April Prayer Diary 2021
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" ~ 1 Peter 1:3
Mondays
Give God thanks for:
• Jesus’ death and resurrection as commemorated this Easter,
• the reopening of our churches and each of the services held over Easter – online or as communal worship,
• the drop in Covid cases and resultant deaths,
• the hope that the lessening of restrictions will be continued, and
• the pace at which the vaccination programme is being rolled out.
Tuesdays
Pray for:
• our government as we prepare for another election with much of the campaigning being held across social media,
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Pray for effective and gracious Christian presence and influence in forthcoming political debates,
• wisdom for our leaders and the voters,
• the freedoms we enjoy to pray and worship and to participate in public life, and
• the safety and wellbeing of those manning or going out to the Polling Stations.
Wednesdays
February’s military coup in Myanmar put an end to a decade of civilian rule. Pray:
· for a return to a stable, democratic government, and
· that the rights of all Myanmar’s people – especially ethnic and religious minorities - will be respected, and
· ask the Holy Spirit to give church leaders wisdom and courage as they pastor their members through the crisis. “The churches are praying,” says one pastor. “We are calm, but scared at the same time.”
Pray for those from other faiths who have chosen to follow Jesus - often at the risk of exclusion and discrimination from relatives and friends. Ask God to be close to them and keep them safe.
Thursdays
Pray for:
· our church family and parish as worship restrictions are gradually eased,
· people to have the confidence to return to church services,
· our young people with no physical Sunday School or Messy Church for over a year,
· our leaders and teachers of both Sunday School and Boys Brigade - may new leaders will come forward to lead the Company Section once they can meet again.
Fridays
Pray for the worldwide work of the Bible Society, especially for:
· Bible translations and the other initiatives like the Braille editions for the visually impaired
· The children’s breakfast clubs in South American countries where they are given booklets with Bible stories as well as being fed,
· Bibles given to young offenders in prison, and
Give thanks for the way communication difficulties are being overcome during this pandemic with much of their work online and via radio.
Saturdays
Pray for Caroline and give thanks for the opportunities she and her staff have in Tank. Give thanks for God’s presence and for:
· the fact that schools have reopened,
· the almost-complete computer classroom,
Caroline asks for additional prayer for:
· God to do a new thing at Christian Hospital Tank, that His streams will flow in the wilderness,
· each child & family they come into contact with,
· the increasingly urgent need for new doctors, and
· wisdom as the staff adapt to the changes in the education system.
Sundays
Pray for:
· the residents, their families and staff in our local Care Homes,
· the work in the CrossReach homes of Cameron House in Inverness, Morlich House in Edinburgh and Balmedie House in Aberdeen, and
· God’s blessings on all who support these homes: for the Friends Group, local churches and the community.
Remember those families and friends who have found it distressing during the pandemic as their loved ones become more frail - may they be comforted.
Give thanks for the commitment of staff, who work to provide a high standard of care and support. Bless them and the work they do, supporting them in the challenges they can face daily.