Praying for Christian Unity

Dear Lord God, we pray that the Church would show its unity in Christ. Lord, graciously hear us.

Dear Lord God, we pray that all Churches would work together for the benefit of all peoples. Lord, graciously hear us.                              

Dear Lord God, we pray that all movements towards unity would prosper. Lord, graciously hear us.

Dear Lord God, we pray that divisions and conflicts would cease. Lord, graciously hear us.

Dear Lord God, we pray that through the work of your Church the world would find a lasting peace. Lord, graciously hear us.

Lord Jesus, you prayed that your disciples might be united with each other,
in a unity grounded in your oneness with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
May your prayer for unity grow in the depths of the hearts and minds of all
Christians.  May we be one in our words, that a single reverent prayer might
rise before you; may we be one in our yearning and pursuit of justice; may
we be one in love, serving you by serving the least of our sisters and
brothers.  Lord graciously hear us and make us one in you.

Dear Lord God, with infinite love and grace, please change us to the way you want us to be so we can honour the image and spirit you have given us.
Please let the world see your love and grace, through our action and life.
Lord, graciously hear us.

Praying for Christian Aid  Christian Aid (CA) is a Christian organisation that insists the world can and must be swiftly changed to one where everyone can live a full life, free from poverty.CA work globally for profound change that eradicates the causes of poverty, striving to achieve equality, dignity and freedom for all, regardless of faith or nationality. CA are part of a wider movement for social justice.CA provide urgent, practical and effective assistance where need is great, tackling the effects of poverty as well as its root causes. Christian Aid has a vision - an end to poverty. CA’s essential purpose is to expose the scandal of poverty, to help in practical ways to root it out from the world, to challenge and change structures and systems that favour the rich and powerful over the poor and marginalized. CA are an agency of churches in Britain and Ireland and are mandated to work on relief, development and advocacy for poverty eradication.  Christian Aid’s work is founded on Christian faith, inspired by hope and acts to change an unjust world through charity – a practical love and care for our neighbours.
‘Loving God, move us to action, move us to generosity,
move us to bring in your kingdom.’

This week is Christian Aid Week.

Please give thanks for the commitment and dedication of all who work to make this week a success.

Please pray for the courage never to give up on the belief that change is possible.

Please pray for communities to come together to work for change.

Please pray for the people of Kenya, featured in the Christian Aid resources distributed to Churches for Christian Aid Week.

Please pray for the people of the Matopeni slum in Kenya, who have come together as a community to organise rubbish collections and educate people about health and other issues

Please pray for Christian Aid partner MNU helping the people in the Kiambiu slum to build toilet and shower blocks and to live in safety and dignity.

Pleases pray that more and more people will have their lives changed through the work of Christian Aid and other organisations looking to change lives by showing God’s love.

Praying for Highams Park

‘We pray for the Schools of Highams Park – we pray for all who work in these places of learning. We pray for the children and young people. Thank you that there are more opportunities for Christians to input their faith into Schools now than in previous years. We pray for Waltham Forest ‘Youth For Christ’ who are working in this area to bring Your Word to pupils. Please be at work through their words and actions by Your Holy Spirit, so that many young lives will be touched and that they decide to follow Jesus and trust in Him. Amen.’

‘We pray for those in Highams Park who need to be released from the addictions of drink or drugs or something else. Please be at work in their lives. Please bring them into contact with the people who can help them as is their need. Amen.’

‘We pray for those in Highams Park who need to be released from the addictions of drink or drugs or something else. Please be at work in their lives. Please bring them into contact with the people who can help them as is their need. Amen.’

‘We pray for families in our community – please help families to be strong and supportive and loving. Amen.’

‘We pray for those who make decisions within local government that affect Highams Park. Please bless them with wisdom in their areas of responsibility, and we pray that their decisions will not hinder your Word from being proclaimed. We pray that they would become Christians. Amen.’

