I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking to me about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers. (Isaiah 65:24 NLT)
Hands at Work begins each year with a Watchword; a guiding scripture that our leadership team shares with the Hands at Work family. This scripture is a promise, a challenge, an inspiration, an encouragement and an opportunity to invite God to lead us throughout the year, expectant for what God will do in and through us.
Our monthly Women’s Prayer group recently spent some time together reflecting on and sharing what this year’s Watchword is saying to them.
Linda
“It may seem difficult to think of examples from our own lives when God has answered our prayers before we have even put them into words. Sometimes when things fall into place in our lives, we realise that God has been preparing the ground for that to happen. We have to be in touch with God to be receptive to His plans for us.
It is clear that God knows our needs before we ask him, so why then pray at all? We are urged to pray without ceasing, to stay alert and be persistent. However, in Matthew 6:7-8, Jesus says, ‘Don’t heap up empty phrases like the Gentiles, who imagine that they will be heard because they use a lot of words.’ Of course, what you need may be very different from what you want. Jesus then says, ‘Pray like this’ and introduces what we now know as the Lord’s prayer. ‘Your will be done’ should be the start of all our prayers.
Prayer is about being in a developing relationship with God. His aim is that our prayer will be increasingly in tune with His will because we are open to His spirit and so learn to see things as He sees them and to pray what He wants.”
Judith
“From this verse I love the glimpse we get of the God to whom we pray. He is so close and personal and knows what we need before we even get to asking! Our God sees us, hears us, knows us. His heart is to answer… His heart is to care... His heart is to go ahead of us. He responds to our prayers before we fully articulate them… He knows us that well. Our God actively listens to the cries of our heart as well as the words of our prayers. What a God we serve!”
Rosanne
“Reflecting on this year's Watchword, I have to admit I found it difficult to think of times when I was aware of God having answered prayers before I had spoken them. But then I realised that many times when God answers my prayers, in hindsight I can see God's hand days, weeks, months before, preparing the way, putting all the pieces in place for that prayer to be answered. Way before the prayer was in my mouth, God was already on it!”
Lesley
“Our Watchword this year comes from a chapter at the end of the book of Isaiah, where the prophet describes the Kingdom of God, pointing in different ways to God's love and generosity. The verse points to God's care for His people. He doesn't wait for us to petition Him, like a politician seeking to curry favour with the electorate, but is already there with us, knowing what is happening to us and reaching out to us in love.”
What does this Watchword say to you?
We have monthly Women’s and Men’s Prayer meetings online. If you’d like to find out more, please email info@uk.handsatwork.org.