THANK you, the Rev J Willans of Leigh, for your excellent enlightening letter (LT, April 24) concerning the nation’s power of prayer at an extremely vulnerable time in our history – Dunkirk.

It was followed only months after in July 1940 by an equal miracle, of a David and Goliath battle for the skies over Britain 70 years ago, which will be commemorated in a July concert at Blackburn’s King George’s Hall.

Winston Churchill in an operations control bunker, enquired of RAF Fighter Command’s Air Chief Marshal Downing, as the battle with the Luftwaffe reached its peak in September 1940: “How many squadrons do we have in reserve?” “None!” came the reply.

Sadly, I lost my two elder brothers in the WW2 conflict.

You mentioned in the last paragraph about solving the problems that exist in our country at this present time. Can a guardian God really answer prayers to problems that are of our own making?

The God of materialism is worshipped, through greed in banking and commerce. They don’t release sufficient money for business and employment.

The labourer is worth his hire. We have abuse of position and status, crime, drug, alcohol, abuse, domestic problems which shouldn’t occur so much in a free democratic society that has free health care and benefits.

KEN ROBINSON, Penshaw Close, Blackburn.