As I read these words this morning, reclining on my couch, sipping pure apple juice and listening to the music of Chopin, a few months of study whirled in my mind.  Recently I’ve been revisiting the prayer Jesus taught His disciples to usher in Kingdom life and relationships.  I’ve loved reading the thoughts of the Bishop of Durham, the Archbishop of Canterbury and John Ortberg and I have to confess that the way in which I’d prayed the Lord’s Prayer before lacked lustre in the light of all I’ve learned.  Now when my alarm goes off at midday and I set my cup of tea/laptop aside pausing conversation to recite the words that echo through millennia, the understanding of wiser men breath life into the sentences I learned by rote as a child.  As I move through the prayer that Jesus gave us to pin together our life and identity in Him, I know that my brothers and sisters around the globe, who have taken to the same rhythm, echo my ‘Amen’.  12pm has become a moment of potential in my day; an advancement of God’s love and purpose in my heart, my life and in the world around me…

I completed my study on the Lord’s Prayer and gave my talk on the Kingdom of God to my home community, Revelation Church, over a week ago.  ‘Pray life!’ was my motto.  If you are repulsed by the injustice, suffering and pain in our world, if you feel intimidated by spiritual warfare and intercessory practices, or if you consider yourself a novice and are waiting for a ‘Prayer for Dummies’ manual to save the day you can still make an impact on this world.  Pray for the life and love of Jesus everywhere and for everyone you see in the grip of death.  Don’t wait until you think you know all the answers; get stuck into making God’s Kingdom even more of a reality here and now through prayer…  It was quite the personal challenge to me; I confess that as I browse the pages of BBC news online, I’m frequently shocked by my own numb reaction to the atrocities I read about.  Now I’m trying to turn my apathy into passion, my ‘why?” into ‘why not?’ even if right now that prayer is sometimes little more than a sentence, I’m willing to practice. 

Though I have this daily reminder of the lessons I’ve been learning, since my talk I’ve moved on to a new part of the Bible and picked up a new book on the topic of Justice.  In some ways (even though our series at Church is not yet finished) I’m already filing it away to fill my mind with other things.  Don’t get me wrong… on Sunday I enjoyed Liza Cooke speaking excellently on the plea, “Give us this day our daily bread” and particularly loved how she married the need for practical provision with our need for God’s presence.  But with our Church gathering finished, BBQ eaten, nights slept and days worked I have pushed consideration of the topic to the back of my mind until I read those few lines this morning.  Suddenly the two areas of study seem like one… one giant overlap in the priorities on God’s heart.  He’s been teaching me to pray; now He’s teaching me how the world needs to be impacted by that prayer.

It’s not very comfortable.  I feel a little guilty finishing my apple juice (my third drink this morning) and listening to classical music on my fashionable MacBook whilst mentally acknowledging that I am living in luxury.  I am acutely aware that I am not practically in need of bread today.  (I have four kinds of it in the kitchen; I just counted!)  The reality is my household has more than we need… God has been very generous to us… and now I’m reading this book.

The stories of Danielle Strickland and Campbell Roberts, the ways in which they’ve allowed their hearts to be moved, broken even in the face of oppression and injustice is inspiring.  Their deep conviction that to follow Jesus is to live a life of justice and sacrifice alongside those less fortunate is one of those reads that is simultaneously firing off sparks in my heart and mind, whilst growing in me that uncomfortable hunch that to really engage with this means change. 

I think I’m ready for it. 
I think God planned this.
It’s started in prayer and now it’s becoming an examination of my actions and attitude.

I have a feeling that at the end of this book I won’t find five steps to a Just life or how to salve your conscience in a few worthy donations… but I know it will help me to engage with some difficult and complex challenges and put my life through a health or self check.  Anyone fancy joining me?  Today, when my alarm sounded to mark midday, I mentally made my way through the Lord's Prayer and when I reached the line, 'give us this day our daily bread' I added the sentence, 'and for me who has bread give me a hunger for justice.'  This is my starting place.

The book “Just Imagine” by Danielle Strickland and Campbell Roberts is available through Spring Harvest.  You can listen Carla’s talk on the ‘Kingdom of Life’ on her blog or to the whole series on the Lord’s Prayer from Revelation Church (the birth place of the 24-7 Prayer movement) here.