PRAYER DIARY January March 2018
WELCOME to the prayer diary Psalm 127 v 1 (NIV) says: “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labour in vain.” We are very thankful for the many people, events and activities that form part of our goal to reach the world of sport for Christ. But how good it is to be reminded, as we embark on 2018, that ‘unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labour in vain.’ This work has to be all about Him if it is to succeed. We are so grateful for your partnership with us in prayer, knowing together the truth of these words from Psalm 127! So we ask, more than ever, for your continued prayers for the Lord’s provision and His guidance as we seek to further grow this work. Pray with us that we would not succumb to simply a culture of activity, meetings and busyness at the cost of prayer as our greatest priority, but rather we would remember this ‘house’ is the Lord’s! So may this prayer diary excite and encourage you; but mostly may it direct our prayers together, seeking and trusting that He will continue to build this house for His glory! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Laura Murdoch, Development Team Our mission To reach the world of sport for Christ.
CONTENTS 4
Global Mission
6
Youth
8
Students
10
Elite Sport
10
Churches
12
Nehemiah study: Passionate prayer
14
Big Prayers
16
Churches
18
Thanksgiving
19
Pray for your sports friends
20
Pray for sport as a church
3
GLOBAL MISSION
31 Dec - 13 Jan
We are part of a global movement whose European arm is the European Christian Sports Union (ECSU). Please join us in thanking God for the global sports mission that took place in 2017 and praying for the year ahead. Sun 31st Events. At the end of 2017, thank God for all that has happened internationally; from global conferences helping make sports mission accessible to all people everywhere, down to investing in training 24 young leaders from across Europe; from networking conferences to one-on-one strategy meetings. He holds the whole world in His hands. Mon 1st Jan Happy new year! At the start of a new year, praise God for His new mercies every day. May 2018 bring many more people into His fold, both domestically and abroad. Tue 2nd Clubhouse Xtra. Today is the start of Clubhouse Xtra, the annual student conference, during which we will have a European Sports Mission reunion. Pray for a great time of encouragement and for many people from other countries to be granted visas to come so we can celebrate as a family together. Wed 3rd Encouragement. Those that attend the European Sports Mission have a monthly call to catch up. Pray that these would be encouraging times to keep each other accountable, strive together to preach the gospel and keep fostering great friendships across Europe. Thu 4th Planning. Pray for the nine Facilitation Team members who will meet in March with around 30 others to begin to write the new three-year plan for the European Christian Sports Union. Praise God that in three years, a conservative estimate of 60,000 people have heard the gospel in Europe as a result of the ReadySetGO training material. Fri 5th Italy. Pray for a small team in Italy who are starting to translate the ReadySetGO resource kit into Italian. There is not much sports mission activity in Italy as far as we know. Pray for perseverance for this team as they tackle this mammoth but vital task, and pray that as a result, sports mission will flourish. 4
Sat 6th Resources. Our media resources have been seen in every country of the world! Pray for those watching them, especially for those where being a Christian is illegal or very difficult, that they would be encouraged and equipped by them. Pray for seekers who intentionally or not found our resources, pray they would be a step on their journey to faith. Sun 7th Jersey. Pray for the Christians in Jersey’s football, golf, cricket and rugby teams as they look to hold guest events for their teammates in the coming months. Mon 8th Dodgeball. Back by popular demand, pray for the upcoming Jersey youth dodgeball event in March. Last time saw 35 people attend, with 25 being guests. Pray that Christians would be bold in inviting friends again and all would be attentive to hearing the gospel during half time. Tue 9th Moldova. Over the next five days, the Interns are helping to teach at a conference for young sports players in Moldova, delivering Pray Play Say training. Pray for safe travel today and orientation tomorrow. Wed 10th Young leaders. The Moldovan conference for young leaders has been pivotal for many young people over the past few years, including some who have given their lives to Jesus as a result. As young leaders arrive today, pray for God to be softening hearts to His word and for transformed lives. Thu 11th Teaching. Pray for the first day of teaching. Pray for patience, wisdom and discernment as the Interns teach cross-culturally. Pray for the Moldovan translators doing the tiring work of processing and translating the material and for the young leaders that God’s word would be working in their hearts. Fri 12th Basketball. Pray for the ongoing work of the Moldovan basketball academy - Admirals Basketball - who are hosting the event. They work with hundreds of children and have an adult team in the professional league. All members must attend a Bible study before training. Praise God that over the years He has used this greatly. Sat 13th Summer. Pray for the upcoming third European Sports Mission in July. It has been a joy and privilege to see the growth and maturity in the students that attended and we long for this to continue and be replicated. 5
