Medway Towns Prayer Guide

" The Medway Towns Prayer Guide is produced three times a year by Churches Together In Medway and Medway Celebrate . We trust that it will be used daily serving as a unifying tool in the prayers of believers in Medway for the folk and life of the Towns we all live in. It is hoped that it will serve as a guide, drawing attention to a variety of needs, concerns and situations across the whole area which we can then agree together in prayer for. As you pray around each day's subject please be aware that many other Christians from all manner of church backgrounds are agreeing with you before God for these things. Hopefully, as God leads, you will expand the subjects covered and feel able to personalise them to include people and matters much closer to your homes. We would welcome any appropriate feedback, prayer answers and issues.

We will be praying again this year on a daily basis for all the Medway churches,
the first group of which are listed alphabetically below:. "

Date	Church
1st	All Saints, All Hallows
2nd	All Saints, Chatham
3rd	All Saints, Frindsbury
4th	All Saints, Hempstead
5th	Berachah, Chatham
6th	Beulah, Gillingham
7th	Bishop Gund, Chattenden
8th	Borstal Baptist
9th	Bridge Baptist, Gillingham
10th	Bush Road, Cuxton
11th	Chatham Evangelical
12th	Chatham Garrison
13th	Christ Church, Luton
14th	Christ The King, Chatham
15th	Church of the Nazarene, Gillingham
16th	Cliffe Mission
17th	Emmanuel, Cliffe Woods
18th	Emmanuel Congregational, Chatham
19th	Emmaus, Chatham
20th	English Martyrs, Strood
21st	Enon Baptist, Chatham
22nd	Frindsbury Baptist
23rd	Gillingham Baptist
24th	Gillingham Methodist
25th	Holy Trinity, Twydall
26th	Hoo Methodist
27th	King's, Chatham
28th	Lordswood Fellowship
29th	Lower Stoke Methodist
30th	Medway Family, Chatham

" Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid
or terrified because of them, for the Lord your
God goes with you; He will never leave you
nor forsake you. "

Deut 31:6 NIV

1st
Lord Jesus we come before You on behalf of Medway with thanksgiving for the wonderful gift of eternal life so freely given to us, help us to live our lives so that all whom we meet are touched by Your grace, mercy and love. Amen
2nd
Terminally ill - Pray for increased provision and effectiveness of palliative care for all folk with terminal illnesses, for emotional and practical support for their families, especially any children, and for the Gospel's hope, truth, love and power to be demonstrated and experienced by all involved.
3rd
NHS Direct - Pray for the 90 nurses / operators working 24 - 7 out of Chatham Maritime, for good working relationships within a growing, constantly changing and stressful environment, for wisdom, guidance and support to be given to callers who are often fustrated, frightened and ill.
4th
Health - Pray about the growing complacency / irresponsibility amongst many sexually active young people who wrongly believe that they are unlikely to contract HIV or sexually transmitted infections. Pray that more info will be distributed which warns against promiscuous lifestyles.
5th
Society - Pray about the pressure on young people through books, magazines, radio, T.V. and films to see sexual relationships outside marriage as the norm and desirable. Intercede for the beginnings of change in public opinion about these issues.
6th
Youth - pray for annointed youth leaders to help gather the young and wayward back to the Lord; for gifts of wisdom, compassion and understanding to enable effective and relevant dialogues; for strength to lead holy lives pleasing to God that will in themselves be a call to repentance.
7th
Economy - Pray for the strengthening of the local economy and in particular for the success of the new retail park and leisure ventures in Chatham Maritime and for positive working environments and appropriate remuneration for all who will be working there.
8th
Commuters - Pray for the welfare of Medway's large commuter workforce; the protection of London in the present climate of uncertainty and terroist threat, and for the Medway Christians working there to be a source of encouragement and witness to all those around them.

" Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable
Your servants to speak Your word with great
boldness. Steach out Your hand to heal and
perform miraculous signs through the name
of Your Holy Servant Jesus "

