‘Seek and pray’ for God, justice and flourishing says Paul Williams

Seeking God, his justice, and the flourishing of our communities should lie at the heart of our lives as Christians. Prayer is the central way that we seek it. That was the message today from Paul Williams, at the Gather Movement Summit. 

The Summit brings together people from across the UK and Australia to consider how our cities can be transformed. 

Referring to Matthew 6.33 and Jeremiah 29.7, Paul said that seeking was ‘more than just looking’. It was something to be done ‘earnestly’, that it was ‘a striving’ to be done ‘carefully, with desire, enquiring and hoping to find something’. 

Prayer, he said, lies at the core of our effectiveness as Christians. It is something distinctive that we as Christians and churches can do. Not many others see the spiritual dimension to daily life. Christians have been given spiritual authority to effect change for good, he added. 

‘Prayer is a transformational action,’ he said. ‘When we neglect prayer, we are not simply neglecting a personal, private bit of meditation and wellbeing, we are making room for the flourishing of evil in our own lives, our families, communities and society. 

‘We have the opportunity to collaborate in spiritual, social and cultural transformation and make way in prayer for many, many, many other people of goodwill to join,’ he said. 

His words were set against a rise in the popularity in prayer. At the start of the pandemic, a survey by the Church of England in May 2020 revealed that one in 20 British adults started praying during the coronavirus crisis. 

The poll reinforced indications of an increase in the number of people turning to faith, and prayer, for comfort and hope during the fear and difficulties of the last two years. 

Watch the Gather highlights now.