EDINBURGH NORTHWEST KIRK
SEPTEMBER PRAYER DIARY
I lift up my eyes to the mountains
- where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD,
maker of heaven and earth.
(Psalm 121 : 1 - 2)
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Prayer topics are set out by day throughout the week
Monday Pray for a resolution of conflict in the Middle East and Ukraine. Pray for Aid agencies helping the people of Gaza.
Tuesday Pray for the peoples of Nepal and Tibet seeking to rebuild their communities after the recent catastrophe.
Wednesday Pray for the new political terms in both Holyrood and Westminster. Pray for wise decision making in these Parliaments to promote the welfare of communities.
Thursday Pray for members of Edinburgh Northwest Kirk dealing with long term health issues. Pray for the recently bereaved.
Friday Pray for staff working in 121 George Street. May they be encouraged in their service for the Church. Pray for the work of CrossReach throughout Scotland.
Saturday Pray for Edinburgh Northwest Kirk Session Teams, seeking to guide the church community in worship, service and care.
Sunday Pray for our Services today and for Julia and her ministry in Bible teaching. Pray for the ministry to young people in Church today.
Reflection
Nancy Lammers Gross
Arthur Sarrell Rudd Professor of Speech Communication in Ministry
Princeton Theological Seminary
There is a zeal found in youth, a zeal found in early believers, a zeal in the training of the young athlete and intellectual curiosity of those who have discovered learning. Such zeal tends to fade with age, maturity, and experience. Many find they cannot keep up the drive, the intense focus, the long days and training sessions, the hard charging of the early endeavour. In Romans 12:10, Paul exhorts us not to lag in zeal, which is evidence enough that our tendency is to lose drive, especially if an expected outcome does not manifest in our timeline.
What is the antidote to lagging in zeal? Put on Christ. Put on the things of love. We do not need to run at the pace of a 28-year-old champion marathoner, or study with the lack of sleep of a young scholar, or have the sustaining power of the one who could work the fields for 14 hours instead of 10. Put on Christ. Put on the law of love. Live in truth, deal with the neighbour with the righteousness of God, love the other even when the feeling is not there because love is a behaviour even more than a feeling.
Live as though in the light, no matter the stages of day, twilight, dark, or dawn. Live as though the lights are on. Putting on Christ, putting on the whole armour of God is not just for when we leave the house. Putting on the law of love is not public behaviour and attitude alone. Wear Christ at home, in familial relationship, in prayer life, in the quiet and small personal choices that impact the world at large, such as where we give our money, from whom we purchase goods, the privacy of the voting booth.
(https://www.workingpreacher.org/authors/nancy-lammers-gross)
If you have a prayer request or a favourite prayer which you would care to share in a future Prayer Diary, please e-mail office@cramondkirk.org.uk