[Friday's Devotional] - Less Self Required

In order to succeed in transforming our lives we need less "self" in our lives. Sometimes it's all about me (is it all about you, too?). I am:

- Self-centred

- Selfish

- Self-absorbed

- Self-assured

- Self-willed

- Self-important

- Self-indulgent

Satan is rather good at making us focus on ourselves – he is both capable of telling us that we deserve to treat ourselves to something, and moments later to make us feel worthless and shameful for what we have done. He would have us believe that God doesn't exist, that God doesn't love us because of what we have done wrong, that we have let God down because we started out well and then failed. He is always changing the goalposts!

But the answer is to focus on the truth.

- We are made in the image of God

- Our job is to be servant hearted disciples

- We are to place others before ourselves

- Our assurance comes from what God has done for us

- Our will is to do what God wants done

Consider this:

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. Philippians 2:1-4 [NIV]

That's what makes a difference in the world – people flocked to Christ to hear him speak, because he was radically different from human nature and greedy celebrity.

Lord, help me to focus on you and put the needs of others ahead of myself. Make me more like Jesus every day. Amen.

Dave MacLellan

[Thursday's Devotional] - More Peace Required

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Matthew 5:9 [NIV]

Are you a child of God? Are you a peacemaker? At the moment I can say that peace seems to be in short supply – in place of peace, I more commonly see conflict, unrest, distrust, abuse and greed everywhere. Peacemaking is a thankless and sometimes dangerous task. It involves putting things right and reconciling differences.

But today I want to think about the peace within ourselves. The peace that comes from God is nothing like the peace the world can provide. Here is what Jesus said:

I give you peace, the kind of peace that only I can give. It isn't like the peace that this world can give. So don't be worried or afraid. John 14:27 [CEV]

How can we achieve this peace, this grace, this love, this faith…? It comes from God and his Spirit directing our thoughts, actions and re-actions. Without a peaceful soul we cannot have a peaceful heart or a peaceful mind. Choosing to sin involves denying the truth and ignoring one's conscience. Regaining peace requires confession, repentance and forgiveness. Sometimes we can avoid these steps – but in doing so we are denying the truth and upsetting the peace that we know we can access if we would only be led by the Spirit.

If I can put myself right and find that inner peace from submitting to the will of God, then there is a chance that I will be a peacemaker in my relationships with others.

Lord, give us your peace today so that we may be peacemakers in the world. Thank you for adopting me as your child, help me to be obedient to your will for me. Amen.

Dave MacLellan

[Wednesday's Devotional] - More Grace Required

More Grace Required

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 [ESV]

I wonder what you think of when you hear the word "Grace"? For me, one of my favourite Christian books deals with this subject very thoroughly and gives a really good understanding of the grace we have received and what grace looks like in the world. If you haven't read it, I strongly recommend Philip Yancey's "What's So Amazing About Grace?"

I can see a real lack of grace in the church today – the problem is many people don't understand what it looks like. Here are some things that make the situation worse:

- People come to church to seek God and find judgementalism

- People who fail or fall are condemned and overlooked, not given second chances

- Struggling people put on a "holy face" rather than confront or share their troubles

- Many in the world mistakenly believe that "good people" go to heaven on merit

- Many feel they are "bad people" and therefore the church and God can't stand them

What does it mean that God loved us so much he was willing to buy back our souls at the cost of his innocent and pure only son? How can we reflect a little bit more of that grace in the way we deal with people?

The problem with grace is that it "goes against the grain" – it is the unnatural reaction to a situation. That's what makes it stand out.

Is there someone today you need to forgive? Is there someone you can tell about the wonderful grace of God?

Lord, thank you that you are a God of Grace and Truth. Show us how to reflect your grace today. Amen.

Dave MacLellan

[Tuesday's Devotional] - More Love Required

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
1 John 4:7-8 [NIV]

One of the big problems in the church is also a problem of the world around us. We don't love each other in the way that God loves us. We have a choice to live by the flesh or by the Spirit – most of the world lives by the flesh and the "ruler of this world" (meaning Satan). In that environment, love is not the natural response to every situation we meet.

