January - April 2016 Including Lent
Prayer School DVD 1 for Us Bringing personal prayer to life. Episodes: 1. Prayer and Personality 2. Listening to God. 3. Prayer Rhythm. 4 and 5. Obstacles to prayer. 6. Unanswered prayer.
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The first DVD in the series. Comes with accompanying booklet and is excellent for small groups. One thing only do I want: to live in the Lord’s house all my life, to marvel there at his goodness, and to ask for his guidance. Psalm 27 v 4
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ONE THING FOR US PRAYER SCHOOL TEACHING DVD – suitable for small groups Every corps and centre should have received a free copy of this DVD which is also available from SP&S at £12.99. if you are still to discover the DVD here is part of an article written for Salvationist by Lyndall Bywater. ‘One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple’ (Psalm 27:4, NIV). The God of the universe wants to be in continual conversation with us! If our ‘One Thing’ priority was to embrace that relationship – to make space for it, to invest time in exploring it – surely all the other things in our lives would fall into place. Yet how often do we let the pressures and pleasures of life drive a wedge between us and that ‘One Thing’ that matters more than anything else... communing and communicating with God. This first season of the ‘One Thing’ Prayer School series is all about developing our own personal prayer lives. In future seasons we’ll look at growing prayer in our churches and taking prayer to our world, but for these first six sessions we will be exploring together how each of us can tap into that awesome privilege of having a continual conversation with God himself: Session 1: Personality and prayer – how does the way we’re made affect the way we pray? Session 2: Listening to God – how does he speak and how do we hear him? Session 3: Prayer Rhythms – how do we build regular prayer into our lives? Session 4: Obstacles to Prayer 1 – how do our flaws and wounds affect our prayer lives and how do we move beyond them? Session 5: Obstacles to Prayer 2 – how does the enemy oppose us in prayer and how do we overcome? Session 6: Unanswered Prayer? – How do we make sense of prayer when God doesn’t always do what we’ve asked? Each session includes about 40 minutes of teaching, interspersed with interviews with people whose stories illustrate the theme of the session. Each session also includes ‘Pause Points’ – moments when you are invited to pause the recording and spend time in discussion or reflection. The DVD comes with a study guide, to 3
help you make the most of the sessions, and the guide can also be downloaded from the Prayer Resources section of The Salvation Army website. http://www.salvationarmy.org.uk/one-thing DVD 2, ‘One Thing for the Church – Becoming a praying people’, will be available in Summer 2016, and DVD 3, ‘One Thing for the World – Being out there in prayer’ will be available in 2017. As you work your way through the ‘One Thing’ Prayer School series, we very much hope and pray that it will help you to go deeper in prayer. Blessings PRAYER TEAM
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January Friday 1st Spend some time praying that on this, the first day in the year, you will receive fresh insight from God about his love for you, and the plans he has for your life. Saturday 2nd How would you sum up, in a sentence, your hopes for your corps this year? Pray about this, today, and then write it down, keep it somewhere visible, and keep praying that dream. Sunday 3rd Ask God if there is someone or something he wants you to specifically support in prayer this year, maybe a particular ministry that takes place at your corps, or someone who attends. Pray for them today, and ask for God to bless them mightily.
Scripture Focus – Calling
This week, as we look to the year ahead, we consider some scriptural examples of people who heard God’s call on their lives, and the ways their responses challenge us today. Monday 4th: Genesis 12:1-3 God’s call is the first step in a long journey for Abram and his family. Often it seemed like God’s promises were impossible and would not come true. What are the promises God has made for your life that you struggle to have faith for? Pray about these today. Tuesday 5th: Exodus 3:4-10 In this passage, we read how God used a miraculous sign to call Moses. What are the ‘burning bushes’ that God has used to speak to you previously? Are you ready to notice these in this New Year? Wednesday 6th: 1 Samuel 3:1-10 In the same way that God spoke to Samuel as a young child, he still speaks to our children today. Spend some time today praying for the children that you know or have responsibility for. Pray that they would hear God calling them, and that this would shape their growth and development. 5
Thursday 7th: Jonah 1:1-3 Sometimes the things that God calls us to do seem frightening or impossible. Sometimes they do not fit with the plans that we have made for our lives. Are there any areas of calling in your own life where you have sought to hide or ignore God’s voice? Pray about these today. Friday 8th: Luke 1:26-38 We read these verses many times over the Christmas period. As we look to the year ahead, spend some time considering Mary’s faithfulness, her ‘yes’ to God. Pray that, over the next twelve months, you will have the strength to be similarly obedient. Saturday 9th: Matthew 4:18-20 Jesus didn’t call Peter and Andrew because they were skilled or intelligent, but because he knew that God would equip them. In the same way, God will equip us for the areas of service he calls us to. Think about the areas you serve him in, and pray that he will equip you afresh for these in this New Year. Sunday 10th: Matthew 16:15-19 As Peter declares the truth about Christ’s identity, Jesus speaks of his destiny. Spend some time today declaring who God is to you: your healer, your friend etc. Pray that you will have an increased understanding of your destiny in him this year.
