Disciples of Jesus – Praising God – Caring for Its Community

Prayer Booklet 64

Sunday, 4th July, 2021

May we all be blessed with the ability to worship God even if we are not yet attending church in person. Hopefully we can listen on Facebook, You tube, web-sites, TV or radio. 

However, I offer you one of my favourite verses from His word, a favourite hymn and the Lord’s Prayer to help you meditate on his majesty and his grace.  Be blessed today…

“The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17

Hymn 485

Dear Lord and Father of mankind, forgive our foolish ways:
reclothe us in our rightful mind; in purer lives your service find,
in deeper reverence praise, in deeper reverence praise.

Drop your still dews of quietness, till all our strivings cease;
take from our souls the strain and stress, and let our ordered lives confess
the beauty of your peace, the beauty of your peace.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name;
Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done; On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, The power and the glory,
For ever and ever.    AMEN

Monday 5th July 2021

The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying:“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” Jeremiah 31: 3

The key words on which to reflect are “everlasting love” and “unfailing kindness”.  The past, the present and the future are all the same to God.  His mercies are new every morning. Amen

Reflect and Pray– where you have specific knowledge, pray specifically, but pray anyway, committing these churches to God that his sovereign grace and his will be known…

Auchinleck/Catrine
Minister: Rev Stephen Clipston; Session Clerk: Molly Sunter (A) ?Pending (C)

Mauchline/Sorn

Minister: Rev Allan Vint; Session Clerks: Mrs Kirsty Murray (M) and Mrs Christeen Dunlop (S)

May God sustain them and enable them to work in harmony to the glory of His name.  Pray for:

Office bearers and conveners of committees and organisations– that God will enable them to fulfil their tasks effectively;
The congregation members who are able to attend Church; May God bless them with a sense of his presence always with them;
The congregation members unable to attend Church – may we reach out to them as precious members of the Church family;
those who no longer attend church because they have forgotten God or lost their faith – may the Lord restore them by His Holy Spirit at work in their lives;
The communities served by our churches – may they learn of the gospel and grace of God as we love and serve in Jesus’ name.

Tuesday 6th July, 2021

“You have been a refuge for the poor,  a refuge for the needy in their distress, a shelter from the storm  and a shade from the heat.” Isaiah 25:4

Reflect and Pray

Again, let us look to the unchanging qualities and characteristics of God – our Creator, Redeemer and Saviour as we take time to pray through some hard and difficult issues that touch our lives.  His loving-kindness and faithfulness reach out and touch us today, as surely as they did to his people long ago – and we are extra blessed because Jesus was the greatest gift to our world and he promised to be with us always and in every situation.  Truly we are never alone…  Let us pray:

  • Refuge for the poor, reach out to rescue those struggling with homelessness, poverty, and those who are refugees. This is not how you meant the world to be. Inspire us to play our part wherever, whenever and however we can to demonstrate your loving-kindness. Lord send aid to countries like Yemen where Covid-19 is a huge scourge in terrible conditions.
  • Refuge to those in distress, give grace and comfort to those suffering dreadful illnesses such as cancer. Lord God let all treatments commence again, and may cures continue to be discovered. May your people remain faithful in prayer and reach out in love and support to others who are suffering
  • Shelter from the storms of life, teach us to run into you, to give over our fears and anxieties and grant us your peace.
  • Shade from the heat, we confess that we long for the cool tranquillity to be found as we walk with the Lord who is our Shepherd in green pastures by cool quiet streams…Amen

Wednesday 7t  July, 2021

“Trust in the Lord forever…the Rock eternal.” Isaiah 26:4

He is our sure foundation.  Let us not lose sight of that and we will not lose heart as we worship him and labour for our Master.  The house built on the Rock stands firm.

