9.40-42

Some weeks get to be a bit like this, when all of the time seems to simply disappear.

There was a call today from another undertaker. Another death. Out in Kirkliston again. The wife of a man who'd died some three months back in May and whose funeral service I'd taken.

Her only son now suddenly left alone. And feeling the isolation with his mother and father now dead.

So with the new week after Sunday now just two days old I'm already trying to juggle three very different series of pastoral visits. Fitting them in. Keeping the details separate in my mind. Adjusting to all the particular, personal circumstances each one has.

How the Lord copes with all of us, I really don't know!

But it's plain that he somehow does! In amongst all that's been going on today, and triggered in part by one of the conversations that I had, the thought was placed in my mind of the need that we had to set aside a short, but definite time each day to pray together for all the different aspects of the work we're doing here. In the Halls, I mean.

That's a pretty obvious thought, of course. But the particular, personal thing was the startling sudden clarity with which (I can only believe) the Lord put the hour and the minute into my mind.

"9.40," he seemed to say. As simple and straight as that.

"And look up the reference, too," he seemed to add.

Which I did. Chapter and verse. I got that sense which I sometimes do that there was something he wanted to show me from the Bible.

Not all of the books of the Bible have as many as 9 chapters. Though most of them do.

But of those that have 9 chapters, only really a very few have as many as 40 verses. And most of those had little of any real relevance at all.

It all went down to the wire, in fact. The last book in the Bible to have a 9th chapter with more than 39 verses. The book of Acts.

It hit me like a bombshell.

"Peter sent them all out of the room: then he got down on his knees and prayed."

Talk about 'confirmation'. I was that excited, I then read on.

"Turning towards the dead woman, he said, 'Tabitha, get up.' She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called the believers and the widows and presented her to them alive. This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord."

It was like the Lord was saying very simply. 'Just pray. Close the doors, as it were. Send everyone else away, out everyone else out, and just go pray. Because, see what follows - that's what I mean to do.'

We can't do any of this on your own, what we seek to see in all that goes on day by day down here. The Lord just seemed to stop me in my tracks today and said, 'You've got to pray. I'm the only one that can do it, so don't try doing it all yourselves.'

'You do the praying, I'll do the rest.'

This is the vision we have for all we're involved in here in the Reception Area where people come for teas and coffees and lunch. We long to see people helped to their feet as Tabitha was, coming alive, renewed, restored and made alive.

Maybe the whole community is simply looking for this, as Joppa was.

So that's what he says. 9.40-9.42

The hour and minute (in the morning, I should add! The place officially opens at 10am).

The chapter and verse. From the book of Acts. You want to see things happen? Do this then, together. You act. And I'll act.

A short little time each day when all of you simply pray.

It's great when the Lord speaks with such amazing directness and gives such a wonderful promise of all that's yet to be.

We kind of needed that today.

That's what I mean about the Lord being so very personal and particular!