Focus on the Church response to the refugee crisis Monday 11th We pray, Lord, for peace. Peace around the world. We pray for an end to the conflicts that force people from their homes and nations. We pray for stability that allows people to flourish and grow into all that you have created them to become. Tuesday 12th Jesus, you promise that ‘perfect love casts out fear’. As we look at the damage and destruction going on around the world, help us to respond out of love, and not out of fear. We bring our fears to you. Give us hearts of wisdom and love. 6
Wednesday 13th Thank you, Holy Spirit, for the many Muslims who are responding to you as they encounter your love through the Church, as they come to Europe as refugees. Thank you that you can redeem even the worst of situations. Thursday 14th Father, protect our hearts from compassion fatigue. Help us to keep caring, to keep our eyes open to the struggle and the pain around the world, to not shut down and become self-interested. Give us soft hearts that care, which are ready to be broken, as yours is. Friday 15th As war and conflict seem to inch closer to our own doors, help us remember, Jesus, that you call us to see you in the eyes of the poor, and the weak, and the stranger. Help us to treat others, whether here, or in the news, as our neighbour, in how we think and talk about them, as well as how we treat them in person. Saturday 16th Lord, thank you that your church is leading the way in opening up our doors and borders to those who need protection and support. Help us live open-handed, generous, hospitable lives, and to encounter you there. Sunday 17th Jesus, you were a refugee. Help us not close our hearts and minds to you, wherever you may appear, knowing that whatever we do for the least of these we do for you.
International Focus – Congo (Brazzaville) Monday 18th Heavenly Father, we bring to you Congo Brazzaville, praying for all whose desire it is to live in the light of your grace and to love your word. We ask today for strength for all 108 corps and 336 officers within this territory, that each one is encouraged in the ministry they carry out in your name, no matter how difficult at times the road may be. 7
Tuesday 19th We pray for the ministry and support given to those with HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis and give thanks for the number of programmes which help to bring awareness of child vaccinations, influenza treatment, anti-malaria medication and the provision of medication for those affected by HIV. We think of the families that have been distraught by the illnesses of their loved ones and pray comfort for all who are struggling with loss. Wednesday 20th Lord, today we give thanks for the new ophthalmological centre in MoukoundjiNgouaka. We thank you for the increase in the performance of cataract surgery. We praise you for the gift of sight and for better sight for the patients affected. We pray that the centre will continue the life changing work it has started. Thursday 21st Father, we bring before you the area of Dolisie, where maternal and infant death rates are high. We thank you for the maternity services provided by The Salvation Army, so that more women do not have to continue to give birth at home, or in forests. May the work of the maternity services continue to save lives, so that these mothers have reason to give you great praise for the gift of life, which has been given to them and their children. Friday 22nd Father, we bring before you the area of Dolisie, where maternal and infant death rates are high. We thank you for the maternity services provided by The Salvation Army, so that more women do not have to continue to give birth at home, or in forests. May the work of the maternity services continue to save lives, so that these mothers have reason to give you great praise for the gift of life, which has been given to them and their children. Saturday 23rd Today, we pray for the children in the Salvation Army Schools in particular. As they learn about maths, science and other subjects may they also grow in the knowledge of the Lord. We pray for them that the desire to know the Lord will deepen as they grow older and as they transition from primary school to secondary and beyond. 8
Sunday 24th On this day of worship, we give thanks to God for all those who strive in Brazzaville for the word of God to be heard throughout this territory. Lord, we ask that you will bless the ministry of all who proclaim the Gospel message of salvation.
