Prayer Diary Sept 2017

Friday 1st
Many who use this Prayer Diary are grandparents proudly watching
their grandchildren grow up. How precious and valuable are your
prayers for them! A number of these children set off for school for
the first time last month and in many instances a new routine was
established for both adults and children. Pray on as this routine of
care continues: for some it will stretch for several years! May God
bless the special bond stretching across the generations!

Saturday 2nd Guild Annual Gathering – Go in Love!
If you can connect up on the Internet today, you will be richly
blessed in joining with the 2000 or more Guild members gathered
in the Caird Hall, Dundee, for this wonderful annual event. One or
two usually manage to travel from Caithness to be there in person.
Give thanks for the Guild – at both national and local level.

Sunday 3rd Ps. 26. 1-8; Matt. 16. 21 – 28
Olrig & Dunnet–Worship Team; K & Cb –Marcus Cornah
Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. 1 Peter5.7
What burdens are you carrying today? Surely it makes no sense to continue to carry them when you have such a gracious offer! Perhaps, too, you could share this with someone who needs to hear this?

Monday 4th
The cruise ship Braemar calls at Scrabster today, with at least one coach load coming to Canisbay Church. Give thanks for many very successful visits enjoyed during this summer from cruises and by individuals. An 87 year old lady from Venice visited with her son. She wrote in the visitors' book that our church would be unforgettable for her. Considering the elaborate and amazing buildings in Venice it was lovely that she was so impressed with our simple wee kirk! (CS)

Tuesday 5th Caithness Presbytery meets in Thurso West
Please pray for Sheila Cormack from Dunnet as she moderates this evening’s meeting. Praise God for His faithfulness. In the midst of the business there are some exciting items of news! Watch this space!

Wednesday 6th Canisbay Assembly; Crossroads Assembly
Please continue to pray for Lyall as he regularly conducts Assemblies in our local schools. (Dates for Keiss were not available as this Issue was prepared.) Pray too for Rev Howard Stone who conducts the Assemblies in Castletown. The opportunities are great. But doors are closing in some areas. Let’s take nothing for granted!

Thursday 7th
September sees many young people leave the county to study in Universities and Colleges further south. We ask God's blessing on them as they embark on the next chapter of their lives. We trust that they will build on the knowledge and good grounding they received here among friends, as they make their way along the path towards their chosen career.

Friday 8th
‘Today’s Gospel Reading in our service was from Mark chapter 2: Jesus heals a paralytic and, as I have reflected on this, I want to pass on the challenge to pray this prayer: God bless people, old and young.’ (RH)

Saturday 9th
Father God, we pray for peace in our world. As tensions rise between the leaders of the United States and North Korea we pray for a peaceful solution and that the leaders will work together for the good of both nations.

Sunday 10th Ps. 149; Matt. 18. 15 - 20
Olrig & Dunnet – Marcus Cornah; K &Cb – Ben Macgregor
As we worship today we’ll enjoy praising God together, enabled by the person at the piano or organ. It is to be hoped (fervently) that we never take these dear folk for granted. Thank You, Lord, for those who use their skill in playing to lead our praise in each of our churches. May they too find a blessing in the worship.

Monday 11th
We give thanks for the skills and dedication of all those employed in the health service. It is good to know that when we are ill or injured we can depend on a good health service. We pray about the uncertainty over the future of our hospitals as they face difficult financial times. As budgets are cut, an ever increasing strain is put on the staff.

Tuesday 12th
Gracious God, we give thanks for the summer months, for fine weather, for relaxing holidays and for opportunities to visit new places and enjoy good experiences. What happy memories we have to carry into autumn and winter.

Wednesday 13th
Every day make someone glad or someone’s faith sustain –
and then you’ll always know you have not lived the day in vain.
Go out of your way to warm a heart that’s hard and cold.
Give out love and you will find it comes back sevenfold.
(Source unknown)

Thursday 14th
So often we see or hear in our daily news people whose plight is dreadful. Often leaflets arrive on our doorsteps or we see posters as we move around. Sadly, it is all too easy to let our minds and hearts become hardened. Let’s challenge ourselves and others whom we might influence to PRAY.

Friday 15th
Merciful Father, all of us have friends, near or far, who are facing challenges concerning their health just now. Some we have been praying for through the summer; others very recently. Thank You for wonderful answers to our prayers. Where answers are delayed, help us to trust that You always hear and that You have these friends in Your loving arms.

Saturday 16th
Go through the day with a song in your heart.
Doing your duty and playing your part.
Harness the hours that none is ill spent –
wherever you are, being glad or content.
Keep a wise check on the unruly tongue,
ready to learn from the old and the young.
Taking what comes with a smile and a jest –
Facing life squarely and giving your best. (Source unknown)
God help me today and every day to remember this message.

