We all pray when we are desperate. Sometimes it is no more than ‘Help Lord,’ an arrow prayer or a microwave prayer, quick and to the point. Eg. Can’t find my keys.

We all pray when we come to worship in church, using set prayers, some of which are very beautiful, or using spontaneous prayer. When the early church prayed together wonderful things happened.

Some of us pray in groups... Praying together focuses our ideas, encourages us to be specific, and adds power! At first most people are sensitive and anxious about praying aloud, I certainly was. I would prepare a prayer in my head, getting the words just right then someone else would pray the same prayer before I’d plucked up courage. Now I would say just go for it, it doesn’t have to be perfect, a simple sentence is fine and you can pray for the same thing twice.

Paul has some advice: - ‘Ask the Holy Spirit to help you. ----The Spirit comes to help us, weak as we are, for we do not know how we ought to pray’

This applies to private prayer too, those times we set aside to be quiet and alone with God. Jesus said: ‘When you pray’ – notice he did not say ‘If you pray’ as if we have a choice – ‘When you pray go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father who is unseen.’ Our situations and opportunities vary, for most it will be a room, for others the church, the garden or the beach when fine. For one man I know it is the train journey to work. By closing his eyes he shuts out the noise and people think he is asleep. Prayer in secret means we can concentrate on God’s presence.

A visual symbol will sometimes help to focus our attention on God – a candle, the cross, a picture, for example ‘The light of the world’, ‘Return of the Prodigal Son’, ‘The washing of feet.’