Creative Commons: 4ThGlryOfGod

I wonder how many of us were praying for Boston before the Marathon or the explosions.

It’s not my intention to be facetious; I’m just considering some issues swirling around my head right now. It seems close to home, yet still far away. The hashtag #prayforBoston sprang up quickly across Twitter, as people of faith responded in the best way they could. When you’re too far away to give blood or offer help at the scene, prayer is the one thing unrestricted by distance.

As events unfolded on Monday, I began thinking about how much of our praying is reactionary, a knee jerk response to crises & collisions in our lives and spaces or the lives of others.

That’s not to say that we shouldn’t pray after tragedies & events in the news. We should. We should always seek out opportunities to pray for those going through disaster or pain.

But maybe there’s something we can all learn from that prayer we are so familiar with – the Lord’s prayer, where Jesus instructs us to pray – Deliver us from evil… Your kingdom come.

It should be a daily practice in our spiritual walk to pray in the way Christ demonstrated to us.

Maybe we should return to the roots of our faith and revive corporate prayer… Deliver us! It’s not just an Anglican, liturgical thing; Jesus wants all believers to pray in this way.

Are we willing to get on our knees and pray for our towns and cities to be shielded from devastating violence?

I’m aware of the tendency in my own life to coast along in my prayer activity when everything’s going just nicely. When an urgent situation or major dilemma arises, I immediately think about praying fervently. It’s my natural response.

I need God when I’m in trouble. There is no shame in that. Even the psalmist illustrates how we can walk through the valley of the shadow of death. I am weak and know I need God in my moments of desperation, in times of dismay.

But what about praying with passion when nothing special is going on, when mainly good stuff is occurring in life and in my vicinity?

The Boston bombings have challenged me once again to pray urgently and wholeheartedly for my family, friends, city and country before they run into disarray. Before tragedy strikes. Before unspeakable horrors occur. I need to be reminded of this regularly.

In our towns, our cities and on our doorsteps live and lurk the desperate, the deluded and the dangerous people of our broken world.

We don’t know what thoughts consume or trouble those whom we walk past or interact with as we go about our daily life. The sad news of the distressed pregnant mother who killed herself and three children in Lowestoft struck a nerve as they lived in a street that I have walked along; it’s just a stone’s throw from a beautiful beach and I have relatives in that locality.

We shouldn’t live in paranoia, mistrust and constant fear. But we can pray – as Jesus taught us.

Your Kingdom come.

God’s kingdom come!  In our homes, on the streets, in our places of work and leisure.

Our praying will not necessarily avert destruction wreaked by those whose hearts are closed to Him. Disaster cannot be eliminated this side of eternity. But we can rest assured that we are fulfilling Christ’s commands by praying according to his will. We should not ever give up praying: “Your Kingdom come”. For where His kingdom is manifest – through love, compassion and grace – lives are transformed and nations are saved.

Let’s make it a constant thing in our Christian walk – to cling daily to the power of prayer. And at this time, as we pray for those affected by Boston’s horrific tragedy, let’s also offer prayers for the people and places near to us.

Also, be cheered by stories such as these to lift your spirits…

Amid shock at Marathon, a rush to help strangers http://b.globe.com/13ce8Xe

Museums offer free admission in response to marathon bombings http://b.globe.com/YtdgKF