Sunday 17th Psalm 114; Matt. 18. 21 - 35 Olrig & Dunnet – Roger Bamfield; Keiss & Canisbay - Lyall
Father, open our eyes to see what you are doing. Forgive us for always asking you to bless what we are doing: help us to do what you are blessing. (Julie Woods) Apr. - June p.102 *

Monday 18th and Tuesday 19th
Visitors to Canisbay Church, which is open from Easter until mid Autumn, frequently leave prayer requests in our Prayer Box. Often these are used in the following Sunday’s Prayers for Others but here are some which were written in the early part of August: God knows each person; each deep need:
Pray for baby Charlie Edward that they find what is causing his tummy pains. Thank you.
Please God bring recovery to Catherine and Joseph. Thank you.
Pray for our son who is an alcoholic with 3 children to have the strength to change his values and find the Lord. RD (USA)
1st Aug. Our dear friend Alfie passed away in his sleep. R.I.P.

Wednesday 20th Canisbay Assembly; Crossroads Assembly
Lord, help me to know you more clearly, love you more dearly and follow you more nearly, now and for ever. (A Prayer of Richard of Chichester, 13th century)
This is well worth meditating on from time to time. Starting today!

Thursday 21st
We remember our farming friends who are harvesting their crops and hope the weather will be favourable and they will have full barns. We know that seed time and harvest are gifts from God and we should try to use all that is harvested to best advantage and share what we have with those less fortunate.

Friday 22nd
Give thanks that the city of Mosul (Iraq) has finally been liberated after three years of occupation by Islamic State militants. Ask God in His mercy to restore broken lives and re-establish true peace, and pray that He will rebuild His Church in Mosul. (Open Doors)

Saturday 23rd
Let’s not sleepwalk through our Christian lives, with downcast eyes, preoccupied with our own problems, but wake up to all God is doing in our lives and in his world and celebrate our great salvation. Let’s leave our pre-Christ lives behind and walk confidently into God’s liberated future fr us. (Derek Tidball) Enc. with God p.55 *
I need to act on this. Perhaps you do too? (Ed.)

Sunday 24th Psalm 145. 1 – 8; Matt. 20. 1 - 16
Olrig & Dunnet – Worship Team; Keiss & Canisbay - Lyall
Almighty and All seeing God, whose love is boundless, we pray that You will protect everyone who is taking the Good News of the Christian Faith to non believers and those of other Faiths, both here and abroad.

Monday 25th
Gracious God, be very near to those who today face worries and concerns which they feel are likely to overwhelm them. Enable them to turn to You and to be reassured that You hear all our prayers.
I thank You for my friends who pray faithfully for me. Bless and encourage them day by day. If I need this, remind me to share with them how their prayers have been answered

Tuesday 26th Canisbay Guild
The first Guild meeting of the new session is this evening at 7.00 pm. It takes the form of a fund raising meal generously provided by Isabel Mackay and all are welcome. Just let us know that you are coming...

Wednesday 27th
Sow a thought, reap an action. Sow an action, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap a character. Sow a character, reap a destiny. Lord, purify my heart. (Howard Peskett )Enc. With God p.38 *

Thursday 28th
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15.13)
We pray today for those who are sad – either because they are mourning a loved one, or because they have experienced the loss of a life once lived differently. May they know the nearness of God.

Friday 29th
Tomorrow morning from 10.00 am. a mammoth Macmillan Coffee Morning takes place in Watten Hall. The team which runs this are hugely committed and their hard work is always blessed with success. There is, however, room for more people. Will you join us if you can? Or look out for other opportunities to support this very worthy cause today or tomorrow.

Saturday 30th
As another month comes to an end, we have much to give God thanks for. Whatever I do today, Lord, remind me to be grateful to You. I owe my health and strength, my possessions, my very life, to You! How faithful You are!

* These are quotations taken from Encounter With God, July – Sept., Scripture Union and noted in my daily readings (Ed.)
I hope that you might find them helpful as I have.

This prayer diary is produced monthly by and for the four congregations in our Caithness linkage:
Canisbay Church of Scotland SCO 32164
Dunnet Church of Scotland SCO 30261
Keiss Church of Scotland SCO 10874
Olrig Church of Scotland SCO 11353

We trust its regular use will strengthen the bond between our congregations as we share news and support one another.
This diary also goes by e-mail to a growing number of friends throughout Scotland and we are sincerely grateful for their interest and support.
If you have found this Prayer Diary helpful, please let us know.
If there is any topic or any particular prayer you would like included in a future issue please contact the Editor:
e-mail esmeduncan@btinternet.com or phone 01955 611 455
Copy date for the October issue is 16th September.