In May 2017, we were praying together in Clifton when, unusually at the time, a member of the group had a vision of a bomb going off. They became visibly overcome with grief and suddenly came to tears. As others joined to pray about what God seemed to be revealing, a heavy sense of grief fell over the room, perplexing everyone. We prayed as best as we knew, eventually laying the matter to rest.

Within about a week however, it all made sense. The UK was shaken by the deadliest terrorist attack on its soil since 2005. “On 22 May 2017, twenty-two people were killed and 1,017 injured in an Islamic terrorist suicide bombing at Manchester Arena in Manchester, England.” (Wikipedia)

We were stunned by the news, in awe as well as honoured from the brush with God’s compassionate foreknowledge, yet humbled that our praying did not actually prevent the event. Notwithstanding we felt a confidence, that God was empathetic about human suffering and had, somehow, worked with and through our praying to alleviate it. We clearly had much to learn, but were awakened and attentive.