ARCHIVE - PRAYER GROUP
December 2020
Gracious God, in a year when how we celebrate Christmas will be different for many, let us remember that it's true meaning is unchanging. We thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, into the world bringing hope, peace, love, joy and light.
Father God, may we have the faith of Mary, the commitment of Joseph and respond to the angels' message like the shepherds. Forgive us, Lord, when we do not have room in our hearts and lives for You. Help us instead to have You at the centre of our lives..
Lord, draw near to all who are lonely during this season. Let them feel Your presence and know the joy You alone can bring. Comfort the many who have been bereaved throughout the year and bring them Your peace, which is beyond all understanding.
Living God, teach us that the glad tidings proclaimed at Bethlehem all those years ago is good news for us today, in the here and now, Amen.
November 2020
REMEMBER
Father, we remember the sacrifice of those caught up in war, and the generations of men, women and children who have died in the cause of liberty and peace; also their widows, girlfriends, parents and children who waited in vain for the return of their loved ones.
We pray for those who still bear the physical and mental scars and disabilities of their service and ask that You will grant them strength and courage.
Ruler of all nations, we give You thanks for the freedom we enjoy in this land and pray for the wisdom and strength to build a better and peaceful world.
Lord, we remember those who have lost their lives over this past year due to Coronavirus or any other cause and give You thanks for the lives they shared with those who knew them.
Loving God, bless those who mourn with the comfort of Your love. Fill their empty hearts with happy memories and hope for the future.
In Jesus' name we pray,
Amen
October 2020
Desperate Times
Lord, it's getting to be desperate times
Why do you seem to delay
In responding to my pressing needs
That I remind you of each day?
In my mind, I know that you
Will come through in the end
But in my heart emotions rise
And I worry and fret again.
Help me, Lord, at those times
To give it again to you,
Help me know deep in my heart
That you will pull me through.
And that you fully understand
Exactly where I'm at,
Though circumstances do not change,
In you, I shall not lack.
Eveything when given to you
Will work out for my good,
For when I cast my care on you,
It's then, that it's understood.
That it's just a matter of your timing
In respondng to my need,
For often it's because you're doing
A deeper work in me.
So, all that's left for me to do
The one thing that is sure,
Is to put my trust in you each day,
For nothing matters more.
By M S Lowndes
September 2020
"I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine" -Song of Songs 6:3
My very existence springs from Your love, Lord.
Your love streams through my soul.
You know me,
You hold me,
You enfold me in the whisper of Your tenderness.
I am Yours.
"Wait & See"
by Angela Ashwin
Please send any requests for prayer to the church's e-mail which you can find on our website:
August 2020
Please send any requests for prayer to the church's e-mail which you can find on our website:
Lord, in the stillness, speak to us;
in the emptiness, come to us and fill us;
to our troubles, come with Your peace;
to our weakness, come with Your strength;
in our doubts and our fears, abide with us.
Still the storms within us and let us find rest in You.
Help us to be the people You want us to be,
and to achieve what You want us to do,
that we may go out in confidence and serve You all our days.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God for now and ever.
By David Adam
July 2020
The Prayer Group remains active during the restrictions we presently have, via email and phone conference. Please send any requests for prayer to church’s email, which is on our web site, www.boldchurch.org.uk
As the restrictions of lockdown are gradually being lifted, we give thanks, while still recognising that we must adhere to the rules that are in place and remain patient, which can seem harder the more time passes.
May you be strong with all the strength that comes from His glorious power and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints of light. Colossians 1: 11-12
Lord, we commend to Your love those who have died and ask Your comfort and strength for all who grieve, Amen.
June 2020
We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labour prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 1:3
As the first snowdrops of the year give us hope of emerging from winter and entering spring, we give You thanks, Father, that there are early signs of hope that we are emerging from the present pandemic.
Grant us patience, Lord, to continue our journeys through this difficult time and strengthen our NHS staff, care workers and all essential workers as they serve others.
In all situations, Lord, may Your healing hand rest on those who are ill. Grant your peace to the dying and your comfort to those grieving the loss of a loved one.
In Jesus' name, we pray, Amen.
May 2020
Lord, I see the lighthouse on the hill,
This island out in the sea
it reminds me, Lord, of the call
That You spoke out to me
"I am your salvation, come to Me
Let Me be your Guiding Light
Forever more to roam with Me
Never in the darkness of night
A steady Beam I'll be for you
When you have times of despair
A constant source of Guiding Light,
Never alone, I'll always be there"
Thank you, Lord, for Your Light
That shines on me each day
Now help me to be a light that shines
For others, is what I pray
by Lucy A Cain
"The Lord is my Light and my Salvation - whom shall I fear or dread? The Lord is the Refuge and Stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?"
