“The Bible gives us lots of reasons why we should pray, but passages telling us exactly what to pray for are surprisingly few and far between. So when Timothy writes “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone – for kings and all those in authority” [1 Tim 2:1-2], we probably need to take it seriously!

24-7 Prayer in the UK has been involved in Parliament since 2004. During that time, we have felt a growing sense that for us, this is one of our ‘mission fields’, an area where we are called to go out and get involved both prayerfully and practically.

So what does that mean in practise?
• We pray with Christians in Parliament every Thursday lunchtime in Portcullis House (the new parliamentary building opposite Big Ben). This mostly involves Christians who work inside the parliamentary estate (support staff, researchers, interns, etc) and is all about supporting each other to be a witness in the jobs that they do.
• We help to organise the annual Week of Prayer for Parliament and Government. 24-7 Prayer has organised prayer walks around Westminster and Whitehall, provided prayer resources to churches all across the country, and led a worship service inside the Houses of Parliament itself. We’ve prayed with others in countless offices and chambers. We have even prayed up inside Big Ben, beside the bell and behind the clock faces!
• We support Christian political organisations who want to grow and develop in prayer. These have included The Christian Socialist Movement, the Conservative Christian Fellowship, the Liberal Democrat Christian Forum, and various churches and prayer groups who want to pray into this area.
• We are partners in a project called [Susa] (launching late 2009), which is all about encouraging and equipping Christians to get more extensively and effectively involved in public life, right across the political spectrum and from local to national level.

Can religion and politics mix?
God cares about just and righteous government, and calls his people to be ‘salt and light’ in this area. As South African anti-apartheid campaigner Archbishop Desmond Tutu put it: “When people tell me that the Bible has nothing to do with politics, I ask them, ‘Which Bible are you talking about?’.””

“We are in an age in which speed, production, achievement and creation are the measuring rods by which all men are judged. These, however, are false standards. The eternal God is concerned with growing a forest of oaks rather than filling the backyard with toadstools. He is more concerned with character than He is with production, and demands quality despite quantity. Sainthood is produced by long hours in meditating upon God. It takes time spent alone with the Eternal to learn His secrets. Wait upon God; continue to look into His face if you would become like Him… the greatest business of Satan is to draw us away from communion with God. Activity absorbs attention, and self forces Christ from the throne of the soul.” Oliver G. Wilson

The programme is jam-packed! The team will be in two.42 (EYFC drop-in centre) in the evenings as well as running a couple of kids clubs, visiting hospital wards and litter-picking. The week will be wrapped up with a bit of outreach in the town centre, the mannafest band will be playing and the kids can have a go at a climbing-wall for free!

Please do pray for the team, the locals as well as those who are officially on the team. Pray for the leadership, they obviously have a clear vision, pray that they would run with it. Pray for each team member, that they would throw themselves into the work and not hold back. Pray for those who are hosting, thank God for them!

Pray for God’s favour as the team reach out to those who don’t know Jesus, particularly when they’re going into areas where there’s little Christian influence. Pray for the kids that they’re going to meet in the hospital, that they would see something of Jesus in each and every team member. Above all else ask God for Salvation this summer!

If you want to find out more about this mission visit http://www.projectthirtytwo.com/

(Janet Morley Christian Aid; pp149 Harvest for the World compiled by Geoffrey Duncan © Canterbury Press 2002, 2004)

To the countries where food is scarce, 
mercy Lord, while there is still time.
To the countries where crops have failed,
rescue Lord, while there is time.
To countries where people are fearful,
security Lord, while there is time. 
In the countries where we have plenty,
set our hearts on sharing this time.
In countries where we feel in control,
set our minds on justice at this time.
In countries where we forget those in need,
set our prayers on Africa at this time. 
Amen

(Peter Graystone/Christian Aid; pp 133 Blessed Be Our Table; compilation © 2003 Neil Paynter)

God of the impossible,
we pray for justice, peace and reconciliation.
And when the challenges seem too many,
remind us of your resurrection power,
and the miracles of your love that happen
whenever injustice is dismantled and rebuilt with peace.
Help us to hope that the impossible can happen
and live as if it might do so today.
Amen
 
God of reconciliation and grace,
you promise us a world where all is new,
where love is born when hope is gone,
where broken relationships are restored to wholeness.
May we live as people who know your story of love,
and we have the vision to imagine what could be possible
if we dared to live this story.
God of abundant life,
may we be witnessess of love, hope and peace,
and co-creators of your life in the world.
Amen

Loving God, you make us in your image.
Forgive us when we fail to see your image in each other,
when we give in to greed and indifference
when we do not question the systems that are life-denying.
As we are made in your image,
let us live in your image
and be Christ-like
in service, endurance and love.
Amen

Let our prayers be full of thankfulness as a handful of children and young people committed themselves to Jesus! It was simply awesome to look around the room and see kids who would normally never walk through the doors of a Church so absorbed in the Message. We should also be thankful that some of those who were already in the faith have taken further steps in response to the Message that was brought before them.

Please pray for the kids who became Christians last week, pray that they would become grounded in the faith. Thank God that they saw Salvation for themselves! Pray for those who are seriously considering it, that they would forget about their fears and commit themselves wholly to Him. Pray for the parents and wider family of those who came along during the week, that they too would be impacted.

Pray for the children and young people who were already Christians at the start of the week and have grown by the end of it. Pray that they wouldn’t lose their zeal, pray that they too would begin to serve Him. Pray for His servants who work tirelessly, sometimes with little or no evidence of fruit. Pray that they wouldn’t lose heart when it looks like no-one is responding. Pray that they would reap a harvest… “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up” (Galatians 6:9 New Living Translation) connie :]

· Pray for excitement to build and for word to spread. Let’s ask that lots of kids & young people would come along to each of the activities, especially those who have no church connection.
· Pray for young Christians, that they would use this as an opportunity bring their friends along to.
· Please bring our new kids venue before God. A brand new venture for the 7-11 age group. For a real sense of enthusiasm and energy, and for God’s Word to be communicated in a simple but effective way.
· For Dave, Nicole, Connie, Laura and Lisa as they lead each of the afternoon venues. Pray for them as they plan the activities and small group input for the Sport, Art, Beauty and kids programmes.
· Remember each of the churches in the town, that this project would be a boost and support to their ongoing ministry. We are splitting the team around several different churches on the Sunday morning to share a bit about the project.
· Please also remember our new parents outreach. We are a bit unsure about how this will go but we plan to run a Café venue at the Stables for parents to come and relax in while their children are at the afternoon activities. Filled with soft seats, scrummy muffins, good chat, nice music and a mug of coffee, we feel this might be a good way to get alongside parents. We will also finish the kids programme with a Parents and Friends Night on Friday 9th July at the Stables from 7.30 – 9pm. Let’s ask that as the children present what they have discovered, that parents would be impacted greatly!
· Finally, that this would just be the start of something bigger, greater, deeper and longer in every way possible!!

Thank you each for your support and prayer. Please feel free to drop in on what we are doing at any stage over the week. You would be made more than welcome.

Also please help us by continuing to spread the word about these events, especially about the kids venue to parents.

If you’re under 18 you need to get a consent form from Dave Watt (drop into the World Cup Cafe at McArthur Hall) and return it asap. Seats are limited so it’s first come first serve… contact KARL to put your name to a seat!!

Also just a wee reminder that the World Cup Cafe, in association with Hollywood Dogma, presents Avatar in McArthur Hall on Wednesday the 30th of June at 7.30pm.

(from the Christian tradition) English Translation: WCC Language Service © 2004 WCC