YOUTH
14 - 27 Jan
Please join us in giving thanks for the work being done amongst young Christians in sport. Pray on for God’s will to be done within clubs and teams, churches and schools, as well as for ongoing fruit from our summer Sports Plus camps. Sun 14th Young sportspeople. Pray that young sportspeople all over the UK who don’t yet know Jesus would have opportunity to hear the gospel and see it lived out through the witness of Christian friends or teammates. Pray God would bring many to a saving faith in His Son. Mon 15th Youth coaches. Give thanks for the Christian coaches we know who are serving in the world of sport. Pray they might be distinctive in the way they coach, and pray for opportunities to share Jesus with the young people, parents and other coaching staff. Tue 16th School groups. Give thanks for open doors in several schools to run regular ‘Pray Play Say’ groups. Praise God for the teachers who give up time to run these meetings, and pray that those who come would be equipped and inspired to live and play distinctively. Wed 17th Teachers. Praise God for all the Christian teachers we know representing Jesus in their schools. Pray for wisdom as they seek to support young Christian sportspeople in their school, and for opportunities to shine for Jesus in their own witness amongst students and staff. Thu 18th Carnoustie. Praise God for the faithful work of the churches in Carnoustie, Scotland who are running a series of youth dodgeball tournaments in the lead up to The Open golf this summer. Thank God for the opportunity the events have brought for the youth to hear the gospel explained and talked about through the testimonies of local sportspeople. Fri 19th Youth guest events. Thank God for all those who will use resources in the Sports Mission Pack this year to run a guest event for young sportspeople. From dodgeball tournaments to oldschool sports days to big screen events, pray that each time the gospel is proclaimed, it may return much fruit. 6
Sat 20th Sports Plus Xtra Wales. Pray that young Welsh sportspeople would come to next month’s event and be encouraged to explore who Jesus is. Pray that those who know Him would be equipped to share Him amongst their peers. Thank God for the leaders who will serve, and for the growing unity amongst Christians in sport of all ages in Wales. Sun 21st Sports Plus training. Pray that through the training delivered at Sports Plus 2017, each leader would have been envisioned and equipped to continue to faithfully reach the world of sport for Christ in their local clubs and teams. Mon 22nd Sports Plus bookings. Bookings open online today for Sports Plus 2018! Pray that in the coming weeks and months all seven camps would fill up with young sportspeople and that the gospel would transform the lives of all those who attend. Tue 23rd Sports Plus Bursary Fund. Praise God for all those who have donated to the Bursary Fund which has enabled over 1,150 young people to attend Sports Plus over the last six years. Pray that the fund would enable many more to attend Sports Plus 2018. Wed 24th Sports Plus Monkton. This summer sees a new Sports Plus camp at Monkton Combe School in Bath. Pray that this new venue would make Sports Plus accessible to more young people and that God would raise up new leaders to join this team. Pray also for all the logistics that goes into a new venue. Thu 25th Sports Plus Trainees. Praise God for the opportunity to train, equip and invest in young future leaders at Sports Plus. Pray that the Trainees would be excited to learn and serve this summer and that the training and experience they receive will equip them for future roles both within Christians in Sport and also their local church. Fri 26th Sports Plus Leaders. Thank God for the faithful leaders who give up their time to serve at Sports Plus. Praise Him for those who have applied already and pray that He would raise up enough Team Leaders, Coaches and Support Staff to fill the team of around 400 needed for Sports Plus 2018. Sat 27th Sports Plus venues. Praise God for the provision of schools to hold Sports Plus; especially the new venue of Monkton Combe School, Bath. Pray for our ongoing relationships and witness with the school staff and for smooth logistics.
