Prayer

Pray Without Ceasing

11th May 2008

In your prayers this week, please remember:

that the Lord is more faithful to us than we are to Him, therefore we praise Him for His marvellous kindness as he gently rebukes, restores and revives us
the people of Burma where maybe 100,000 have died and a million survivors are devastated by the catastrophic cyclone Nargis and flooding: Christian Aid's network of Burmese partners already bringing emergency assistance and support and looking to us for massive reinforcements of supplies and prayer
Morpeth Christian Aid Week helpers from our churches working together in door-to-door collection and coffee morning - spreading good news about Christian Aid's world-wide work in helping disadvantaged communities with education, health and development
dear friends in hospital or recovering from acute or continuing illness; that they and their families may be blessed with practical help and encouragement
our friends at St George's URC as they prepare to host the town next weekend (16-18 May) with "Through All the Changing Scenes of Life 2008

4th May 2008

In your prayers this week, please remember:

Christians in Northern Iraq who have been forced from their homes and are struggling to settle into their new lives and homes. Please also intercede for our Christian brothers and sisters in India, where, In some states, Hindu extremists continue to target the Church with constant violence and ‘forced' conversions.
to give thanks for those elected to or continuing to serve on Church Council, and for the Leadership Team helping us to respond to the challenge to grow in Christian love and influence in our neighbourhood; and for fresh impetus given by Rev Stephen Lindridge's visits
continually the people of Zimbabwe, praying that God will confound the evil tyranny that is causing so much suffering to the nation and threatens the stability of the region
Dr Becky Morris working in St Francis' Hospital, Katete, in neighbouring Zambia; may she be a channel of peace and healing to many there
the individual groups whom we welcome in our Church Centre through the week, and all organisations meeting to worship, learn and grow in the knowledge of God's love and mission.

27th April 2008

In your prayers this week, please remember:

to praise our ascended Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who by His Spirit is present with us always establishing His Kingdom of justice and joy, mercy and grace now through all who believe, obey and honour Him
Just 10 - the 10 weekly gatherings at Lobley Hill, Gateshead: speaker J. John with10 stories from 10 people about transforming life (http://www.just10northeast.org.uk)/
our work with little children in Toddlers Group, the Crèche and Junior Church, and their parents and families nurturing them in love
those who seek refuge in our country from persecution and tyranny in their own; that they may be treated justly and kindly by all authorities and through dedicated workers (like the Newcastle Refugee Services) receive care, healing and hope of acceptance and a fuller life
to give thanks for all who bless us with their friendship and support especially in times of trouble, sickness or loss; and for the privilege of being such a friend in need.

20th April 2008

In your prayers this week, please remember:

our MPs debating the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill which touches our fundamental responsibility for honouring human life from its earliest stages; that they may weigh carefully the scientific and theological implications of the proposals and vote on the Bill and its amendments with informed consciences. For Christian views and possible action see
http://www.methodist.org.uk:80/index.cfm?fuseaction=opentogod.content&cmid=2115 and
http://www.affinity.org.uk/news/article/response_to_human_fertilisation_and_embryology_bill_2008/
our Annual Church Meeting next Sunday morning and those who will be called to serve or continue to serve on our Church Council, giving thanks for their vision and leadership
young families among us seeking to lay firm foundations of Christian faith and behaviour for the rising generation to build on and guide them in a world uncertain of its privileges and responsibilities under "God who so loves the world..." (John 3.16)
give thanks for returning political stability in Kenya; as we continue to pray for an end to the injustice oppressing the people of Zimbabwe
the congregation of Morpeth's ancient parish Church of St Mary distressed at the desecration of the church - a symptom of godlessness we are all called to challenge and redeem.

13th April 2008

In your prayers this week please remember:

today, Vocations Sunday, to listen to God's call and our church's need for more preachers, teachers, leaders and visitors, giving thanks for those who do faithfully seek to answer the needs of all ages in our church and society
Pauline Ayyad, the widow of Rami Ayyad who ran the Bible Society's Bookshop in Gaza and who was kidnapped and killed last October. Pauline has just given birth to a baby girl, Sama, and has 2 other young children; pray that the Lord will provide for them and keep them safe.
to give thanks for Dr Becky Morris' call to work in Zambia; may we in prayer support her and others serving or preparing to serve abroad, including Liam in China and Richard in Uganda
China and the recent unrest concerning Tibet: the government may use it as an excuse to increase tighter controls in areas of behaviour they feel are subversive. In Fuqing City where 26% of the population are Christians (350, 000 in 520 churches) the eagerness of some Christians is such that they queue to get a place in a Sunday service 2 hours before it starts!
to praise God for the maturity, gifts and commitment of older members and for their Christian witness and care for others in our congregation and community