Acts 4: 29-30 NIV

9th
Workplace - Father, we pray for every Christian group that meets within the workplace. Bind them together in loving unity and give them fresh enthusiasm and vision. May they pray in faith, reach out to colleagues and bring inspiration to sitautions that need Your healing and blessing. Amen.
10th
Outreach - Lord we pray that the church will increasingly be a rich well of creativity that glorifies You and helps Christians to share the Gospel more effectively with their family, friends and neighbours through the wide variety of gifts You have given us. Amen.
11th
Neighbourhood - Pray specifically for our neighbours; for increased opportunities of friendship and service and ways to live out and share our faith; for our homes to be seen as lighthouses of prayer where neighbours are comfortable enough to ask for prayer for their felt needs.
12th
Family - Pray for divine protection over all God's children and their families; for gifts of faith and love for those who have loved ones outside of the Kingdom and ultimately for all our families to be made whole as each relative receives God's mercy.
13th
Men - Pray for men to rise up in prayer, and take their place before God in resisting the erosion of Christian faith and values in our culture; for father's hearts to be turned towards the children, and to take responsibility for protecting them.
14th
Church - Ask God to continue directing all church community initiatives, that they will find favour with the authorities and public alike, be conducted in humility with a true servant heart and lead many to an understanding of God's saving love for them.
15th
Church - Father, we pray that we would do away with the yoke of oppression in Medway, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and that with one heart and mouth we may glorify You and our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
( from Isaiah 58:9 & Romans 15:6 ).
16th
Body of Christ - Pray for those who've been hurt or excluded because they didn't fit in with church expectations; for healing, reconciliation and refreshment in the Holy Spirit where He has been quenched; for people finding their place again in the body.

" God is not a man that He should lie. He
is not a son of man that He should change His
mind. Has He ever promised and not delivered?
Has He ever spoken and not acted? "

Num 23:19

17th
People of God - Pray for Christians to stir themselves out of apathy and indifference to seek God for fresh fire so that we may be cleansed from self indulgence, pride and greed and be given increased passion for Jesus and compassion for the lost.
18th
Kent - Pray for all county Christians; for increased unity and cooperation between neighbouring areas; sharing of vision / resources and in particular for the many who have visited Medway for the Ed Silvoso ' Compassion for Kent ' conference to be challenged to continue with prayer evangelism.
19th
Peace - Father, in these troubled times of financial crisis and international conflict and upheaval, may Your peace guard our hearts and keep us from fear, that Jesus would be seen in us as the living answer to these issues. Amen.
( from John 14:27 & Phil 4:7 )
20th
Thames Gateway - Pray into the recently announced house building plans and the resultant impact on Medway; that rightful consideration be given to community needs; for necessary infrastructure and recreational needs to be met and for the church's voice to be heard in the planning stages.
21st
The Medway - Give thanks for the area, and the part it has played in our nation's history; for the naval role: in defence against invasion ( e.g. assembling of main fleet against Armada; building of Nelson's ' Victory ' ) and in protecting trade and suppressing slavery.
22nd
The Medway - Pray for release form inherited traits and attitudes; in place of prostitution ( ' The Chatham Scandal ' ) - may faithfulness flow; in place of captivity in hulks and death - freedom and life; and in place of war and domination let peace and service go out in Jesus name.
23rd
Ex-Prisoners - Heavenly Father we lift to You those struggling with addictive behaviour and mental illness, during and after their time in prison. Lead them to staff, volunteers, chaplains and others who can offer care and support that will bring them through these difficulties. Amen.
24th
Adoption - Pray for the 25+ Medway children adopted annually; for the social services to find the right homes for the children; for them to find loving parents; for the healing of past hurts and for the ' natural ' children to welcome and love their new siblings.

" Every great movement of God can be traced to a kneeling man. "

D. L. Moody

25th
Schools - Lord we thank You for bringing together prayer groups for some of our schools, we pray that they will build good relationships with the school, be effective and faithful in their praying and that You would stir many more of us to intercede for all those in education. Amen..
26th
Schools - Pray for ongoing budget issues to be solved so that the hard fought improvements in our schools will not be set back. Pray for increased funding and the attracting of teachers and other staff who will be a blessing to local education to move here.
27th
Special Needs - Pray that the necessary funding and staffing will be found to support all children with special needs; for development in their abilities and healing; for compassion and understanding from fellow pupils and comfort and support for the families concerned.
28th
Council - Pray for the 9,400+ council workforce, for good industrial relations, job satisfaction, discernment for those charged with making decisions that affect the level of community services provided, protection from public abuse and a recognition of their important role in local society.
29th
Elections - Pray for the forthcoming council elections; for the campaigning to be truthful with the focus on best serving the people of Medway; for God to speak to all candidates and for those who are so elected to serve with integrity and humility.
30th
Lord, hear our prayers for Medway and lead us in the way You would have us respond to Your Word so that our lives would be pleasing to You and those who are still walking in guilt and sin would come to You and be set free.
In Jesus Name. Amen

" We are now producing a monthly prayer bulletin
( in bullet point e-mail form ) to supplement the prayer
guide, therby allowing us to respond prayerfully to local
issues as they occur. If you would like further details of
this and / or the school prayer groups - planned for
al Medway's schools - please contact us by e-mail on
trevoraclarke@blueyonder.co.uk.
Thanks and blessings.

Produced by Churches Together In Medway and Medway Celebrate

Please feel free to contact the Webmaster who welcomes your comments and suggestions.

Last updated 29th September 2003