Praying Always

If you have prayer requests which you would like to see included in Praying Always, please contact Lynn Petersen.
Day
Prayer

1

“Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!” (Isaiah chapter 30 verse 18). At the start of this new year, ask God to help us so to meditate on the nature of our loving, gracious, compassionate and just God, that we will be blessed and a blessing to those around us.
 

2

Please pray today for Peter and Emelia Smith. Peter has had to return home from Khartoum International Community School for an emergency operation. Pray for his health and for Emelia, remaining behind temporarily in North Sudan until the situation becomes clearer. Bring before God too the unrest in Darfur and other areas on the border.
 

3

Thank God for the numerous prayer initiatives which are arising through this country. Ask Him to fill His church with the desire to meet to seek His face, and to continue in earnest prayer until we see revival.
 

4

Please pray for Share Jesus International and its Director, Andy Frost. Pray that in these difficult times the finances may come in to sustain and develop their ministry, and for all the young people attending the Fresh leadership programme.
 

5

Pray today about the situation in Uganda, where witch doctors are kidnapping children for ritual sacrifices, and where police and government officials are being bribed to ignore its occurrence. Pray for protection for vulnerable children, and for those responsible to be brought to justice and turn from this wickedness.
 

6

Bring before God the elderly in your community, often feeling more isolated during the dark months before spring arrives, and ask God to make us good neighbours to such as these. Pray that our churches may see the urgency of presenting them with the claims of the Gospel. Pray too for older Christians who are unable to meet for worship, that they may still feel themselves to be an integral part of the body of Christ.
 

7

Bassey and Jannine Ebenso, with The Leprosy Mission International, report that Myanmar (Burma) has signed the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Jannine attended the Board meeting of the International Disability and Development Consortium in Brussels, which is submitting a project proposal to the EU for funding; please pray that it is successful. In Chad, the Guera project is planned to start in January: please pray that the budget may be approved so that it can go ahead on time. Bassey attended a meeting of the World Health Organisation in Geneva planning a training manual for community-based rehabilitation and presented a paper about his studies to a conference of medical sociologists in Chester. He is now looking for jobs in York and Leeds. Please pray for him in this, and thank God that he now has a UK residence permit. Please pray too for the Leprosy Mission International as they go through a period of staff changes.
 

8

In this time of increased economic hardship and job uncertainties, pray for those among your fellowship who may be struggling. Pray too that we may be alert to those in our communities who see themselves as being in hopeless situations, and ask God to show us how we can point them to the God of all hope.
 

9

Pray for Venture FX, headed up by Ian Bell, that through their new and innovative ways of reaching people with the Gospel, areas of society formerly closed to the church will be reached.
 

10

Thank God for your minister and the other ministers in your circuit; pray for them and their families today as they seek to fulfil all their responsibilities.
 

11

Remember in your prayers Fair Trade Fortnight, 27 February - 11 March, that it might be a challenge to us all to consider what we pay for our goods and whether we are unconsciously contributing to exploitation of the workers.
 

12

Mavis Orton, midwife at the Shalom Birthing Home in the Philippines, reports that the roof is on the new building. Prayers are needed for the money to install plumbing and electricity, and to plaster the walls. Pastor Frank leads an evangelistic Bible study for patients each week, and many have started to attend church. Seventeen people were baptised recently, including two of the midwives. Mavis asks for prayers for a young man sleeping on the street outside the home, to whom they give food, water and clean clothes. Please pray too for the team of midwives, for spiritual needs and opportunities to share the Gospel.
 

13

Thank God for all the work undertaken by Cliff College, and that staff and students alike will know God‘s provision and enabling.
 

14

Pray today for all our brothers and sisters who face persecution for their faith; ask God to give them strength, hope and courage. Pray too for the persecutors, that God will give them a change of heart, not only to stop their persecution but to follow the Lord Jesus for themselves.
 

15

We are already into the Olympic year, so please pray for the “More Than Gold“ initiative, that we will make effective use of the evangelistic opportunities offered, not only in the sports venues themselves but within our communities through the interest which will inevitably be generated.
 