6th April 2008

In your prayers this week, please remember:

to praise God for the beauty of Spring all around us, for our lovely town and those who make it so: park-keepers, street-cleaners and individual gardeners
to give thanks for all who have endured patiently the tyranny in Zimbabwe and are now seeking peacefully to bring about a transfer of power and responsibility to their newly elected Parliament and a new President who will serve their people with humility and justice
the pastoral care of our congregation entrusted to our minister and pastoral visitors, that they may bring friendship and prayerful concern to our homes and strengthen the bonds of love that bind the church family together
abused children and violated women and those who provide them with refuge and loving care to heal the deep wounds of indignity, humiliation and rejection they have suffered: thanking God for the work of NCH Family Mediation and Children's Support Service in this Region
the work and ministry of chaplains in the Armed Forces who "reflect the light of Christ into the darkest places of our world and in so doing begin slowly to change the world around them".

30th March 2008

In your prayers this week, please remember:

as "Easter people" to look every day for our risen Lord making ordinary events and people extraordinary by his grace and strength - signs of his kingdom among us
to seek guidance in voting for new Local Council members in the May elections; so that the popular choices may be of women and men of vision, courage and integrity to serve the common good of our town and county
we are all on Pilgrims Way and need to encourage one another in sharing our faith and in loving service within and beyond our fellowship
the work of the Methodist Publishing House and the outreach of all Christian publishers and booksellers facing fresh challenges in the wake of online sales and undercutting; and to give thanks for the vital ministry here of Douglas and Ruth at Lifestyle Christian Books and Music
the small churches in our circuit/area especially Widdrington, Hauxley and Alnmouth maintaining a witness to the gospel in their communities in worship, prayer and service.

23rd March 2008

In your prayers this week, please remember:

"Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!"
to give thanks that the good news of the death and the resurrection of Jesus is the power and the wisdom of God at work now through his people whose calling is to make Christ visible in the world and invite everyone to believe and receive him
to give thanks for the increased coverage of our Lord's Passion and rising again on BBC TV and Radio, encouraging us to "Talk of God" at home and on the street with confidence and grace
in the present world financial crisis, people and families trapped in debt and often made homeless (many living in shanty towns on the outskirts of American cities!); and local helping agencies like Northumberland Credit Union and Citizens Advice Bureaux and their volunteers
people suffering under totalitarian governments as in Tibet, Burma and Zimbabwe; and all who make their plight known and seek peacefully to change the ways of ruling powers and bring oppressors to justice
all who are in sorrow and sadness, that we all may know that "joy comes with the morning" - Easter morning - the first day of God's new creation in the abundant, eternal life of Jesus His Son, our Saviour and Lord.

16th March 2008

In your prayers this week, please remember:

the people of Zimbabwe in the run up to Presidential elections (29th); that they may be spared the violence that accompanied previous rigged elections and the brutal repression of another Mugabe government
to give thanks for Barnabas Safe and Sound's securing of funding for the planned Youth Centre at Dark Lane, and for their on-going work with young adults needing affordable housing
Christians in Iraq mourning the murder of their Archbishop Paulos Faraj Raho in Mosul; and pray for many others there who have been persecuted and exiled for their faith
the suffering of dear friends and their families enduring illness, anxiety or sorrow, that they may know that Jesus IS the Resurrection and the Life, and is with them (and all of us) now and always
the Passion of the Lord Jesus in Jerusalem, and to grieve with him over that wounded city today and the unresolved crisis of hostility and oppression in the Holy Land.

9th March 2008

In your prayers this week, please remember:

to give thanks for God's patient loving-kindness, and ask for grace to bear with one another (and all people) in love and gratitude
to give thanks for our share in the response to the urgent call by the Methodist Relief and Development Fund on behalf of distressed people in Nairobi, victims of Kenya's recent violent political crisis; and for MRDF partners' development work in Uganda (see centre-page spread in latest METHODIST RECORDER)
all our organisations and groups represented on Family Committee meeting Tuesday: that we may keep firmly focussed on our calling to celebrate Christ as Lord, to grow in his likeness and love, praying and working for him in our community and the wider world
Eternal God, whose image lies in the hearts of all people, we live among peoples whose ways are different from ours, whose faiths are foreign to us.........Help us to remember that you love all people with your great love, that all religion is an attempt to respond to you, that the yearnings of other hearts are much like ours and are known to you. Help us to recognise you in the words of truth, the things of beauty, the actions of love around us. Amen. World Council of Churches

