I’ve been a Christian over 25 years and during this time prayer has been in integral part of my faith journey. From my initial walk with God when I prayed the Salvation Prayer, to a more recent event were the prayers of the Body of Christ up held and sustained my family and I in ways that I could never have imagined.

As I type this short article I am now recovering from a 12 month illness which at times left me suffering many seizure-like symptoms and being admitted to hospital by ambulance on a number of occasions. It’s been a dif¬ficult 12 months to say the least, yet it’s been an amazing time also. This illness has certainly caused me to focus and draw on my faith in way that I never done before and watch as the church stepped up to the mark and become all Christ intended her to be.

As I awoke one morning last September seriously ill and being bundled into the back of an Ambulance, my wife phoned our church family and many of our friends from around the country and they all began to pray.

Over the next few months the prayers

continued to flood in. We received prayers from India, from the States and especially from our home church; The Family Church in Christchurch. The support and prayers sustained us as a family and carried us through a very difficult time. On one occasion I was so seriously ill that my home church organised a specific evening of prayer and uplifted our situation to God. Many people look back and wonder how we coped as a family. Our answer is through the prayers of the people of God! They prayed even when we couldn’t!

The doctors never did find out what was wrong and my healing has been gradual. Yet, as I return to work I am able to pray to God about my future which brings peace and clarity. As I reflect on His will for my life and pray the promises of God into my situation I find that God starts to speak direc¬tion, just when He knows I am ready for it. Like many Christians I find hearing from God is not the easiest thing to do, but taking that time to spend before Him in prayer sharpens  my focus and opens doors to places that I could have only dreamed of.

So what does prayer mean to me… prayer means the very essence of com¬municating with the living God and allowing His world to effect my world; during the good times and during the bad times. I am so grateful to God that He does not leave us to get on with life on our own but gives us the ability to commune with Him through a simple yet life changing way: that of prayer. Prayer is an invaluable part of my life with God and that of the Church in general. So let’s continue to do what the Bible encourages us to do… Pray constantly and in all circumstances.

Kevin Higham