One People under God for His Glory - Malachi 1:10-14 05/11/2023

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Welcome once more to the DIY Sunday Service Kit ... this is the kit for 05/11/2023.

With political demonstrations planned in the UK's major cities for this Guy Fawkes Day, coinciding as it does with preparations already underway for Remembrance Sunday next weekend, we begin by praying for the peace and security of our own divided land.

Let's pray

Lord and Father we come to worship you today in what by our standards are reasonably troubled times.

We ask you to accept the confession we make of our own sins.

We ask you to watch over our land to preserve its peace.

We ask you to restrain the forces that pull our citizens apart and to breathe a spirit of reconciliation and of the love of peace-making among us, that those who sow in peace might raise a harvest of righteousness in our land.

And we ask that it all be done for your Glory.

In Jesus' Name, Amen.

1. We pray for this week for the many agencies and Kingdom workers that are caught up in the various conflicts in the 10/40 Window. With the opening of the Rafah crossing, Kingdom workers there face the same questions that workers in the Sahel, Sudan, and East Africa face—at what point do they remain where they are, or “move closer” to the conflict, or “move away” with (or in order to bless) refugees? There are opportunities and risks in each of these avenues. Many are in situations where they cannot move away from danger, and need help. Others have fled to new locations like refugee camps, and need help there. Pray for the Spirit’s leading to be clear to these men and women who seek to follow.

2. We pray for the war between Israel and Hamas to be brought to a swift resolution. We pray for justice, but also for peace. We lament with and pray for the many families who are weeping from the loss of their loved ones. We pray for those who are have been traumatized—especially the young children. We pray that governments will be moved to allow aid for the hurting.

3. We pray for Kingdom work seeking to expand in the midst of the instability found in the Sahel. Many governments are withdrawing forces from the countries in West Africa, and there is a surge in violence as a result. We pray for the workers who labor to be a blessing despite the risks. We praise you for the spiritual openness amongst the peoples in the area, and pray that your Spirit would draw many to yourself. We know God promises to work in the midst of evil to bring out good; pray that his work in the midst of the “raging of the nations” will result in many drawn to him. We pray especially that many modern “Sauls” will be drawn to become “Pauls.”

4. We thank you for some increasing openness of access in Africa and the Middle East—Kenya is planning to scrap its visa requirements for African travelers, for example. We thank you for the possibilities inherent in the World Cup being held in Saudi Arabia. We pray you would enable many “hot coals”—passionate and gifted men and women seeking the spread of the Kingdom of God—to be able to use avenues like these and others to move into places where the Gospel has not yet reached.

5. We thank you for the spiritual awareness, openness, and hunger represented in the widespread comfort of death rituals in Asia (link) and the widespread use of Qi Gong in East Asia (CT). We are thankful many recognize your presence in nature, the universe, and reality around them. We pray that your Spirit would draw them to you, and that they would be led to believers who can share the truth with them. We pray that Kingdom workers would seek and find the spiritually hungry, and boldly share the truth with them.

6. We pray for agencies to have innovative strategies in East Asia. Taiwan is aging rapidly, and wants to see more migrant laborers come in, particularly to provide child and elder care. But there are a lot of issues involved in this. In the past, migrant workers have been influential in spreading the Gospel in Southeast Asia and the Gulf states. Pray for the Spirit to give wisdom about similar opportunities in Eastern Asia, where it’s harder and harder for conventional missionaries to enter.

7. We pray for the people of Afghanistan. We see that Pakistan and Iran are both pressuring millions of Afghani refugees to return to their devastated homeland. Tens of thousands have already returned (link). There, people are in such poor and desperate situations they are using opium to treat common colds (link). In regularly available reports there seems little hope for the improvement of their situation in the next months and years. We know that God loves the people of Afghanistan and pray for the Kingdom to continue its spread within these areas.

In your mercy, Lord, hear our prayers and may our pleas rise to find acceptance with our Father in the court of Heaven.

We ask for Jesus' Name and sake.

Amen.

Our Bible reading today is Malachi 1:6-14 (click the pic)

Thanks for being with us for this time of worship today.

If we can pray for you please get in touch.

If you would like to help support the many-faceted work done by y GRWP to reach the people of rural Wales with the Good News of God, please click on the offering bag.

Now let's close with prayer.

Dear Heavenly Father, as we head into another week in which we seriously wish to serve you and was with you, we pray that you will keep your grace and your Glory at the front of our minds.

Leads and guide us as we seek to walk in your ways, and keep us walking in your light until we see you face to face.

We pray for Jesus' sake.

Amen.