Midday Prayers - Thursday 21st May 2020

Thy Kingdom Come is a global prayer movement, running for the 11 days between Ascension Day (today) and Pentecost (31st May), that encourages Christians across the planet to pray specifically for 5 friends to come to know Jesus.

In previous years we have held prayer events at the church at various points during this time. Obviously, that is not going to be possible this year. So instead we're going to be meeting on Zoom at midday each day to spend about 20 minutes praying together for our friends, neighbours, community and also our nation and the world at this time of crisis.

Not everyone will be able to make it at 12pm, so each day I will put the text of our time together here on my blog, so if you want to follow the same pattern, but at a different time, you can do so.

(If you want to know how you can join us on Zoom then do get in touch.)

These prayers have pulled resources from Thy Kingdom Come and 24-7 Prayer.

Prayers for Thursday 21st May

Preparation: As I enter prayer now, I pause to be still; to breath slowly; to re-centre my scattered senses upon the presence of God.

[Pause]

Rejoice: I choose to rejoice today in the wonder of creation joining in the ancient praise of all God’s people in the words of Psalm 8.

Read Psalm 8:1-9. (NIVUK)

For the director of music. According to gittith.  A psalm of David.

¹ Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory
    in the heavens.
² Through the praise of children and infants
    you have established a stronghold against your enemies,
    to silence the foe and the avenger.
³ When I consider your heavens,
    the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
    which you have set in place,
⁴ what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
    human beings that you care for them?^[c]

⁵ You have made them^[d] a little lower than the angels^[e]
    and crowned them^[f] with glory and honour.
⁶ You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
    you put everything under their^[g] feet:
⁷ all flocks and herds,
    and the animals of the wild,
⁸ the birds in the sky,
    and the fish in the sea,
    all that swim the paths of the seas.

⁹ Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!

[Open time for Prayers of praise]

Video – Who is Jesus? Tom Wright. Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-D6II_Nq-tQ

Ask:

Pray the Lord’s Prayer

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.

Open prayer time in which we:

·      Pray that our friends will encounter Jesus and that they will choose to follow him.

·      Pray for those people and situations that are on our WhatsApp prayer board.

·      Pray that God will use us – whatever that means (e.g. that we will have the courage to open our mouths, the strength to be obedient to God's prompting)

·      Pray for our community and nation as we’re all affected by the impact of Covid-19.

·      Pray for our government.

Yield:

Lord, we pray that you will show us how you want us to be part of the answer to the prayers that we have prayed.

Pray that as well as prayer, we will also creatively demonstrate how we care at this time of social distancing.

Father, help me to live this day to the full,

Being true to You in every way.

Jesus, help me to give myself away to others,

Being kind to everyone I meet.

Spirit, help me to love the lost,

Proclaiming Christ in all I do and say.

Amen.