Pray the week, 17th May 2020
For those that prefer to print it out, you can download the week here: PTW 17 May 2020
SUNDAY - 17TH MAY
We praise God that he hears our prayers. We have seen so much answered prayer happen in the last few months. We know He is always working even when we can't see it ourselves. Let's take the opportunity to praise God this week for all that he has done for us as individuals and as a church.
Let us praise God for:
o Praise God that He has given Chris the opportunity to help the NHS during this time.
o Praise God for the amount of answered prayer we have seen as a church over the last couple of months.
o Praise God for Theo (Richard and Helen's grandson) and how well the hospital appointment went. He was able to stay still and the pressure checks were able to be carried out.
o Praise God for the way Boris has reached out to christian worship leader Tim Hughes, thanking him for all he is doing for those in and outside of the church. Let's continue to pray for our Prime minister and government.
MONDAY - 18TH MAY
Please continue to pray for the church outreach and the website.
o Please pray especially for the assembly that will go out to both parents and kids this Monday, also for the church outreach: Drop In and Junior Church via the website.
o The daily devotions and “reflections on the Psalms”, that they may be a blessing to those that read them, encouraging those in their walk with the Lord and possible even reaching out to those who do not as yet know the lord
o Pray for those within the Church who are not able to access the website and online support. Pray that those reaching out to these within our family, pray that the Lord may encourage them and continue to provide the time and energy to continue this ministry.
Please pray for all the parents in the church, as they have to make the difficult decision as to whether they send their kids back to school, starting the first week of June. Pray that God would give his wisdom and guidance.
Please pray for Keith & Jayne. That they would have wisdom and Godly enablement in speaking to their neighbours, some who are quite unwell and others very anxious. They would love them to have peace through knowing the Lord. Also please pray for Keiths Mum, Joy, who is 86 and lives in a sheltered bungalow in their village. She has deteriorated mentally recently and is becoming more confused than ever. She has been a member of an organisation similar to the JWs for most of her life and does not know Jesus. She reads the Bible every day! Please pray that the Holy Spirit will enliven the eyes of her heart to see the true Jesus in the scriptures and that she would know His love.
TUESDAY - 19TH MAY
Just under a week ago Martin Sellers became a grandfather! Please see the update within the Newsletter and praise the Lord! God has heard all the prayers for them and been so gracious to them as a family through a period of hardship and trial.
Remember the work of Open Doors. Read the update within Mission Matter’s I’ve put together following their World Watch List Report 2020, but to remind you on the importance of their work, according to incidents reported by Open Doors:
o Every day, an average of eight Christians were killed for their faith and 23 Christians were raped or sexually harassed for faith-related reasons.
o Every week, an average of 182 churches or Christian buildings were attacked, and 276 Christian homes burned or destroyed.
o Every month, an average of 309 Christians were unjustly imprisoned for their faith. . Particularly remember Henrietta Blyth, CEO at Open Doors UK & Ireland
Please pray for both Chris and Margaret Shinn at this time. As Chris starts working for the NHS from home, pray that God would give his wisdom through the work he is doing.
WEDNESDAY - 20TH MAY
Re-read Colossians 4:2-6, as we reconsider the word Joe brought us, Pray - Walk - Talk (slide show available here) and answer these three questions:
o Are we cultivating lives that are devoted to prayer?
o Are we making the most of every opportunity and daily living out Christ?
o Are we proclaiming the gospel clearly?
Please pray for Hollie's school friend Jonathan. Pray for his salvation and that God would draw near to him in this time.
Pray for Paul who will be bringing us our sermon this weekend.
THURSDAY - 21ST MAY
Let’s pray Christians in Parliament, pray that they may remain true to God’s word, having the strength and courage to stand for Christ and His word, that they may be salt & light to their colleagues and that the Lord may use them greatly. Particularly remember:
o Sir Gary Streeter is the Chair of Christians in Parliament and is the Conservative MP for South West Devon. Gary has been a Member of Parliament since 1992, served as a Minister in John Major’s Government and has specialised in International Development. He is committed to supporting Christians across all parties in living out their faith in their work in Parliament..
o John Glen was first elected to Parliament as the Conservative MP for Salisbury in 2010 and is currently the Economic Secretary to the Treasury. The Government has said that churches will be permitted to reopen “no earlier than 4 July”. Pray for wisdom in decisions that surround this, particularly for us as a church.
