Thursday prayers

This Sunday we will be looking at the famous words of Jesus in Matthew 6.19-24.

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

— Matthew 6:19-21

Look at the illustration below:

·       How would you have illustrated the verse?

·       Why did the artist put a lock to illustrate it and not a treasure chest or something else?

·       What’s your treasure?

As the reality of what Covid-19 means for all of life, we pray for every area of our family and community life.

·      Pray for the shop owners you know whose livelihood depends on the business?

·      Pray for those in critical care who have come under increased work pressure when many of us have appreciated space to work.

·      Pray for us as a church as we begin to plan ahead about how we will do worship and ministry. What will this mean for our vulnerable adults, our families, our children?

·      But more than anything else, this is a wonderful opportunity for our faith to shine.

Thursday Prayers as a Praying Community - Thursday 14th May, 2020

Thursday Prayers as a Praying Community

Jesus is Enough

Watch the wonderful story God’s grace in the life of Micah Wilder (takes 17 minutes) https://www.adamsroadministry.com/micah-wilder-testimony

Then read Paul’s words in Titus 3. Paul’s words reflect what Micah experienced from a religiousness to Jesus being everything for him. 

Titus 3.4-5 “But when the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared,  he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.”

Reread this verse several times and allow the connections of who God isand our salvation to sink into the way you live your life. Let Jesus be enough for you today? For our needs, for our self-worth, for our faith, for what makes us connected to God, for what brings us home, for our families.

Prayers for Our Church

• For those in hospital – we have three members in hospital with varying conditions. Please remember their families as visiting is limited but precious. The Lord is our only hope in this world so pray for his presence to shine through the situation.

• For those who are now struggling mentally with the isolation – this has not been an easy time for all of us but the isolation has been really hard for some who need fellowship. Pray that lockdown will ease soon and they will know the support and presence of others.

• Remember our members in care homes as they are not able to have family visit. It is a worrying time because of their physical vulnerability so we pray that the Lord would take anxiety for loved ones away. Thank God for the love and care of the care home staff who make the connection between the family members outside. 

Prayers For the NI Executive 

The 5 Steps to recovery before December has been announced and pray for our MLAs as they need wisdom and clarity in their decisions so that we will be as safe as is possible.

Pray for our Global Mission Workers in Kenya

• Stephen Cowan, in Tuum, is continuing to encourage the community in safe working practices and food growing.  On 23 March, Angelina and Annissa Cowan returned to Northern Ireland to enable Annissa to finish her school year as she needed a reliable internet connection. 

• Naomi, Thomas, Aaron and Silas Leremore remain in Kenya but, on 23 March, moved out of Nairobi to temporary accommodation in Maralal.  Naomi is balancing working from home with home schooling in this new location. 

• Gary, Mary and Samuel Reid returned to Northern Ireland on 26 March.  They are staying in their own home which means Samuel is able to complete his school year with support from Mary.  Jonathan and Ruth are also able to be supported by being together as a family.

Thank you for joining us in prayer today

This information is also available on our Prayer@First page on our website.

Make Thursday a Time to Pray as a Church

As we continue this side of Easter, let us set aside an hour every Thursday to pray as the church community of First Ballymoney until we can worship together again.

We invite all our members to make every Thursday a day in which we pray for an hour. I cannot stress enough that if we are not praying then nothing else really is of value. The spiritual discipline of prayer is something many of us engage in and, as a church, we appreciate your prayers so much as the Lord has led us through the challenges of these last weeks. In that light, we have chosen to set aside Thursdays as a day when we each prioritise an hour to spend in prayer. It may be an hour before you start your daily activities, the hour when you take your midday break, an hour during the afternoon, or perhaps and hour in the quiet of the evening - choose an hour that suits you best.

Prayer points will be available each Thursday morning, and if you have any prayer requests would you let me know. For reasons of confidentiality, you may wish us to pray for people by their Christian name or initial only.

Rev Stephen McCracken

“In First Ballymoney, we believe in the transforming power of private, family and corporate prayer. When the church prays, amazing things happen. ”

— Vision statement - First Presbyterian Church, Ballymoney