Caring for God’s creation Monday 25th Heavenly Father, you created this world to praise you and reveal your glory. You have given us the responsibility to care for your creation and the freedom to use the resources you have provided. We pray we would honour you in our stewardship of creation. Tuesday 26th Father God, as your relationship to creation is one of loving care and concern please help us, as stewards made in your image, to care for the world as you do. Please renew our wonder at the world you created and increase our concern and our desire to act to protect it. Wednesday 27th Holy Spirit, shine you light into our lives and illuminate one change we can make today that would benefit or protect your creation. Thursday 28th We pray that in an age of surplus that we would freely give to those without. May we give with a generosity that comes from you so that those who receive will see your love in the eyes of the giver. Friday 29th Father, we pray for all those who make decisions about how energy is used and managed. May all that we have be recognised as your gift to us. Saturday 30th Lord, we thank you for the tireless work of farmers as they gather the harvest of their work for our benefit. Lord, you provide enough for all mankind. May we work tirelessly to ensure every hungry mouth is fed through fair distribution. 9
Sunday 31st Lord, our world is your world. May we honour you by ensuring that nothing we do brings harm and destruction. We pray that your world shouts your praises and not man’s harmful ways.
February Focus on National Government Monday 1st Father, thank you that you know the end from the beginning, you know right from wrong. You call us to honour and pray for our leaders, and so we ask you to bless and guide our national government as they lead us through difficult times. Tuesday 2nd Jesus, these are tough days for the UK, our leaders are faced with challenges in austerity, terrorism, in working for unity within the UK. Thank you that you know what it’s like to live on earth in times of economic turmoil and political instability. Help our leaders to see you in their work. Wednesday 3rd Lord, we ask that you may guide the Prime Minister and his government, as they make decisions on how to best serve their people. May your will be done. Thursday 4th Lord, we ask for hearts of compassion, wisdom and discernment for all in leadership positions in this country’s government. Help them to hear your voice and follow your leading. Friday 5th We pray for the government opposition as they challenge and call to account the Prime Minister and his cabinet. Help them to work together, respectfully, to bring about good for this nation. Saturday 6th Lord, we ask for your wisdom for local government as they decide how tight budgets should be divided up between the different sections of our communities that all need financial input from the government. 10
Sunday 7th We ask Lord that the press and media would be responsible in how they cover news and promote different agendas, that they would be thoughtful and responsible in how they approach their role, and aware of their influence and potential to help or harm. Monday 8th and Tuesday 9th In preparation for Lent spend some time in silence before God. Allow God to still your mind. Focus on Psalm 46:10 ‘Be still, and know that I am God.’
Lent Throughout Lent we will be focussing on Psalm 27. As each week progresses, meditate on the verses for the week. Reflect and meditate on them. As God speaks to you, write his words down in the space provided. How does this impact on your life? What is God saying to your worshipping community? What is God asking you to do? The focus for each week can be used as a prayer station. You are welcome to print out the text for each week on a separate sheet of paper. Encourage everyone to share what God is saying to them. (contact Karen, Karen.findlay@salvationarmy.org.uk for printable sheets)
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Week 1 – Wednesday 10th – Sunday 14th From Comfort to Challenge (Psalm 27:1)
‘The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?’ (Psalm 27:1, TNIV) ‘When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”’ (Luke 3:21-23, TNIV) There are days when all seems right with the world. Our Lent journey starts on two such days, both of which happened millennia ago. David’s day came first, and we can safely assume it was a day of battles won, territory secured and enemies thwarted. Then came Jesus’ day, about 1500 years later: the day of his baptism, when God the Father spoke in an audible voice, telling anyone who would listen that Jesus was indeed his beloved Son – and when the Spirit came down in the form of a dove, just in case anyone had missed the audible voice. Maybe our ‘all seems right with the world’ days aren’t quite as dramatic as that, but they’re wonderful nonetheless, and we have a tendency to view them as some kind of proof that we’re doing OK in our walk with God. When all seems right with the world, we must be doing alright. Yet it’s at this point that we turn the page. We turn the page on David and find him plunging into a whirlpool of conflicting emotions. We turn the page on Jesus and find him starving in a desert, being taunted by evil itself. And when the page turns, are they doing less well? Are they failing others or letting God down? No, they are just walking the more difficult bits of the journey. Their days of intense blessing have nourished and fortified them for what is to come. And now it’s time for the comfort to give way to challenge. Lent is the time in the Christian year when we think about journeying. Over the next seven weeks, we will be reflecting on seven inner journeys, starting with the journey from comfort to challenge. For it is just when we seem to be at our most comfortable and fulfilled that God so often calls us into the next challenge. As we walk with him, he works in us; as we make ourselves available to him, he enlarges us beyond our wildest imaginings. 12
