An encouraging prayer

I've been feeling pretty run down recently. Partly it's sheer physical exhuastion from trying to run Jubilee Iraq as well as my full time job, and feeling frustrated that I don't have as much time and energy as JI really needs. Secondly its loneliness. One result of spending all my free time working on JI is that I haven't been able to put much energy in to social life - and being a single in London one has to really work hard at organising friendships. I've got dozens of friends in the city, some very close, but I rarely get to see any of them, and then only because I've been proactive and booked a slot in their schedule weeks in advance. I really really miss having a community - as i did at school, uni and in Jordan - where there are people around most of the time to just hang out with, without having to plan far in advance.

The most recent frustration is that an Iraqi guy who has been one of the most enthusiastic volunteers and become a good friend in the last few months suddenly turned very negative. A friend of his had misunderstood some things, and as a result I got some quite hurtful emails out of the blue. I tried to reply, but each time got new criticisms in response. I was hoping he'd call, but since he hasn't I really need to phone him and try to clear up the situation. But I'm feeling very weak and quite afraid of making the call and it turning into an unproductive argument.

Anyhow, there was a mid-week service at my church this evening, which I went along to in the hope of meeting some people. It's a good church, but it's logistically very hard to get to know people in a congregation of 1000 on a Sunday evening. We had a time of worship, then there was a time for people to share what things God had been doing in their lives or any words of advice or encouragement he'd given them for the rest of us. After that there was an opportunity to pray for each other.

A guy whom I hadn't met before prayed for me, and I was really encouraged because the things he prayed for were precisely the things on my heart. Its a pretty everyday thing in the church for God to guide people to pray very specific things into other peoples' lives, but I'd never directly experienced it so clearly myself before now. I was feeling timid and he prayed that God would give me boldness. I was feeling run down and he prayed for refreshing. I was feeling weak and he prayed for strength. I was questioning whether I was really trusting God for Jubilee Iraq and he said that God knew I wanted to serve him and would anoint me for the the call he's put on my life. I've had tough times over the last couple of years, and he said that God has been pruning me and preparing me for the work he has for me to do. All these spot-on prayers without me uttering a single word to indicate who i was and what my needs were - i might just as easily have had backache and have been wanting prayer for healing. Anyhow, I'm jotting this down so I won't forget and when I'm next feeling weak and down (this time tomorrow probably!) I will be reminded that God really is concerned about my needs and is eager to satisfy them ("Remember, your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! - Matthew.6.8). Al hammdu illah, Praise God!