But we should be different. We know who God is. Notice the description "God is love" in the verse above. It does not say God is very loving, or lovable or lovely – it says "God is love". If we know God and recognise what he has done for us, it is inconceivable that we would not reflect that love in our dealings with our fellows (Christian or non-Christian – we are to love everyone, like God does).

We do see glimpses of that love from time to time in the way people look out for each other. However, it is easy to be loving towards good people – more of a challenge, I find, is to show love to those people I really am struggling with – the less "lovable" people we meet in our daily lives.

Remember the words of Jesus:

"And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that." Luke 6:33 [NIV]

Lord, help me to love everyone the way you have loved me. Help your church to be defined as a "Church of God's Love". Amen.

Dave MacLellan

[Monday's Devotional] - More Faith Required

An African pastor was overwhelmed by rebels who demanded that he renounce his faith. He refused. The night before they took his life, he wrote the following lines on a scrap of paper:

I am part of the "Fellowship of the Unashamed." I have Holy Spirit power. The die has been cast. I've stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I am a disciple of His.

I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure.

I am finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colourless dreams, tame visions, mundane talking, chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals!

I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity.

I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded.

I now live by presence, lean by faith, love by patience, lift by prayer, and labour by power.

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my Guide reliable, my mission clear.

I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, diluted, or delayed.

I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won't give up, shut up, let up, or burn up till I've preached up, prayed up, paid up, stored up, and stayed up for the cause of Christ.

I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops.

And when He comes to get His own, He'll have no problems recognizing me. My colours will be clear.

This is a measure of the faith I would like to achieve, but I confess that I don't feel anything like that today. Perhaps I am too much of the world, perhaps I haven't had to depend on my faith for my daily life. Perhaps it has something to do with not being persecuted? None of us welcomes persecution, yet those who live in fear of their lives under the most intense persecution have a faith and even a joy that others of us may never attain in this world.

Our particular problem is apathy, selfishness and a spiritual blindness caused by the ruler of this world. This week I want to look at how we can counter these things.

Dave MacLellan

[Friday's Devotional] - He is faithful

My family recently returned from holiday in our motherland (Zimbabwe).

As usual we prayed for everything – baggage weight, safe travel, protection, favour with people wherever we went, transport, and of course to enjoy the holiday.

We visited a game park where we nearly got lost and we were blessed to see God's creation. There we saw how God is awesome – think how huge and tall a giraffe can be, yet God has given us more wisdom and dominion over it.

It is even more intriguing for God to say to me if you want to be wise, don't look at the big five (Elephant, Rhino, Buffalo, Lion, Giraffe, etc.), but look at the little ant. Amazing, the things that God does!

A group of children including ours went mountain climbing where they could see many cities even a thousand kilometres away. Then came the false alarm by mobile, "we are lost, we are on the other side of the mountain, we thought we were coming down the right way!" As it turned out, they were joking.

We were not involved in accidents, we saw friends and family and we sang songs, talked, and we enjoyed everything.

The car nearly broke down, but it didn't. We thought we had forgotten some keys for our luggage back home, but there they were tucked safely somewhere in our purses. We thought we were catching the flue, but that too, quickly disappeared. There were shouts of a snake invading the dog's kennel outside the house, one night. And "Memo" the dog had spotted it himself and raised the alarm. This too proved a minor problem as it was only a small thing.

What then can we say?

After all the prayers in preparation for the journey, we now know He is faithful. His eyes were surely watching over us.

But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. Psalm 33:18–19

Farai Mutsambiwa

[Thursday's Devotional] - The doors that the Lord opens, nobody can shut!

If you are in debt, this is for you!

I woke up from a dream which prompted me to write about my testimony. From the dream, I sensed the church was desperately seeking how to stay out of debt.

When I came to England some years ago, with great humility, I made a choice to keep honouring God with my tithe and offering, as He had taught me to do.

Yes in times of prosperity and of late, in times of austerity, I rejoiced and celebrated, that special day on my calendar, the day of the tithe. I prayed over my tithe and offerings, before giving them away, following the exact words of tithing written for us in Deuteronomy chapter 26.

