Thursday prayers as a church community
Update from the Ballymoney Foodbank
The Foodbank is a ministry we support at First. People in our community need this vital help because of debt issues, family break ups, homelessness, the self-employed who have become seriously sick and unable to work as well as those whose income has stopped because of the virus. On Friday past (24th) the Foodbank dealt with 24 families (50 people); on Tuesday (28th) they dealt with another 21 families (40 people). As numbers are rising the expectation is that the month of May will exceed April’s needs.
If you want to support Foodbank they are short on the following:
· Bags of rice
· Long life milk
· Tins of peas, carrots,
· Orange juice
· Toiletries like toothpaste, deodorant, nappies,
· Tins of beans, soups,
· Cereals.
These and other food items can be left in the manse office by Thursday 7th and will be brought to the Foodbank on Friday 8th. Thank you for your support.
As we pray today:
Spend some minutes in quiet reflection:
· On the character of the Lord.
· On what we need to be watchful of.
· On what we to be thankful for.
1. Prayers for those in hospital
· A number of our church family are in hospital at a time when it’s impossible to visit. Pray for them that they may know the Lord’s peace.
2. Pray for our Global Mission Workers
This week we pray for Diane Cusick whose flight home was cancelled. Read about her acceptance of this and of how she is coping with self-isolation in her home in Lusaka - https://www.presbyterianireland.org/Blog/April-2020/Far-from-home-in-a-global-lockdown.aspx
Diane asks for prayer as follows:
· Please pray together with us for the people of Zambia and the church’s witness in these days.
· Pray for the nation of Zambia at this challenging time for everyone. Pray for the health professionals that they manage to contain the virus as much as possible especially in the compounds which are especially high-density areas.
· Pray for my friends and colleagues in CCAP Synod of Zambia at this challenging time and for the General Secretary, Rev Sevatt Kabaghe, as he encourages Christians.
· Pray for me to stay safe and yet still be a witness for Christ by showing kindness and love where possible.
· Pray that as a church we can still practice ‘Ubuntu’ by showing little acts of Christ’s love for the vulnerable in our congregations and communities from a distance and through prayer.
3. Pray for businesses and work
· For the family businesses in our church community that are currently closed and with it the lack of income and the uncertainty of the future.
4. Pray for our young people
· That they would be grateful for the time to spend with the families
· That they will have a sense that God is in control
5. Prayers for Ballymoney Foodbank
· For Peter Rollins as Director of Ballymoney Foodbank that he will have the Lord’s wisdom and guidance though this critical time of need.
· For volunteers (and we remember particularly our own members who volunteer)
· To the people coming to foodbank as it is a difficult journey to make it for first time.
· For the town of Ballymoney as we care and support one another generously in this time of hurting and need.
Thank you for joining us in prayer today
Stephen McCracken
[See our website for prayer request form and further information]
