WEEKLY PRAYER GUIDE FOR THE WEEK COMMENCING AUGUST 9
“Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous. Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice. Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered for ever. They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.” (v.4-7).
Is this not a word from the Lord for today? It appears there is an endless stream of bad news – one day last week I read in the paper of nuclear bombs, famine, climate disasters, a church leader being charged by the police, and the seemingly endless doom and gloom of Covid. Never underestimate the psychological harm that is caused by this constant drip, drip, drip. Especially when our lives are so disrupted and we are often isolated from normal social, family and church connections. Let our hearts be steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
“O, it is a singular mercy to live under good laws, which protect the innocent from injury. Laws are hedges about our lives, liberties, estates, and all the comforts we enjoy in this world. Times will be evil enough, when iniquity is not discountenanced and punished by law; but how evil are those times like to prove when iniquity is established by law!” John Flavel
Petition: Please join with us in praying for:
1.The World – There have been 202,660,933 cases (up 4,406,968 – up 8% on last week). There are now 4,293,530 deaths of people with covid. The Delta variant has changed things – especially in the US where numbers have shot up to over 200,000 cases per day. Yet numbers in India, Peru and Brazil have fallen. Numbers in Indonesia, Iraq, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Mexico continue to be high. Poland is very low as is the Czech republic and Sweden. The situation in the UK is the most encouraging – this report from the BBC even dares to ask the question – is the pandemic over? https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-58112939
2. Australia – There have been 36,330 cases in total (up 1,946 in the week).
| State | Total Cases | Weekly Change TW/LW | Total Deaths | Change in Deaths TW/LW |
| ACT | 124 | 0 (+0) | 3 | 0 |
| NSW | 10,917 | +1,764 (+1,361) | 80 | +12 (+6) |
| NT | 199 | +2 (+5) | 0 | 0 |
| QLD | 1,918 | +109 (+49) | 7 | 0 |
| SA | 868 | +4 (+7) | 4 | 0 |
| TAS | 235 | + 1 (0) | 13 | 0 |
| VIC | 21.010 | +62 (+226) | 820 | 0 |
| WA | 1,059 | +2 (+9) | 9 | 0 |
The situation in NSW continues to be serious – with over 250 new cases each day – usually with 100 plus in the community. This looks as if it will continue for some time. Victoria has gone back into lockdown – for the sixth time. There have been 1,351,381 tests in the past week. There are 433 people in hospital (+138) with 62 in ICU (+4). There are 4,727 actives cases (+1,583).
3. Vaccine and Cures – There have been 4.4 billion vaccine doses (+270 million). 57 doses for every 100 people. Australia now has 13.5 million (52 per 100 people). The NSW government say that they will not ease restrictions until there have been six million vaccinations in the state – it currently stands at 4.4 million. Only four people in NSW who have had one dose of the vaccine are in ICU (out of 58) and none have died.
4. Church – Pray for the witness of Christian leaders who get an opportunity to speak into the public square. Here is an example of what can we done – leaving aside whether you agree with the particular details, note how Rev Willie Phillip manages to bring it back to the Gospel. Of course, not many secular broadcasters would give the luxury of a 20 minute interview to a Christian leader – but this one is well worth it!
5. Personal and Family – Remember those who are in single person households and feel the loneliness of not being able to visit friends and family. Pray that those who are Christians would be sustained by the Lord, and that those who are not would come to know him.
A Prayer of Repentance: Almighty God, the fountain of all wisdom, who knows our necessities before we ask, and our ignorance in asking; We beseech you to have compassion upon our infirmities; and those things, which for our unworthiness we dare not, and for our blindness we cannot ask, promise to give us, for the worthiness of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen (BCP).
Song: This is a beautiful version of Ps 37 – which fits well with Ps 112 – from Sons of Korah.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=513659343190147
A Prayer of Thanksgiving: O Lord, we bless you that in the midst of a world which seems so dominated by bad news, some of which we may experience personally; you give us such good news. Good news that is eternal. Good news that cannot change. May our hearts be steadfast and fixed on that. We trust and praise you. Bring this plague to an end. For your glory. Amen.
Praise God for the clear statements of William Philip. Sadly, far too many of our church leaders, including far too many so called Christians will find, “You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting”!
Where are the modern day Dissenters & Non Conformists? If it’s not in the Word of God, may we dissent & refuse to conform! “To the Law & The Testimony. If they speak not in accordance with this Word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isaiah 8:20). See this in context! May we return to a vision & zeal for the Way, Truth & Life that can be found in Christ Jesus our Lord, and in Him alone. He said, “If you love Me you will obey My commands”!
May this be our priority, and not obedience to man & fear of man, not to mention Covid. Fear of man is indeed a snare. “Fear not said Jesus, I am with you ’till the end of the age”!
The day after that well – known Christian , Sir Cliff Richard , was cleared of false ( BBC -supported ) accusations of a sexual nature , the singer was lunching at his club ( The All England LT & C ) when a female fellow Christian member came to his table and said in a cut – glass accent redolent of Roedean ,
” Oh Sir Cliff , I am so happy about your being exonerated , bless you ; you know since the awful business began I have prayed for you every f*cking night.”
I hope Christian ministers in Scotland have more sense than this French clergyman :
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9876513/Catholic-priest-murdered-France-Rwandan-believed-set-fire-destroyed-cathedral.html
If the wages of sin is death , the wages of pathological altruism can be similar.
“Drifting towards a society when only one view is tolerated… coercing people against their own consciences” William Philip
Thank you for sharing this view David and for the demonising that he perceived has happened with prominent members of the scientific community whose views are not tolerated according to him.
Last year I was enrolled in a course at a prominent college in Glasgow. When witnessing a conversation in class with a fellow classmate the lecturer (also head of department) remarked that there had been respect in the dialogue. But privately he talked of demonising I had received for being a man in his 50s in his view alluding to the previous conversation. At other times I had been falsely accused of bullying while at the same time the guidance lecturer described my conduct as “impeccable”.
The stress that I had undergone became unsustainable and resulted in my withdrawal form the course. Like many, I have experienced challenges not inconsistent with what William Philip talks of both being anti-Christian and of “universal failing” in the church. This has led to my resigning my membership of the church.
Both my resignation of my position at college and at church resulted in peace and my moving on on good terms with those in a position of authority.
However – to be moving of from these difficulties has required me to engage wiht a therapist. Who, I found out within a few sessions is also a believer and is attending to my needs and in a way that the college and the church is obligated towards but has neglected to provide.
God does work in mysterious ways. And as William Philip rightly says, church is wherever two or three are gathered. For me, this is with a therapist and with a few handful of people I know and have built up mutual trust with over a number of years along with a healthy suspicion of intuitions, including academia and the institutionalised church.