Prayer Sheet August/September 2006 - World Action

The assumption that prayer is what we do when we are alone - the solitary soul before God - is a bad, and distressingly persistent, error. We imagine a lonely shepherd on the hills composing lyrics to the glory of God. We imagine a beleaguered soul sinking in a swamp of trouble calling for help. But our imaginations betray us. We are part of something before we are anything, and never more so than when we pray. Prayer begins in community. Eugene Petersen Answering God

Our Community

• those with mental health difficulties and for guidance as we seek to offer friendship and support
• all uniformed organisations, the Friends of Abney Hall & others who serve the local community on a voluntary basis
• local businesses with whom we have particular contacts e.g. AA Insurance, The Queens Arms

The St Cuthbert's Project

• the rapid completion of the Project in terms of pledges honoured, loans repaid & further gifts received.
• wisdom and faith for St Mary's Church as they contemplate a major project at The Upper Room.

Our Church

• give thanks for the very healthy state of our Children's and Youth work and pray for rest for all leaders over the summer.
• the Lord's blessing upon a busy Autumn Programme of activities and for a renewal of our home groups.
• special services and activities: Holiday at Home week, Holiday Craft Club, St Cuthbert's Day, Alpha Courses etc.
• a right spirit towards one another and of welcome to newcomers.
• our new Careforce Workers as they settle in to life here.

People

• all who are ill, bereaved, housebound or troubled in any way.
• those who are searching or who have drifted from the faith.
• our Prayer Ministry and Pastoral Visiting Teams as they offer people spiritual and practical help and support.
• all preparing for Baptism, Confirmation or Renewal of Vows.
• Rose Liu shortly to marry Patrick Chi in Malaysia.

MAP
The MAP group provides the mission and prayer focus for St Cuthbert's. Following their recent meeting, they ask that we pray:

• For wisdom in choosing an overseas project to support- please offer your suggestions. (The Church Committee have agreed that 20% of our missionary giving be used for project support, possibly rolled up over several years to make a more significant sum.)
• For Wisdom in choosing mission partners with whom we can develop links from the missions that we support - Crosslinks, OMF, SAMS. Having partners will enable us to get to know and support individuals.
• That we as a country should deal compassionately with asylum seekers, especially for the many Christians who seek to minister to them.

Gideons International
Go to that great city and proclaim to it the message I give you." Words from Jonah 3:2 that emphasise the importance of taking God's Word to the great population centres of our world. Gideons distribute 1 million Scriptures every 5.8 days in 181 countries. Please pray:

• That these copies of God's Word would be read and that the readers would find Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
• That God would use the 277,083 Scriptures distributed in Chennai (Madras) and New Delhi in two weeks in February to bring people to Him.
• For those planning the North London Bible Blitz taking place during September 20-23, 2007.
• Many large London hospitals are closed to receiving God's Word for their patients - please pray that these doors will open next September, if not before.
• Almost 1.3 billion Scriptures have been distributed since the work began. Please pray that resources will be made available to continue the expansion of this ministry.

SAMS - Recife - Olinda
Living Waters is the church by the infamous rubbish dump of Olinda and offers an holistic ministry to the folk who scratch a living from the rubbish. Its ministers are Revds Simea and Ian Meldrum who have dedicated many years to this needy area. They have seen the Gospel transform many lives, while computer classes, a dental clinic, work with maladjusted children, development of family skills and a sewing cooperative as an alternative to recycling rubbish are amongst many complementary activities which breathe God's love into a desperate area.

Roselaine Albuquerque works at My Father's House, a project initiated in 2004 to care for street children, and which also now houses a church and a variety of family-oriented ministries.

Rose doing dance with shanty town kids -'when I came to Living Waters God gave me a strategy to reach young people of the shanty town through dance'. Rose currently looks after five boys at My Father's House aged between 11 and 14, previously involved in drugs, spiritism, homosexuality or simply with the wrong crowd. Pray that the lives of these children and their families may be transformed as they both experience God's love in practical ways, and also hear his Word.

Locdown
Pray for the work of Locdown, not least our resident rapper Adam, with their musical ministry to young offenders as they explore themes such as addiction, peer pressure, discrimination and trust through interactive workshops. Pray particularly that Adam receives the funding that he needs. Also join us for a visit by YFC Reflex, Locdown's sponsors on 8 October at 6.30pm.

Jacko
As Jacko escapes from his cage, please pray for him as he considers options for his future, and in particular whether or not he should do another year with YFC.