‘We pray for those in Highams Park who once followed you but who are not doing so now. Please draw them back into close fellowship with a local Church. We pray for all those who do not have a Christian faith.  We pray for those who are searching for something but perhaps do not even know what for.  We pray that they would find you.  We pray that Your light would shine into their hearts.  Amen.’

‘We pray for the Churches of ‘Churches Together in Highams Park’. May our lives of worship and service be used by you, guided by your Spirit. We pray that we would know your help and guidance as we as ‘Churches Together’ look to reach out into our local community. We pray that people in our community would be open to seeing and hearing the good news of Jesus. We pray that you would help us to be good representatives of that Good news. We pray that we would be good ambassadors for Jesus. We thank you for the opportunities that we have to show and tell the Good News and we pray that you would help us to see when the opportunities are there. Amen.’

Praying for the life and work of the Church

Please pray for our time together as a Church family on Sundays. Please pray that God would be increasingly at work - helping, guiding and equipping us as individuals and as a community as we seek to live for Him.   
Please pray for the Junior Church. Please thank God for the children, young people, teachers and helpers. Please pray for the children and young people to understand the teaching and apply it to their lives.
Please pray that the Church and the Junior Church would continue to grow spiritually and numerically.

Please pray for people from the Church in their places of work that God would help them in their work and that they would be able to live out their faith in and through their work setting. 
Please pray for ‘Energize’ Children’s Group, as we seek to reach out to children and their families in the community.

Please pray for people of all ages within Highams Park and the surrounding areas - that God would be at work in their lives by His Holy Spirit such that, as we seek to reach out to them with the good news of Jesus, they would be open and responsive. 

Please pray for the Cell Groups of the Church that they would help people to grow in their faith.  Please give thanks to God for how he is at work in and through the Cell Groups. Please pray that the groups would continue to provide love, support and encouragement to people. Please pray for the hosts and leaders of the groups that they would know God’s help in this role and responsibility.

Please pray for the Church Council as it seeks to serve the Church. Please pray for God’s help for the Church Council, and the Church as a whole, to be wise and discerning as it seeks to listen to God, and respond.    

Please pray for the Boys’ Brigade. Please give thanks to God for all of the boys / young men who are involved and for the staff team. Please pray that God would continue to be at work - helping the boys to understand, believe in, trust and follow Jesus.

Please give thanks to God for our unity in Christ, for the love expressed within the Church and for the nature of our relationships with each other. Please pray for God’s protection on our unity, our love and our relationships.   

Praying for the work of Operation Agri

Operation Agri is a charity which supports Christian-led rural and urban development projects in three continents, showing the love of Jesus in action by attacking the basic causes of poverty amongst some of the least fortunate people in the world, regardless of their religious, ethnic and cultural backgrounds.
Operation Agri supports sustainable development work such as agricultural centres to assist farmers, and irrigation schemes for rural communities. Operation Agri also supports projects that bring lasting improvement to people's lives, such as basic health clinics, and women's empowerment groups in urban slums.

Sunday 30th May

Bangladesh: Please pray for the valuable work being carried under the SHED Board Children’s Education Programme supported by OA. The pre-school activities are a great help to village children in rural Bangladesh. Please pray especially for the teachers who carry out this ministry, enabling the children to move on to mainstream schooling after a good start in the basics.

India: The West Utkal Agricultural Centre (WUAC) has been benefiting communities and individuals in the Diptipur region for 50 years. As they celebrate their jubilee this year, please pray that the hopes and aspirations for this event may be realised and that the glory may be given to God our Father. Mihir Sagar who manages the work at WUAC, carries many responsibilities for the ongoing work of reaching out to needy farmers in the many villages of the district. Pray that he and the board of management may be guided by God as they seek new ways to progress the activities through sustainable development.

