Prayer Focus
May 2012

Tuesday 1st
Give thanks to God for someone who has helped you recently.

Wednesday 2nd
Think of someone you do not like very much and ask God that you may find a way to bless them.

Thursday 3rd
How well do you know the people who live close to you? Do they know you are a Christian and that you worship at the United Reformed Church? Think of new ways to greet them and to share with them something about your faith.

Friday 4th
Thank God for the weather today! Remember people in other parts of the world who are suffering from extremes of temperature.

Saturday 5th
Pray for the instrumentalists who lead the musical elements of our worship each week - Jessie Davies, Philip Dobson, Enid Edwards, Kenneth Lea & David Rickett. Thank God for them and ask God to bless them.

Sunday 6th
Abide in me as I abide in you.
Read John 15:1-8.
God of the church, today we remember that the reason we are here is that others before us were passionate about abiding in you. If we are willing, your life can flow through us and we can pass on a fruitful church to the generation coming after us. Today we remember and promise to abide in you. **

Monday 7th
Ask for God’s blessing as we seek to discern how God is calling us and the church to change so that we can share the gospel and the values of God’s kingdom more effectively with people who live locally.

Tuesday 8th
Give thanks to God for the blessings of good health enjoyed now or at earlier times during your life. Name those you know who suffer with health problems today and ask God to bless them.

Wednesday 9th
Pray for our Minister and Elders that God will bless them as they offer leadership to the church.

Thursday 10th
Pray for people you know who have recently been bereaved.

Friday 11th
Give thanks for our freedom to worship God. Pray for Christians and people of other faiths who are imprisoned, tortured or persecuted in other ways because of their faith.

Saturday 12th
Pray for all who are leading worship tomorrow, especially for Brian Jolly who will lead the 9.30 Family Friendly Service and Morning Worship at 10.45 at Trinity Hale and Rob Bee who will lead the 10.30 service at Woodlands Timperley.

Sunday 13th
Love one another as I have loved you.
Read John 15:9-17.
Love. No conditions apply. We praise you, gracious God, for this, your first word to us. So much follows: a Jesus-shaped obedience; the laying down of our lives; friendship that calls out more from us than we ever imagined we had to give. **

Monday 14th
The Pilots meet at Trinity Hale tomorrow evening at 6pm. Thank God for those who lead the Pilots in Christian education and fun and ask God to bless the children.

Tuesday 15th
Make time to listen to a local news programme and pray for people in our communities who are facing injustice.

Wednesday 16th
Make time to listen to today’s international news and pray for people in another part of the world who are facing injustice.

Thursday 17th Ascension (Western)
I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation
Read Ephesians 1:15-23.
We pray that we may be witnesses too to vistas beyond what physical eyes can see and truths at the very heart of things. Then, living and ascended Christ, we will worship you as Lord of all. **

Friday 18th
This afternoon our Toddler Group meets at Woodlands Timperley. Please pray for the parents, carers and children that their time together may be enjoyable and enriching.

Saturday 19th
Tomorrow morning at our united service at Trinity Hale we will ordain Jenni Stainton as an elder and induct her and Ian Allan and Betsan Cocker to serve as members of the Elders’ Meeting for a term of 3 years. Please pray for Jenni, Ian and Betsan as they respond to God’s call.

Sunday 20th
Sanctify them in the truth; your word is the truth.
Read John 17:6-19.
Sanctify us in the truth! Teach us to inhabit the thinking of Jesus, and his living for others, and his dying for us, until his resurrection life is the truth within us.

Monday 21st
Pray for our Minister and Elders and all who offer pastoral care in our community. Pray for yourself as you care for those around you. Ask God to bless those who care for others in his name.

Tuesday 22nd
Can you remember the times when you faced exams at school or university? Many children and young people are preparing for exams at this time, including some who are part of our church. Please pray for them all.

Wednesday 23rd
Pray for all the children and young people being nurtured within the life of our church and for those who lead them.

Thursday 24th Ascension (Orthodox)
Give thanks to God for friends and family who care for you.

Friday 25th
Pray for a relationship known to you in which there is friction and misunderstanding.

Saturday 26th
Pray for those who are unable to share in our worship tomorrow at Trinity Hale or Woodlands Timperley because they are ill.

Sunday 27th Pentecost
When the day of Pentecost came they were all together in one place.
Read Acts 2:1-21.
Lord, give us a measure of their faith, to wait, to believe, to be expectant. Let your Spirit have its way with us. Because otherwise our gathering, though comfortable and commendable, will not serve your purposes. **

Monday 28th
Pray for the blessing of God’s Spirit on you as you meet people this week. In what ways might God change you so that you can be more reflective of his love for others?

Tuesday 29th
Pray for the blessing of God’s Spirit upon you as you go about your daily tasks. What change to your pattern of life might enable God to have a more prominent part in who you are and what you do?

Wednesday 30th
Pray for the blessing of God’s Spirit on you as you offer your prayers today. What change to your devotional life might enable God to speak more clearly to you?

Thursday 31st
Look back over the prayers you have offered to God in May and think of ways in which you have been able to help answer the prayers you have made. Ask that God will help you and others in the future to contribute to answering our prayers.

** Prayers by Roberta Rominger, adapted from Common Ground, the 2012 Prayer Handbook published by the United Reformed Church.