Archive for the ‘Prayer news’ Category

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Partnering in prayer with the Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship

Sunday, August 29th, 2010

Over the past decade, SGM Lifewords has worked in partnership with UK-based UCCF and other international student groups to provide gospels for use in student outreach. Pod Bhogal, Head of Communications for UCCF, writes “UCCF is privileged to support hundreds of Christian unions and churches working together to give every student in Great Britain the chance to encounter Jesus.” This week, join us in praying for the work of UCCF with students beginning their courses throughout the UK.

  • Pray for Christians starting university this autumn; that they would settle well into student life, find a church and be confident in their witness for Christ.
  • Pray for Christian Unions as they put on events during freshers week, giving students the opportunity to hear the gospel. Please pray that their hearts and minds would be opened to the Bible’s life-changing words.
  • Praise God for the opportunity to spread the gospel throughout the nations as hundreds of overseas students arrive in the UK. Pray that they would be welcomed and befriended.

To find out more about UCCF’s work, please visit www.uccf.org.uk.

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Taking Choose Life to the Democratic Republic of Congo

Wednesday, August 4th, 2010

Bukavu, on the shores of Lake Kivu

Last year Interact magazine featured our work in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where SGM Lifewords has been partnering with Wycliffe to develop materials for schools. This month sees the first training sessions, with local teachers introduced to the Choose Life curriculum that has been so effective in Kenya.

Staff from the Lifewords office in Kenya are travelling to the DRC to run a series of two-day workshops, visiting several towns in the North and East of the country, including Bukavu, Uvira, and Bunia. The three week tour should see over two hundred teachers equipped to use Choose Life in their classrooms, bringing the Bible’s life words to thousands of children across the region.

It has taken several years to build up to this point, so it is exciting to actually see Choose Life hit the ground in DRC. But it hasn’t been an easy trip to plan. A referendum on a new constitution takes place today (August 4th) in Kenya, and with the history of recent political conflict, there is a risk of further instability. Please pray that the vote will be peaceful, both on the day and as results are announced, and that travel will not be disrupted. Shipping materials into the DRC is also difficult, so please pray that the booklets and training manuals will pass through customs without incident. Finally, please pray for the staff as they travel, for their health and safety, and strength on what will be quite an adventure.

Photo: Philkin

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Prayer news from Europe

Sunday, July 25th, 2010

Zbigniew Szalbot from SGM Lifewords European office writes: “Given the decrease in church attendance and declining rates of Bible literacy in mainland Europe, it can be easy to become discouraged. But Christ does not make his followers redundant. On the contrary, we need to do everything we can to point others to him.” This week, join us in praying for the ongoing work of SGM Lifewords on the Continent.

  • Praise God for the large number of Life Changing Words subscribers who daily read selected portions of God’s Word. To help subscribers to encourage others to use the service, SGM Lifewords have created a number of new resources at www.day.lcwords.com. Please pray that as a result many more people will become aware of the service and gain encouragement and inspiration from it.
  • Praise God for the translation of Day By Day into Romanian, Ukrainian and Italian. Please continue to pray for people to assist with new translations into Arabic and Turkish as well.
  • Praise God for recent orders from churches all across Europe preparing themselves for summer outreach activities. Please pray that SGM Lifewords Inspire resources will be put to good use. Pray also for the work underway to prepare resources for Christmas and for God’s guidance and creativity for those involved in this.

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Partnering in prayer with the Christian Enquiry Agency

Sunday, July 18th, 2010

In the UK and Ireland, Christian Enquiry Agency (CEA) provides information about Jesus and about the Christian faith to seekers, on behalf of churches and other ministries. SGM Lifewords and CEA have partnered together for many years – with CEA providing a point of contact or follow up for those receiving Bible resources, and also using many Inspire Bible resources directly in their own work. This week, join us in praying for CEA’s ministry.

  • CEA is planning a new website to help those looking to find out what Christians believe. Please pray for the website designers and creative team as they put the website and its contents together.

  • Pray that the website will provide a good interface for conversation, and that website users will use the opportunity to ask questions, to receive Bible resources, and to reflect on their inner life and faith.