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STUDENTS
28 Jan - 10 Feb
This fortnight, we are praying for the student work and praising God for all the marvellous things He has done in the world of university sport. Please join us in committing the Edinburgh Universities’ Christian Union events week and all our plans and desires to our Heavenley Father and asking for His kingdom to come in university sports clubs across the UK. Sun 28th Clubhouse Xtra. Thank God for the fantastic time we had at our Clubhouse Xtra new year conferences in England and Northern Ireland. Pray that every student who came will have grown in love for Jesus and returned to university eager to share the gospel with their sports friends. Mon 29th Edinburgh. Please pray for the start of the Edinburgh Universities’ Christian Union events week today. A team from Christians in Sport will be speaking at the events and serving the students as they seek to bring their friends along and have discussions about the truth of the gospel. Tue 30th Talks. Please pray for Pete Nicholas who will be sharing the gospel at the lunch events and for Graham Daniels who will be preaching each evening. Pray that they will set forth the truth plainly and that God will work powerfully through His word. Wed 31st University Groups. Praise God for the Christians in Sport groups at Edinburgh University and Heriot-Watt University. Pray they will seize the opportunity this week brings them to boldly invite their friends from their sports clubs to the events. Pray that friendships will deepen, barriers will be broken down and first steps taken towards Christ. Thu 1st Feb Conversations. Pray for the Christians in Sport staff team as they seek to engage with student sportspeople through questionnaires and conversations on the campuses. Pray that God would give perseverance to the team and that He would lead them to chat with people of peace who in turn go on to trust Jesus with their life. Fri 2nd Final night. Pray for the final night of events week. Ask for God to have mercy on all those who have heard the gospel this week and pray that many sportspeople will deny themselves, pick up their cross, and follow Jesus. 8
Sat 3rd Carol services. Praise God for the opportunity we had to preach the gospel at Loughborough University, Sheffield Hallam University, and Edinburgh University carol services. Pray that all the students who heard of Christ will seek to find out more during their university Christian Union events weeks this term. Sun 4th Graduation. We’re thankful to God to be able to help students as they transition from university into the next stage of life. Pray that every student graduating this year will finish university well for Jesus and continue reaching the world of sport for Christ, wherever God places them next. Mon 5th Leaders. Praise God for our Christian in Sport University Group leaders who do a fantastic job in supporting their fellow students as they live for Jesus in their university sports clubs. Pray that God will continue to equip them with all they need to serve Him brilliantly in their role. Tue 6th Summer. Ask that God will lead many students to serve Him this summer on our Sports Plus camps and the European Sports Mission. Pray these will be powerful times in the students’ walks with Jesus and that God will use them for His glory. Wed 7th Internship. Praise God for the opportunity He gives us to run the Internship for those of graduate age. Pray that God will continue to use our current Interns and He will grant us wisdom and discernment in deciding next year’s intake. Thu 8th Dialogue Dinners. Praise God for the many dialogue dinners that have and will be taking place across the country. Pray that sports students will genuinely engage in discussions about Jesus and this will lead to them investigating further by reading the Bible with their Christian sports friends. Fri 9th Training. Please pray ahead of our University Group leaders’ training in March. Pray that this will be a valuable time of handover and preparation for all the new leaders. Pray that God will ignite in them a passion for the gospel to ring out across their university sports clubs and teams. Sat 10th Staff. Thank God for the Christians in Sport staff team who support students across the country. Pray that the Holy Spirit will give them joy in their service and continue to use them effectively as they meet with students and fellow student workers. 9
ELITE SPORT
11 - 24 Feb
