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May Prayer News 2021
I pray that last month’s invitation to pray and meditate through ‘The Father’s Love Letter’ was a blessing to you. Some may still be working through the Scripture verses and, if so, please continue to pray through them during this month. These verses can be so powerful, so please take your time to think and meditate on them. We have a wonderful Father who loves us and wants us to share that love with those around us.
Throughout my Christian life, I have come across different ways of approaching my time of prayer. One of them, which many of you may have come across before, is called ‘Lectio Divina’. Lectio Divina is a way of reading the Scriptures that has been around since AD 300.
Simply put, Lectio Divina invites you to savour, take time and mull over God's words quietly, slowly and intently. It gives you the space to respond to what you feel God is saying. Lectio Divina has been likened to "feasting on the Word": first, the taking of a bite (lectio); then chewing on it (meditatio); savouring its essence (oratio) and, finally, "digesting" it and making it a part of the body (contemplatio). It follows a four-step approach of:
1. Reading through a passage of Scripture
2. Meditation – Pondering and reflecting on the verses of Scripture
3. Prayer – Praying through what stands out to you in the passage
4. Contemplation – Being attentive, resting with and responding to what God is saying in these words of Scripture
If you have never tried praying in this way, why not give it a go through this month. Maybe pick a Psalm or a favourite Bible passage and take time to be with God through this prayer discipline.
24/7 Prayer have an App available to download onto your smartphone called ‘Lectio 365’ which I have found very helpful. For more information, their website is www.24-7prayer.com/dailydevotional.
If you would like any prayer request added, please either phone or email me (contact details at bottom left of letter). If requesting prayer for a specific person, please make sure you have their permission.
“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV UK)
Prayer Points
-Give thanks for the changing seasons and the new life we see through God’s creation
-As the restrictions ease and the church begins to open up in more ways, pray for that God will reveal to us the priorities He wants us as a church family and community to focus on
-Please continue to pray that a suitable candidate will come forward to become our new Treasurer
-Pray for General Assembly as it meets online from Saturday 22nd May until Thursday 27th May
-Pray for Christian Aid week 10th to 16th May
-Pray for the Street Pastors as they prepare to resume some patrols in Glasgow and in the West End in May
-Pray for a fair roll out of the vaccine to all countries
-Pray for the persecuted church throughout the world
Blessings in prayer
May McIntyre
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