It’s no surprise during Thy Kingdom Come that prayer is at the forefront of our minds as Christians, but as Gemma experienced, God can talk to us in the most unusual of circumstances…
It’s funny where your mind wanders when you’re forced to stop, be still and have nowhere to go except for inside your own head.
That moment for me was during an MRI scan, where lying still under the dome of a machine for 45 minutes became my first real experience during lockdown of being able to connect with God.
Of course I pray - every day. My life is a non-stop stream of consciousness directed at Him. But there is always noise - the noise of physical pain and grief, of juggling childcare and work, supporting family and friends, or fighting fear and hopelessness.
Aside of the noise from the machine, all of a sudden there was nothing else and nowhere to be.
It took a few minutes to relax, but I immediately knew God was there. ‘Of course he was there,’ I hear you cry. ‘He’s always there.’ The difference was, I was there, too.
I was able to pray for my ‘Thy Kingdom Come five’ in great depth and with an overwhelming sense that they would feel comforted in the warmth of God’s love.
There was clarity and consideration in my thoughts and those moments took me from lament to elation.
Most significantly, I was able to pray for myself. It’s so clichéd, but in a time when loving our neighbour and raising up those who are making sacrifices daily for the wellbeing of our country has never been more important, I actually spent time thinking about me and what I needed God’s help with.
So I implore you, in the busyness of everyday life, to find your moments of clarity with God.
It might not be during that woodland walk, or planned meditation, but I hope that when it does happen it will give you the same peace that I feel now.