Psalm 27:1
March 2020
As requested by the Moderator of the Church of Scotland and other Church leaders, we each lit a candle at 7.00pm on Sunday 22 March as a "visible symbol of the light of life, Jesus Christ, our source and hope in prayer."
"Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you" 1 Peter 5:7
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God and also in Me." John 14:1
30 March 2020
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Coronavirus: Pray for NHS staff and all helping selflessly to care for the ill and those in self isolation. Pray for the police, ambulance and fire services. The bereaved.
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Environment: Pray that the improvements we have seen during recent weeks in the environment, such as the healing of the ozone layer and pollution levels, may continue once life returns to normal. May we see clearly from these improvements at this time the damage that we are doing to the world by our usual attitudes and actions.
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Mental Health: Pray for those suffering from mental health issues and for all who are finding this an especially difficult time.
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Thanks: Give thanks for the simple things in life that we so often take for granted.
An amazingly timed quote. Read the quote first and then read the dates of the author at the end.
'And the people stayed at home. And read books, and listened and rested, and exercised, and made art, and played games, and learned new ways of being, and were still. And listened more deeply. Some meditated, some prayed, some danced. Some met their shadows. And the people began to think differently.
And the people healed. And, in the absence of people living in ignorant, dangerous, mindless and heartless ways the earth began to heal.
And when the danger passed, and the people joined together again, they grieved their losses, and made new choices, and dreamed new images, and created new ways to live and heal the earth fully, as they had been healed.’
By Kitty O’Meara, who was born in 1941 in Limerick, Ireland and died 2013 in New Rochelle, N.Y.
23 March 2020
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Coronavirus: Those who have lost loved ones; those who are ill with it; NHS staff and all essential workers; scientists searching for a vaccine; those who feel isolated and afraid.
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As Easter approaches that people will examine their lives and turn to the cross.
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Pray for those known to you who need to know God's love, mercy and strength at this time.
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Give thanks that we can trust God in every situation because He loves us and never leaves us.
Lent Prayer Table
(The cross on the table is made from the trunk of our Chrismon tree}
It seems no time since our prayer table was displaying our Chrismon tree with its various Christian symbols in white and gold, helping us celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Now, we find ourselves in the days of Lent, the days for reflection and preparation for Easter.
There are different ways of preparing ourselves, such as fasting, giving up a luxury or thinking of others. Using Isaiah 58: 6-7 as our scripture verse for the season of Lent, the prayers presently only our table are for the oppressed, homeless and hungry, the voiceless, the poor, those without hope and the environment.
"Remind us often Lord, when we are feeling proud, arrogant, beyond reproach, pleased with ourselves, self-sufficient in our ways, that for such a us and better and worse, you walked a road that took you to a cruel cross and rose again to show us where we might look for rescue, as from this lofty perch we fall."
February 2020
All the prayers on the table this month are about love and based on 1 Corinthians Chapter 13.
Here are a few of them:
Thank you that you are a loving, gracious God.
Thank you that you've offered us forgiveness and the gift of new life in you.
Thank you that your love is perfect, it never fails and that nothing can separate us from your love.
Lord, thank you that your love does not take into account a wrong suffered.
Lord help us not to hold grudges, but to choose to forgive, even when it's difficult.
Lord thank you that your love does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth.
Lord help us to love your words of truth, may we walk in your freedom and wisdom.
Let it be what drives our lives and choices every day.
Lord, thank you that your love is patient. Help us show patience with those around us.
Lord, thank you that your love is kind. Help us to extend kindness to others.
Lord, thank you that true love is not jealous.
Help us cast aside feelings of jealousy or hatred towards others.
Lord, thank you that your love does not brag and is not arrogant.
Help us not to live with pride or arrogance, but to choose to walk with humility and grace.
January 2020
Our Chrismon tree, which was greatly admired, has now been taken down. However, the trunk of it will appear again at Lent in the form of a cross. Had Jesus only been an ordinary child, His birth would soon have been forgotten and the story would have ended. Yet, as the story told by our Chrismon tree will continue in Lent, so the events of the incarnation point us to the cross and resurrection, the cornerstone of our faith.
Our Prayer theme for the month of January is "new beginnings". Let us remember the words of Peggy Toney Horton:
"As the old year retires and a new one is born, we commit into the hands of our Creator the happenings of the past year and ask for direction and guidance in the new one. May He grant us His grace His tranquility and His wisdom! Amen."
2019
December
As part of the Christmas Tree Festival, the prayer table during December will have a "chrismon tree". The tree itself is a real tree, the evergreen representing eternal life. The lights are white, representing "Christ, the Light of the World". The decorations, which are all Christian symbols, have all been handmade by members of the Prayer Group and are in white, for the purity of Christ, or gold for His Kingship.