Are you enjoying an ‘all is well’ season? Is God calling you to leave a comfortable place and walk a challenging road? Are you already on the challenging road and wondering when the comfortable times will come? Wherever you are, take your cue from David, and don’t be afraid. PRAYER: Father God, I come into your presence at the start of this season of Lent and I ask you to strengthen me as I move towards the cross and beyond. I praise you, Light of the world and thank you for shining your love on my life in the best times and the worst times of my faith walk. My desire is to be strong and fearless yet there are situations and even people who would knock me down and test my resolve to be your faithful and obedient disciple. Help me to stand firm in the face of trial; hold me tighter and keep me safe as I trust your plan for my life. Amen. Thoughts
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Week 2 – Monday 15th – Sunday 21st From Confidence to Courage (Psalm 27:2-3)
‘When evil people come to devour me, when my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident.’ (Psalm 27:2-3, NLT) Lois had been very worried about her first ever ‘World Book Day’ at school. She hadn’t been sure whether her Peppa Pig costume was good enough, and she had been particularly worried about one of the older boys who liked to pick on her. So it was with great relief that her mum found her smiling, when she picked her up at the end of the day. ‘How did it go? And did you have any trouble from Jordan?’ ‘Oh, he was a dragon and he was being mean. He was going to jump on Ellie and eat her up, but I crept up behind him and stood on the end of his tail, so when he jumped on her, his trousers fell down and everyone laughed!’ Confidence is impressive, but courage is heroic. In the early verses of Psalm 27, David is full of confidence, but he finds that his enemies are just as confident as he is. He realises that what he needs in the face of his foes is courage. Without wishing to cast aspersions on Jordan the Dragon, evil has a tendency to be confident: to stride through the world being sure of itself and its power to win. Yet it’s often courage that ends up overcoming it and pulling its trousers down. Confidence is about being sure of ourselves: believing we can tackle any obstacle and win. Courage is being unsure of ourselves but tackling the obstacles anyway, because we are sure of the God who walks with us. Have you got to a place where confidence isn’t quite enough? Do you need to take a step of courage? Is there a situation where evil looks like it is confidently winning out? What tiny act of courage could you do this week to see things change? PRAYER: I thank you Father for the boldness that rises up in me when I pray and consider your word. I want to use this fervour to fight against everything that is unjust and against your will in this world. I know people do not understand me, 14
even other Christians think I am strange, yet I know I can do all things through your strength and with your protection. Test me Lord. Show me the way forward. Give me the courage I need to make a difference for good. Fill me with your power. Amen. Thoughts
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Week 3 – Monday 22nd – Sunday 28th From Isolation to Community (Psalm 27:4)
‘I ask only one thing, Lord: Let me live in your house every day of my life to see how wonderful you are and to pray in your temple.’ (Psalm 27:4, CEV) ‘We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord.’ (Ephesians 2:21, NLT) A few years ago, my husband and I decided we were going to have a quiet night at home for New Year’s Eve, instead of going to one of the several parties we’d been invited to. After a hectic Christmas season, the prospect was sheer heaven ... all, that is, until everyone else cottoned on to our plans. By 5pm we had 11 people joining us for the evening, all wanting a ‘quiet’ New Year’s Eve too. In recent centuries, our western understanding of prayer has become more and more individualistic. We revel in the joy of knowing that we can retreat into a quiet, solitary place to meet with God. This experience of prayer has somewhat coloured our interpretation of David’s words in Psalm 27:4 – we imagine him leaving the hubbub of his daily warrior-king life to be alone with God. But a visit to the temple would never have been a lone affair. The temple (or Tabernacle, in David’s time) would have been a messy, noisy place. It would have been full of people and full of life. So, when David utters his ‘One Thing’ cry, it isn’t a cry to be set apart in a rarefied atmosphere of solemn holiness, it is a cry to be right in amongst the mess, the noise and the life of God’s people. That, it seems, is where David felt most able to ‘see’ God. Even the Temple itself has changed since David’s day. It’s no longer a building in Jerusalem; it’s now a family of Jesus-followers, spread throughout the world. To dwell in God’s temple these days doesn’t mean going to an impressive building, it means being part of a community of believers, sharing life and finding God together. Do you ever find you’ve become isolated on your journey? What could you do this week to reconnect with the community of faith God has placed you in? As you spend time with other members of God’s family, what new aspects of his character do you see? 16