Remember Prayer Meeting tonight on Zoom, 8pm. Feel free to join when you are able, you don’t have to join at 8pm on the dot, when you finished clapping, putting the kids down or finished your support simply click the link for the meeting is: https://zoom.us/j/351469040.
Remember Maggs in your prayers:
o She should’ve seen the orthopaedic docs about her knee but that was cancelled
o Give thanks that although she is physically on her own and sometimes yet 'down' that she KNOWS the the Lord is with me and so grateful for her bethel friends.
o Please include Ross in prayers. Also his mom Marie (Mags daughter) as she gets very down as she has Ross's condition to live with every day (duchenne muscular dystrophy). Also Julie and her family and for all of them to come to know the Lord.
FRIDAY - 22ND MAY
Let’s also think outside of our present situation, the world is continuing outside of this pandemic.
o Ofsted is unfairly downgrading primary schools for not teaching LGBT issues, despite it being optional, Peers have noted..
o A baby expected to die shortly after birth has defied doctors’ expectations and has now been allowed to go home after 5 months. Lilly Menear was born four months early at 22 weeks and two days and weighing just 1lb 2oz. The staff at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital told mum Tayla they had only seen one other baby survive at such a young age. Doctors had told Tayla and dad Shane to expect the worst..
o The Scottish Government’s proposed hate crime legislation is a threat to free speech, Christians and atheists have warned. The Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill seeks to extend the law on ‘hate crime’ against particular groups. The Bill lists these as age, race, disability, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity and variations in sexual characteristics. If it passes, words or behaviour considered to be “threatening or abusive” and “likely” to stir up hatred would constitute an offence.
The Persecuted Church: Burkina Faso, jumped straight into the World Watch List this year at 28! There are 5.2 million Christians from a population of 20.3 million, which means about a quarter of the country are Christian Levels of anti-Christian violence in Burkina Faso are rapidly increasing. Several Islamist attacks in 2019 left many dead. Christians are particularly vulnerable in the north and in the capital, Ouagadougou, and those who have converted from Islam are most in danger. The militant Islamic group Ansar ul Islam, formed in 2016, has tried to impose its laws in the north of the country.
Remember the concert of prayer tomorrow, 10 - 11:30am. If you need login details please contact Ron.
Please pray for Hollie & her mum: Recently Hollie has had opportunities to discuss scripture with her Mum, who is a Jehovah’s Witness. During recent time she has confessed to Hollie that she doesn't feel the peace that she would like in her heart. She puts that down to her not being good enough, and not being "Godly" enough. As we know, they believe that they have to continuously work for any hope of salvation, which isn't guaranteed. Please pray, that our Lord God, will open her eyes, and the Holy spirit will be her teacher, as she reads her Bible. Please pray that the true Gospel will be revealed to her and that she can find true peace in God's almighty love, and that she would know who Jesus truly is. Please also pray for Hollie, these must be immensely difficult and at times very delicate conversations, pray that Hollie may have wisdom in the words and moments that she chooses to engage with her mum on this.
SATURDAY - 23RD MAY
Pray for the Bethel Church:
o Give thanks for the Bethel family
o Pray that there may a great sense of oneness in knowing the Lord’s will for the various ministries as they face the challenges of coming out of the lockdown. That the Lord may make it clear what his will is, and that we may be able to obediently step out in faith.
o Pray for ‘leadership’ within the church. Pray that the Lord may draw particularly near to them, that they may know his guidance, wisdom and obedience in the decisions that they face.
o Pray for those involved in ministries, that they may be getting a good rest at present as they have a break from the majority of the work and the Lord may enable them to come back with renewed energy and inspiration for the work that they will face.
o Give thanks! Where do I start, so much, so don’t let me limit you, but give thanks for the prayer warriors who faithfully pray for the work of the church, not sure who is on the front line, the workers or the prayers!
o Historically our slogan has been “seeking to grow together in faith, hope and love.” Pray that may not be mere words but true of all of us.
Please pray for Jo's Auntie Josie as she has been moved to palliative care. Pray for her salvation and comfort during this time.