Despite my faithfulness, over the years, I found myself in debt. Just like we all do, we believe we are living the Will, we end up in trouble while doing what we know pleases the Lord, we pray about it but nothing seems to happen

Then on Sunday 18^th March 2012, I remember appealing to the Lord. No, to tell the truth, it wasn't the "humble" prayer we usually pray. It was confrontational about the promise in Malachi 3 vs 10. About His words that are flawless. To my great shock, the following day, I was made redundant.

A new strategy had been introduced and many of us were interviewed. Around twenty six of us had to leave. Of course, like me, all who worked with me and knew me were shattered, because my portfolio and department was doing extremely well.

Come on now! Let's all know this - God is faithful and His faithfulness cannot be stopped. When He opens the flood gates of heaven nobody will be able to stand it, both the beholder and the one who prayed! My friends and family could not understand it. Baal Perazim, the God of the breakthrough (1 Chronicles 14: 11–12) had visited my household and is still with me.

To cut the Long story short, I was given a fat redundancy package and I am out of debt (but please don't ask me for money, it belongs to the Owner and is already committed to His work!). The Lord did not finish there. I have a new, more rewarding, job and believe me, I wasn't without a job, even a single day. Furthermore, between April and September this year alone, I have been on two 30 day long, God given holidays, each. I am happy with my new experience and my faith in the Lord has soared.

Let me leave you with the words of wisdom in Proverbs 30 vs 24 – 28 (AMP):

24 There are four things which are little on the earth, but they are exceedingly wise:

25 The ants are a people not strong, yet they lay up their food in the summer;

26 The conies are but a feeble folk, yet they make their houses in the rocks;

27 The locusts have no king, yet they go forth all of them by bands;

28 The lizard you can seize with your hands, yet it is in kings' palaces.

Farai Mutsambiwa

[Wednesday's Devotional] - He also wants the very best from us

Through His Spirit, the Most Exalted Father has carefully edited the Scriptures and placed this little passage for you and me:

4 By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead. Hebrews 11:4 [NIV – emphasis mine]

Back to the story of two brothers Cain and Abel in Genesis chapter 4. Both brought offerings to God. Abel brought the fat portions from some of the first born of his flock whilst Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil that were not the first portion of the harvest.

And here is what happened:

The Lord looked with favour on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favour. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

6 Then the Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?

Knowing that you and I would live in such a time as this and knowing we would not reverence the Scriptures and start little debates – this is the law and not by grace, etc., the Lord made reference to this little story in the New Testament for our learning.

He wants us to put Him in first place in everything we do and worship. Literally even with our money or harvest, He expects to receive the very best Thank You gift from us. And as a guide so that everybody can be included, He says, give me the tithe, the first 10% of your income and see, what will happen to you (Malachi 3)

Abel is speaking to us today even though he died many years ago. If we do the right thing we will live in a greenhouse of God's favour when the rest of the world is suffering.

Let those with ears hear, Jesus always concluded his parables.

Farai Mutsambiwa

[Tuesday's Devotional] - God has the very best for you

I did warn you yesterday that if you can decipher the meaning of Jesus' wonderful stories, you have found gold!

Today I am keen to remind you to go for the very best that God has in store for you, whatever your need. Just believe!

In His wisdom, again knowing you and me who call ourselves Christians and children of the Most High, Jesus gave us the story / parable of a farmer who went out to sow his seed on different types of soil and conditions, and the seed produced different results Mark 4 vs. 1 – 20:

• Some fell on the path and were eaten by birds
• Some fell on rocky ground and the plants were scorched by the sun
• Others fell in thorny places and got choked by the thorns
• Other fell on good soil and produced a good harvest, multiplying thirty, sixty and even a hundred times

Do you notice in the parable that the seed was the same but the soil conditions were different? If you are a child of God, you can get away (for today only) with the fact that you are not the one implied by the seed that fell on the path, rocky ground and thorny places, etc.

You are good ground. You have received Jesus and His word and you are saved – destined for Heaven!

