September 2004

Unity in Diversity

'Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.' (Matthew 18:19)

Whilst the above verse can be and often is misinterpreted or abused, it is obviously of huge significance in the corporate prayer arena. Jesus also taught us to pray: '...thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven.' This is the key to unlocking or understanding his words quoted above from Matthew 18:19. In other words, our job is not to prescribe to God the solutions to all his or our problems, but to seek to see his will coming to pass on earth as it does in heaven.

Once we have established the above principle, the next question is, what is the will of God in our lives, churches, communities and country, as we take stock and survey the scene around us. It seems to me that this is not a hugely taxing issue because he has taken the trouble to record and have written down the things that matter to him for our benefit. For example, he is passionate about the name and reputation of his Son, about the success of the universal Christian church and about seeing the lost found.

Of course, we have to work out how to apply such truths in our own circumstances but as, for example, Christians in London, we can surely agree that the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ wants to see London as a vibrant Christian city (whatever the alternatives) in the coming years.

That is why it was so exciting to see so many of London's Christians from so many churches, denominations and backgrounds coming together in unity to celebrate, pray and worship for this city's heart and soul, and its future, at 'Prayer for London' on Clapham Common on Friday, September 10. Surely this was in the spirit of the verse quoted at the head of this article, and we should continue to press on until the prize has been won. These principles apply to any location, so on a national level, let's go on praying for the Alpha Invitation and other initiatives for the re-evangelisation and transformation of society until we are overtaken by events.

Jeremy Jennings

This article is an edited version of one first published in Focus, September 2004. Reproduced here with permission.