2nd March 2008

In your prayers this week, please remember:

the work and needs of the Newcastle East Asylum Seekers Support Group (please read prayerfully the leaflet distributed today); pray for all who come as strangers into our community that they may be made welcome and feel valued
communities of peace and love growing in our neighbourhood, giving thanks for all signs of hopeful, healthy civic life
the people of Darfur, Sudan and Chad, suffering genocide by the Sudanese Army and rebels in both countries; pray that what protection and succour they have from African Union and United Nations peace-keepers and devoted relief agencies may not be withdrawn and that international pressure upon the Government of Sudan may prevail to bring them justice, recompense and peace
that "if we knew how to listen to God, if we knew how to look around us, our whole life would become a prayer; for it unfolds under God's eyes and no part of it may be lived without being freely offered to him." Michel Quoist

24th February 2008

In your prayers this week, please remember:

to give thanks for Fairtrade Fortnight starting today and for the vital economic development work done among the world's poorest people by Traidcraft and Fair Trade
our young people at school and college; pray that they may discover their talents and their calling, and be encouraged in all their studies to grow in knowledge, understanding and wholeness
the still very fragile political situation in Kenya, and all who bring their wisdom and moderating influence to bear upon their communities; pray for reconciliation and peaceful transfer of responsibility and power to those legally elected to parliament and presidency
our partner churches in this area, especially Pegswood St Margaret's friends celebrating their Centenary next weekend, giving thanks for their 100 years of work and witness in that community
to give thanks for and pray for our minister, preachers and teachers who open up the Bible to us: may we go on learning to love God's Word and let it shape and change our lives so that we may always walk in His Way.

17th February 2008

In your prayers this week, please remember:

all Christians in Kenya who, with their political leaders, are trying to bring peace to their fractured nation; and churches offering shelter and food to thousands of fugitives from communal violence
to give thanks for all aid agencies - Christian Aid and MRDF among them - who are bringing urgent relief to meet human need in Kenya, Darfur, Zimbabwe and to many other distressed people across Africa
the business and professional people of our town upon whom we depend for domestic and personal goods and services; to value what they do to make Morpeth a friendly, welcoming and caring community
our American cousins in the important choices they have to make in the forthcoming Presidential election; it is truly a crucial moment of kairos (vital decision) for the USA and the world
that God cares about the things that worry us and invites us to trust Him to see us through.

10th February 2008

In your prayers this week, please remember:

to give thanks for our Supernumerary Ministers who continue to give so much to the life and learning of the church, and all "retired" people who find God calling them to new work and witness in the church and community
people in parts of Zambia who may face food shortages after flooding devastated crops and destroyed roads and bridges. Tearfund's partners in the province are urgently seeking our prayers as they make rapid assessments to determine how and where they can help
to pray for grace to be a good listener, sensitive to the deep needs of friend and stranger alike and faithful in commending them to God's love and kindness
to continue to pray for the desperate people of Darfur, Chad and the Central African Republic suffering the genocidal brutality of lawless government and rebel forces alike
as the fifth anniversary of the war in Iraq approaches, all who continue to work for peace; and Iraqi Christians (many of them elderly) who are threatened or persecuted or are destitute refugees in other lands
that love is the fulfilling of the law (the great Commandments) which is the basis of our common law and all good governance.

3rd February 2008

In your prayers this week, please remember:

the people of Kenya in their agony of political and ethnic strife and Christians interceding as peacemakers and conciliators, especially Council of Churches in Kenya (CCK) leaders and World Council of Churches (WCC) representatives meeting with members of the Government and Opposition to find a speedy and just solution
to give thanks for all who bless us with their friendship and support especially in times of trouble or sickness or loss
to give thanks for the work of improving drainage in our town, for the good water supply to our homes ensured by Northumbrian Water and its promotion of WaterAid bringing precious clean water to communities in many impoverished countries
during our journey through Lent, to seek awareness of God's presence in all of our lives and grace to give of ourselves in prayer, compassion and service in imitation of Christ.
and share this prayer with Alison Judd, past President of Women's Network and presently in training for overseas service:
Holy Spirit of God who inspires and energizes your people, enable, encourage and equip us to serve one another so that together we can make a difference in your world. Amen.