Praying and Walking: Part 1 – Snape

“Meeting God Round the Corner”

Sometimes it can be tempting to think that God doesn’t always answer our prayers. Sometimes we might imagine that he is a long way away and far too busy to see us.  If you have ever felt this, then let me tell you about last Thursday.

So, last Thursday, with a friend and their miniature dachshund, we set out to pray for the people and the village of Snape, just a few minutes’ drive from Bedale. We had decided that if God is doing something new here, we could join in by seeking him out and by praying for this area.

We parked outside the Village Institute, praying a simple blessing over everyone who uses the building and on those who maintain it so well, and we then set off walking up the green. As we walked along in the afternoon sun, we prayed. We prayed for the people whose houses we walked past. We prayed for the businesses in the village, and for the people who travel to the village to visit friends and family or to work. We prayed too, for the farmers and landowners and for God to bless their families, their work, their animals, their crops, and the land itself.

We then walked up the village to the castle and the church, standing out among its ruins, and thanked God for the faithful folk who have come here over many years, to worship and to pray. Then, we walked back down the green, and stopping at the Methodist chapel we thanked God for the hospitality of this community, for its open doors and its welcome for the visiting stranger.

We didn’t see many people. A few cars drove past, there were builders at work, and some cyclists shouted, “Hello!” The beautifully tended allotments were a testament to their owners’ care and the Creator’s provision, but they were deserted, as was the play park.

We had come only to pray, deciding on our destination as we drove out of Bedale that afternoon, and so we did not expect to see anyone. Yet, as we walked along the green, we were met by a lady, her dog, and her warm invitation to linger a while. So we chatted, and she shared her love for her dog and her garden, which she generously invited us to experience. And as we left, she allowed us to say a word of prayer with her, asking that she may know God’s blessing and healing touch.

We came expecting nothing. We left, encouraged, that our prayers were of value and certain that they had been heard. We had found a welcome, from those who we did not meet, but who were trusting enough to leave doors unlocked and signs saying ‘come in’. We were shown hospitality by a stranger, and were blessed by her simple kindness and welcome. We set out hoping that we might meet Jesus in this village and I’m sure our prayers were answered.

If God does answer our prayers, it means he must hear us, and that he does care. Personally, I am certain that he cares for everyone who lives in this area, works here, or connects in some other way. I believe that he wants us to meet him in the person of his son, Jesus. He wants us to experience his kindness and welcome, and he wants us to know his healing touch.

There was a time when many people in our villages and towns would come together each week, as a community, to worship this God and to speak with him. Their prayers were for the same things that my friend and I prayed for last week, and they will have known what it was to see their prayers answered by the God they prayed to. These praying communities may be much diminished today. The buildings they worshipped in may be mostly closed, but that does not mean that God does not care and does not hear us. Far from it. He is a God who is always doing something new. All we need to do today is join in.

At Dales Faith, our plan is to visit as many places in and around these northern Yorkshire Dales as we can in the months ahead. We plan simply to walk around them and to pray for them, and for you who live and work in this part of the world. We pray because Jesus prayed to his heavenly Father, and he invites us to join in with his conversation. We pray because we believe that God hears our prayers and does respond. We pray because we want good things for this area and for all the people who live here. And we pray because we want to experience and to be a part of the New Thing that God has promised to do in the villages and towns of these northern dales. Would you consider joining in yourself?

If you would like to invite us to your town or village or if you would like to join in with us as we pray in our villages and towns, please message us or contact us through our website at dalesfaith.org. We serve an awesome God, and these are exciting times.

Be encouraged!