Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.
Matt.6v34 The Message
Prayer Diary September 2014
A Prayer for a New Minister
Dear God, You have called us to be members of your church here in Canisbay, Dunnet, Keiss and Olrig. Keep us working and praying together, believing and serving only You.
Be with us in our everyday lives and encourage us to tell the good news of your love to all those we know. Help us to show by our actions that we love others more than ourselves; that we are true believers in You.
We thank You, Lord, for the service given to us by former ministers and for sending our Locum, Lyall Rennie and his wife Isabel; for our Ordained Local Ministers, Robert and Esme who freely give of their time; for Myrtle Gillies, our Interim Moderator and for members of other churches who have come to take our services from time to time. We pray for them and for all whom You are calling to lead your Church through Ordained Local Ministry.
Loving and Faithful God, You promised that You never leave your flock without shepherds. Grant to all those hearing your call a spirit of wisdom, courage and perseverance. Let them know that they are needed here in Caithness. And may a Minister hear the call to Canisbay, Dunnet, Keiss and Olrig.
We pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
Monday 1st
Tomorrow morning at 10.30 in Castletown Drill Hall there is a joint Coffee Morning with our friends in Olrig Free Church in aid of charity. Preparation of the Blythswood Shoeboxes is also starting. Loving God, thank You for these opportunities to show Your love to others. Bless these efforts in Your name and grant success!
Tuesday 2nd Presbytery meets in Thurso West
Along with a considerable amount of business at the beginning of a new session, we trust that, following tonight’s meeting we shall have news of Lyall’s Ordination. Pray for Rev John Nugent, Moderator for this year ahead, and for all presbyters that we might have God’s wisdom in all our discussion and decisions.
Wednesday 3rd Olrig Board and Kirk Session
Occasionally, visitors to Canisbay Church leave prayer requests in our Prayer Box. As the occasion allows we try to include them in our services in our Prayers for Others. Merciful Father, You know each need. Hear and answer our prayer.
Thursday 4th Canisbay Lunches
By this stage in the new school year Lyall will have the dates for the Religious Observance Assemblies which he conducts at Canisbay, Keiss and Crossroads Schools, usually alternate Wednesday mornings at Keiss, Wednesday afternoons at Crossroads and Thursday mornings at Canisbay. Give thanks for these opportunities and pray!
Friday 5th
God of the Family, as Ruth Manson and her helpers prepare for tomorrow’s Messy Church, may You be in all the planning and organisation. Bless all the families in our four parishes and the children in our local schools, that more may want to experience Messy Church for themselves. And please speak to the hearts and minds of those who might offer to help those already involved!
Saturday 6th Messy Church in Dunnet
We will tell the next generation about the Lord’s power and his great deeds and the wonderful things he has done. Ps. 78.4
Lord, we pray for our Messy Church that it may draw families closer to You. May they be meetings of fun, exploration of faith and fellowship, with food, play and creative worship which will reach people where they are and bring them to know Your love.
Sunday 7th Matt. 18.15-20; Psalm 149 (Church Lectionary)
Olrig & Dunnet - Lyall; Keiss & Canisbay - Myrtle
Come let us bow down in worship! (Ps. 95.6) Join us!!
Monday 8th
This week the Challenger Bus is in the Wick side of the county, visiting Primary schools to share the Good News using material and methods in line with the Scottish Curriculum. Give thanks for those who have organised this visit and provided the finance and pray that, as last year, the hearts of children and adults might be touched.
Tuesday 9th Keiss Guild
Tonight is the final meeting of this Guild which meets over the summer months. The focus will be on the Blythswood Charity. Give thanks for the strong group who have gathered each month and ask for God’s blessing on them as they use their energies in different ways in the months ahead!
Wednesday 10th
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1.7 NKJV)
As the nights draw in and the shadows lengthen, it is easy to imagine threats that aren’t there - something physical or fears of an unknown. Such fear is a reality of life, true for believers as for all. We Christians, however, have a God to lean on when it all seems too much. We don‘t have to let fear defeat us, but rather triumph over it and feel safe..
Thursday 11th Canisbay Lunches
Following today two more weeks of Lunches remain! We are grateful to Jean and her small team of helpers who work hard to provide the food enjoyed each week and who serve and wash up. Although these are not run primarily to raise funds, we are grateful to those who have been generous when making their donations. God will bless them: He is no person’s debtor!
Friday 12th
Give thanks for the success of the Canisbay Youth Group. Lyall and Isabel are actively seeking additional leadership so that the wide age range of the keen young people can be catered for. Please pray. For someone, is it possible that you are the answer to your prayer?
Saturday 13th
The Challenger Bus will have a final Event in Wick before moving to the Thurso side in time to visit Primary schools next week. Pray that all arrangements will go smoothly and that the seeds sown in both weeks will in God’s time yield a rich harvest.
