Prayer thread for September

[DutchOma]

Lord we lift up Your Name.

We give thanks for two new little beanies, Bobsmum's and Podglets?.

We give thanks that Worzella and Roseylea are quite a bit better, we pray for complete healing for both of them.

We also pray for CaptainDippy, not feeling great and struggling with a particularly difficult issue at the moment.

We pray for Podglet as she works through a week of incredible business. Lord we hold her up for Your particular love and care.

We also pray for Mummy2TandF. After the very sudden and unexplained death of her dh she is feeling totally overwhelmed by money worries and grief. Lord uphold her and give her all the practical help she needs. Also help her in answering questions from her ds and help him come to terms with his grief

We also remember Onlyjoking and Steve before the Lord with their three children.

We give thanks with Harrisey that her ds is settling into school and for a few days away. We pray for strength as she copes with the after effects of MIL's childcare

We give thanks with MaryBS for a wonderful holiday and pray for her as she takes up study and essay writing. We pray for her ds and his appointment with the paediatrician on 14th September

Zipadisoozy - prayers for peace of mind concerning ds and his new school. Prayers for him too as he settles into a class with two bullies from his previous school. Let's pray for his protection and right development.
We give thanks, with Marslady for the safe arrival of the two babies she looks after.
We thank the Lord for CaptainCaveman and her ds, who keeps us amused with the wonderful things he comes out with.
We remember Notsofarnow and the difficulties in her relationship with exh. We pray for wisdom

We welcome the new girls Scootergrrrl, Commanderchaos, Sandcastles and Shreksmissus. We pray for Mr Shrek and his very busy life and with him for all dhs who work so hard for their families. May the Lord bless them richly and keep them walking in His way.

Several young children have been brought to our notice for prayer:- Brook Kendrick who lives in Northampton and is very poorly with a heart condition in Great Ormond Street Hospital and C who is known to Bobsmum. He suffers from an inoperable brainstem tumour.

We commit ourselves and all our friends to the care of our great and wonderful Lord and Saviour.

Mary.

Waiting with baited breath, CC!

Christmas Meet-Up would be cool!

Hi DO!

hey , i have had thoughts of the christmas meet up variety recently
a bit radical, but without dcs is one idea, just so we get more praise and worship and prayer time, which we all need?

Message withdrawn

i'd love a bean, but not much chance , still lovely for all those who are.
hope you are all having lovely sundays, we had good family time at country park, lovely weather too

I love all this 'bean' talk, my twins said do you mean 'jack in the bean stalk'

And I have enjoyed the light hearted talk of 'Fairtrade dental floss thongs' from M&S

Happy Sundays

Ooh forgot to mention, put the flag up, I actually got to family service at our local baptist church (all be it in a school hall with a cross of jesus hung dubiously from a basketball net)

Not quite sure I could get used to the location, still prefer mi oldi just what you get used to I suspect, but it did make me think about 'where' you worship and whether it is important that the cross is hung from basketball net or placed beautifully above an alter.

Happy Sundays all.

Praying for all beans, wanted and growing, how exciting!

Mary, praying that God will continue to meet with you, and that your trust and faith will grow as a result.

NSFN - how is DS today?

I am slightly hungover shattered today, as a result of a very late night on a hen night last night. Wedding is tomorrow afternoon, please pray that even though this is a secular service God will speak ot the bride(who has had a faith in the past) and groom.

I know the answer, but hey! perhaps I'm a snob

Sorry that post was supposed to be linked to my last post, I'm used to talking to myself for a while on mn

But Hi Panda, glad you have had a lovely weekend, prayers for tomorrow

Hello all!

Mary I'm so glad that you have thrashed it out with God. I love that thing of Jacob "wrestling with God" and so often I'm sure that God longs for us to wrestle with him, to wrestle with our lives before him and with him.

Suze I know what you mean about worshipping in a school hall! I was doing the same thing this morning (it's a new church plant from my church). There was a lovely atmosphere, a really genuiune and christ-like bunch of people and a beautiful simplicity to the worship. It was a much smaller gathering than our main church, which was nice. So we are going to be dividing our time between this little gropu and the main church.

DO I am praying for your voice to return!

Exciting times, CCM! A week is a long time to wait! (For someone as imptient as me, anyway!) And Shreksmissus - do let us know how you get on!

I'd be up for a christmas meet up - but maybe how about November? December can get so busy...Or if that's too soon, how about a New Year meet? Just a thought...

Hi all I'm back! Finally rejoined the civilised world and got broadband reconnected... All boxes are unpacked and we are getting used to the new house - it's weird going from a flat to a house - no carrying the shopping up 3 flights of stairs!

