Reality BitesCarla Harding - 12 Nov 2010

“Where should I look?” Is the uncertain question I direct at the young man behind the complicated recording equipment.  (There’s nothing that provokes uncomfortable self-analysis like a video camera.)  “Just look at me,” he replies cheerfully.  “I only have a few more questions.  Ok… next one… What’s wrong with the world?”  I pause, stunned... (I haven’t seen the footage but I probably looked like a guppy fish with my mouth hanging open!)

“What’s wrong with the world?” I repeat. “Well, that’s a pretty big question… Where do I start?”

The above response may seem strange to many who know me.  I am definitely a glass-half-full kind of person.  Growing up, my role models included Mary Poppins, Nancy Drew and Princess Leia. Strong, intelligent (fictional) women who approached life with positivity and determination. Ordinarily I would rather talk about the reasons for hope and the cause for celebration in life, than the challenges or heartbreak it can bring.  I guess this year my ‘ordinary’ has changed… 2010 is the year that God took my almost eternal optimism (I’m a pessimist before 10am), and brought a little balance. “Balance?” you may ask, “How?”  Well, through something very simple. A short but powerful prayer that begins with the words, “Our Father”.

Like many caught up in this flow of 24-7 Prayer I stop to say the Lord’s Prayer at midday six days a week.  (I beg off Sunday as I’m normally in a church service and I feel kind of rude interrupting the speaker with my alarm).  This means that I literally pray the words, “your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”, hundreds of times in a year.  I’ve heard some suggest that this rhythm could easily slide into vain repetition… but it’s the beauty of repetition that’s prompted me to really consider what it is that’s worth repeating.  The Kingdom… here now… Jesus, the ultimate Kingdom bringer, invites us to pray it in.

Yesterday I listened to a podcast of a recent talk by Rob Bell.  It was playing in the background while I sorted through some laundry. As he spoke, a sentence jumped out at me.  It was very simple, yet it seemed to crystallise the truth and reality God was planting in my heart…

“There is a tension between how the world is, and how we want the world to be.”

Duh.  May be your response.  It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that one out.  All I have to do is open the BBC news app on my iPhone and read the headlines that have filled the screen this week: Cholera outbreaks in Haiti, riots leave 12 dead in Brazil, debate rages over the use of torture and the death toll rises on the streets of Baghdad.  If I remained numb to the news my heart couldn’t help be moved as I sat on my sofa a few days ago reading some research. A good friend of mine had been looking at the issues surrounding child welfare.  As I read statistic after statistic of how the young among us are at risk, a dry exercise of reading and commenting, became a moment for tears.  

To be honest as difficult as it was to read the above, I don’t need the news or research papers to highlight the tension between the state of the world and the promise of the kingdom. This year it has been brought home most piercingly through the lives of people I love.  I, like probably many of you, have people I care about who are struggling with serious illness.  It’s not easy.  It’s not right.  I pray.  I hope. I trust in Jesus.  In a new way the words of Revelation 21 move me to tears…

“Look! Look! God has moved into the neighborhood, making his home with men and women! They're his people, he's their God. He'll wipe every tear from their eyes. Death is gone for good—tears gone, crying gone, pain gone…” (MSG)

As God has opened my eyes and heart to the pain and problems He’s here to heal I don’t think he’s taken away my hope.  I think He’s given me new eyes.  I do not pray with vain optimism, I pray with faith.  I do not pray, “kingdom come” as some nebulous concept but as an honest response to the tangible situations.  God is prompting me, God is calling us, to flesh out our prayers and bring situations and nations before His throne.  It can be a daunting challenge, but we are not alone.  We have each other, we have the word and we have the Holy Spirit... and He seems to be whispering the same thing to so many across the world…

“On a global level [passion to pray for the world] is definitely increasing.” Said Jason Mandryk, editor of the new edition of Operation World, in a recent interview with Christianity Today.  “Once you begin to see the number of prayer movements that have emerged in the last five to ten years, you’re staggered to see how God is awakening his people to pray for their nations and the world.”  

I couldn’t agree with Jason more.  Last May as I stood in South Africa with around one thousand others from across the globe it was humbling to see how much prayer wasn’t just a good idea, but most definitely a God idea.  It's true at times that reality bites, but with faith and hope I will glance at my news app as my alarm goes off at 12 and pray my small kingdom prayer.  I trust the rest to God’s hands…

If I could recommend one resource as an incredible way to pray for the nations it would be this:  The new edition of Operation World.  This jam packed book contains prayer guides to every single nation on planet earth.  Buy your copy today!