prayer

PrayerNet                            

December 2024

HOPE – Songs in the night!   
Sunday 1st to Saturday 7th December

‘The oppressed cry out beneath the wrongs that are done to them…. Yet they don’t ask, “Where is God my Creator, the one who gives songs in the night?’ Job 35:9,10(NLT).  ‘That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them…… “Don’t be afraid!” the angel said, “I bring you good news of great joy for everyone! The Saviour – Yes, the Messiah, the Lord has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the City of David!” ….. Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others ... praising God: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all whom God favours.” Luke 2: 8,9 10b, 13,14.   

Last Sunday, Graham, in his opening prayer, gave thanks for the ‘God who gives songs in the night’! Job35:9,10 & Psalm 77:6(NLT). The theme of the first Sunday of Advent is always - Hope. On this special night in Bethlehem the angels sang the song of greatest hope for the world then – and NOW!      

Let’s pray and give thanks to God that, as Christians, we have HOPE! Hope for our salvation and hope for our world. Praise God our hope is founded on His involvement with His Creation and with us! God is in it all!  So, as we find ourselves anxious and worried about the world’s problems and suffering, and our own – let us Pray! Pray for all those who have financial worries, who are struggling to manage bills or having to choose between heat and food. Ask for God’s blessing on Start Up Stirling and those who volunteer at the food banks; pray that donations to meet demand. Pray for the Primary School SU group is restarting this month for P6 and P7 pupils with the same team as before: Alyssa, Christine Donald, Graeme Fotheringham, Margaret Timms, and the minister, Graham. We hope to start on Monday 2nd December using SU's One Big Story material. CambusBairns has an average of 25 children and adults each week.  It is a joy to watch the children growing up and developing new skills and to see the friendships deepening between the mums, grans, and childminders. It is a great example of our Connected Life vision!  We gave a Real Advent Calendar to each family which was well received. 

Pray for Graham’s use of the Advent Book, ‘The Coming of the King!’ in the Services this week and next and pray our congregation will read the book and be excited, and enriched in hope, by its messages!

‘And I will sing, songs in the night, praise in the storm, You're God in it all.
And I will stand, I'll be still and know, whatever may come, You're God in it all.’

From ‘Songs in the Night’; Matt Redman, Unbroken Praise

PEACE – a song out of darkness
Sunday 8th to Saturday 14th December

‘The people who walk in darkness will see a great light… 5In that day of peace, battle gear will no longer be issued. Never again will uniforms be bloodstained by war. …..6For a child in born to us, a son is given to us….. These will be his royal titles: Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7His ever-expanding peaceful government will never end.’ Isaiah 9: 2,5,6,7a (NLT).

Handel in his ‘Messiah’ transformed Isaiah 9:6&7 into one of the greatest ‘songs of the night’. Out of all the titles of the promised Saviour, Isaiah gives the most attention to ‘Prince of Peace’! In these current dark times (night), we will again this Christmas be reminded that our Saviour came to make peace between God and humanity, and He will come again and rule forever as Prince of Peace!

‘And so when I am in the storm, Lord, the storm is not in me

You will be my peace, I'll wait here, I'll wait here.’

From ‘Songs in the Night’; Matt Redman, Unbroken Praise

Pray for the coming change of government in USA. The election process has led to many threats and hostile reactions and many across the world are concerned about the future of the USA and the impact of that on the rest of the world. Pray that this nation, in which so many claim a love of God, may use their faith to bring hope, peace, joy, and love across their nation and across the world. Pray to the ‘Prince of Peace’ for Sudan, where the ongoing war is causing a complete breakdown of society. It is estimated that more than 10 million people have fled their homes and almost every part of the country is experiencing starvation, which could lead to millions dying by the end of the year. Give thanks and pray for a permanent ceasefire in Lebanon. At this early stage this ceasefire remains fragile. Pray for the leaders of the peace initiative – pray they may be successful in their efforts and genuine in their willingness to work with others – call upon God to be ‘in it all’. Pray that there will be negotiations for peace in Gaza and that more aid will be delivered where it is most needed. Pray for genuine plans to be laid for the rebuilding of Gaza as a viable community. Pray for the ever-worsening situation in Ukraine and the Russian invasion of this sovereign state. Give thanks for the Christian faith of many Ukrainians and Russians and pray the Churches may play a part in bringing about peace. Pray over the involvement of North Korea in supporting the Russians and pray the USA and China, UK and Europe may be moved to sort out this problem. Pray – and pray constantly for this situation. Pray for the all-age Carols by Candlelight Service on Sunday 8th at 6pm. Pray families will come, believe in the Prince of Peace, and rejoice in Him as their Saviour. Pray for the showings of ‘The Chosen’ Christmas Special in the Church Hall on Thursday 12th December at 1.20 and on Sunday 15th at 8.10pm.

