With Anne, our minister, on leave whilst recovering from hip surgery and with Stewart taking on the minister’s role during this time, it has meant that I have been left to give our members a ‘pastoral’ message.

A few weeks ago my dear brother died. He had fought hard and in spite of several encouraging results of work by the doctors he succumbed to pneumonia. This may not be an unusual story to you but it left me shattered. I have always had great faith in the power of prayer and it has served me well in recent years in particular. I feel that God’s presence is all around us and within and you only have to speak with God through prayer and you know God is listening.

I had spent much time in prayer over the health of my brother and I must admit to feeling disappointed and perhaps disillusioned. Why had my prayers not worked? Why was he not healed? Why couldn’t the doctors find the right answers to make him well? But a very good friend said that you cannot assume that God will do what we ask. God’s great design is God’s and we cannot expect things to change just because we asked even in total earnestness!

I believe that God answered my prayers, perhaps not in the way I and many others wanted but it was an answer all the same.

I have made my peace with God and I am happy in the knowledge that my brother is no longer in pain or misery which is a great answer in itself.

Never doubt the power of prayer because God will always listen and will also answer you and help you and remember always to ask in the name of God’s Son our Lord Jesus Christ.

David L. Kent (Editor)