Prayer

Prayer and Fasting– January 2007

12th December 2007

BCF PRAYER AND FASTING, JANUARY 2007
We want to devote time to prayer and fasting at the beginning of January. It would be good to bring the year to God and put Him in the right place as Lord of the Church.
We will be starting and finishing with Celebrations and incorporating 24 hour prayer for the three days.

Wednesday 2 January, 8-10pm
Celebration at Blackhorse Centre

2 Jan– 5 Jan
3×24 hour prayer at Severn Ridge. Please sign up on the list at the Grange or email Hannah Dunne

Thursday 3 January 7-9 pm & Friday 4 January 7-9 pm
Opportunity to receive personal prayer ministry at Severn Ridge. This is also open for people who are not in BCF or any church. Please book your slot through Christine at the BCF office.

Saturday 5 January, 6-8 pm
Celebration at the Ark. Followed by soup and bread.

Please join us!

If you are able to fast for the three days please do. We realise that for many valid reasons, some people are unable to abstain from food. If that is the case, please join us for what you can, and if you are unable to fast for medical or physical reasons please consider giving up something else for three days. Please sign up for the hours of prayer in the 72 hours available.

We want to give time to thank God for His goodness and faithfulness, ask God for His favour for this year and pray for our city, nation, and nations. What better way to start the year!

An upsurge in prayer

11th October 2007

When Ken McGreavy was with us at the weekend, he mentioned that as he has travelled round the country over the last few months, he has found an unprecedented upsurge of prayer in different places. Let’s add to that!

He also mentioned the passage in Matthew where Jesus tells the disciples to pray that the Lord of the Harvest will send out workers– and then promptly sends them out! Let’s be praying that God will impact people around us with his grace and hope, and let’s be increasingly available for him to use us in that.

Do also keep praying for Ruth Houghton as she settles in to her new life in Cambodia.

a new season

9th September 2007

- new Christians: pray for the two women from One25 who Helen Hill mentioned this morning, who have recently become Christians, that they may experience new life, change, and the power of God in their lives, and for those helping them in this journey.

a new term: pray for all the children who have recently started a new school term, some of them at new schools. And please pray also for our students– those returning to Bristol later this month, and those among us who are starting University terms soon, here or elsewhere, in some cases for the first time.

a new country: also remember the many overseas students arriving over the next few weeks to study here in Bristol, and pray that for some of them that as well as having an enriching experience of study they will have an encounter with God for the first time. Being away from home takes some adjusting to even if you are just going to another city– moving country is that much more challenging– do pray for these folk and for those in BISC who are seeking to welcome them to our city.

a new season for cells: many cells have taken a break over the summer. Pray for your own cell, and for others, that during the autumn the various groups will have a fresh sense of God speaking and moving, and fresh faith and hope to see God at work in individuals and situations. I’m thinking of what Jeremy Carruthers was saying this morning– that we should ‘be the change we want to see in the world’– and in the cell!

Praying for the new government

1st July 2007

1 Timothy 2:1-5 says: ‘I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Saviour, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.’

Note the connection between praying for governments, and mission. It would be good to pray this week for Gordon Brown and the new government, especially as they face the challenge of terrorist threats, and to pray for peace in the country.

Praying for the prodigals

24th June 2007

Praying for the prodigals

At the Grange this morning, Donna and Lisa were encouraging us to pray for the prodigals, that is, family members and friends who are no longer following Jesus.

The suggestion was that we focus on a particular person we are concerned about, and that we (1) pray for them, and (2) prophetically call them back to the church. Let’s continue to do that, making it part of our habit of prayer.