21/05/20
10 Days of Prayer
Between Ascension Day today and Pentecost on Sunday 31st May, you are encouraged to take part in the 10 Days of Prayer by using the resources provided by Bishop David and the Diocese.
By clicking on the link below you will find the relevant Prayer for the day – each day we will be praying for a particular group of the Church family or the diocesan family eg on Friday 22nd May it is young members of the parish.
Each day the Diocesan office will provide resources to assist our prayers for different members of the Church family. Click on the link below each day to access these extensive resources
https://www.downanddromore.org/
Prayers and resources will also be available by calling a local telephone number – (028) 91249395 – this is similar to our Parish service telephone listen-in line. The planned programme for each day can be viewed by clicking the link below
Hopefully you can spare some time each day to pray and read and listen to the relevant resources and find it a comforting and enriching experience.
14/05/20
The diocese encourages 10 days of prayer between Ascension 21st & Pentecost 31st. Please see the document below for information
18/04/20
Prayer pointers:
Pray for Esther from Killyleagh seriously ill in hospital with Covid & her family, Claire, re-admitted to hospital, Lou & family
Hold in prayer all nursing and care home residents and staff.
Ask God to draw near to those with family in these homes.
Pray for all who have lost loved ones in nursing and care homes and whose passing seems to be overlooked as it’s not included in statistics.
Remember all who are sacrificially living out of their own homes, away from family, to care for others in hospitals and care homes
Seeks protection for the weakest in our world, hardest hit by Covid
14/04/20
Prayer pointers:
Pray for Esther from Killyleagh seriously ill in hospital with Covid & her family, Claire, re-admitted to hospital, Lou & family
Hold in prayer all nursing and care home residents and staff.
Ask God to draw near to those with family in these homes.
Pray for all who have lost loved ones in nursing and care homes and whose passing seems to be overlooked as it’s not included in statistics.
Remember all who are sacrificially living out of their own homes, away from family, to care for others in hospitals and care homes
Seeks protection for the weakest in our world, hardest hit by Covid
03/04/20
Easter Devotions – a psalm and a song will be available each day courtesy of Willowfield Parish Church. Click the link below and then choose which one you’d like to watch
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpcC5EkrDntYSIYzEP5Y-uOsgchYVf3-K
26/03/20
A reminder if you would like to have others pray for you, or if you’d like to ask for prayer for someone else, contact in strict confidence our dedicated prayer line by Phone or text 07743 965185. or Email Communityprayers20@gmail.com
5 FOCUSES TO GUIDE YOU IN PRAYING FOR THE CORONAVIRUS
1. For the most vulnerable around the world, including those living in poverty
Father God, we pray that you would protect those in our world who are most vulnerable to the Coronavirus (COVID-19). We lift up the elderly, those with pre-existing health conditions and those without access to good medical care. We pray they would know your peace, comfort and protection. Father, would you bring healing to those who are already sick.
Lord God, we pray particularly for countries in our world who have less resources and infrastructure to respond to the Coronavirus. Lord God, in your might and power would you stop the virus from spreading in some of the most vulnerable communities in our world. Give governments great wisdom as they put in preventative measures. We pray for any cases to be identified and isolated quickly. In Jesus name, Amen.
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
2. The Church
Father God we pray for churches to be a light and support to their communities during this time of uncertainty. We pray that people would know that they can look to their local church for help. We pray you would help churches who are having to re-imagine how to do mission during this season.
Loving God, we pray you would help us as the church to love our neighbour. Help us to point others towards your love with our practical acts of love and compassion. In Jesus’ name, Amen
You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Matthew 5:4
3. Governments and policy makers
Father God, we pray for great wisdom for our government and health advisers. Please guide their decisions and help them to communicate plans clearly. We pray they would make decisions which would quickly and effectively stop the spread of the Coronavirus. Sustain our leaders and grant them energy during a time where they will be working long hours under great stress and strain. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. Proverbs 2:6
4. Health workers and medical researchers
Father God, we pray for health workers around the world. We give thanks for the incredible NHS staff here in the UK. Lord would you sustain and keep them during these times. Grant nurses, doctors and other health professionals great wisdom as they make medical decisions and give them energy and resilience as they work long hours.
Father God, we pray for your blessing over medical researchers who are searching for a vaccine for Coronavirus. Give them your wisdom and insight. Speed their work and make it effective in protecting lives. Amen.
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. John 15:12
5. Those who are particularly lonely and fearful
God, we thank you that your perfect love casts out all fear. We lift up those in our communities and further afield who feel gripped by fear during these times. We pray where there is fear, your peace would reign. Amen.
