Tonight we had a special prayer meeting, called at the request of one of our members in response to a massive pastoral issue that has just emerged.  By the time I got to the meeting two more equally massive, similar issues had also broken: it's going to be a busy, and not exactly happy, few weeks.

At the start I invited people to pray aloud, not to fear gaps or silence, but also said that if it all felt too uncomfortable at any point we could have a break.  The truth is, most of our prayer meetings are the very worst kind - tortured silence and/or Catriona's soliloquy.  Tonight was different.  We sustained about 40 minutes of open prayer and almost everyone offered at least one spoken prayer.  The prayers were intelligent and thoughtful, shaped by Christian hope, but balanced by honest realism.  I was well proud of my people!

So what made the difference?  We are really quite good at public intercessions but dreadful at open prayer.  I think the big difference was that people could see the point of what they were doing.  This wasn't a dutiful prayer meeting with no concrete focus, nor one to 'seek the mind of Christ' over this or that issue (though it might be good if we did that now and then); instead it was some people who knew their own vulnerability and helplessness in pretty ghastly situations seeking support and strength from God as they in turn seek to support and strengthen those who must face these things daily.

Where two or three are gathered, whether in a conflict situation (Matthew 18) or a time of struggle or crisis, there the Shekina glory of God is to be found.  And that is when the prayer meeting becomes prayer.