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Prayer Booklet 79

Dear Friends,

Week beginning 17th October 2021

Back in August, I changed the format of the reflections and prayers I had been sending out.  A number of people said they enjoyed the new format when I focused for the week on the story of Zacchaeus.  This week it is the story of Jesus healing the woman who was ill from a condition where she bled continuously.

I have put a list of all churches in Presbytery in a separate document, and I invite you to pray for them, naming every single one of them before God, and asking God to make clear His will for each of them, and that His will be fulfilled.  Let us all commit to praying for them until the process of Mission development Planning is complete.    Pray that honesty and integrity will be present in every decision.  I suggest you keep the list close by you and pray fervently… I have included the prayer notes from last week at the end of this week’s reflections. 

I plan to include Sunday’s prayer for as long as the Moderator of the Church of Scotland is involved in putting it out – and from time to time will include prayers from other sources such as The Guild.  I will also continue to send out any prayer requests and updates that I receive.

I hope you find this format helpful.  Above all take time to pray.

Love in Jesus,

Christine Stewart

You can contact me at  christistewart@btinternet.com

Sunday 17th October, 2021

This week , the letter and prayer from C of S website

This Sunday (17 October), Christians across the country – and further afield – will continue to join together in prayer and reflection at 7pm in response to the pandemic.

This week’s letter accompanying the prayer, which is also available in Gaelic (a copy of which will be available to read here soon), states:

“Where do we find grace to help us in our time of need?

“The Letter to the Hebrews does not quite frame the question in that way. However, the Letter answers the question and points us to ‘Jesus, the Son of God’ as the One who acts on our behalf and who will bring us into the gracious presence of God.

“Our time of need is now, and the needs of the world are plenty. In such a time as this, we turn to the great high priest who has faced and endured all that we face and endure. We do so, knowing that the One who has endured all will enable us to ‘approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need’.

In the words of the hymn writer:

‘Before the throne of God above
I have a strong, a perfect plea,
A great High Priest, whose name is Love,
Who ever lives and pleads for me.'”

We pray:

Living God,
Have mercy on us
And grant to us grace in time of need;
For we are those who struggle
And know our weaknesses all too well.
Lord, in Your mercy, Hear our prayer.

Living God,
Have mercy on us
And grant to us grace in time of need;
For we know the struggles of the world
And the pain that so many bear.
Lord, in Your mercy, Hear our prayer.

Living God,
Have mercy on us
And grant to us grace in time of need;
For You know us and You love us
And You reach out to us in the place where we are.
Lord, in Your mercy, Hear our prayer.

Living God,
Have mercy on us
And grant to us grace in time of need;
For You call us to love our neighbour
And to bear one another’s burdens on the way.
Lord, in Your mercy, Hear our prayer.

Living God,
Have mercy on us
And grant to us grace in time of need;
For we make bold to approach the throne of grace
And do so in the assurance that You will hear our cry.
Lord, in Your mercy, Hear our prayer.

Monday 18th October, 2021

Passage for the week: Luke 8:42-48  

“As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. 43 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. 44 She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.

45 ‘Who touched me?’ Jesus asked.

When they all denied it, Peter said, ‘Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.’

46 But Jesus said, ‘Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.’

47 Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. 48 Then he said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”

There are many people in this story. However, only three are singled out – Jesus, Peter and the woman. It might be a good exercise to imagine yourself as one of the crowd who had gathered round.  Think about the following questions:

  • Why did I come out today – it is so hot and so crowded I can hardly breathe. Why did I come?
  • Who is this Jesus anyway?
  • Why does it matter whether I am here or not? Jesus will never know that I came to see him
  • Why is there such a fuss about someone touching Jesus’ cloak?

(You may well think of other questions as you read prayerfully…) Let us Pray (Notice I am not writing out the prayers – just suggesting pointers for prayer suggested by this story. Let God lead you):

  • Consider prayerfully How Jesus worked constantly to fulfil the Mission for which he came to the world and thank Him.
  • Be thankful for the faithfulness of the disciples who not only travelled with Him, but recorded so much for us and continued to take his Gospel story out across the known world after He returned to His Father.
  • Do you know anyone who has been healed from a health problem or an addiction or a dreadful situation? If you do, thank God for that.
  • Do you know anyone who needs the healing of Jesus in any aspect of their lives, pray for them.
  • Remember you are no different from Peter, especially in his early days of faith. He was puzzled and admitted to Jesus He was puzzled.

