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Like many of you, I have called someone and heard the answering machine say, "Leave a message!" If there is no call back, it can be frustrating! This set me thinking about our faith or our lack of it. "O ye of little faith" often applies to me also. I have chosen three verses from the prophet Jeremiah to help us strengthen our faith in God.

1. Appeal to God! Jeremiah 33:3,"Call unto me and I will answer...." Just before the parish's AGM in Iqaluit, I received a phone call that my mother was gravely ill. I flew back home and the next Sunday I went to the parish church. I didn't expect much, but was heartened to hear the curate quote a radio programme. In it requests for prayer were prefaced by the repeating of God's telephone number!! JER333. i.e. Jeremiah chapter 33 verse 3,"Call unto me and I will answer...." We are called to have faith in a God who answers prayer. Jesus also, rightly told his disciples not to worry, but to believe. If a suitable prayer escapes you, just remember what Jesus taught his followers about prayer. He said. "Pray then in this way.'Our Father who art in heaven......."

2. Appeal for Healing! Perhaps like me, you will find comfort in another verse from Jeremiah, Chapter 8, verse 22, "Is there no medicine in Gilead? Are there no doctors there? Why then, have my people not been healed?" I am sure you would have felt like I did so long ago when it seemed that God for all my prayers, was putting me on hold!! We are called to be patient, to have faith in God's power to heal, but to know that things do not always work out as we would wish! We know that Jesus had a tremendous ministry of healing. He encouraged his disciples to do the same, but it didn't always work out for them either. When they complained that they could not cure a boy suffering from epilepsy. Jesus said in Matt. 17:20. It was, "Because of your little faith." We too, then, are called to be patient, to trust more in God who heals his people. Let us then, as people of faith, continue to keep on praying for the sick, to care for them even to the end.

3. Appeal for Salvation! Health is related to wholeness, which in turn leads us to holiness! We are called also to pray for wholeness for our people, our nation and our world. Here is the third message left to us from Jeremiah 8, verse 20. "The harvest is past, the summer is ended and we are not saved." He was speaking about his world and we should be praying for ours. We have just recently prayed, "God save the King!" Let us extend our prayers to all in authority in this familiar world of ours. In our faith, we believe that Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the world. However little or however much, as Christians we have the task to present Jesus Christ to our family and community. There is a great word in John's Gospel to encourage us in our ministry of prayer. John 10:19, Jesus said. "I am the gate. Those who come in by me will be saved."

Conclusion: Think about this when you next enter the church door. Think also of how God answers prayer, who wants to heal his people, but most of all to save them through Jesus His Son from all danger. This indeed is the inspiring message for all to hear.