Prayer for Sunday 27th April 2014

Today from our church family we pray for David Gregory

Collect for 2nd Sunday of Easter:

“Almighty Father, you have given your only Son to die for our sins and to rise again for our justification: grant us so to put away the leaven of malice and

wickedness that we may always serve you in pureness of living and truth; through the merits of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord.”

As we come together to worship at St Martin’s today, we pray for those elected at our Annual Church Meeting at the beginning of the month. Lord, we ask for your blessing, guidance and support for our wardens, their deputies, the members of the PCC and Deanery Synod Representatives, and especially for those new to these posts. We give thanks for those prepared to serve St Martin’s in these roles. We also pray for our Ministry Team and for guidance for the calling out process to appoint new members later this year. Finally we pray for Simon and Phill our ministers, for Penny our reader and for Margaret as she comes towards the end of her training for reader. Inspire them Lord, as they move forward on their personal spiritual journeys and their mission at St Martins.

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer

Prayer for Thursday 16 January 2014

We pray today for our own congregation and service at St Martin’s. This year, we need to appoint two new members to the Ministry Team, and a new church warden, to replace those who will be standing down from their positions in the spring. We give thanks for the generosity of time and spirit shown by the wardens, ministry team, and all who help in the life and mission of our community, in whatever capacity. We pray that you will inspire the right people to take on new roles, supported by the whole congregation. Lord, show me today what I can do in your service, and help me to step out in confidence and faith, whatever my task may be. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Prayer

St. Martin’s Ministry team has recently been discussing prayer and thinking about ways in which we can all become more prayerful. Prayer is talking to God but it is also listening to God. We all find it easy to pray when things are very bad-indeed prayer then seems the most natural way of asking for help. But do you sometimes feel guilty that you don’t pray enough or that you pray in the wrong way or that your prayers for someone very ill do not seem to be

answered?

Try talking to God as if He were sitting next to you. He really is. Try talking to Him as if He is your best friend. He really is. Try talking to Him as if everything depends on Him. It really does.

Sometimes the answer to our prayer seems to happen overnight. Sometimes, years later we are still waiting.  Sometimes things go so badly wrong that we cannot see God anywhere. Sometimes we simply do not understand.

I believe our prayers are always answered. Often not right away, and often not at all in the way we expect, but God loves us enough to give us what we need not what we want. I don’t think we need to understand His ways in order to pray.

Prayer is opening a door in order to let God into our lives. Please try opening that door for yourself and for our church here at St. Martin’s. Let’s see what can happen if we trust God enough and really try to listen to His voice. 

God Bless

Diane