In our prayers today we might include the following:

  • Everywhere we go with Jesus we are on a Mission with Him to reach out to others. Pray that He will lead you to what he wants you to do and inspire you with faith and confidence.
  • Thank Him that He sees the whole picture – we only see our small part.
  • Trust His power to enable you to accomplish what He asks you to do in His name.
  • Thank Him for spiritual healing, which is eternal, so that by trusting in Him we are invited to spend eternity with Him. Death is not the end.

Tuesday, 12th October, 2021

Re read yesterday’s story about Jesus healing the woman of her haemorrhage. Our focus for today is verses 42-43:

 “As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her.”

Reflection: I love the way the records given to us in the gospels help us to have a clear idea of Jesus at work.  He is a wonderful early example of someone who multitasks. He was on His way to accomplish an amazing miracle when His journey was interrupted.  It seems at first that his purpose was thwarted, but it wasn’t – instead he performs two astonishing miracles because he allowed himself to stop and respond to the needs of this woman.  Think for the moment of the woman – ill from constant loss of blood.  Imagine her tiredness, building up over 12 years of this- that’s 144 months; it is more than 625 weeks and approximately 4,383 days.  It is a long time for anyone to be ill and searching, hoping for a cure.

Prayers for today might include:

  • Asking God to help us to read and understand His word with the help of the Holy Spirit, and to apply the truth revealed in it to our lives.
  • Giving God thanks for every record of the ministry of Jesus, and what we learn from Him.
  • For His disciples and what we learn from them…
  • For those who actively seek Him and what we learn from them

Prayers for others might include:

  • A prayer of faith that those we know and love would turn to Jesus and seek his love and light in their lives
  • A prayer for some to know the healing touch of Jesus.
  • A prayer for the peace of Christ to fill those who struggle.

Wednesday, 20th October, 2021

Go back and read again the passage from Luke 8. Our focus today is verse 44.

“She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.” Verse 44

Reflection: To understand the bold desperation of this dear lady, we have to understand one or two historical things about illnesses in those days. Any sort of ‘bleeding’ condition meant the person was considered unclean.  We also know that religious leaders and therefore the ordinary people believed that illness was the result of an individual’s sin.  They had no concept of how the ‘fall of man’ away from God created a covering of sin over the world which affected all in some way. In Romans 3:23 we read:

“Yes, all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious ideal;”

So, it is truly amazing that she braved the crowd. It is equally understandable that she tried to touch Jesus surreptitiously.  From all she had heard about Jesus and His ministry, she believed an answer could be found in Him. He did not fail her.

Our prayers:

  • Thank God for Jesus
  • Ask God to reveal more each day as you journey through life in service to Him.
  • Be like Peter, express doubts and ask Jesus (through His Holy Spirit) to help you to understand more about Him.

Prayers for others:

  • Ask God to show you those who are ready to look for Jesus and always be prepared to tell them what you know.
  • Pray for the gift of fresh understanding of what it means to join up with Jesus in mission to others in our time and place.
  • Look for those lost and hiding in the crowd who are desperate. Help them in Jesus’ name

Thursday 21st October, 2021

“ ‘Who touched me?’ Jesus asked.

When they all denied it, Peter said, ‘Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.’

46 But Jesus said, ‘Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.’  ” Luke 8:45 & 46

Reflection: Isn’t this beautiful?  We have already seen that Peter was happy enough in the company of Jesus to express his doubts about a particular touch.  We can safely assume that ‘all’ in verse 45 refers to his closest followers – his disciples – who would be surrounding Him.  Not one of them had noticed this poor woman who had crept in between them to simply touch Jesus. However, she was instantly healed, but Jesus knew that for her to live in true peace she had to acknowledge what had happened.  Jesus also wanted to affirm her new status of cleanliness and trust in Him to all those onlookers. Also, isn’t it wonderful that He knows when we come to Him and receive from Him.  I believe that He knew who she was, but He wanted her to own Him – he never forces anyone.

Our prayers:

  • Thank Jesus for the miracle of His saving grace touching you.
  • Thank God that you have been called to serve in Jesus’ name. Ask Him to show you how to let Jesus be Master (Lord) of every area of your life – especially in His service.
  • Thank Jesus that He will never send you on any mission alone. He will be with you in every circumstance as you do His will.

