“Never stop praying, especially for others. Always pray by the power of the Spirit. Stay alert and keep praying for God’s people.”
(Ephesians 6:18)

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Prayer reflection for July

“I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb … And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” Revelation 7:9-10 (NIV)

The football World Cup is now well under way, and in the middle of the joy and the tears (and the vuvzelas) – what a celebration it’s been of “many nations”. Suddenly our television screens are awash with the colour of national flags, traditional dress mixed in with face paints and novelty hats. Even away from South Africa – here in my corner of South London, different national flags are hanging from windows and decorating cars.

National feeling can of course spill over into something altogether darker; but at their best, sporting events like the World Cup give us a vibrant taste of each others’ culture, and a glimpse of what it could be like when all the richness of many languages, many people, and many nations come together – not in worship of football, or even in worship of diversity – but in worship of the Lamb. And that day, that vision is not just for the future; it should lift our hearts and inspire us for the here and now, the now and the not yet.

So I’ll watch the World Cup final with bated breath … not just to see the result, but as a tiny reminder to myself of the greater day to come (and all the days in-between) when God will make his home on earth – and no nation, no people, no race or language or colour shall be excluded from the celebration.

Danielle Welch, SGM Lifewords