Now the challenge. We hear the same word, we pray, etc., but some seem to get results, whilst others don't.

Child of God – our God loves us and He is the same to all who come to Him for help. So, don't settle for thirty percent when He has a hundred percent in store for you. Do whatever you can to believe His perfect will for you.

1 John 5 (NIV, emphasis mine) promises:

14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

What's His will? Answer – every little word or story He tells you to give you hope and inspiration and that relates to your need

Farai Mutsambiwa

[Monday's Devotional] - Edited for you...

Jesus taught many Spiritual truths about the Kingdom of Heaven through parables. Like father like son, so to speak, both the Father and the Son love telling stories with a hidden meaning. If you can find the meaning, then you have found gold.

As I was going through my devotionals this morning (date of writing this message), I came across this passage in the Bible:

And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn't just for Abraham's benefit. It was recorded for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.

Romans 4: 23-24 [NLT version – the bold is my emphasis]

Today, be encouraged to turn to the Bible for a solution to anything you want or need. Yes, turn to that favourite Old or New Testament story that gives you hope or inspiration and do it over and over again. It was written for you!

God in His wisdom, knowing He would create you for such a time as this, carefully Edited everything He would put in the Holy Bible, just for you and me!

For example:

• For those with weak faith He condensed everything they need to know in one chapter, Hebrews 11
• For salvation He gave you the story of Nicodemus in John Chapter 3
• For healing, He gave for example the story of the withered fig tree in Mark 11 vs. 20 – 25 – the message being you can speak the Word of God to your circumstance and it will change. If it's too difficult to believe, He gives a backup parable of the persistent widow in Luke chapter 18 vs. 1 – 8:
• For the impossible, "never heard of in my family miracle", or for that stubborn problem, God gave us the story of Noah in Genesis chapters 6 – 9 who built a very large boat that saved his family at the instruction of God, even though it had never rained before in those days.

So go on and read your favourite Bible story knowing that what God has done for that person He will also do the same for you, only if you believe will He reward your faith

Farai Mutsambiwa

[Friday's Devotional] - Celebrate

In October m2o is screening the film "58: Fast. Forward. The End of Extreme Poverty"

I do hope you will be able to get your ticket and come to see this film. It tells the story of the incredible work of God's people in our hurting world. It is a celebration which will inspire us to recognise that caring for the poor is not an option but the heartbeat of Jesus' mission.

It is not all doom and gloom, it is good to recognise the impact of what God is doing through you and to celebrate!

Some tips for celebrating:

• Seek out the reasons for celebration – the evidence, the stories, the lives changed.
• Celebrate in prayer by thanking God for the good things you see in the fight against poverty.
• Celebrate in your conversations by pointing out the evidence and sharing the stories of hope.
• When you pass milestones -- completing a fast, funding a project, receiving a project report - share the good news!

Decide today to get your ticket to see "58:" and celebrate what God is doing through you!

Follow these links for more information about:

• the sermon series "Just Living"
• the film "58:"
• how to order tickets for the Rugby showing

Martin Saxby

[Thursday's Devotional] - Give

Giving is critically important to help towards ending extreme poverty but it is neither the beginning nor the end!

God is looking for a change in our hearts, he wants us to be motivated by love for the poor, not guilt. And he wants us to engage with the needs of the poor, not salve our conscience by sending off a few quid somewhere!

Regular giving to support the work to eradicate extreme poverty, given out of love and compassion, is an essential part of the process. If we are engaged with this issue we will want to make regular gifts to support the poor through whatever means we decide – a church based project, a Christian organisation, etc – to support work in this country or overseas.

It is good to give the same amounts regularly but then to be able to make one off additional gifts, perhaps from money you have saved through fasting.

Of course giving isn't just about money. We give when we pray for a project, the people doing the work, and the people in the community. We give of our time and voice when we tell others what we are doing and invite them to join. Some projects may even offer an opportunity to give of our talent by getting directly involved.

Some tips for giving:

• Join with the church or your Small Group to support a project or ministry.
• Invite friends to join you in funding your project.
• Consider fasting to increase your giving.

What can you change today in the way you give?

