God came among us in the person of Jesus of Nazareth to change the world.

Jesus came to show us the way, to change the world from the nightmare it often is into the dream and the vision that God intends.

The Archbishop of Canterbury has invited us to pray, “Thy kingdom come; thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.” Prayer actually does change things.

We may not always know how; we may not always know the details; we may not always see the end result or the end product, but prayer changes things, because prayer brings God into our conscious focus. And, in some mysterious and wonderful way, prayer alters the chemistry of the moment; changes the equation of history and life - sometimes in ways that we can see, sometimes in ways that we can’t: prayer changes things.

When the cries of the lonely; when the cries of the oppressed; when the cries of those who are sick; when the cries of those who suffer; when the thanksgivings of God’s people when a child is born; when a thanksgiving is uttered when something wonderful happens; when we pray for peace on Earth, when we pray for a way through - when we can’t find a way through; in those moments there is silence in heaven, because God is listening.

And if God is listening, that changes the equation of the moment. Prayer changes things. The Archbishop has invited us to pray to follow in the way of Jesus – the Jesus who prayed the great prayer of John 17, “…that they all might be one, as He and the Father were one…” The Jesus that taught us to pray, “Our Father, who art in Heaven…” The Jesus who prayed on the Cross, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do...”

Prayer changes things. So if you want things to stay the same, don’t bother to pray. But if you want a change, and you want the world to change, pray.

God came among us in the person of Jesus to show us the way to change the world and to be changed.

God bless you; God keep you and PRAY.