Pray Continually December & January

December 2014 and January 2015

Pray Continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

‘When we depend upon organisations we get what organisations can do; when we depend upon education we get what education can do; when we depend upon man we get what man can do; but when we depend upon prayer we get what God can do.’  (A.C. Dixon)

Thursday Fasts:  Could you fast in some way each Thursday – physical hunger creating a spiritual hunger for God?  Jesus has an expectation we will: ‘When you fast…’ he says in Matthew 6:16.

1: Pray for church across Stafford in their mission for Jesus, and our unity together under Christ.  Pray especially for Church Lane and St. Mary’s both with new ministers appointed in the last few months.  Pray these churches may ‘have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who give an account’, and those called to lead them would find their work a ‘joy, not a burden’ (Hebrews 13:17).  Pray for John Marshall and Father Graham as they retire.   

2:  List ten things you are thankful for – big and small.  Thank God for them.  ‘I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving’ (Psalm 69:13)

3: Pray for three Christians you know as they live out Jesus on their frontline of home, work or leisure that we may be ‘Christ’s ambassadors, as though God was making his appeal through us’ (2 Corinthians 5:20)

4: Pray for national and local leaders.  Remembering ‘In the Lord’s hands the king’s heart is a stream of water that he channels towards all who please him.’ (Proverbs 21:1)

5: Pray for your role personally and for the church as a whole in bringing justice and righteousness into the world.  ‘Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.  Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.’ (Proverbs 31:8-9)  Pray for the work of House of Bread.

6:  Pray for growing courage and readiness to risk for Jesus as reflected in our value of being ‘courageous in mission’.  ‘Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’  (Mathew 28:19)  What would be a courageous step for you?

7:  Think of three people you know who are not yet Christians.  Pray that the ‘God who said ‘let light shine out of darkness’ would make his light shine in their hearts to give them the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ’ (2 Corinthians 4:6)

8:  Pray for Smile orphanage in Nepal and the Anusuran Centre in India, both of whom we support.  ‘Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress…’ (James 1:27)

9:  Remind yourself of some places in our world in need for prayer for peace, stability, provision or resources.  Pray for them.  ‘For I am a great King’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and my name is to be feared among the nations.’’ (Malachi 1:14)

10:  Pray for some of our partner organisations and associations we work within as a church.  For example Baptist Union of Great Britian, BMSWorld Mission, Heart of England Baptist Association.

11: Think of three people you know in the church - pray they ‘may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding.’  (Colossians 2:2)

12:  Pray for a growing readiness to love everyone and help all people find God as their Father, Jesus as their Lord, and the church as their family.  Our value of ‘loving people’.  ‘I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.’ (Ephesians 1:17)

13: Pray for men.  Pray for three men you know.  Pray for responsibilities they may have – friends, colleagues, husbands, fathers, grandfathers, etc.  Pray that in all these roles and more ‘men everywhere would pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing’ (1 Timothy 2:8)

14:  We all make mistakes.  Think and pray about: ‘Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.  Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.’ (Psalm 51:1-2)

15:  Pray by name for leaders in the church.  ‘Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless – not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.’ (Titus 1:7-9)

16: Pray for the good stewardship and fruitful use of our buildings.  Pray for the re-development of Sandon Road – the logistics and practicalities, and also the mission opportunities that will flow from it.  Pray for the Beacon International Centre, and especially the purposeful use of the new floor space we are trailing.

17: Pray for the various ways we are able to serve and reach other organisations in the town – such as through chaplaincy at the Police HQ, MOD and University, and through serving in local schools.

18:  Pray for women.  Think of three women you know.  Pray for responsibilities they may have – friends, colleagues, wives, mothers, grandmothers, etc.  Pray in all these areas they may live as ‘women who profess to worship God’ (1 Timothy 2:10)

19:  List ten things you are thankful for - thank God for them.  ‘Cry out, ‘Save us, God our Saviour…that we may give thanks to your holy name, and glory in your praise.’  (1 Chronicles 16:35)

20: Pray for the re-development process at Sandon Road involving the various agencies and organisations.  That the process and the final product might speak clearly of Jesus.  Pray for energy and creativity in mission that could be catalysed from the re-development of the Sandon Road buildings.  Pray for the financial provision for the phase 2 build we would love to see happen in 2015/2016. Pray for the first thoughts toward a families-friendly new service at Sandon Road that would suit the myriad of mid-week users involved in the life of the building.  Pray ‘that God may open a door for our message, so we may proclaim the mystery of Christ…’ (Colossians 3:3)

21: Pray for the centrality of the Bible in your personal life and our corporate church life.  Pray for those responsible to teach or preach it in all sorts of contexts.  Pray that we might be ‘a pillar and buttress of truth’ and therefore a ‘living church’. (1 Timothy 3:15)

22: Pray for our Chinese Church congregation meeting each Thursday evening at the Beacon, and for our various ‘lifegroups’. Pray using this description of a church gathering: ‘Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you are called to peace.  And be thankful.  Let the message of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom…’  (Colossians 3:15-16)

23: Pray for Mid-Week Connect, meeting most Wednesday lunchtimes and serving the Technology Park.  ‘I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.’ (Ephesians 3:16-19)

24: As we gather as a church in our main meetings pray ‘May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else…’  (1 Thessalonians 3:12)

25: Pray for how we operate our mid-week Bistro and conferencing facilities used by thousands of people each month as we seek to serve the Technology Park.  We seek to be an ‘above expected experience’ giving people a taste of what Jesus is like over their lunch time.  ‘Taste and see that the Lord is good…’ (Psalm 34:8)  Pray for the Beacon Strategy Group of leaders who are responsible for helping us be good stewards of our Beacon building.  Pray they may ‘do it diligently.’  (Romans 12:8)  Thank God that through these ‘businesses’ we engage with over 2000 people per month, are able to create an employment for those who otherwise might struggle to begin a career, and for the significant financial contribution they make to the life of the church.

26:  Pray for a growing reliance and dependence on God’s Spirit as an individual and in our life as a church.  Our value of ‘Spirit dependent’.  ‘But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.’ (Galatians 5:22-23)

27: Pray for our Tuesday Group parent-toddler group serving the community and building relationships to explain Jesus through.  Pray for our pre-school that runs throughout the week at Sandon Road.  For children (44 attend), staff (8 plus some volunteers & trainees), and parents.  ‘And Jesus took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.’ (Mark 10:16)

28: Pray for our finances as we seek to be good and wise stewards with the resources God has made us responsible for.  Pray we may ‘excel in the grace of giving’ (1 Corinthians 8:9)

29:  Pray you would ‘be careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity…’ (Ephesians 5:15)  Pray for yourself, and for five other people who come to mind: ‘Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’  (Ephesians 5:14)  How could you verbally or practically encourage a couple of those people you are praying for today?

30: Pray for the big new development of Marston Grange, slightly further along the Beaconside Road and our responsibility to serve and reach that community for Jesus.  And for the opportunities to serve the MOD Beacon Barracks with 1000 more soldiers and their families arriving in 2015.  ‘It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known…’  (Romans 15:20)

31:  Pray for clarity or creativity in your own life as to decisions you need to make.  How are you using your life?  ‘Show me O Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is.’ (Psalm 39:4)  Are there any changes you need to make?  Pray about these.