WelshRev: DIY Sunday Service Kit - 09/06/24 - Tell His Story

Hello and WELCOME to the DIY Sunday Service Kit.

I've been away for half of this week at the Bala Ministers Conference (see the Word for the Week, below) which has left me really pressed for time ... so let's just get on and pray!

Lord and loving Heavenly Father we thank you from our hearts that you are gracious and merciful and ready to hear us and answer our prayers, even in the midst of the busy times in our lives.

Forgive our failures and faults of this week, renew us through a Spirit-inspired repentance into your close fellowship once more, and equip us anew forth work to which you call us.

We ask for Jesus' sake.

Amen.

Here's the Word for the Week

Looking for an appropriate song to follow the Word for the Week I found this ... I've never seen it before ... but here's a particularly Jewish cultural take from a large group of Messianic believers on Psalm 133, the psalm at the heart of our Word for the Week.

Here's the seven day prayer calendar for the world, for which we're

grateful to Justin Long

June

9th. Pray for the church in India in the aftermath of the election, which shocked everyone. The BJP, which had emphasized a nationalistic Hindu approach, had been expected to win big. Instead, they lost dozens of seats and their majority in Parliament. Along with their coalition of partners they have enough seats to maintain leadership, but they don’t control outright and didn’t win the 400 seats required to adjust the Constitution. This is a huge loss that might (a) lead to a moderation in their approach or (b) a “doubling down” and some vengeance-taking. While many Christians in India are breathing a sigh of relief, there is still concern about the immediate future. Pray for peace and moderation in the government to settle in, and for the church to have a renewed freedom to exist and to be a blessing.

10th. Pray for the church in the many places where the BJP won majorities. In many of these provinces, Christians are a significant minority and experience severe persecution. Maharashtra and Odisha (prev. Orissa) are two examples of places where this is the case. Pray for the believers to stand strong and continue to spread the Good News.

11th. Pray for believers laboring in Sudan. A leader in the region recently made the following requests: (1) for life and health circumstances; the outbreak of sickness is terrifying. (2) for the safety and release of believers who have been kidnapped, and whose locations are unknown. (3) for God’s protection over workers and their families who are still in combat zones. (4) for the schools that are open - they are overcrowded with displaced persons from combat zones. Pray for more room to be made, and for workers for the schools. (5) Pray for wisdom, discernment, and insight in these days, and for new generations of believers—especially among women. (6) Pray for fruitful outcome from church planter trainings. (7) Pray especially for work in and around the Darfur region, where so much violence is being suffered.

12th. Pray for expanding openness in Saudi Arabia. A journalist recently spent three weeks exploring Saudi Arabia’s offerings to tourists. This article and its accompanying photos can be used as a prayer journey (as we did in North Korea). Pray for the spiritually hungry pilgrims to be supernaturally touched by the Truth. In deserts, pray for new spiritual roads and waterways to spring up. In the markets, pray for the Gospel to spread through the relationships of people. In the photos of water, let’s pray for God’s glory to cover Saudi Arabia as the waters cover the seas.

13th. Pray for innovative ways to bring the Gospel to Japan. With the falling birth rate, Japan is promoting marriage—but also wanting foreign workers. Over 2 million foreigners are changing the face of Japan—but younger and older Japanese are divided over the rise in foreigners. Let’s pray for workers (esp. foreigners) to find ways to be a blessing and be a good witness for the Gospel in a climate of uncertainty.

14th. Pray for the children in Mozambique and Burkina Faso. They are being targeted and traumatized by war. Pray for workers who will be a blessing to them (especially in the areas of trauma healing and counseling), and for organizations that will seek to rescue and protect them.

15th. Pray for those suffering in the Myanmar war. Most analysts agree that the generals cannot win the war, but the opposition forces will not get to a quick victory either. More months of fighting, violence, and bombardment are likely. Pray for the church to be a blessing in the midst of this continued conflict.