I am so sorry but I can't possibl catch up with you lot! I have caught the bit about the knickers though...

I am now "officially" pg and calculate myself to be 7 weeks. I will go to the Dr's this week to get all booked up. We are very excited about it but have a lot of sorting out to do about my work (due to return at the end of Oct, when I will be 13 weeks) and childcare... ho hum. Sickness is starting to kick in too - bleurgh.

Hope everyone is well, I will try and have a better catch up soon.

I leave you all alone for one night and what kind of conversation do I come back to? Fair trade thongs?

Am loving Harrisey's Pants to Poverty hotpants!

Anyway, we've had a stressful weekend with FIL staing. Long long backstory which I can't go into on a public forum unfortunately. But suffice to say, it's been very unrelaxing and not fun. He's still around tomorrow, but dh has insisted he go into the city with him tomorrow and spend the day away from the house and come back when dh is home too. I don't wan t to be in the house alone with him IYSWIM.

Ds' yoga session is on Wednesday. Our church is praying for him/us now, so that's more prayer cover.

A friend at church said she had a similar experience of a yoga teacher coming in to do a session at her special school recently and the teachers were made to take part too. She didn't think twice about it at first because she was told there would be no meditation involved, but halfway through she suddenly "felt" it was wrong and was very uncomfortable. The yoga instructor was clearly meditating and chanting under her breath. Not your average PE lesson I guess?

Can't remember who was asking about our Deacon who'd had a heart attack recently? But he's doing ok, and taking it easy (under duress!).

Just one last thing, there have been four separate very serious accidents involving teens from our local high school in the last week. 3 last sunday, one on Friday. One girl (18) died, one boy is still in ICU with extensive brain injuries, one boy has broken his 7th vertebrae and I can't remember the 4th boy. Suffice to say, in a small community, with one secondary school, it's been a very harrowing week for local people. I'm not sure what's going on tbh.

could we pray for all the families and friends who are hurting and asking big questions at this time?

One part of me want to say what tragic coincidences, the other part of me is screaming that these accidents can't be a coincidence? What's going on our our area? Serious prayer needed I think.

Welcome back Podglet, great news for your pg - although sickness is rotten it means a good healthy supply of bean-growing hormones.

Praying for your ds for weds bobsmum, and for the recent traumas in your area. Praying that God brings peace and healing to all those in need.

Rosey you're right - a week seems like next year!!! Still, hoping to get my last assignment results tomorrow and have the next assignment to keep me busy. But I totally trust God to work this out for me and through me, so all in all am very happy whatever the outcome

It was me who asked Bobsmum and I thought he was your minister, not one of the deacons, or are you organised differently, with the Deacon taking the role of the pastor?
In our church we have ministers, elders and deacons and I've given up trying to keep track of who does what.
Praying for all beans, in and out of beanstalks.

My goodness you lot do a lot of postings! Am relieved it isnt all prayer requests though as i would be feeling intimidated at how much time you must all be spending in prayer...i spent my church service in the creche today (filling in for someone on the rota) so feel i have missed out a little. i need to get back into spending daily times with God (DH reminds me regularly how rubbish i have become since we have become 4!). it is more prayers 'on the job' than focused time. i know is ok but my relationship does seem to suffer a bit with God. Anyone else found a solution to this issue?

DO - we're a very small Baptist church - about 30 ish. When we first joined there were 2 people who saw to the running of the church, but our fellowship has always been very keen not to have anyone in leadership over everyone else - we're all equal - just different jobs IYSWIM. After we'd been there for a while, another 2 deacons were added, another lady (the wife of the guy who had the heart attack) and dh.

So we now have 4 deacons, 3 of whom take it in turn to lead and preach, the 4th does more of the admin side of things.

Neil has always had such a prominent up fornt role in the church, that he's always assumed the "leadery" kind of things that needed doing. Now he's been forced to take a back seat and dh and one of the other deacons are holding the fort between them.

We are kind of looking for a part time pastor/evangelist who could take a bit of the load off the deacons - everyone has other responsibilities - is full time jobs/ full time carers/ family etc. The Bapist Union are keeping an eye out for someone who may be able to help us out, but in a small rural area, there aren't that many folks out there who are ordained Baptist ministers

We could do with a couple more families coming into the church though. Ds and dd and one other teen are the Sunday school atm!

nowwearefour - x posted!!

You could be me posting that. I know what you mean about missing out. I sometimes wonder why I'm going to church, especially when it's just my two in Sunday school. I could do the same stuff with them at home without the hassle of piling into the car in a rush. But then I would miss some great chat and home baking at the end of church

Cakes play a very important role in our fellowhip!