PRAYER: Father God, it is so good to be alone with you as I pray. Thank you for this personal relationship I can enjoy with you as you teach my heart to listen to you. But thank you too for the praying community I belong to and thank you that whenever we meet in our worship hall or small group we can share in praising you and worshipping you together. Be with us as we seek your face and discern your heart and then as a community of believers act in accordance with our understanding of who you are. Help me to encourage someone who is finding it hard to pray. Let the beauty of Jesus be evident through our actions and our love for each other. Amen. Thoughts
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Week 4 – Monday 29th – Sunday 6th March From Competition to Submission (Psalm 27:5-6)
‘he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.’ (Psalm 27:5, TNIV) ‘The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendour; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.”’ (Luke 4:5-7, TNIV) Have you ever prayed the old Methodist Covenant prayer? It contains the rather painful line: ‘Put me to what you will; rank me with whom you will.’ I learnt it as a child, and remember being rather horrified at the thought that God could rank me wherever he wanted to, and I would have to be OK with that. We humans rather like the idea that we can go up in the ranks – that we can become more successful, more influential, more important than others. Satan offers Jesus a top-ranking position. For the carpenter from Nazareth, struggling to believe he was anything special, that must have been quite a temptation. Yet he doesn’t even get into conversation about it. He could have argued Satan’s claims about the whole world being his to command; there are plenty of Scriptures which contest that, prophesying Jesus’ future reign and rule; but he doesn’t go there. He doesn’t compete. He simply redirects all the honour and glory to God. David knows that some days he will feel like he’s riding high, famous and feted by all, while on other days he’ll feel like he’s been hidden away, out of sight and out of mind, but he’s happy with either state, because he knows God is in charge of his status. It can be a painful journey to learn to let go of the fight for recognition – always needing to be ranked better or higher than others – and to trust our status to the God who knows us completely and who loves us absolutely. Are you trying to improve your own status? Are you too worried about where you rank in other people’s minds? Is it time to resign from the competition and be content wherever God places you? 18
PRAYER: O Lord, my God and my Father, with you I feel safe and secure for you hold my life in your hands and protect me from every kind of evil. Although sometimes I think I can go it alone, trust in my own strength and my own resources, I really don’t get very far. I need you Father, especially when temptation tries to get the better of me and I find myself doing and saying things that are not of you. Lift me up with your wings of love and keep me close. Take away those feelings of self-sufficiency and then I will praise you with all my heart for my life will be entirely in your care. Amen. Thoughts
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Week 5 – Monday 7th – Sunday 13th From Shallow to Deep (Psalm 27:7-8)
‘My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek.’ (Psalm 27:8, TNIV) ‘The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’ (Luke 4:3-4, TNIV) Many years ago, I heard an American preacher speaking on willpower. I can’t remember anything he said except one simple and profound phrase: ‘We do what we really want to do.’ It sounds simplistic, doesn’t it, but it is so true. We may talk about things we should do, or things we could do, or things we might do, or even things we would like to do one day, but in the end the things we put into action in our lives are the things we really want. God has given us a will, and the freedom to make choices, and that will is an immensely powerful thing ... I’m guessing you’ll know that if you’ve tried giving anything up for Lent. The first six verses of Psalm 27 paint David as an exemplary God-worshipper. Yet none of that is really enough for him. There is a deeper place he wants to go – something he wills more deeply than anything else. In Old Testament times, to say you wanted to see God’s face was no minor request. Those who saw his face usually died. Satan offers Jesus something he wants. Luke helpfully informs us that, after 40 days without food, Jesus is hungry, so we can be sure he wants bread. Yet there are things he wants more than bread. There is something deeper in him which tells him he can live without bread, but he can’t live without inner nourishment from his Father. Sometimes the journey we need to take is a journey of being honest about what we really want in life, and being determined to set our willpower to pursue the things which matter most. It’s a choice to leave the shallows and go deeper. What keeps you in the shallows? Is there a hunger for God in you which lies deeper than anything else you want? If not, why not pray and ask for it. Be 20
