Thoughts on Prayer

In hard times it is easy

To remember prayer each day

But usually it is saying “God”,

“Please make things as I say!”

When we want a boon, are hurting,

Or just to ease our fear

We open our hearts (or just our mouths)

And hope that God will hear.

That the words, like incantations

A Djinni wish at best,

Will make a powerful being

Intercede on our behest.

This style of prayer is easy.

We do this without thought.

But prayer to God, as we should

Is not done as often as it ought.

“Our Father, who art in Heaven”

“Hallowed be Thy name”

Sets the tone and praises God

It gives to Him the fame.

“Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done”

Continues on this theme.

Praise to God, in all things

No matter how bad it may seem.

Keep your thoughts on God

And what you do to bring

Glory to his name

Rather than any selfish thing.

It is good to pray for things you need

And our God always provides

All you need in your life

And for your soul besides.

Lay your failings before Him

Confess your sins and flaws.

Jesus already paid that price for you

And snatched you from Hell’s jaws.

Your Father God in heaven

Has loved you before you knew

And will continue loving you

No matter what you do.

Any sin is foul to God

We all have lost this fight

It is only through Jesus' sacrifice

That we can enter in His sight.

Hold no grudges against those

Who harm you, as you know

The Son has paid in full for all

So you must let those feelings go.

Ask God to protect you

From all you can not stand.

He does not ask any more than this

And will protect you with his hand.

The cup of suffering passed to you

Is to refine you for your task.

You can plead with God to take it away:

It is not a sin to ask.

But always know, deep in your heart,

It is God’s will that must be done.

And remember in your prayers

The example of his Son.

Jesus said “If there is another way”

Don’t let me die, and still

If you should ask it of me

I will always do your will.

So praise his name in prayer and song

Ask your Father for what you need

For your body, and your soul

To serve him; heart, mind, and deed.

Paul Johnston
25 October 2010

Partners, not supporters

A friend was speaking to a group about preparing to move, as a family, from Melbourne to a location in the Middle East.  The preparations for this move included a call for individuals and groups to commit to stand with them in a special partnership that is achieved through pr_yer, practical concern, and financial support.

As our friend explained what is meant by this special partnership, I was confronted in my mind with the reality that a partnership is a two-way relationship.  A partnership only works if both partners are engaged in whatever is happening. 

I reflected on the little cards I have had, over the years, with family groupings of xn friends and acquaintances who are serving our L0 overseas.  The current ‘batch’ are lined up on the side of the fridge, each with a little piece of magnetic material stuck on the back to keep it in place.  There are several young families, eagerly setting out on a journey that includes both challenge and excitement.  There are other couples whose children have left the family nest, and who continue to work in remote and needy areas.  Their fields of expertise range from health professionals, to teachers, to agriculturalists.

There is nothing new in this for me, having ‘supported’ m1ssos all my life.  ‘Partnership’ is a fashionable word of today, while something else would have been used in previous generations.  I remember hearing many times, for example, “Some can go, some can give, but all can pr_y.”  I used to wonder why it felt that pr_ying was the catch-all backup position that was not as important as the previous items on the list. 

Having spent all my life in the terrain of caring about and ‘supporting’ friends who have gone overseas for professional or ministry appointments, the new thought that had been triggered in my mind by reflecting on the partnership concept was, “In what way am I demonstrating an ongoing commitment to partnership with this particular family?”

Xn workers who move from the relative safety and comforts of a home and employment in Melbourne (or wherever) to a m1ss project or appointment in (usually) a developing country face all sorts of cultural and language adjustments, health challenges, lifestyle changes, and other hurdles including home sickness.  Those who are ‘partnering’ them in Melbourne may have a picture of them on the fridge, may pr_y for them regularly, may contribute regularly to their financial needs, but have no experience of dislocation and isolation in a resource-poor setting.

The members of the partnership who are moving away from their home are usually highly disciplined in writing a letter that is distributed to all supporters – or partners, should I say?  In today’s world of electronic communication, the message is sent instantly. 

The members of the partnership who do not move, who do not face language learning, contaminated water, and all the rest, may not be as committed to writing about how they are progressing, how their work is going, or what aspects of their lives they would appreciate sharing with their friends.

The fairly obvious conclusion I reached in this moment of introspection is that if I agreed to enter a partnership with someone who is engaged in xn m1ss work, then I should also be prepared to share my life, writing letters regularly, just as the distant partner does.

Joy Johnston

Starting this blog

Poppy aged 6

This blog is to share our family with our friends. Joy and I thank God for bringing us together in 1972, and leading us onwards. Yes, we have struggled. We have made mistakes. We have learned. We have done some things well.

We thank God for each of our children, for their laughter, their tears, their growing. We thank God too that they are learning to trust Him with each area of their lives.

I feel vulnerable exposing us this way, and especially exposing my thoughts. Your comments are welcome, and especially your prayers for us, that God may bless us so that we can be a blessing to others.

Noel. 26 August, 2010.