Martin Saxby

[Wednesday's Devotional] - Unite

We are all better together.

The churches ending extreme poverty seems like a wild hope but Scott Todd in his book "Fast Living" demonstrates to the sceptical how it is not as fanciful as we might image. If you have 2 1/2 minutes to spare watch this video now

Scott explains how we can make a difference and we can see how the churches and Christians of Rugby have been able to make a significant impact for the poor in our town by uniting and working together under the Revive umbrella. Here are just some of the initiatives that none of the churches could have done on their own:

• Street Pastors
• Christians Against Poverty
• Foodbank
• Soup kitchen
• Hope4
• Healing on the Streets
• World of Difference

If we engage together with our church, with other groups or with our friends we can maximize our impact for the poor and play our part in ending extreme poverty.

It's not only our engaging with specific actions which make a difference, it is also the multiple decisions we make each day as to how we live our lives – things like the items we purchase, the clothes we wear, the amount of fuel we use and the things we throw away.

How will you engage with others to serve the poor and work for the end of extreme poverty? What can you do today?

Martin Saxby

[Tuesday's Devotional] - Shout

Isaiah 58 begins with a call to shout out about the wrongs in society and in people's lives, to shout out about God's concern for the poor, the homeless and the hungry, to cry out against injustice.

We can take action to end extreme poverty by telling others. Here are some ways you can start "shouting:"

Some tips for shouting:

• "Shouting" is just telling others and inviting them to take action.
• You can shout any way you want: by email, by Facebook, by Twitter, by text or - you could even talk to them!
• Shouting matters because the more people you tell, the greater difference you can make.
• Start with your friends and family, but realize the power of your Shout. You can use your voice to let the church or even government leaders know they need to take action as well to end extreme poverty.
• Learn more about Shouting and the biblical mandate for it.

This last tip is so important, we need to know and understand about the issues we are shouting about – reading "Fast Living" is a great way to do that, another is to use the resources available to Small Group leaders to discuss and learn about these issues in your Small Group.

How will you shout out today about the poor?

Martin Saxby

[Monday's Devotional] - Fast Living

I have been really challenged in my thinking in recent months and I shall be sharing much of this on Sundays at 11am from 16 September as we embark on a series called "Just Living". We shall confront the challenge to live justly, looking at global issues of poverty, justice, the environment, compassion and how as Christians God calls each one of us to respond to him in these areas.

Isaiah 58 calls us to true fasting which pre-echoes Jesus' manifesto in Luke 4:16-21 and Micah's call for us to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God.

I'd encourage you to read that chapter of Isaiah now – Isaiah 58.

I've also been reading "Fast Living – How the Church will End Extreme Poverty" by Scott Todd, this book looks at the true fasting God requires that we see in Isaiah 58. This is an audacious but achievable goal. For more information see www.live58.org/about - a website promoting "58:" which is a global initiative to end extreme poverty by living out Isaiah 58.

God's heart is for all people but many have identified in Jesus' own ministry what some have called a "bias for the poor".

As we "live 58" there is a place for fasting, shouting, uniting, giving and celebrating – we'll explore these this week.

Caring for the poor is not an option but the heartbeat of Jesus' mission. We align our heart with God's heart through prayer and fasting.

Some tips for fasting:

• Realize fasting is an ancient spiritual practice. Don't take it lightly.
• Start small with maybe just not eating a single meal.
• Don't limit yourself to food. You can fast from media, bad habits, certain situations, etc.
• Realize that fasting and prayer are interrelated. Fasting a meal without prayer is just a recipe to be grumpy from low blood sugar!
• Give up small things over a long time, say going without chocolate or alcohol for several weeks. The amount of money you save adds up and can help fund a project.

What is the true fast God is calling you to live?

Martin Saxby

[Friday's Devotional] - Come closer

On the morning of his death, Ayrton Senna read his Bible. He believed that God spoke to him very clearly that morning through his word. Ayrton was convinced that God was telling him that he had a gift for him, the gift of himself. Well, by the end of that day Ayrton had gone on to meet his Lord.