warned though: like David’s request to see God’s face, it’s a dangerous prayer to pray, and it may just change your life. PRAYER: Forgive me Father when I am full of the right words but not willing to put those words into action. Take away my fear of praying for your Spirit to fall; this is what I want to see yet I tremble at the thought of what that might mean and how you will change me. I am not prepared to go on asking you to bless me until I can accept that your supernatural power is going to make a difference. And when I sing those songs about Heaven and being with you in glory; know that I am genuine in my desire to see your face. Lord, as I pray for JESUS to return to this world and claim his own, make me ready; every day let my prayer be, Come, Lord JESUS. Amen. Thoughts
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Week 6 – Monday 14th – Sunday 20th From Earning to Belonging (Psalm 27:9-10)
‘Do not abandon me nor leave me, O God of my salvation! Although my father and my mother have abandoned me, Yet the Lord will take me up [adopt me as His child].’ (Psalm 27:9-10, AMP) ‘For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’ (Luke 4:10-11, TNIV) The feeling of belonging is immensely powerful. If you’ve ever found yourself in the midst of a group of people who love you for who you are, then you’ll know how intensely healing and heart-warming it is. If, on the other hand, you’ve ever been in a situation where you’ve felt left out or left over, you’ll know how painful and heart-wrenching it is to feel you don’t belong. It always amazes me that David, hero of the faith and man after God’s heart, still had moments of wondering if he really belonged. For most of Psalm 27, he seems to be rock-solid confident in his relationship with God, yet here we are in verses 9 and 10, hearing a very different cry. In spite of all the victories and all the extravagant worship, he’s still not sure if he has really done enough to please God. On the face of it, it is hard to believe that Jesus would be tempted to jump from the temple roof, unless he had a particular penchant for dangerous stunts. Yet the picture Satan paints of his dramatic rescue by a crack troop of angels may well have been rather tempting. It would have been a far more public display than his desert baptism, since the temple was right in the middle of Jerusalem, and it would have proven to every onlooker that Jesus was indeed God’s chosen, precious and beloved son. But Jesus knew that his sense of belonging needed to come from within. The Christian life always involves the journey from earning to belonging: discovering that we can’t earn God’s love. We belong to him because he adopted us. We don’t need to earn his affection because we already have it – more of it than we can ever comprehend. Are you trying to earn God’s love? Do you need a deeper awareness of the truth that you belong to him, and that with him you will never be left out or 22
overlooked? Meditate this week on the astonishing fact that God has chosen to adopt you into his family. PRAYER: Father God, how I love to call you my ‘Father’, for that is who you are, My Creator, my Sustenance, my Friend, my Provider, my Saviour. I thank you that you have adopted me into your amazing and very large family and yet know me by name and understand everything about me. How wonderful it is to know deep in my heart that I belong to you, not for what I do or how much money I have, not because of my status in life or how intelligent I am, simply because you have chosen me to be your child. Thank you that there will never be a time, in this life or the next, when I will need to be without your love and power. Amazing GOD. Amen. Thoughts
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Week 7 – Monday 21st – Sunday 27th From Inside to Outside (Psalm 27:11-14)
‘I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.’ (Psalm 27:13-14, TNIV) ‘Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.’ (Luke 4:14, TNIV) We come, this week, to our journey’s end. We have travelled through Lent, and arrived at the season when we celebrate the darkest of endings and the most joyful of new starts. We have reflected on challenge, courage, community, submission, depth and belonging, and though we know these are matters we will come back to again and again in our lives, we don’t want this to be a circular journey. We want to feel we’re getting somewhere. We want to step into what God has for us next. There was a moment when Jesus’ time in the desert was done. There came a day when his ministry to the people of Judea was to begin. Luke tells us that he went into the desert under the leading of the Holy Spirit, but that he comes out of the desert in the power of the Holy Spirit. The journey has changed him and he is ready to do the work God has for him. David’s poetic journey has come to an end too. The victorious king in verse 1 has proven to be an altogether more complex human being, tackling the same kinds of fear and insecurity which most of us are prone to. Yet he has strengthened his resolve and he is ready to face whatever battles God has for him to fight next. He doesn’t emerge from his inner journey with a strategy or a to-do list, he emerges with a refreshed faith. He doesn’t know what God is going to do next, but he expects it to be something extremely good – something worth waiting for. If you go on a management training course, you should come out of it with strategies and ‘smart goals’. When you go on a spiritual journey, you should come out of it in the power of the Holy Spirit, with deeper love, greater hope and stronger faith. As you look back over this Lent season, take some time to reflect on what God has said to you and what he has done in you. As you look ahead to the next season, reflect on the changes you will make and the changes you expect to see. what are you praying for? What are you working towards? What do you long to see God do? 24
