Prayer Column - January 2020

Did you get what you wanted?

Not just for Christmas, but in response to your heartfelt prayers? Did God answer? Did he cause things to happen the way you felt he should, or thought he had promised?

Yes – then give him thanks (and ask for more!)
No – praise him for his greater plan, yet to be revealed
Don’t know – keep praying: patient, alert, watchful, trusting

Consider: what was written in former days was written for our instruction (Ro 15:4), and the prophecies of the coming Messiah (eg, Unto us a child is born – Is 9:6), which we have just celebrated, were given 700+ years before the event. And all that time people like Simeon and Anna (Lk 2:22ff) had been praying all their lives for his coming. Let that give us confidence for our own praying. God’s promises are rock-solid sure, but they take time to come to fruition. And not only time but prayer: long, devoted, faithful prayer; from the prominent and the hidden, from the likes of you and me, together and alone. Wasn’t Jesus worth all the wait?

So what do you want? What do you long for? What blessings do you feel would be right, which God should confer on the world (or yourself), which he has indeed promised, and for which you feel called to pray? Then pray for them, alone and with others – neither take rest nor give God any rest until he brings those promised blessings into being. And remain alert to the Spirit’s guidance, watchful for God’s answers in unexpected and unimaginable ways, and perhaps through unlikely people.

Roy Lorrain-Smith

A prayer for each week

Beneficent Lord, blessing us all, richly and lavishly, thank you for all we have received, and please may we have more of what you plan for us. Amen.

Sovereign Lord, who knows best and always does best, thank you for calling us to faith in you, and please lead us in the best way we can go. Amen.

Long-term Lord, unhurried in your great plans, yet attentive to each of our prayers, please give us faith to ask for what you show us to be right. Amen.

Eternal Lord, please show us how to pray, and what for, and to persevere, watchfully, able see and welcome your answers, whenever they come. Amen.

Your own prayers

Comments

Godly Ways 8-10 March 2013

Godly Ways CODEC and the Dales Biblical Literacy Project present: A weekend of Worship – Teaching – Workshops. WHEN : March 8th to 10th 2013 (Starts Friday evening) WHERE : Elm Ridge Methodist Church and Bondgate Methodist Church, Darlington and Ingleton Methodist Church SPEAKERS: Revd. Professor David Wilkinson is a Methodist minister and Principal of St. John’s College, Durham. Well-known as a writer, speaker and broadcaster, David has wide-ranging interests, although he is especially concerned about science and religion. Revd. Dr. Peter Phillips is a Methodist minister and Director of Codec, a research centre housed at St. John’s College, Durham. For many years, Pete served on the staff of Cliff College. He has a great interest in the New Testament and in communicating the faith in a digital age. Revd. Ron Willoughby is an ordained minister with the Southern Baptist Convention in the United States, now living in this cou...

HOPE Together & HOPE Revolution

Dear friends, You are personally invited to attend an exciting evening at Bradford Academy that we hope will bring people together from Bradford and Leeds to see how further Unity, Prayerful Worship and Missional Transformation can develop between the two cities. Back in July 2012, we saw over 50 young people, 12 leaders and several churches from across Bradford and Leeds join together in a 2 day pilot mission. We partnered with a local church in Bradford to share and witness to Christ's love in word and deed. In addition to this, we included young people in the conversation of ways in which to help connect both cities in the future. There are many people interested in exploring the potential of developing something on a larger scale, culminating in a week of mission across the two cities in 2014. Your attendances and input will help shape the way forward: We would like to invite you to an exciting evening of information about HOPE Together and the y...

Welcome Service for Rev Clare Davison 30 November 2013

There will be a Service of Welcome for the new Minister, Rev Clare Davison on Saturday 30 November 2013 at 4pm at Little Lane Church . A tea will be served immediately following the service. This is likely to be along the lines of a similar meal we held recently with hot meat sandwiches and buffet. For catering purposes will you please let us know if you would like to join us for the meal. Email: secretary@littlelanechurch.org.uk

Bradford North Circuit

Search This Blog