Burlington Baptist Church - Prayer Week 2010

Make the most of God’s Great Invitation ... Spend time listening as well as asking
...and be prepared for positive change in your life & the lives of others in response.

Vital Information:

- Early morning Prayer meetings at Burlington between 7am and 8am (Mon to Sat). You can also join in by telephone for as long as you are able (simply dial “0845 334 4475” and when prompted enter the code no. “479987#” and say your name). This will hopefully save you time and benefit the environment !

- Make your own ‘space for prayer’ on one day this week - and hopefully most weeks. It will be well worth the ‘discipline’ – you will not lose out & you may well have something to share (see final page)! Think about it as though you were prioritising time for a coffee with a special friend. In this way we will build an ongoing ‘Prayer Wall’.

Please indicate your commitment to this by signing the chart in the Welcome Area or contact Jonathan Barnes.

- If you are part of a Triplet why not try and meet during Prayer Week, a good opportunity to restart a habit if it has been a while since you met.

- Why not try out some alternative ways to pray and see if they help you e.g.:
- while walking, doing sport, driving (though do not lose concentration!)
- miss a meal, a coffee break, a favourite TV programme etc and have a focussed prayer time (though do not forget to drink some water from time to time)

- consider regularly praying for one or two specific ministries (see separate letter)

Programme for the Week of Prayer

Your Feedback

Your ‘feedback’: What is your ‘space for prayer’ focus and your reflections after that special time (which hopefully can be shared with others to help us discern God’s plans together). Pleased pass this information to Simon, Jonathan or email prayer@burlingtonbaptist.org.uk

Focus:……………………………………………………………………………..

Reflection:...................................................................................................................................

Daily Prayer Pointers

May these verses and thought help you enjoy being in God’s presence each day. As you read, relax with our Father God. Allow the verses to encourage you & turn them to praise.

Sunday - The Discovery Step: Getting to know the Gospel

Zephaniah 3:17: “The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.”

This is what we want to feel for ourselves. This is what we want those who do not yet know Jesus to have the opportunity to experience.

- Pray that we will all start a sustained improvement in our prayer communication with Him and prayerful concern for one another and the activities with which we are engaged improvement in our prayer communication with Him and prayerful concern for one another and the activities with which we are engaged

- Pray the Fellowship Lunch will enable us to grow closer to other ‘spiritual’ family members will enable us to grow closer to other ‘spiritual’ family members

Monday - On the Step: Getting to know Christians

2 Corinthians 3:18b: “And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more.”

As others get to know us they see that we are different…because of Jesus at work in us through prayer, which transforms our hearts and minds.

- Give thanks for a new working week, pray we will ‘integrate’ our faith into our secular lives pray we will ‘’ our faith into our secular lives

- Pray Boys’ and Girls’ Brigade young people will enjoy the opportunity to pray this evening young people will enjoy the opportunity to pray this evening

Tuesday –The Questioning Step: Exploring the Gospel

Psalm 51:1,2: “Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin.”

- Give thanks for Small Groups, pray they will help people explore the Gospel pray they will help people explore the Gospel

- Give thanks for the ‘Telling Your Story’ courses being run prior to Passion for Life in Ipswich’ courses being run prior to in Ipswich

- Pray our Church Meetings will make decisions which help others ‘explore the Gospel’ will make decisions which help others ‘explore the Gospel’

- May Tiddlywinks be a genuine means of building friendships, & show God’s transformation be a genuine means of building friendships, & show God’s transformation

Wednesday- Step out: Into Ministry

Psalm 5:3: “Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.”

- Give thanks for Toy Library and the links it gives us with the local community and the links it gives us with the local community

- Pray that Women’s Fellowship will continue to be a supporting group will continue to be a supporting group

- Pray for projects in the Ipswich area which are part of the work of Heart4Ipswich e.g. Soup Kitchen, FIND, Talitha Koum Christian Therapeutic Centre for women e.g. Soup Kitchen, FIND, Talitha Koum Christian Therapeutic Centre for women

- Pray that we will be on the lookout for ways of helping others to move into new ministry opportunities or develop existing ones e.g. Heather Barrington, new rota people or e.g. Heather Barrington, new rota people

Thursday – Step Up: Into Leadership

Isaiah 40:28: “God doesn’t come and go. God lasts. He’s Creator of all you can see or imagine. He doesn’t get tired out, doesn’t pause to catch his breath. And he knows everything, inside and out.” (The Message)

Think about the times when you have prayed and coincidences have happened. Thank God for His constancy, His energy, His knowledge and His presence in the events of your life.

- Give thanks for leadership, pastoral & small group teams. Pray they keep listening to God & teams. Pray they keep

- Pray that group leaders would feel supported by their group, make time to develop their relationship with our ultimate Leader and thus be enabled to truly lead others closer to Him by their group, make time to with our ultimate Leader and thus be enabled to truly lead others closer to Him

- Ask that Lunch Club today would be source of strength for all who attend today would be source of strength for all who attend

Friday – Choose your own step today!

“Prayer is an attitude of our hearts and minds which God recognises whether it takes the form of words or not” (Hallesby)

Romans 8;26: “The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.”

- Give thanks that God does give us time for everything He wants to do through us and in us He wants to do through us and in us

- Take some time today to ask God afresh what different things He may want you to be doing He may want you to be doing

- Lift up those involved in God’s wider town work e.g. CYM, Passion for Life, Ipswich in Prayer e.g. CYM, Passion for Life, Ipswich in Prayer

- Ask that God would be at work in the groups who hire Burlington premises – many they sense a difference about the people they encounter and the atmosphere in the buildings – many they sense a difference about the people they encounter and the atmosphere in the buildings

Saturday – Step on: to Maturity

“Prayer – secret, fervent, believing prayer – lies at the root of all personal godliness” (William Carey)

Matthew 6:6: “… when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father secretly. Then your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you.” (NLT)

God wants time with us in order to work in us. Carving out this time and allowing His work helps us to grow towards maturity as Christians.

- Pray for the ongoing development of Men’s initiatives alongside the really useful ones for women such as Redeeming Eve and Celebrating Women alongside the really useful ones for women such as and

- Ask God to help us prioritise time with families amongst other competing demands amongst other competing demands

Sunday - The Greatest Step: Becoming a Christian & Step In: Baptism and Membership

“To pray is to praise from the very core of our being as we acknowledge that God is so much greater than you or I” (from Streams of Living Water by Richard Foster)

Psalm 34:1+3: “I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. Glorify the Lord with me: let us exalt his name together.”

Bask in worship. Pray for many more new Christians & people to respond to the ‘Baptism Challenge’. & people to respond to the ‘’.

Annual Prayer Week - 17th - 24th January 2010