Prayers for others:

  • Think of all those you know who willingly offer themselves to serve in Jesus’ name. Name them as you ask God to protect and strengthen them in all they do and say.
  • Encourage one another to own Him and to love and serve Him.

Friday 22nd October, 2021

“Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. Then he said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.” Luke 8:47&8

Reflection: What a happy ending.  The lady comes forward, falls humbly at the feet of Jesus and confesses the healing she has miraculously received – in front of all the people.  Then Jesus, as He always does, commends her for her trusting faith and says ‘Go in peace.’  First, he calls her ‘daughter’.  We are told in Romans 8:17 that we are heirs of God with Christ Jesus.  Think about that – but it is true only when we accept the suffering of Christ as our salvation and our peace.  Surely this is a greater miracle.  The physical healing may last for a lifetime.  The spiritual healing lasts for eternity.  Go in peace.

Our Prayers:

  • Take time to offer thanks to God for Jesus and reflect as you do on the words of Paul in 2 Corinthians 9:13-15 “others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you.  Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” This week, I add ‘Amen!’
  • Thank Jesus for calling you to share in mission through prayer. Ask him to show you what else you might do to serve him in worship and thanksgiving.

Prayers for others:

  • Help us to be willing disciples Lord, to take your story to others, that others may find you and worship you.

Saturday, 23rd October, 2021

Please remember we need to pray more and more for the situation within our churches.

Stay strong in asking God for wisdom to see how to keep the Gospel of Jesus and His Mission at the forefront of all decision-making.  May He remove the danger and calm the storm.

This week, I am providing you with a list of Churches in Presbytery.  Many are concerned about their future.  It may seem a daunting task, but all I suggest for this week is that you lovingly name each church in God’s presence and ask for His guidance for that church, and that His will be fulfilled. I have split them into 7 groups – one for each day…

Let’s move now to some prayers about the critical plans to reduce the number of visible churches, not only in Ayr Presbytery but across Scotland.  Already in some parts of Ayrshire alone you can travel many miles without coming across a church that is still testifying to the glory of God and his wonderful saving grace that would draw us into His family.  There are plans to reduce this witness even further, while at the same time we need to increase our Ministry as we serve the 5 marks of mission.  These are:

  1. To Proclaim the Good news of the Kingdom
  2. To teaching, Baptising and Nurturing new believers
  3. To respond to human need by loving service
  4. To seek to transform unjust structures of society, in challenging violence of every kind and pursuing peace and reconciliation
  5. To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth

How can a Minister in the Church of Scotland commit to delivering each of these mission endeavours if they are shared with more than one – indeed with several communities – and lead us in worship to the glory of God? How can they do this alone in churches where so many sit back in apathy, believing it is all up to the Minister? Concern about Finance seems to have replaced faith – but we must all ask ourselves why this has happened?

Surely the first thing to do is to take the whole problem to the Lord and ask for His guidance and blessing. So let us begin:

  • Reflect and pray about our own commitment to being active in delivering Mission to our community
  • Ask forgiveness for those areas in which we have failed to reflect the love of Jesus to those around us; and where we have failed to recognise how much we need to take every aspect of mission to the Lord in prayer.
  • Invite God to open our eyes to see what He wants us to see.
  • Reflect on this verse from 2 Chronicles 7:14: “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
  • Pray for all those who have grown cold in heart and ignore the Lord in their lives that they will return to Him and serve in His name. Remember that ‘wickedness’ includes shutting out God’s call on our lives and living in our own selfish way.
  • Then reflect on the wonder and joy of the blessing God pours out on those who trust him: “The Lordbless youand keep you;
    the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;
    the Lord turn his face towards you and give you peace.’” Numbers 6:24-26
  • Pray the Lord’s blessing on those you know and love

As we go through the 5 Marks of Mission for prayer, let’s enjoy singing in our hearts (or out loud if you wish) some familiar words of well-known favourite hymns, as if they were our prayers. (3 & 4 linked)   You might like to find them on You Tube and listen to the music at the same time.

  1. To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom

Think of these words and pray them through – Hymn CH4 251

I, the Lord of sea and sky, I have heard my people cry.
All who dwell in dark and sin My hand will save.
I, who made the stars of night, I will make their darkness bright .
Who will bear my light to them? Whom shall I send?

