fine for us to express our frustration at God because God is big enough to take that.

If we know that the day ahead is going to be particularly challenging at work, or we will be having a difficult conversation with someone, we can bring that prospect before God in our quiet time.  We might like to visualise the person we are going to talk to, hold them in our mind, and ask for God to guide our discussion.  Similarly, if we are already feeling upset by that person, the most valuable first step we can take is to pray for them, hold them before God, and ask God to heal any hurt which has been caused, both within them and within us.  If we surround the whole situation in God’s redeeming love, there is no situation which cannot be improved.  “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”. (St Paul’s letter to the Philippians Chapter 4, verses 6-7)

On other occasions our lives may be running more smoothly, and we have lots to celebrate.  And it is equally important to remember still to have our daily conversation with God and say thank you for the good things which we are experiencing.  Just as we like to ring up a best friend to recount and relive the special events in our lives, so at the end of each day, we can have the same catch-up time with God.  God will always be there for us so that we may share with Him both our joys and our sorrows.

Sarah Bourne, Chaplain for the Arts – 3^rd March 2021        sarahbourne@banburystmary.org.uk