As for my quiet times - I can snatch 5 minutes here and there, but it's definitely not quality time

I spend so much time in the car though that a good Christian CD can speak to me quite powerfully sometimes.

I'm listening to one of Bebo Normans' old ones atm. But also like Leeland and Sara Groves. In fact Sara GRoves has an amazing gift of speaking right into my busyness. Highly recommend her stuff.

What other Christian singers/bands dos everyone like?

I don't tend to listen to worship stuff much, but I do like a good singer songwriter that can make me mull over things or speak into my heart.

Quick visit before I do some ironing... It was the authorisation of our children's workers tonight in the Cathedral.

Have you heard of John Bell? He took a big part in it. SO SO SO SO inspirational! He led a workshop yesterday, would have love to have gone to it. If he comes again, I definitely will.

We too are in a school atm as our building is being renovated, extended, lift going in etc.

As for spending good quality time with God one I have always struggled with tbh, but last week or so I have been trying - not long but I have been trying.

Wasn't there another community not so long back that had loads of things happen - as in teenagers commiting suicide in the space of a few weeks.

Can't believe how many little beans there are or potentially are. I will not be joining you.

ds is much better today - was really hot all night but has been fine today. Thank goodness.

Congratulations on being "officially" PG, podglet!

Yey Beans!

Will praying Bobsmum - mega stuff!

Sorry I am jut too tired to do "personals" properly atm and will be off to bed in a mo'; but just wanted to pop in and say goodnight and assure you all of my thoughts and prayers ...... You guys are great and I love you all! xxxx

Congrats podglet!

I can't sleep!

I forgot to say, DD sang in the Cathedral last night, they chose our church to provide the children's choir. I'd assumed it would be other children's choirs too, but it was just our church's! I was so proud, both of her, and all the others, especially the little ones like DD - they're only 7! The "hymn" they sang was written by a 3 1/2 year old. What happened was, John Bell was asked to judge a christmas carol competition. 3 categories, primary, secondary and adult. He was sent 4 envelopes, 3 huge ones for the categories and then a smaller one of "misfits". He said he read them on a train London-Glasgow... got more and more depressed - he was so funny, he said things like "snow" "more snow" "so very much snow" "there must have been an avalanche when Jesus was born". Similarly he said about shepherds and kings must have been falling over each other.

Anyway he opened the misfits envelope and found this one by a 3 1/2yo, and it was about letting Jesus play with his toys and Bob the builder (I'll type it in later). And he decided to award just one prize, to that child... (should have been 3 prizes for each of the 3 categories, plus 1 overall winner)

nowearefour, "on the job" made me smile, because a few months ago, you'd be amazed at how many of us confessed to praying on the toilet! Don't feel guilty about your prayer life, just offer up a prayer when you can. If something good happens, offer up thanks, if something bad happens, pray about that too. A few months ago, I had a conversation with a group of older people than me. They ALL felt that prayers needed to be worthy, that you shouldn't pray for small things. I told them as far as I was concerned, pray for everything, let God worry about what you should/shouldn't pray for. There is no quota. When Paul tells us not to "worry our prayers", I'm convinced this is what he means. After a while of doing this, I find I pray almost without thinking, even "Dear Lord, please find me a parking spot". That horrifies a lot of people!

Love and God bless - sorry for any I've not mentioned personally.

Please pray for me as I feel I need to tell my course director about the Asperger's... and for all those who'll be supporting my son.

Sleep, Mary, sleep! Just popping in to say Good Morning! Praying for courage Mary!

Aaaah yes, toilet prayers , which reminds me - my toilet prayer book hasn't featured for a while (on MN or otherwise [blush) .... Will post from it later on .....

Hope everyone has lovely mornings .....

I'd forgotten about your toilet prayer book! Yes, please bring back your toilet prayers!

Yey for Toilet Prayers ...... .... OK ...... here's the Prayer from my book for today .......

"Lord, recieve our supplications for this house, family & country.
Protect the innocent, restrain the greedy and treacherous, lead us out of our tribulation into a quiet land.
Look down upon ourselves and our absent dear ones. Help us & them, prolong our days in peace and honour. Give us health, food, bright weather & light hearts. In what we meditate of evil, frustrate our wills; in what of good, further our endeavors. Cause injuries to be forgotten & benenfits to be remembered. Let us lie down without fear & awake & arise with exultation. For His sake, in whose words we now conclude, Amen."

Robert Louis Stevenson, 1850 - 94

Fab! Especially liking the bit about "lead us out of our tribulation into a quiet land" and the bit about "arise with exultation!"

Good old toilet prayers - Thank you for reminding me, Mary!

Perhaps I should instate "Toilet Prayer for the Day"!