Sunday 14th Matt. 18. 21- 35; Psalm 114
Olrig & Dunnet - Myrtle; Keiss & Canisbay - Lyall
As we gather for worship today it is fairly certain that our thoughts will be on Thursday’s Referendum. We are urged in God’s Word to pray for those in authority over us and thus to be faithful citizens in using our vote. Those with postal votes will probably already have voted, but it is vital that we continue to pray.
Monday 15th
George Douglas (Session Clerk of Dunnet) has written a letter on the subject of Thursday’s Referendum and extracts are included below.
‘This month will probably be noted and long remembered in the future of Scottish History. Our Nation’s future requires a 100% turnout!’
Tuesday 16th
‘Read Amos 3 verses 1 - 15. It is clear that God is totally involved in the life of the nations He has created. Let us pray that He will watch over our nation, be merciful and gracious to us and help us to make a wise decision on Thursday.’
Wednesday 17th
‘Read Amos 8 verses 1 - 14. God takes a very strong stand against those who are careless of His wishes and neglect His laws. Amos foretold a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. Without a doubt his prophecy is fulfilled: Scotland was once a country in which God was honoured but sadly this is not now true. Let us pray that the country we love might turn back to God!’
Thursday 18th Referendum: Scotland Decides; Dunnet KS
Pray that God will guide you as you vote . And pray for the growth of the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ in Scotland whatever the outcome of today’s decision.
Friday 19th
Some will have sat up late last night to hear the results as they are made public. It is possible that we may still have to wait, and waiting is never easy. We - our Nation and all its people - are in the hands of God, even if only a small proportion acknowledge this. What an opportunity we have as the people of God to witness to our faith in Jesus who is the same - yesterday, today and for ever!
Saturday 20th
Myrtle leaves for a month’s holiday in New Zealand visiting family and friends. Pray for a very special time - for safety in travelling, for good health and energy, for the smooth working of all her arrangements and a safe return with photographs and experiences to share with us in November!
Sunday 21st Matt. 20. 1 - 16; Psalm 105. 1-6, 37-45
Olrig & Dunnet - Lyall; Keiss & Canisbay - Esme
How caring and generous is our God! As we meet for worship or join in the fellowship of God’s Spirit at a distance, may we respond in love to God and in respect for His creation.
Monday 22nd
God of the Church, we pray for the Elders and Office Bearers of all our churches. Enable us to carry out willingly all the duties asked of us while all the time striving to set a good example to our congregations. May we be honest, diligent and caring and make decisions with wisdom and humility. (1 Peter 5. 1 - 4)
Tuesday 23rd Canisbay Guild - BP Meeting
This evening promises a good beginning to the new session as we enjoy a Baked Potato and BP sweet at Seaview Hotel and collect items for the BackPack Project! We give thanks for our Guild.
Wednesday 24th Keiss Board Meeting; Homecoming
During this month we celebrate the Year of Homecoming for Caithnessians and their descendants around the world. We give thanks for the bravery of early settlers who went to live and work in remote parts, often taking God’s word to be heard for the first time. Loving Lord, may the welcome and hospitality which we extend show them Your love. Grant safe travel and memorable experiences.
Thursday 25th Canisbay Lunches
The last lunches will be served and enjoyed today. Perhaps we may need a gazebo in the car park to accommodate the overflow! Friendships have been forged and strengthened and we have so much to be grateful for. Probably one-off social events will take place over the winter but the hard-working team deserve a rest. Give thanks for them and pray for God’s blessing to rest on them.
Friday 26th
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly, defend the rights of the poor and needy. (Proverbs 31.8,9)
On our television screens we see dreadful things happening around the world and feel helpless. Help us, Merciful Lord, to see those things happening here in our county, affecting the lives of those less well off. Help us to pray and if we can, to act to help…. .
Continued tomorrow
Saturday 27th
(Continued) Help us, Lord, to look for and notice … families who have to use a Food Bank to feed their children; families unable to fill in forms because they can’t read or write properly; lonely people isolated because they are no longer mobile; people overwhelmed by red tape or lack of knowledge. Give us the courage to do something to change a situation. And prompt me to do it now!
Sunday 28th Matt. 21. 23 - 32; Psalm 78. 1 - 4, 12 - 16
Olrig & Dunnet - Robert; Keiss & Canisbay - Lyall
It is a sobering thought that the people in our communities may look at us and be put off the Church and the Christian Faith. But Jesus has chosen us to be His friends and as we look to Him, and live close to Him, His attractiveness shines out of us and draws others to Him!
Monday 29th
Merciful Father, we pray for those in our church and community who need your help and Your healing. And we give You grateful thanks for answering our prayers. Keep us faithful, and believing.
Tuesday 30th
The end of another month and we are well into autumn! Summer is a memory. Loving God, You hold us in Your hands. Give each of us what we need for the month ahead whatever it brings and we shall give to You our thanks and praise..