PRAYER: Father, I am amazed when I think how you willingly suffered on that horrific cross with nails in your flesh. The pain is too much. The agony takes my breath away. Yet you could see beyond the cross to abundant resurrection glory. Help me to see beyond the moment when things are looking insurmountable. Lift me to the place of vision and let me see a glimpse of what is ahead. Pour out your glory on your people this week as we stand at the cross and remember and then as we stand at the empty tomb and celebrate. Give us the victory over doubt and uncertainty and fill us with the promise of new life, transformed lives, right now. Make our places of worship places where souls are saved and hearts are made new. We give the glory all to you Lord. Amen. Thoughts
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International Focus – New Zealand, Fiji & Tonga Monday 28th Father, we bring to you this week the territory of New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga. We pray for continued blessings on the mission to introduce more people to your Word. Thank you for the Kingdom of Tonga, who particularly support the work of The Salvation Army in their nation. As more people discover the light Christ in their darkness, may they be receptive and open their minds, hearts and souls to you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Tuesday 29th We give thanks for the works of the Salvation Army Community Ministries centres who provide short term and crisis- care emergency housing for families and people living alone. Thank you Lord for the fact that these centres continue to provide long term options for those who visit, help the most vulnerable and those who have fallen through society’s cracks. We thank you for the medical care, health clinics, budget advice sessions, counselling, job search assistance and other such efforts to give people hope again for their future. Wednesday 30th Father God, we think of those who health has been affected by alcohol and drug abuse and who find help through the alcohol and drug abuse centre in Tonga. May everyone find the strength they need to deter from continually abusing their bodies, and begin to see themselves through your eyes; loved and precious. Thursday 31st We pray for those in New Zealand whose gambling addictions have led to the deterioration of their health. We pray that as Auckland’s Council Class 4 Gambling (Pokie) Venue Policy is reviewed and goes forward there will be more support for the current anti- gambling initiatives.
April Friday 1st Heavenly Father, today we bring to you the children being sponsored through the Salvation Army child sponsorship scheme in Fiji and Tonga. As the sponsorship continues to have positive outcomes in their lives, may they be inspired to come to know and love you as Friend and Saviour. 26
Saturday 2nd We remember all those who are receiving Hospice palliative care. May each person find the support to come to terms with their situation and loving comfort from those around them. We pray their days will be full of joy and contentment and that they find deep peace with the Lord. Sunday 3rd Today, we give thanks for the effort and ministry of all those within the territory who strive to further the mission of the Salvation Army through sharing the love of Jesus in word and deed.
Scripture Focus
This week we focus on some Scripture verses about our identity in Christ. Monday 4th: Ephesians 1:3-8 Who do you know who needs to understand the truth in these verses of God’s blessings on them? Pray for them today, and ask God to show you some practical ways you can communicate it to them. Tuesday 5th: Romans 8:1-2 Are there any areas of your life in which you struggle with feelings of guilt and condemnation? As you consider these verses today, ask God to help you apply this truth to the areas you struggle in and know that there is no condemnation in Him. Wednesday 6th: Philippians 4:13 Consider the activities you are involved with, in your corps or centre, or some of the tasks you carry out as part of your weekly ministry. Pray that you will remember the truth of this verse of God’s strength when these tasks feel difficult or impossible. Thursday 7th: Philippians 1:6 What are the ‘good works’ God has begun through your corps or centre? Pray about these today, asking God to energise all those who are involved with the hope of this promise. Friday 8th: Romans 8:38-39 Spend some time today thanking God for the difference this promise ‘that nothing will separate you from him’, makes to your life, and pray that you would grow in understanding of the love he has for you. 27
Saturday 9th: Colossians 1:13-14 Thank God for his forgiveness and the grace that he extends to us in setting us free from the power of sin. Spend some time confessing anything you feel still gets in the way of your relationship with him, and ask him to help strengthen you to stand against temptation in these areas. Sunday 10th: Romans 8:28 It can be very difficult to believe that God will use every situation for good, especially when we are experiencing pain, ill-health or hardship. Pray for the people you know who are battling through these situations, and ask God to reveal to them the good things that are to come.