Pete Greig also talks about the gift of God himself, when he looks at the issue of why we sometimes need to keep on praying for something. Greig recounts an old Jewish story that looks at why God sometimes is slow to answer our prayers.

There was a king who had two sons. Each son came to his father to make requests. The first son is granted his wish by his father as soon as he appears in his doorway. This son is really held in low esteem by his father. The second son is invited in by his father and spoken to. The father takes delight in his son's presence and is keen for him to stay for a while. The father is so moved with love by his son's presence that he quickly gives him what it is that he needs.

God is not emotionally insecure. He does not need us at all. He is complete in himself. However, the story is a good illustration of the way God sometimes works in our prayer life. He delays an answer, not because he is mean or needy. He delays so that we might come closer into his presence. So that we might receive the ultimate gift that he as to give. This is not the gift of an answer to a worry about an illness, or a better job, or a date with the blond girl down the road, although all of these things can be important. The ultimate gift that God has to give us is the gift of being with him and enjoying him. We begin to receive that gift when we draw near to God in prayer.

Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever. From the Westminster Catchecism.

John Martin-Jones

[Thursday's Devotional] - I am doing it for you, Lord, aren't I?

I was privileged to meet a family at New Wine who live in Afghanistan. They are English, but choose to live in Kabul as they feel that God wants them there. Kabul is not an easy place to live and this family clearly accept a standard of living that is less than most of us would regard as comfortable. Even on the campsite they were cooking with an old, meths-powered burner and using high mileage utensils. The mother of the family was nine months pregnant with her third child and thought it fine to sleep with nothing more than a piece of foam below her sleeping bag. I thought that my discipleship was a bit thin after getting a flavour for the way that these westerners have chosen to live at the Lord's calling.

However, even self sacrificial missionary work can have its spiritual dangers. Greig gives an example that is worth considering and that we can all learn from. James O Fraser left a prosperous career and went to spread the gospel in China. For five years he worked among the Lisu people of the mountainous south west territories. He could not understand why all his work and sacrifice and prayer did not produce any fruit. Then he realised the problem, he needed to re-orientate his prayers. He had presumed to know what God wanted. After he took time to ask God what and how he should be praying things began to change. Slowly his ministry saw fruit and then after eight years hard work, the 'dam broke' and many of the Lisu people were swept in to the kingdom.

Greig concludes by saying that 'J.O Fraser discovered the hard way that, in prayer, it is always more important why we pray than how we pray and what we say.' The breakthrough came, not because of a change of prayer, God and Fraser had both always wanted the salvation of the Lisu people. The breakthrough came when the heart behind Fraser's prayers changed significantly.

For prayer.

Be encouraged and ask God to give you his heart for those around you; the people that God has put you with.

John Martin-Jones

[Wednesday's Devotional] - God's Best is Best

Greig writes with humour and clarity about the first time that he fell in love. He recalls how he had been attending a boy's only private school and how he had been educated by world class eccentrics. When Pete was ten the school went co-ed and two girls turned up at the start of the following term. One of them, and Pete names her as 'Annie' attracted the attention of most of the boys. Pete was smitten and prayed earnestly that he would receive her affections. He didn't. His prayers were not answered. I guess that most of us have our own "Annies" or "Andrews", people that we really liked when we were young and who never even realised we existed.

More to the point, we may have an Annie or an Andrew figure in our adult lives. Someone that we had a relationship with, went out with and it didn't work out despite our belief that it would have been perfect and God's best for our lives. Perhaps the Annidrew (my word) that you are thinking about right now is not a person at all. Perhaps there was a job that you applied for, thinking that it would be God's best for you to have it and you didn't get it. Perhaps there was a house you wanted in your dream location and you were "gazumped" (it does still happen). The list is endless.

Well Pete did meet his Annie again years after he left school. She was still uninterested in him, but the girl that he had once seen as a beautiful butterfly had metamorphosed back into a 'cute but clumping caterpillar'. Pete's response was to thank God for not answering his prayers.