Heavy training and competition schedules take elite athletes and coaches away from home for long periods of time, meaning regular church life is tough to maintain. Please join us in praying for the world of performance sport and all those within it. Sun 11th New resource. Pray for a new booklet tackling the top 10 questions asked by the parents of Young Performance Athletes (YPAs). This aims to help parents of YPAs think through journeying with their child on the performance pathway, both biblically and practically. Pray it would be helpful in starting good conversations between parents. Mon 12th PyeongChang 2018. Pray for Christians involved in the Winter Olympics in the Republic of Korea this month. As the world watches their performance and judges them by it, pray that they may know they are God’s children and may their worth be in that and not in their performance. Tue 13th GB Rowing. Thank God for the Christian presence across the GB women’s, men’s and Paralympic squads. Pray that they would be salt and light, pointing others to Jesus though their words and actions. Wed 14th Commonwealth Games, Gold Coast 2018. In the last prayer diary, we asked that God would open the door for a chaplaincy team to serve at the Commonwealth Games in April. Praise God that these prayers were answered and a team will be going to the Games. Pray for God to be preparing the chaplains and warming the hearts of all those who He already knows they will interact with. Thu 15th Vitality Netball Superleague. Thank God for the Christians we know of playing in the UK’s top netball league. With the season just started, pray for opportunities for Christian players from different teams to meet and encourage each other. Fri 16th Tennis. Thank God for the emergence of a small number of Christians on the ATP and WTA tours and the opportunity they had to meet and study God’s word at Wimbledon and the US Open in 2017. Pray for wisdom as we look to host further gatherings at Grand Slams in 2018 and for more Christians to be found. 10
Sat 17th Parents of Young Performance Athletes. Pray for wisdom as they support their children in coping with the joys, challenges and pressures of top-level sport. Pray they would also be distinctive as parents in that culture to point other parents to Jesus. Sun 18th IAAF Diamond League. Pray ahead for the start of the Diamond League, the elite track and field circuit which runs from May until August. Pray that God would add new followers of Him to the growing community of Christians and that they would keep encouraging each other in Christ. Mon 19th Rugby Union. Pray for wisdom as we look to find and support more Christians and those seeking Jesus in the world of professional rugby union. Tue 20th Golf. Thank God for the opportunity Ali Nicholas had to return to the Ladies European Tour in 2017 to meet and read the Bible with Christian golfers and those seeking Jesus. Pray that God would open the door to find more golfers to support and pray for His hand over the logistics of the 2018 season. Wed 21st Cricket. Thank God for how He has been using Andrew Wingfield Digby since he started to work within cricket again in 2017. Thank God for the open doors he has found and the players, coaches and chaplains he has been able to meet. Pray for continued opportunities to read the Bible with players and coaches. Thu 22nd Football gatherings. Thank God for the gatherings of Christian pro footballers and those seeking Jesus that have taken place this season already. Pray that they would have been a helpful step in fostering Christian community amongst teams as they reach out to those around them. Fri 23rd Hockey. Pray that the Christian players and coaches involved in the international squads and Premier Leagues would enjoy the gifts they have been given and glorify God as they play and share the gospel and life with their teammates this season. Sat 24th Disability sport. Pray for the few Christians we know of in the world of elite disability sport. Pray that God would raise up more to represent Him in this world. 11
PASSIONAT Passion is so often a vital part of the sport we love; but if we’re honest, it can be much harder to be passionate in prayer to the God we love. Here’s a Bible study from the Old Testament book of Nehemiah to encourage us. Warm up What are the things you are really passionate about? Try to think about the things that really motivate you - perhaps it’s your sport, perhaps it’s your friends, maybe it’s a charity you support? The background In 586 BC, the southern kingdom of Judah was conquered and taken into exile in Babylon by King Nebuchazzar. In 539 BC King Cyrus overthew Babylon and took control of the Babylonian empire which included the former territories of Israel and Judah. Cyrus issued a decree in 538 BC allowing the Jewish exiles to return to their ancestral home (Ezra 1-6) and they started to rebuild the ruins of their city. Nehemiah 1 takes place two generations later (around 445 BC) when the rebuilding project has stalled badly. Kislev is a month in winter and Susa is the winter capital of Persia. Read Nehemiah 1 v 1-11 Looking particularly at v 1-3 and v 10: why do you think Nehemiah is so distraught by what he hears from Hanani and the men from Judah? In the Old Testament, God’s promises to Abraham, and then to David, were to gather together a people who would live in the land He would give them, under the loving rule of a king. Consequently, the state of Jerusalem is a concern for Nehemiah because it represents
TE PRAYER God’s covenant with His people, which is currently in disarray. In the New Testament, we see that these promises are fulfilled in the church, as God gathers people together from all the nations under His king, Jesus Christ. As Christian believers, we are no longer to be concerned with the physical Jerusalem; this is no longer the focus of God’s promises to us in Christ. However, like Nehemiah, what should we be passionately concerned for? Look at Nehemiah’s prayer: How can you learn from it in the following areas? 1. 2. 3.
