In my article, Thinking Aloud for November, I offered our churches as places of prayer for our community, and also asked you to pray for your church. But this begs the question of what on earth prayer is, and what we think we are doing when we pray.

It can be easier to say first what prayer is not. Prayer is not telling God things that might have escaped his notice - God already knows. Prayer is not asking God to suspend or reverse the laws of nature. Prayer does not mean that those most prayed for have a better chance of recovery than those not - for if we believe that, we believe that God has favourites. Prayer does not change God's mind.

Hmm .. so it's a real waste of time, then? No - because although we're not telling God anything new, we are bringing before him people and situations that deeply concern us. We are sharing with God our deepest hopes and fears because God is our best friend and, in any real relationship, we share what's going on in our lives. No - because although we're not asking God to change the laws of nature, it seems to me that the quantum nature of the universe means that God may have the opportunity to touch and influence his world directly. No - because although prayer does not 'change God's mind' it can change us. One of the great saints - Teresa of Avila - said that 'to be in the presence of God in prayer is to be changed'. For reasons beyond our understanding, God has chosen to do most of his work in the world through us - we are his hands, his feet, his eyes in this world. To pray is often to be called to action. To pray is often to have our own mindset and our own understanding changed.

So, as we pray (without ever hoping to see it in our own lifetimes) for world peace, we invite God into our lives to make us more peaceable, tolerant, understanding people. As we pray for someone we love to be healed, we connect ourselves with them in love, give them our mental and spiritual support, ask that we might all know God's presence with us in our struggle. As we pray for spiritual strength to live our lives, God will most surely give it to us.

Life is never straightforward, never black and white, but full of messy situations where we wonder what is the right thing. Here we have a chance to try and think some of them through, and also apply the wisdom we find in the Bible to help to make things clearer.

I thought that we might start with something that's been talked about a lot over the last months - the issue of pay - and see whether we can bring more light than heat into the situation.

In this country over the last ten years, average income has increased, but pay inequality has increased. For an adult receiving the National Minimum Wage and working a 40 hour week, before tax pay is less than £12,000 p.a., while we are aware of some high earners receiving millions a year. That people should be paid more for possessing skills and talents, or for investing time in higher education, seems fair and just - but surely there comes a point where the disparity in income is unjustifiable?

Also interesting is the people we choose to allow high salaries - and I say 'choose' because I don't think that society is entirely powerless in all this. We choose to reward very highly some people in the sporting world; successful actors and TV presenters; those who actually control and make money within our system. We choose not to reward highly those who take care of us when we are old or ill; those who grow our food; people who supply us with clean water and sanitation. We seem to live in a society which takes the basics for granted and rewards those who provide the things which are less necessary.

This is not a society which has a basis in Christian values. The prophet Amos has some very harsh things to say about a society which allows luxury for some while others barely scrape a living. Jesus himself told a story where some worked picking grapes for a whole day; others for part of a day; some for just an hour. At the end of the day, all were given a day's wages - which would be enough for them to live on and very little more. Should a good society make sure that all have the basics before some work is agreed to have extra value? And who should we value in our society?

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