Churches Article for Harborough Mail, week beginning 10/3: How do you feel about the way people talk these days, with the irritating tendency to keep putting the word,’like’ into mid-sentence? In the unlikely situation that you haven't noticed, let me explain. It is, like, as if when people are talking, like, but are not sure what words they want to use, like, so they use ‘like’, like in mid-sentence. Quite, clearly, it does not work at all in the written word!

It is a hesitation marker or ‘filler word’, and there are plenty more in common use. I have a very good friend who frequently interjects his communications with the word, ‘‘yes?’. I have to bite my lip and stop myself from responding ‘No’! We sometimes refer to this habit as ‘um and arring’.

It sometimes crops up when people pray. If you go to church, you may have noticed how often people include the word, ‘just’ when praying. “Dear Lord, I just want to ask you…”. It makes it seem as if what is being prayed about is not very important. But, of course, that is nonsense, as prayer is important, and most things that are prayed about are not trivial.

It has always intrigued me that, apparently, more people pray than claim to believe in God. It would seem that when a crisis interrupts the otherwise smooth running of our lives, it becomes natural to invoke the help of the Almighty. You may have heard it said that there were no atheists in the trenches. Recently, a non-Christian relative of mine discovered he had prostate cancer, and reached out to me with a request for prayer as he underwent a course of chemotherapy.

To all who say, “I just pray…” and to those praying in crisis, I want to say, do not underestimate the privilege and power of prayer. During a visit to Turkey, I fell into conversation with two students, one of whom was carrying a small rug. I guessed they were Muslims and surmised it was a prayer mat, so I inquired whether they always prayed five times a day.

They said they did, and asked how often I prayed. When I told them that I pray most of the time every day, they were surprised and wanted to know how I could do that. Using the little Turkish I had just learned, I explained that God was my friend and friends love to chat with one another.

Saying a crisis prayer is always wise, but it is far better to develop a friendship with the One who has unimaginable power, matched only by his unimaginable love. Prayer is not a magic formula, but it always helps to talk.

Rev Barry Osborne, Market Harborough Congregational Church