The aspects of God of which he reminds himself (v4-6,10) Nehemiah’s attitude to God in prayer (v6- 7,11) Nehemiah’s confidence that God can, and will, answer (v9)
Nehemiah gives us a wonderful model of passionate prayer. He is not trying to fake emotionalism as though it makes a difference to whether God will answer or not. Instead, he is genuinely moved by the state of God’s people. He draws confidence from God’s power and His faithful and loving character. He’s also clear that the reason for the state they’re in is not a reflection on God’s goodness, but their sinfulness. The passion in Nehemiah’s prayer is challenging 1.
Ask God’s forgiveness for not being sufficiently concerned for the state of His church in the world of sport where so few know Christ.
2.
Ask God to lay it on your heart to be concerned for the lost and spend some time praying for your teammates who don’t yet know Christ.
BIG PRAYERS
25 Feb - 10 Mar
This prayer diary began with a look at Psalm 127: how “unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labour in vain”. As we look further ahead into 2018, please join us in praying for the long-term aims of different areas of the work, that we would depend on God in everything. Sun 25th Young Christians in sport. Praise our Heavenly Father for the many young people seeking to represent Jesus in their world of sport. Pray that they may know they are God’s children – and that their worth be in that and not in their sporting performance. Mon 26th Universities. Please pray that God will lead us as we seek to engage with universities where we know of no or few Christians playing sport. Pray that we can support them effectively through our resources and staff team. Tue 27th Young Performance Athletes (YPAs). Give thanks for the YPAs we know of around the UK. Pray they would acknowledge that their gifts come from God and be able to worship Him as they train and compete at an elite level. Wed 28th Churches. Pray that all Christian sportspeople would be rooted in a local church. Pray too, that more churches would be encouraging people to get stuck into local clubs as a place to worship God with their sporting ability and be witnesses to friends who don’t know Jesus. Thu 1st Mar Europe. After the June Gathering with 300 people from 48 countries, pray for the European Facilitation Team as we look to support the growing network of Europeans who want to use sport to proclaim the gospel and make disciples. Pray as partnerships are developed and teams sent and received, that many would hear the good news as a result. Fri 2nd Financial provision. To achieve the plans set for the next year, a budget of £1.6m has been set - an increase of £250,000. We pray that God would raise up new and current partners who can contribute financially to enable development regionally within the UK and internationally. 14
Sat 3rd Sustainable mission. By 2020, we long to see leaders in 300 towns and cities across the UK and globally, serving to reach the world of sport for Christ in their local area. Please pray that God would raise up more leaders to carry this out. Sun 4th Sports Plus. Pray that God would enable Sports Plus camps to continue to grow in the coming years by providing new venues, more young sportspeople and new leaders to make this a reality. Mon 5th Further education colleges. Please pray that God will lead us in the right ways to engage with further education colleges. Pray that this will result thousands of sports mad college students hearing the gospel and trusting Jesus with their lives. Tue 6th Recently retired athletes. For athletes who have recently retired, ask that the many athletes who know Christ would be aware of His ‘everlasting arms’ upholding them through what can be a painful and confusing transition. For those who don’t know Christ, pray that as their identity as an athlete is stripped away, it would lead them to find their true identity in our loving Lord. Wed 7th New leaders. Pray that God might raise up leaders in each city with a desire to find out who the Christian sportspeople are, and spur them on to live for Jesus in their club or team. Pray that this bold and united witness might result in many more people stepping on to the track together to run the race for Christ. Thu 8th Sports Stadium Kit. We are developing a new set of training resources for Christian sportspeople alongside a new website for the organisation. Pray for wisdom as this is all created and developed for launch later in the year. Fri 9th Perseverance. Pray that God will grant faith and perseverance to the current generation of students so that they will go on to serve the local church in the mission of making disciples of Jesus in the nation of sport for the rest of their lives. Sat 10th Partners. We are dependent upon the Lord’s provision of supporters who pray, serve and give. Just over a thousand each year do just that! We thank God for them and ask that many more will be gripped with the vision to reach the world of sport for Christ and join the team. 15