For example: butterfly = resurrection; crown = majesty; sheep or shepherd's crook = the Good Shepherd; heart = love of God; dove = Holy Spirit; cradle with baby = the coming of Christ among us. These are just a few of the symbols we have used.
November
As always in November, the prayer table is dedicated to the memory of those, both service personnel and civilians, who have lost their lives as a result of conflict. We also pray that mankind will learn to live in piece.
October
Our prayers this month give thanks to God, our abundant giver, for the food that sustains us and the people who grow, harvest and deliver it. We, who have plenty, also pray that we may have loving, generous hearts to share God's adequate providing with those who have little.
Lord of the Harvest, we thank you for your creation, for it's beauty and fruitfulness.
We thank you for blessing us with our daily bread.
Lord of Mercy, we confess to you our failure to be wise stewards of this world.
We confess to you our selfishness in not sharing the earth's bounty fairly.
(Tearfund 2017)
September
Jesus said "Let the children come to me and do not stop them, because the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14.
We often hear people say that the Children are the Church of tomorrow. In a way, it's true, for we hope that the seeds planted in them today will be nurtured and grow so that in adulthood, they will take up the baton of faith from us.
However, they are also a very important part of the Church today and so the theme of this month's prayer table is children, remembering and giving thanks to every one of them.
July & August (summer)
It is important that violinists not only look after their instruments but also their bows, which should be slackened every time after use. If this is not done, then the bow will lose it's camber (bend) because it is under tension for too long and will eventually break.
We too will eventually break if we do not release the tension of life from time to time. When God created the universe, He rested on the 7th day and Jesus also knew the need to rest, both for his disciples and for Himself. "Come to me, get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest." Matthew 11:28
The theme of our Prayer Table for July and August is 'Summer'. Giving thanks to god for the (hopefully) better weather, longer evenings, a time during which many of our activities stop, allowing more time for relaxation and opportunities for holidays and rest.
June (Pentecost)
In the month of June, our prayer table celebrates the gift of the Holy Spirit, the third part of Trinity. We read in Acts 2: 1-13 about Pentecost, how the Holy Spirit came touching the hearts of those gathered and how the Church was born. We pray that He will again touch the hearts and souls of men and women throughout the world.
May
The book of Acts and the epistles tell us that encouragement was a major theme in the early Church. Today, we still all need encouragement, whether we are feeling confident or inadequate, inspired or confused, certain or uncertain, happy or sad and so that is the theme for our prayer table during the month of May.
Lord, come paint a rainbow bright of hope within my soul
Take the greys of weariness and inject new hues of gold.
Scarlet streaks of passion that make me come alive
Rich and royal threads that weave your kingdom through my life.
Clean away the dust of disappointment from my heart
Replace faded tones of failure, polish me up real smart.
Bright and dancing, sun streaked light that shines upon my face
Pure and radiant tones of white that radiate your grace.
(Prayer by Living Prayers)
Easter
‘He is risen, He is risen indeed!’
The sorrow of Good Friday has passed, the joy of Easter has come. Had Jesus died and not risen again, He would have merely been another man, another teacher. The resurrection confirms that Jesus was the Son of God. Through Him death has been conquered. Love has triumphed, given us hope and the promise of eternal life for all who believe.
Lent
Our prayer table this month is centred on Lent, which is a season of forty days, not counting Sundays, beginning on Ash Wednesday and ending the day before Easter Sunday. The forty days represent the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan and preparing to begin his ministry.
Lent is a time of self-examination and reflection during which we should focus on our relationship with God. It is a tie for us to think about the choices we have to make in our daily lives and to reflect on the choices Jesus made while being tempted by Satan in the desert. We should lift our eyes to the cross, remembering what Christ endured on it at Calvary for us. Lent reminds us that we need to respond to the love of God shown in Jesus.
February
On 14 February, tokens of love are sent and exchanged.
However, we often forget that we each receive the greatest love each and every day - the love of God our Father, which is immeasurable and selfless.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son,
that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."
John 3:16
January
At the beginning of a New Year, when many look to make resolutions about their lives, the Prayer Group has chosen the theme of 'New Beginnings' as the theme for the prayer table.
There you will find prayers to help you reflect on letting go of things from the past which should be left in the past and some to help you look forward to the future with hope, joy and the love of Christ.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, He is a new creation, old things have passed away; behold all things have become new"
2 Corinthians 5:17
2018
November
In the weeks leading up to Remembrance Sunday, members of the congregation were invited to write the names of loved ones they wished to remember on paper poppies. These, along with 100 knitted poppies to mark the centenary of the end of World War 1, were then placed on the prayer table.
The members of the prayer group were heartened at the response from the congregation.