This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

I John Chapter5 verse 14.

I watched the Rathlin Ferry come into Ballycastle this morning as I often do when I walk our dog Freya on the beach. For those of you unfamiliar with the geography of the North Antrim Coast, Rathlin Island lies just six miles from Ballycastle and is home to a community of around 140 people. As with most island communities, the ferry is a lifeline especially in bringing supplies from the mainland. If the ferry is cancelled due to bad weather, there can be disruption to island life. It struck me how prayer is like the ferry, because it is our communication with God, and our supply line for the sustenance we need from Him.
Prayer is often thought of as talking to God, but it is so much more. It is also about listening to God and so it is a two way communication, much as the ferry goes to and fro between the island and the mainland. If we stop praying, God still knows what is going on in our lives, but we don’t get His advice and the blessings of His guidance.
Prayer isn’t all about us and our needs and wants. As John tells us in the verse above, effective prayer is always in line with God’s will, so we need to be in touch with Him through reading His word and listening to Him in the two-way
communication of prayer, if we are to understand what His will entails.
Just as the Rathlin Ferry brings life’s necessities to the island, prayer brings us the spiritual sustenance we need for a right relationship with God.