Clearly some unanswered prayer has more serious repercussions than others and I am not trying to say that our life always works out better after God has not answered our prayers. There are too many young war widows for that. There will be situations when we never have the chance to understand why our prayers have not been answered this side of eternity. However, the Pete and Annie parable has its place in helping us to understand why some prayers are not answered. God had a different girl in mind for Pete. If Pete had married Annie, then I doubt God on Mute would ever have been written.

For prayer…

Bring your Annidrew situations to God and talk to him about them.

John Martin-Jones

[Tuesday's Devotional] - God on mute

Without doubt my book of the summer has been God on Mute by Peter Greig. I have set the book title up as a hyperlink in case you want to get your own and I recommend that you do so. The book comes highly recommended by the great and the good as it well deserves. Peter is a founder of the 24/7 prayer movement and is director of prayer at Holy Trinity Brompton. Prayer is his business.

God on Mute addresses the issue of unanswered prayer. Greig writes openly and honestly from his own experience, and the backdrop to the whole book is his wife's illness. Initially she suffered with a brain tumour and then, after a successful surgical removal, has had to live with the epilepsy that the tumour left her with. Over the next couple of days I want to share some of my reflections on what the book has taught me, but today I want to make one simple point: Prayer does not need to be pretty to be real prayer. Greig talks about his response when he and his wife learned that she was suffering with a brain tumour. He admits that during this trauma his prayers were not, to put it mildly, as faith filled as he would want them to be. He states that he prayed "at best like a child and at worst like a charlatan looking for snake oil". This great man of prayer, praying like a child, yelling out to God. Doesn't that make you feel better about having a prayer life that is not everything you want it to be? The point is, I think, that it is OK to be real with God and to bring yourself as you are to him. Greig is honest about the way that the fear and the pain changed his way of relating to God and also about the sinful desires that the fear stirred up in him. However, his great strength is that he kept on praying. He kept on praying throughout the whole situation. He kept on bringing himself before his heavenly father. Sometimes it is all we can do to pray and the last thing that we should stop doing is praying.

I remember as a very young man sitting on a wooden bench in a roofless monastic meeting area listening to the late, great, Brother Roger of Taize, The part of his message that I have always carried with me is that we should never worry about how we pray. He was right, of course, what matters is that we do pray.

For prayer

Spend time being real with God.

John Martin-Jones

[Monday's Devotional] - He is able to do immeasurably more

There are a lot of anecdotes around in the church about how God can use our efforts and make them fruitful for his purposes. Some of them are a bit clichéd, but I am unashamedly going to add another. You can decide where to file it!

I was chatting to a nice youngish lady at New Wine this summer (I say youngish as she was about my age). She explained to me that she had been working in Nepal. I had to admit to her that all I knew about Nepal I had learned as a child in the 70s by doing CMS fundraising projects at Sunday school. She commented that the church in Nepal had been small in the mid 70s, just a few hundred people. I asked how many Christians there are in Nepal now. "About a million" came the casual answer. I was stunned. A million! From just a few hundred 35 years ago! So, if there were a thousand Christians in Nepal in 1976, to have a million by 2012 means that the church has multiplied tenfold every twelve years. That is a 21% increase a year! My wife did the maths for that and so it will be right. Despite the encouraging figures released this summer on church growth in the UK, we are nowhere near that level.

Later, I reflected and talked to my wife about it. I remembered my Sunday school days. There we all were in a smelly church hall, watching slide shows about Nepal and other nations during Lent and learning new songs about them from a reel-to-reel tape machine. Each week we prayed for the country and, most of us, put a portion of our pocket money into a cardboard box for the work of CMS in whatever nation we were focused on. At the end of the project my Granny would take all the boxes in, count the money and send off a cheque. We never learnt what the money got used for.

So I stood in a Somerset field at twilight with a gas light flickering in my hand, some thirty five years later, being told by a real life missionary exactly what God had put all of our small contributions towards.

The message is obvious and I won't labour the point. You may be surprised by what God has done with your efforts.

For prayer….

Thank God for what he has done with your efforts and how he is able to use them for his purposes.

Thank God that he has asked you to work with him and that he has chosen to use you to help build his kingdom.

John Martin-Jones