CHURCHES
11 - 24 Mar
It is a joy to partner with hundreds of churches who encourage sportspeople through faithful gospelcentred teaching and equip them to share this good news with teammates. This fortnight, please join us in committing all these churches and their leaders to God, and in praying specifically for a handful of them as they disciple and reach out to sportspeople. Sun 11th Cardiff Partner Evening. Thank God for the Partner Evening held on 5th March where Christians in sport from across Wales met to be encouraged and equipped. Pray for all the churches represented, that they would be equipping their sportspeople to be sharing Jesus in Welsh clubs and teams. Mon 12th Edinburgh churches. Praise God for the gathering of Christian sportspeople from across churches in Edinburgh last autumn and the recent city-wide Sports Quiz. Pray that the training they received and the event itself will have helped them in sharing Jesus with their sports friends. Tue 13th Granshaw Presbyterian, Belfast. Pray for the group of 10 sportspeople who meet regularly to pray for their witness in different sports clubs and for their team mates to come to know Jesus. Pray that God would give them courage as they look for opportunities to share the gospel with those team mates they invited along to the quiz last month. Wed 14th New contacts in London churches. Praise God for the chance to meet London church leaders at the Christian Resources Exhibition in October. Pray especially for those who are involved in sport as officials and players, that God would protect this time enjoying His gifts, and give them opportunities to share Jesus with those outside the church. Thu 15th Lansdowne Church, Bournemouth. Praise God for the Clubhouse event in October which helped sportspeople at Lansdowne think through how they could share Jesus with those they play and compete alongside. Pray for open doors for the gospel message, and courage to proclaim it clearly.
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Fri 16th Glasgow churches. Pray for the work of the gospel in sports clubs and team across Glasgow and the surrounding areas like East Kilbride and Paisley. Pray that Christian sportspeople from across the churches can spur each other on in faith and witness as they meet for training and host events this spring.
Sat 17th Cornerstone, Nottingham. Give thanks for the quiz taking place at Cornerstone tonight, and for those who have worked hard to organise it. Pray that God would open the eyes of guests as they hear the good news of Jesus and what He has done for them. Sun 18th Helen’s Bay Presbyterian, Northern Ireland. Praise God for the people who came to the Sports Quiz in January. Pray that God would encourage sportspeople in the church to live out their faith in their clubs, and that more people in the area would come to know Jesus through their faithful witness. Mon 19th Boathouse, Putney. Give thanks for the group of 10-15 sportspeople who gather each month to pray for their teammates. Pray that these times of encouragement and accountability would help them be bold and faithful witnesses to Christ. Tue 20th Jesmond Parish Church and St Joseph’s Benwell, Newcastle. Praise God for the many responses to a recent church survey, which revealed a demand for sports-specific evangelism training and a desire to pray with others for the world of sport. Pray for the steering group as they plan next steps to help these sportspeople pray, play, say together. Wed 21st St Leonard’s Exeter. Pray for sportspeople at the church as they invite teammates to their Sports Quiz in the coming weeks. Pray the evening would be a catalyst for gospel conversations and that God would save many. Thu 22nd Internship. This year, most of our Interns are placed in churches across the UK, where they can gain wider ministry experience and receive handson training. Thank God for the seven placement churches (Christ City Church, Dublin; Dundonald, Wimbledon; The Source, Brackley; Carrubbers, Edinburgh; St Silas, Glasgow; Town Church, Jersey; Emmanuel City, Bristol) and their faithful partnership. Fri 23rd Pip n Jay Church, Bristol. Thank God for the group of sportspeople at Pip n Jay Church across a number of different sports. Pray they would support and encourage each other well to represent Jesus in their teams, and that through their witness their teammates might see their need for Jesus. Sat 24th Ministry of Sport, Blackburn Diocese. Give thanks for this Church of England initiative to reach people in and through sport. Pray that sportspeople across Blackburn Diocese would be making the most of Easter to introduce their teammates to Jesus.
