“Prayer is the most important activity of your life. It is the main way in which you develop a relationship with your Father in heaven. If you love someone, naturally you will want to spend time in their presence communicating with them. Like any relationship, communication can take many different forms.” (Nicky Gumbel)
Lancelot Andrewes (1555–1626), was one of the great theologians and preachers of his day. After he died, his private notebook on prayer was discovered and published. In it he had written two lists:
| First, he wrote a list of times of prayer in the Bible: | Next, he wrote a list of places of prayer in the Bible: |
| Always… Without ceasing… At all times… Three times a day… Evening, and morning, and at noon… Seven times a day… In the morning, a great while before day… At daybreak… The third hour of the day… About the sixth hour… The hour of prayer, the ninth… The evening… By night… At midnight…’ |
In the assembly… and in the congregation… Your closet… An upper room… A housetop… The temple… On the shore… A garden… On their beds… A desert place… In every place… |
The writer of the letter to the Hebrews exhorts us to “Appreciate our pastoral leaders who gave you the Word of God” (Ch 13:7, MSG). This week, let us remember our leaders in our church and the wider Methodist Church in South Africa. We give thanks for their role and guidance in the life of the church and in our Christian Walk. We pray that they would love Jesus with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength, and that their ministry would never steal from them their first love, Jesus Christ. We pray for God’s continued blessing and anointing on them and their families. We uphold them in our prayers as they seek God’s favour and wisdom in their role of leadership as they guide us with love and compassion.
We lift before God …
- Our own church family, Ross, Liza.
- Our Society Stewards and leaders of the various groups in the church.
- Our staff, Gillian, Sharon and Roy.
- The Supernumeraries who play such an important role in the life of our congregation: Eric Dorey, Mike Crockett and Ken Leverton
- Our Circuit Superintendent and the Ministers and Circuit Stewards of the Dumisani Circuit.
- The Bishop of our District, Yvette Moses and her support team.
- Our Presiding Bishop Pumla Nzimande and those in leadership in the Connexional Office.
Thank you for your faithfulness in prayer