JOY – good news of great joy!!   
Sunday 15th to Saturday 21st December

‘I think of the good old days, long since ended, when my nights were filled with joyful songs. I search my soul and think about the difference now.’ Ps 77:5,6.  ‘ That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them…… “Don’t be afraid!” the angel said, “I bring you good news of great joy for everyone! The Saviour – Yes, the Messiah, the Lord has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the City of David!” ….. Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others ... praising God: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all whom God favours.”’ Luke 2: 8,9,10b, 13,14.

The third great theme of Advent is JOY – joy in the coming of God’s Son into the world to submit Himself to all that was needed for our salvation and the restoration of God’s reign through Him! Yes, we are living in difficult (dark) times but in Advent we are given the song of songs – ‘the Lord has been born tonight’!! Give thanks for hope, peace – and joy! 

Pray for the Sunday Service of Lessons and Carols that Graham is preparing and pray we will share the joy of Christmas music and the stories they tell of God’s intervention in our world and our lives. Let’s pray along with those who will attend the Quiet Space in the church between 2-3.30 today. Pray for those who have lost a loved one during this year, who may feel their loss most keenly at Christmas, and pray that they will feel God’s comfort.

Give thanks for the joy of Christmas for children and families and pray for the Cambusbarron Primary School Christmas Service in our Church on Friday at 9.45am – pray the children and families may experience the joy of the Christmas message – the Saviour, the Lord has been born!

We thank the Lord for the finance deal agreed at the COP29 summit and pray that it will give some relief to developing nations who are suffering the most from the effects of climate change. Pray that more will be done by the richer nations to move away from fossil fuels and speed up the COP process to achieve a significant reduction in global warming.

Pray for our own Church and pray for our leadership. As an increasingly elderly congregation, it is difficult to fill even the very essential roles and jobs that need to be done to remain a successful, sustainable church. Pray about what more you could do to contribute to the work and life of our fellowship. There are so many good events every week in our church but pray about the imbalance between consumers and doers!  Pray daily for Graham and pray for Angela. Sadly, we have lost too many in death this year and Graham and Angela have supported them and their families through these time – and this takes its toll on them also. Give thanks for their faithfulness and ask that they may be fortified in their spirits.

LOVE – real love!!                              
Sunday 22nd to Tuesday 31st December

‘God showed how much he loved us by sending his only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love.  It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sin. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.’ 1 John 4:9-11 (NLT)

These verses bring together Easter, Christmas and family celebrations!! God’s love made sure the Christmas story was inevitable and its purpose was to lead to the Easter events. John’s compelling plea then is that this should lead to us loving one another which we express in Christmas family gatherings and Christmas gifts to each other!

Your love, Your love, won't leave me in the shadows.
Oh Your love, Your love, forever by my side.
I will not be afraid, You are my song in the night.

From ‘Songs in the Night’; Matt Redman, Unbroken Praise 

Let’s give thanks for the gift of God’s Hope, Peace, Joy and Love so wonderfully delivered to us in the events of Christmas and Easter! Ask God to make these gifts real and meaningful in your life, the lives of your family and to all those across the world who are seeking hope or peace or joy and love! Pray for the millions of children across the world who are unloved and do not even have a birth certificate or any recognition by State or family. In Guatemala 700,000 children do not have a Birth Certificate and in El Salvador 670,000 children don’t officially exist! Pray about giving one child a birth certificate for £40 through Toybox – https://toybox.org.uk . Pray for the work of Forth Valley Welcome, which helps refugees in the Stirling and Clacks area. Many of these people may never be able to return to their homelands, so it is vital that they are welcomed and helped to make new homes and lives in Scotland.

Pray for the distribution of the ShoeBox gifts. Pray that those receiving these boxes may also rejoice in the gift of God’s Son as their Saviour! In a world of many wars, of the upheaval of the lives of many communities and in a world where world leaders make threats of world war and destruction – pray to the Prince of Peace and pray for spiritual awakening and renewal through God ‘who is in it all’!

A personal thank you to all those who have contributed to the PrayerNet over this past year. However, as we go into the new year, pray that our people will value their spiritual lives and the role of prayer within it even more and that we will say that whilst we have enjoyed many social times together – we have grown in faith even more!

Pray – the Lord will give us ‘songs in the night’!

A Happy Christmas to you all!