How do you pray?

As our season of prayer for City on a Hill will draw to a close in February, the Team Ministers are hoping to feedback thoughts, ideas and suggestions they have received from the churches at our joint service on the 18th February.

Prayer is an important part of our life together and in the May 2023 edition of REFORM there was an article entitled, How do I pray? – a good question. One question with four answers – which were varied, as each person’s experience of prayer is personal. However, what they did share in common were moments of silence, either in preparing or listening.

We are told that our body language speaks up to more than 80% of our meaning and emotions. So, think back to the days when most of our churches had pews and we used to kneel (if able) to pray? We are sure that God does not mind what posture we take to say our prayers as long as we say them.

If you reflect on the story of the Prodigal Son, having made up his mind to go back home to his father, he planned the speech in his head (which he shared with us!) We know that in the story he didn’t really get the chance to complete the first sentence because his father saw him coming and ran to greet him with a hug.

What was important to the Prodigal Son was that he set his mind, he prepared to meet his father and his attitude was one of contrition. The Psalmist reminds us that “a broken and contrite heart God will not turn away.”

So, next time you spend some time in prayer, whether alone or in a group, take time, pause and consider what your body language is saying? Are you prepared to meet with God? If your hands are free, do you clasp them together as most of us used to do when we were children? Or do you present yourself open and willing to hear (listen) to what God is saying to you as an individual or as a church?

May God continue to bless you as you deepen your prayer life, through this season and in the weeks to come.

Happy New Year from Your Team

City on a Hill Season of Prayer

Our City on a Hill Season of Prayer continues to
take shape with dates set for our first two cross-
Sheffield prayer events…
Friends and members from any Sheffield URC
congregation are welcome to come to these
sessions at…


Dore and Totley URC on the morning of
Wednesday, 25th October – beginning with
prayer walking at 10 am, prayer stations from
10.30 am and a prayer service at 11.30 am. A
bring- your-own lunch follows at 12 noon, when
we encourage each other to think about how
we continue to pray.


Central URC host our second prayer session on
Tuesday, November 21st at 10.30 am. The exact
format is still in the planning stages but there
will be Prayer stations and these will continue
to be displayed in the church for the morning
service on Sunday the 26th


Please watch out for further notices about
prayer sessions in other places and pray for
Elders and Leaders as they plan these.