16

As the difficult situation in the Middle East and North Africa appears to be continuing, please pray for Christians there, that the changes of regimes may not result in increased intolerance to the Christian faith.
 

17

Barbara Dickinson, of the Maua Methodist Hospital in Kenya, asks for prayer for a good harvest, due in February, and that there will be sufficient food distribution for those in need. She also asks for prayers in the run-up to the elections in August, that they will be well-organized and without violence. Thank God that there are enough medical staff at the hospital, but pray that sufficient nurses will be retained to offer the standard of care needed, and pray for the families of students struggling to raise the money to pay tuition fees.
 

18

Bring before God today ECG, to be held in Scarborough 10 - 15 April. Pray that the transition to a new venue may run smoothly, and that God will be preparing those taking part, helping with the administration and running of the event and those who are planning to attend. Pray that the town of Scarborough will be blessed through the event.
 

19

Please continue to pray for a responsible use of the earth‘s resources, both by ourselves as individuals and by governments and nations.
 

20

Pray today for the schools in your area, and for those Christians who study or work there, or serve in other ways, that they will stand firm in the face of opposition from a secular world-view, and that the Gospel may have a dynamic impact on the young people of this land.
 

21

Bring before God the MET AGM in April; pray for encouragement for the Executive in their responsibilities, and for Paul Wilson, preparing to take on the role of full-time Development Worker with effect from September. Ask God to provide the resources and accommodation for this position. Pray for a smooth transition period for the new Chair. Remember too in your prayers Greg Obong-Oshotse, as he takes on the challenge of being Media Editor.
 

22

David and Karen Bolton, at Bourofaye Christian School in Senegal, give thanks for a really good staff team, including new staff to cover the needs. They ask for prayer for God’s help for those staff adjusting to new responsibilities, for the African staff Bible studies each Tuesday morning (helped by school parents), the African village outreach on Wednesday afternoons, in particular for more helpers, for new Christian friends, that they may know the Lord’s help, and for peace and stability in Senegal in the run-up to the presidential elections.
 

23

Despite the rising unemployment rate, our society is still one of “busy people”. Pray that somehow the churches will be able to reach out to them in their busyness and show them that, without the Lord Jesus, their way of life is an empty one.
 

24

Thank God for our emergency services and for all those who put themselves in danger on our behalf; pray for safety, protection and adequate resourcing.
 

25

Remember in prayer Martyn Atkins, General Secretary, and the Connexional Secretaries, Mark Wakelin, Chris Elliott and John Ellis, that they may be led by God in their decision-making and leadership, and that through their work the church may be strengthened and encouraged in its mission to make disciples.
 

26

Pray for the MET South West Conference in Torquay, 27 - 29 January, that those attending will be challenged by the message brought by Paul Wilson and deepened in their commitment to follow the Lord Jesus Christ.
 

27

Shelley Cooling is now settling into her work at the Matthew Rusike Children‘s Home in Zimbabwe. She asks for prayer that she continues to settle into her placement and make productive working relationships, that she is able to source suitable resources for the Early Childhood Development Centre, and that she will quickly grasp some basic Shona (she is having daily lessons) to enable better communication with the children and staff.
 

28

Pray today for your constituency MP and your local councillors, that they may have a servant heart and may uphold godly principles. Pray for those Christians in positions of influence, in Parliament, the media, business and public service, that they may be bold in their witness to their faith, and ask God to raise up Christian leaders in every area of society.
 

29

Thank God for all those Christians called to work among the marginalized in our society, with the many challenges that this brings; pray for His enabling for the task, and for a breakthrough of the Holy Spirit into many lives.
 

30

Please continue to pray for Leo Osborn and Ruth Pickles, President and Vice President of Conference, that they will have protection in their travels and be able to impart the encouragement of God‘s Word to those they meet.
 

31

“After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” (Revelation chapter 7 verses 9 - 10). Praise God that, as we worship Him today, we are joining together with people throughout all the world and across every divide, giving thanks for the salvation purchased for us by the Lamb who was slain and the Lion of Judah who has triumphed.