Reflect and Pray– where you have specific knowledge, pray specifically, but pray anyway, committing these churches to God that his sovereign grace and his will be known…

Ayr: The Auld Kirk

Minister: Rev David Gemmell; Session Clerk: Kate Lockhart

Ayr: Castlehill

Minister: Rev Paul Russell; Session Clerk: Douglas Owens

Ayr: Newton Wallacetown

I.M. and Locum: Rev Rona Young; Session Clerk: John Bell

Ayr: St Andrews

Minister: Rev Stanley Okeke; Session Clerk: Ian Lamberton

May God sustain them and enable them to work in harmony to the glory of His name.  Pray for:

Office bearers and conveners of committees and organisations– that God will enable them to fulfil their tasks effectively;
The congregation members who are able to attend Church; May God bless them with a sense of his presence always with them;
The congregation members unable to attend Church – may we reach out to them as precious members of the Church family;
those who no longer attend church because they have forgotten God or lost their faith – may the Lord restore them by His Holy Spirit at work in their lives;
The communities served by our churches – may they learn of the gospel and grace of God as we love and serve in Jesus’ name.

Thursday 8th July, 2021

Let us take time to refresh our souls again as we offer this reflection and prayer of praise and hope from Paula Lennox, a member of both the Mission Committee and the Prayer Promoters’ Group: 

As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more (Psalm 71:14)

In this time of anxiety and uncertainty, let us remember there is always someone we can rely on. May we start each day thanking him for all he has done for us and holding this gratitude before us as a beacon of hope.

Prayer

Father, we thank you for your promise to always be with us no matter our circumstances and we hold on to that promise now, as we feel anxious and uncertain as each day goes by. May we remember that through you all things were created, that you have supremacy over everything and nothing is impossible for you. You are our hope and we praise you. Amen

Prayer points are all about praising God:
Praise Him for the little things, we previously took for granted
Praise Him for nature that continues to flourish
Praise Him for more time to spend in His Word
Praise Him that whatever happens he is our hope

Now just talk to God about whatever is on your heart…he wants to bless you and give you peace as you trust in him. Amen

Friday 9th July, 2021

“Once more the humble will rejoice in the Lord.” Isaiah 29:19

What a wonderful verse this is…the more we confess that we need Him to be our Way, our Truth and our Life, the more we are blessed as we serve in His name, and we rejoice.

Reflect and Pray– where you have specific knowledge, pray specifically, but pray anyway, committing these churches to God that his sovereign grace and his will be known…

Ayr: St James

Minister: Rev Barbara Suchanek-seitz; Session Clerk: Bill Mackie

Ayr: St Columba

Minister: Rev Dr Scott McKenna; Session Clerk: Robert Bartholomew

Ayr: St Quivox

Minister: Rev John McCutcheon; Session Clerk: David McMahon

May God sustain them and enable them to work in harmony to the glory of His name.  Pray for:

Office bearers and conveners of committees and organisations– that God will enable them to fulfil their tasks effectively;
The congregation memberswho are able to attend Church; May God bless them with a sense of his presence always with them;
The congregation members unable to attend Church – may we reach out to them as precious members of the Church family;
those who no longer attend church because they have forgotten God or lost their faith – may the Lord restore them by His Holy Spirit at work in their lives;
The communities served by our churches – may they learn of the gospel and grace of God as we love and serve in Jesus’ name.

Saturday 10th July, 2021

‘4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.’  Philippians 4:4-7

This is a beautiful, well-known piece of writing in the word of God.  It was written by Paul, who endured many hardships as he took the message of the gospel further afield soon after Jesus returned to the Father.  He learned that it was so important to lean on God in every situation – that this is not weakness, but is our strength.  We need to build this truth into our lives as we honour and serve him – always remembering to be thankful in EVERY situation.  This is the way to peace.  Let us pray:

  • Lord God, we thank you for our salvation in Christ Jesus – thank you that knowing Him gives us not only life, but life in all its fullness.
  • Help us to honour you in all things as we serve you in Jesus’ name and for His sake.
  • Lord God, help us to prioritise the things we do so that we always take time to stop and listen for your voice leading us and guiding us
  • Grant us your peace, the peace that is beyond our understanding, as we own you as Lord of our lives each day.