Here I am, Lord.
Is it I Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night
I will go, Lord, if you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.

I, the Lord of snow and rain, I have borne my people’s pain.
I have wept for love of them. They turn away.
I will break their hearts of stone, Give them hearts for love alone.
I will speak my Word to them. Whom shall I send?

Chorus

I, the Lord of wind and flame, I will tend the poor and lame.
I will set a feast for them. My hand will save.
Finest bread I will provide Till their hearts be satisfied.
I will give my life to them. Whom shall I send?

  1. Teaching, Baptising and Nurturing new believers.

Think of these words and pray them through – Hymn CH4 502

Take my life, Lord, let it be
consecrated, glad, and free;
take my moments and my days,
let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Take my hands and let them move
at the impulse of Your love;
take my feet that I may run,
bearing news of Christ Your Son.

Take my voice and let me sing
always, only, for my King;
take my intellect and use
every power as You shall choose.

Take my will  –  Your will be done,
may my will and Yours be one;
take my heart  –  it is your own,
it shall be Your royal throne.

Take my love  –  my Lord, I pour
at Your feet its treasure-store;
take myself, and I will be
all for You, eternally.

  1. To respond to human need by loving service AND
  2. To seek to transform unjust structures of society, in challenging violence of every kind and pursuing peace and reconciliation

Think of these words and pray them through – Hymn CH4 528

Make me a channel of your peace.
Where there is hatred let me bring your love;
Where there is injury, your pardon, Lord;
And where there’s doubt, true faith in you.

Oh, Master, grant that I may never seek
So much to be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved, as to love with all my soul.

Make me a channel of your peace.
Where there’s despair in life let me bring hope;
Where there is darkness, only light;
And where there’s sadness, ever joy.

Make me a channel of your peace.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
In giving of ourselves that we receive;
And in dying that we’re born to eternal life

  1. To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth

Think of these words and pray them through – Hymn CH4 239

When your Father made the world,
before that world was old,
to His eye what He had made was lovely to behold.
Help Your people to care for Your world.

The world is a garden You made,
and You are the One who planted the seed,
the world is a garden You made,
a life for our food, life for our joy,
life we could kill with our selfish greed.

And the world that He had made,
the seas, the rocks, the air,
all the creatures and the plants He gave into our care.
Help Your people to care for Your world

When You walked in Galilee,
You said your Father knows
when each tiny sparrow dies, each fragile lily grows.
Help Your people to care for Your world.

And the children of the earth,
like sheep within Your fold,
should have food enough to eat, and shelter from the cold.
Help Your people to care for Your world.

So finally, let us pray for :

  • Wisdom and grace for everyone involved in decision-making
  • A willingness and ability for those who receive revised and alternative Mission Plans to evaluate them honestly, discarding preconceived ideas of their own and seeking God’s wisdom and understanding.
  • Ministers and congregations afraid of losing their church
  • Knowledge of God’s will and courage to stand…
  • People who have previously made a commitment to return to worshipping and serving God in Christ Jesus
  • Many people to find the Lord for the first time and seek to join others in Praise and Worship and Service
  • That those of us who believe should reflect the light and love of Christ to all we meet
  • God to shower his blessing on all our efforts here wherever He has placed us to honour our call to serve Him
  • God to bless all those serving in Ministry. May His Holy Spirit lead and guide them in the way ahead for Mission
  • All office-bearers and all who serve in Jesus’ name

I leave you with the words of a beautiful hymn – Mission Praise 241:

Holy Spirit, we welcome you, Holy Spirit, we welcome you,
Move among us with holy fire
As we lay aside all earthly desire,
Hands reach out and our hearts aspire,
Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit,
Holy Spirit, we welcome you!

Holy Spirit, we welcome you, Holy Spirit, we welcome you,
Let the breeze of your presence blow,
That your children here might truly know,
How to move in the spirit’s flow,
Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit,
Holy Spirit, we welcome you!

Holy Spirit, we welcome you, Holy Spirit, we welcome you,
Please accomplish in us today
Some new work of loving grace, we pray –
Unreservedly- have your way.
Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit,
Holy Spirit, we welcome you!

And an amazing verse of scripture from Ephesians 3: 20-21

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”