Time to stop praying – and start listening

If our prayers don't seem to be answered, perhaps that's because we treat God like a grocer's shop. We go to him with a shopping list, and our credit's no good.

Perhaps if we went and asked him what he had on offer, we'd do rather better.

That's what Jesus did. He did what it says in the Bible: Be still and know that I am God. And God gave him unlimited credit.

Jesus says that God always answers prayers. So why does it seem as if he doesn't hear you? Perhaps it's because 'no' is also an answer.

The prayer Jesus taught us begins by calling God our father – the actual Jewish word he used means 'daddy'. Then we have to admit how great he is before we get down to our shopping list. We ask him to forgive us, but only as we forgive others.

Then comes the big one: Deliver us from evil. Which means (believe it or not) make us perfect. Because he can, if we only let him, and stop trying to perfect ourselves.

He knows how it can be done. We don't. But he can show us the way, if we only listen.