(With thanks to Compassion, the charity which organises the sponsorship by our Sunday School of 2 children, Finabio in Burkina Faso and Eduar in Honduras – please pray for them and all children where Compassion works)
24/03/20
Bishop David is calling us to join a church–wide initiative to PRAY HOPE over the Coronavirus from now until Good Friday 10 April.
HOPE
H – Healing in Jesus’ name
O – Open Doors in Conversations
P – Proclamation of the Good News
E – Eternal Life as we pray for 1000’s, if not millions, to trust in Jesus
Click here to access the HOPE prayer guide
23/03/20
Prayer Support – dedicated email address and phone number for prayer requests
At this very uncertain time when we may feel helpless and vulnerable, or isolated, alone or lonely, or indeed willing to help others but not able to, one thing we are all able to do is pray.
Although we cannot physically join together we can all pray privately, at home, at the same time for friends, relatives, health care workers, ourselves, those who are having to self-isolate or whatever is troubling us
As a church family, we have set up a dedicated prayer email address and mobile phone number for you to request prayer for yourself, or on behalf of someone else.
Email Communityprayers20@gmail.com Phone or text 07743 965185
This prayer support will be in confidence within the group of people who are praying as part of the email or phone prayer team. It will supplement the Rector praying individually during the online mid-week Holy Communion service for people whose names have been submitted to him.
If you would like prayer for someone else, please ask their permission and be mindful of confidentially. We will not ask for the reason why you wish prayers to be prayed for someone. Only use first names.
Would you like to be a member of the prayer team?
If you would like to join this prayer team to pray for others, please email Communityprayers20@gmail.com. Alternatively, you can phone or text 07743 965185. Please give us your email or telephone number.
This is by no means an onerous thing. You will be asked to pray on your own, or with someone close to you, each day if possible, at 11am or 8pm, or both for those names and situations on the list. If these times don’t suit, that’s fine. You can pray at any other time that does suit you.
21/03/20
Please see Bishop David’s letter on prayer by clicking here
20/03/20
Prayer for our land
Our Bishop has asked that we all keep praying in these difficult times. Bishop David has specifically asked that we pray for our land from now until Pentecost in a meaningful season of prayer, which will culminate in 10 days of prayer events, hopefully around the diocese, between Ascension on 21st May and Pentecost.
He has guided us all to pray each day the wonderful prayer below from our Book of Common Prayer (page 145).
‘Almighty and merciful God, who in days of old didst give to this land the benediction of thy holy Church. Withdraw not, we pray thee, thy favour from us, but so correct what is amiss, and supply what is lacking, that we may more and more bring forth fruit to thy glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord.’
Please make a point of using this prayer daily.
I will also regularly provide some prayers from different sources for you to use in your own prayer time, or together with your partner or family members. These will be posted on the church website and facebook pages.
Perhaps one good thing to come from the current situation is that we all develop an improved prayer life and value more the freedom and opportunity we have to talk with God. He wants to hear from us and wants us to hear from him in prayer.
19/03/20
‘Perfect peace’
In one of our morning canticles, Urbs Fortitudinis, (affectionately known as The Urbs), are these words from Isaiah 26. ‘Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee. Trust in the Lord for ever, for our rock of ages is the Lord’.
In a prophetic sort of way, United Christian Broadcasters (UCB) published their spring edition of ‘Word for Today’ which was written some months before, by someone now sadly deceased. The Word for 20th March is so relevant to our current situation, based as it is on the verses from The Urbs – Isaiah 26.
UCB have given permission to publish this, saying that free issues of the daily devotional are available by emailing publications@ucb.co.uk
The secret to perfect peace is found in all who trust in God, with their thoughts fixed on him. It’s not our circumstances, but how we think of them that robs us of peace. Focusing on our circumstances just causes more anxiety, because our circumstances constantly change and spin out of control.
However, God never changes. Nothing ever spins out of his control.
Peace and worry are mutually exclusive. Worry throttles our confidence, chokes our perspective and suffocates our spirit. It robs us of the peace that comes from knowing the God who can handle anything, and whom all things are possible.
The reason we worry so much is because we engage in exactly the opposite behaviour to that which brings peace. Worry is like a no-confidence vote in God. We may not intend it that way, but every time we give in to worry, in essence, we’re saying ‘I don’t believe God can or will handle this for me. I’m not sure I can trust him in this matter, so I’ll just have to carry this burden and take care of the problem myself’.
God is either the object of your trust or just a part-time helper we call on when we can’t handle things on our own. It’s like the elephant and mouse walking across a bridge. When they get to the other side, the mouse said, ‘Man, we really shook that bridge!’ When we begin to see God playing the major role and ourselves the minor one, we’ll begin to find the peace which has eluded us in the past and possibly right now.
I pray that you all would experience God’s perfect peace today, that peace which is beyond our understanding. Colin