EDINBURGH NORTHWEST KIRK
FEBRUARY PRAYER DIARY
The LORD is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
(Psalm 23 : 1)
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Prayers for each day
2 Feb for the meeting of Edinburgh Presbytery on 4 February
3 Feb for the maintenance of the ceasefire in the Middle east
4 Feb for hope for the residents of Gaza to rebuild their communities
5 Feb for the release of the remaining Israeli hostages
6 Feb for medical and food aid to reach desperate communities
7 Feb for hospital staff to have the energy to keep working
8 Feb for the international community to help with rebuilding Gaza
9 Feb for our services at Cramond and Pennywell
10 Feb Rev Dr Stewart Gillan is taking part in speaking & preaching engagements throughout February & early March to share the life & work of St Andrew's Church in Jerusalem & Tiberias Church. In laying bare the harsh reality of life in the troubled region, the minister is seeking to encourage people in Scotland to speak out against all violations of the "sanctity of life" & advocate for human rights of all to be upheld. Dates and locations are available HERE. Pray for Dr Gillan’s ministry over this time in Scotland.
11 Feb Pray for the ministry of Christian Aid in Ukraine
12 Feb Pray for the Ukrainian people resident in Scotland
13 Feb Pray for a resolution to the conflict with Russia
14 Feb for the Moderator, Rev. Shaw Paterson
15 Feb This month we are asked to pray for the CrossReach Fundraising and Engagement Team as they seek to raise funds to support the work of CrossReach.
16 Feb Pray for our services at Cramond and Pennywell
17 Feb for Julia and family
18 Feb for those recently bereaved
19 Feb for Emma McMillan in her studies
20 Feb pray for Fresh Start
21 Feb Pray for all the youth activities at Cramond & Pennywell
22 Feb Pray for the Elders seminar tomorrow afternoon
23 Feb Pray for our services at Cramond and Pennywell
24 Feb Pray for the King, Queen and royal family
25 Feb Pray for the First Minister and Cabinet
26 Feb Pray for the Kirk Session meeting tomorrow evening
27 Feb Pray for the ministry of our local churches in Davidson’s Mains, Blackhall and Drylaw
28 Feb Pray for all helping to lead services in March
Reflection The Bishop of London,
Rt Revd and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally DBE
Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’
Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
I think Jesus is saying: “Whenever you do a generous, loving, compassionate act, it’s as though I am on the receiving end”. We are called to reflect the generosity of God whose love for us is extravagant to excess. Do you remember the miracle of the fish and loaves? Jesus did not just feed the crowd, he did not just feed them until they were full but Jesus fed the crowd with 12 baskets left over – generously and extravagantly. Do you remember the parable of the sower, the sower or God throws seeds not just on the good grond but on the rocks, the path and in the weeds – generously God sows his love.
Such is the nature of God. Our God is generous in his love, generous in his mercy, generous in the riches of his goodness showered upon us every day. God is not stingy or frugal. That is how God loves us and he is calling us to love in the same way. And generous, loving, compassionate acts are not always difficult or complicated.
Having been both a nurse and priest I have seen how it is the ordinary which often makes the extra ordinary difference. Desmond Tutu once said: ‘Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world’. It is my observation that it is not the well negotiated strategy or government policy that changes the world but often the simple – the ordinary making an extra ordinary difference – the way we welcome the stranger, care for those who struggle, include those excluded, speak up when something is wrong, the way we speak respectfully to others even when we profoundly disagree and, not least, in our acts of kindness.
And what of kindness? Kindness is one of the most underrated virtues in today’s world. It is often accused as being bland or soft or feeble or weak. It isn’t; kindness which comes when and where it isn’t deserved, regardless of cost or reward, is more than being nice and it can be very demanding. In 2017 the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Carnegie UK Trust published a report by Zoe Ferguson called ‘The Place of Kindness’. The report showed how random acts of kindness have a significant impact on the quality of lives. Kindness reduces social isolation and improves wellbeing. It also provides the building blocks for community empowerment and is a necessary ingredient of successful communities.
The report suggested that for the public policy realm talking about kindness is too personal and too ephemeral, but we all know when someone has been kind to us. Maybe this year we are going to be in need of kindness more than ever. We risk the division in our communities widening and they will not be repaired by government legislation or policy but maybe by acts of kindness.
(https://bishopoflondon.org/news/bishop-sarah-visits-lady-margaret-school/)
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