Focus on Children Monday 11th: Deuteronomy 11:18-21 Pray for families in your church; that parents will have the courage and confidence to share their faith with their children, and that talk of God will be a daily, uninhibited experience. Tuesday 12th: 1 Samuel 3:1-10 Pray for the youngest children in your local community; that they will hear the voice of God clearly, and that the adults around them will not dismiss these vital childhood revelations, but teach them how to live in obedience and trust. Wednesday 13th: 1 Samuel 17:32-40 Pray for the teenagers in your church, who may be struggling to understand who they truly are, in the midst of many conflicting influences; for boldness to reject the wrong armour, and for faith to start using the gifts which God has given them. Thursday 14th: 1 Samuel 17:41-50 Pray, today, for children who will face Goliaths: battles with enemies which seem far bigger and stronger than they are. Ask God to set them free from fear, and to give them swift and complete victories. Friday 15th: Psalm 78:1-4 Pray for your church, that God will open new ways for the different generations to talk and pray together. Pray that those who have seen God’s wonders will take time to share them with the children and young people around them. 28
Saturday 16th: Mark 10:13-16 Pray that God will raise up ’welcoming disciples’ in your community: people who will show children the way to Jesus. Sunday 17th: Matthew 18:1-6 Pray for children in your community who are at risk of neglect or abuse; that God’s Spirit will prompt the necessary action to rescue them, and that he will give wisdom to the professionals charged with making decisions about their future.
Focus on the Territory Monday 18th Pray for the ministry of bands and singing groups throughout the Territory. Pray that God will use their music to reach people; who will begin relationships with local corps as a result. Tuesday 19th Pray for the many arts and drama groups that are springing up, that people will learn to worship God freely through the creative arts, and that their relationships with him will deepen as a result. Wednesday 20th Pray for the youth and children’s work taking place throughout the territory, that more young people will have positive relationships with Christians. Pray for those involved in leading and directing young people, that they will be able to model Christ in a relevant and attractive way. Thursday 21st Pray for the many adult and family ministries which take place in your corps each week. Ask God to provide the staff and resources to help introduce people to Jesus Friday 22nd Consider the different expressions of prayer which exist throughout the UK territory, from weekly corps prayer meetings, to prayer and healing centres. Ask God to use these to deepen our relationship with him and to give us, as a territory, a clearer sense of where he is leading us. 29
Saturday 23rd Pray for those who work in your Divisional offices (DHQ), ask God to protect them as they work to support and equip corps. Sunday 24th Pray for the officers, staff and lay leadership in your own corps. Ask God to strengthen them with his love, and inspire them to discover new ways to bring people closer to him.
Focus on Discipleship This week we take some time to pray for ourselves. Instead of supplying a selection of prayer requests, we have drawn together a selection of the most well-known prayers from church history and tradition. These are the words of Godly men and women, seeking to grow in faith. As you pray them yourself, we pray they will inspire you. Monday 25th: An Anonymous Prayer ’Lord, empty me. Lord, fill me. Lord, use me, for your glory’s sake. Amen.’ Tuesday 26th ’Teach us, good Lord, to serve you as you deserve; to give, and not to count the cost; to fight, and not to heed the wounds; to toil, and not to seek for rest; to labour, and not to ask for any reward, save the joy of knowing that we do thy will. Amen.’ Wednesday 27th: A Prayer of Sir Francis Drake ’Oh Lord God, when you give to your servants to endeavour any great matter, grant us also to know that it is not the beginning, but the continuing of the same until it be thoroughly finished, which yields the true glory. Amen.’ Thursday 28th: A Prayer of John Wesley ’You are never weary, O Lord, of doing us good; let us never be weary of doing your service. But as you have pleasure in the prosperity of your servants, let us take pleasure in the service of our Lord, and abound in your work, and in your love and praise, ever more. Amen.’ 30
Friday 29th: An Anonymous Prayer ’O Eternal God, you are the light of the minds which know you, the joy of the hearts who love you, and the strength of the wills that serve you. Grant us so to know you that we may truly love you, and so to love you that we may freely serve you, to the praise and glory of your name. Amen.’ Saturday 30th: A Prayer of St Richard of Chichester ’Thanks be to you, my Lord Jesus Christ, for all the benefits which you have given me; for all the pain and insults which you have borne for me. O most merciful redeemer, friend and brother, may I see you more clearly, love you more dearly, and follow you more nearly, day by day. Amen.’
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If you would like more information about the SA Prayer Network, please contact us. E-mail: 24-7sa@salvationarmy.org.uk Phone: 020 7367 4539 Or log on to www.salvationarmy.org.uk/uki/prayer247 The Salvation Army, SA Prayer Network 101 Newington Causeway, London, SE1 6BN Registered charity number 214779, and in Scotland SC009359