Sri Lanka: The consequence of any civil war is damage to livelihoods, property and the economy. Please pray, asking God to give wisdom and guidance to the government of Sri Lanka for the uplifting of its peoples and to bring harmony out of the disruption.
Clarence Mendis, the manager of Farms Lanka, has been able to visit the north of Sri Lanka, which until recently has been a restricted area. He planned to give talks on stewardship of time, talents and land and distribute seed and gardening booklets. Please pray that this contact may bring long term benefit to those so long cut off by civil war.

Afghanistan: The engagement in Ghor province has come to an end and now RESAP has moved to a new area with its micro-hydro and wind power activities. Please pray that many more needy people will benefit with improved living conditions as OA’s grant this year is used to install wind turbines.

Thursday 3rd June

Africa: Please pray for the projects and partnerships that OA supports in Africa including Congo, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe

In many countries where OA is supporting development work, corruption is endemic. OA have every confidence that their partners strive to maintain the highest standards of probity in all their dealings, but this is not always easy. A financial inducement can swiftly resolve a bureaucratic delay; relatives expect favourable treatment; incomes can be boosted – all part of the ‘normal’ way of life. Please pray that our brothers and sisters will have moral strength to withstand these pressures and be able to demonstrate that higher way of living.

A major concern of OA and their partners is to help people become self supporting - that they will move from dependence to independence. It’s such a delight when a village or women’s group realises that they have achieved something by their own efforts (perhaps with a little help) and they can now go on and make other improvements without waiting for outsiders. Please pray that OA’s partners will have wisdom as they work with some of the poorest people, seeking to bring this change of attitude and understanding. 15

Thank you creator Jesus for taking the time to mend your broken creation.
Please help us to do all we can to help you.

Thank you loving Spirit for taking the time to show your love to us.
Please help us to share that love with others around us.

Thank you forgiving Father for taking the time to always accept us and wel­come us into your presence. Please help us to forgive others and be like you in welcoming people into our lives.

Thank you sharing Jesus for taking the time to always accept us and wel­come us into your presence. Please help us to share with others all the gifts that your Spirit has given to us.

Thank you healing Spirit for taking the time to heal our wounds.
Please help us to care for the wounds of those around us.

Thank you teaching Father for taking the time to tell us through the Bible how we should live out our lives. Please help us to teach others what we have learnt from you.

Thank you saving Jesus for taking the time to live on this earth, to die on the cross and to be raised again that we might have life and hope.
Please help us to show others the life and hope you have given us

Please pray for Aberduar Baptist Church

Please pray for Bethania Baptist Church, Aberteifi,

Please pray for Bethel Baptist Church, Aberystwyth

Please pray for Moreia Baptist Church, Aberystwyth  

Please pray for Pisga Baptist Church, Bancffosfelen,

On 18 to 19 June Christians are joining together from the South Wales Baptist Association and the Baptist Union of Wales, along with BMS World Mission, for the All Wales Baptist Assembly in Carmarthen. Please pray for all those attending, that they will be blessed as they worship, share fellowship and the word with one another.

Please pray for Blaenwennen Baptist Church

Please pray for more Baptist ministers to come forward to take up the challenges of church planting and ministry in parts of Europe and Latin America.

Please pray for English teachers to help fulfil a commitment to work in two cities in China. We need trained and untrained TEFL teachers, particularly those who will go for several years.

Please pray for an experienced individual or couple to assist the Paraguayan Baptist Convention in establishing a mission programme among the elderly through local churches.

Please pray for more trained lawyers to continue the vital ministry of the Ugandan Christian Lawyers’ Fraternity in partnership with BMS. God has done amazing things through the legal work.

Please pray for those BMS workers who, in recent months, have returned to the UK – some planned and others through unforeseen circumstances. Pray too that the roles they have left overseas will be filled.

Please pray for people willing to go to tough places. Some parts of the world present real challenges for the safety of the BMS personnel and yet there are significant needs in these areas.

Please pray for a variety of people to be willing to hear and respond to God’s call to serve overseas. BMS always has opportunities to use people with different skills and professions.