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THANKSGIVING
25 - 31 Mar
Since all our blessings flow from God, we have much to be grateful for. This week, let us praise and thank God for all He has been doing in the world of sport. Sun 25th Sports Plus. Praise God for the 692 young sportspeople across the UK who were challenged from Matthew’s gospel to ‘Make Way for the King’ in their lives, the 373 Leaders who gave of their time to serve and the 76 Trainees who were equipped as future leaders at Sports Plus 2017. Mon 26th Universities. Thank God for the freedom we have had to declare the gospel at university events weeks in Bath and Edinburgh this year. Thank God that He used these weeks to glorify His name through saving the lives of university sportspeople! Tue 27th Elite athletes sharing God’s word. Thank God for the elite athletes we know of actively reading the Bible with others in their squads. Praise God for their boldness and that God would be preparing the hearts of those who are seeking Him. Wed 28th Unity. Praise God for the unity He is building amongst Christian sportspeople of all ages in towns and cities across the UK. Pray that God will continue to grow the network of people passionate about displaying His glory in the world of sport. Thu 29th Partner Evenings. We are thankful for the opportunity we have had to meet many of our partners at gatherings around the UK. We are looking forward to more in the coming months as we give thanks to God for the last 40 years and look ahead to the plans He has for us. Fri 30th International work. Praise God for time at a conference in Orlando in November where 31 Work Teams were established to help sports mission progress and multiply around the world. Of these, 24 were on sports mission strategies and the other seven focused on Bible handling, communication and leadership skills. Sat 31st Sports Mission Pack. The third Sports Mission Pack was published in February - a collection of downloadable evangelistic resources. Thank our Heavenly Father for all those the pack has equipped to share the gospel. 18
YOUR SPORTS FRIENDS Why don’t you write down the name of three of your sports friends who you can commit to praying for in the next few months? Use this as a prompt in your daily prayers.
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PRAY FO AS A CH When could we pray for sport at our church? This totally depends on your church, but here are just a few ideas: 1.
Ask to use a slot in one of your monthly prayer meetings.
2.
Run a sports prayer evening.
3.
Include a few lines in your weekly intercession prayers.
4.
Feature a sports prayer in your church's prayer diary.
What could we pray for? 1. Sportspeople in your congregation Find out who plays sport in your congregation and which clubs/teams they play for. Pray that God would help them to play in a way that honours God and to give them opportunities to speak about God with their friends. 2. Local sports clubs in your community Do some research to find out who your local sports clubs are. Here are two websites that may help sports-clubs.net and sportengland.org/research - which include lots of stats and figures on who is playing sport in your area. Pray that God would raise up Christians in these clubs to represent Him and that people that don’t know Him would come to explore Christianity for themselves.
OR SPORT HURCH 3. Sports activities to engage with your community Maybe you’re planning to run an event to invite sportspeople to? If so, pray that God would use it mightily. Maybe you don’t know where to start with engaging with your local sports community? Pray for ideas and wisdom. There is lots of information and advice on running events in our Sports Mission Pack, including tips on hosting a prayer gathering and some great Bible verses to look at. Download the pack for free at sportsmissionpack.co.uk. 4. Pray for sports events coming up Head to the BBC’s Sports Calendar to find out what major events are coming up. Pray for the event, for the Christians competing, for safety, for opportunities for churches to engage with it and anything else you think needs prayer. 5. Pray for sports ministries There are lots of organisations who are reaching and serving the world of sport. Pick a few to pray for from the Sports Ministry UK website uksportsministries.org or share this prayer diary.
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Download it online Visit christiansinsport.org.uk/pray to download a PDF of this prayer diary. Receive it on your phone Find Christians in Sport’s daily prayer points on the free ‘PrayerMate’ app. Sign up to get it via email Register to receive prayer points via email bi-weekly at christiansinsport.org.uk/pray.
For the most recent news and stories visit the Christians in Sport website or find us on the following social media channels: @CIS_UK Christians in Sport ChristiansinSportUK Christians_in_Sport
CONTACT DETAILS Christians in Sport Frampton House Unit D1 Telford Road Industrial Estate Bicester Oxfordshire OX26 4LD info@christiansinsport.org.uk christiansinsport.org.uk 01869 255 630 Registered Charity number for England and Wales 1086570 Registered Charity number for Scotland SC045299 Registered Company number 4146081