  • Almost every day, someone contacts CEA asking for prayer. Thank God for this opportunity! Ask that many enquirers will be drawn towards God as they experience answered prayer, and the care of others praying for them. In the UK, the SGM Lifewords staff team is committed to praying for CEA enquirers. If you’d like to join us, email cea@christianity.org.uk with the message “I will be a prayer partner” to receive a weekly email with details of specific enquiries and prayer requests.

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Lifewords in Brazil

Sunday, July 11th, 2010

Cleisse Andrade from Lifewords in Brazil writes “2010 is proving to be a great year for Pavement Project, with celebrations being planned around the world. The Brazilian team is also celebrating the blessings we have received and the evidence of God’s grace in the lives of the children who have been counseled.” This week, please join us in praying for the team in Brazil, the work they are undertaking with children-at-risk and some of the wider issues facing the nation.

  • Over the last ten years, nearly 15,000 children have been individually counseled as part of Pavement Project. Give thanks for each one of these children who has had the opportunity to experience the love, care and transforming power of encounter with Jesus.
  • SGM Lifewords’ Creative Director for the UK, Steve Bassett, has recently returned from Brazil, where he has been filming Pavement Project at work. Please pray for the UK team as they work to edit the material ready for release later this month. We hope the films will help UK churches particularly to engage with Pavement Project, to join in the PP10 celebrations this year, and to support the ongoing work of the programme. You’ll be able to view the films online, or order a DVD shortly.

  • In April this year, heavy rains led to mudslides in the city of Rio de Janiero that resulted in over 10,000 people being made homeless, including 4,000 families who had to be moved from their homes for their own safety. Further floods last month caused more damage in the North East of the country. With reconstruction work now underway, please pray for resources and support to be made available to help resettle those who have lost their homes.

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Connecting Canadians with the Bible

Monday, July 5th, 2010

Heather Farrugia, Development Coordinator for SGM Canada, writes: “Research tells us that the level of Bible literacy in Canada is in decline. New invitations to connect Canadians with the Bible are urgently needed.” This week, join us in praying for the impact of the Bible’s life words in Canada.

  • Please pray for SGM Canada staff preparing for visits and presentations in churches. Pray that as they communicate something of their work, relationships with partners will be strengthened and pastors and congregations will be encouraged to engage afresh with the Bible.
  • Give thanks for the research into Bible engagement being conducted by SGM Canada. The research findings are being circulated among Canadian ministry leaders and generating constructive dialogue.
  • Praise God for the many Inspire Bible resources that SGM Canada partners (individuals and churches) are ordering and using. Pray that as people receive God’s Word in this way the Holy Spirit will speak to them, bringing transformation.

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Speaking life words across Europe

Sunday, June 20th, 2010

Zbigniew Szalbot, Communications Coordinator for SGM Lifewords, writes: “As a European Christian, I feel we need to be more active in reaching out to the people around us. SGM Lifewords’ distinctive feature is our ability to offer the Bible’s life words in so many European languages at the same time. Join us in praying for our volunteers and partners helping to spread God’s Word across the continent of Europe and beyond.”

  • The SGM Lifewords global family is committed to providing creative Bible resources to people irrespective of language or personal circumstance. The European team is planning to expand the popular resource Day By Day into several new languages including Arabic, Romanian and Turkish. Please pray for God’s provision for the funding to produce and print these new resources. Pray that as Day by Day is translated into these new languages, it will enable even more people to encounter the Bible’s life words for themselves.
  • With summer fast approaching, many churches across the continent are putting in place plans to reach out to their local communities. From barbecues and picnics to holiday camps and festivals, there will be many opportunities for people to connect with the Bible’s life-giving words. The Tourist Service Team in the Netherlands is just one of many ministry using SGM Lifewords’ resources this summer. They will be working alongside Dutch Christians to run outreach events for tourists visiting traditional churches there over the summer. Please pray for their work; and for all those seeking to reach out with God’s Word this summer.
  • An SGM Lifewords supporter in Katowice, South Poland, writes: “I would like to thank you all very much for the resources we got from you. They proved very useful in our ministry. Many people had an opportunity to hear what it means to belong to God – and some have even experienced it for themselves! People have been especially touched by your booklet called Who Am I?” Give thanks with us for this testimony, and pray that SGM Lifewords Inspire resources will continue to be a blessing to those who order and use them.

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Lifewords in Africa

Sunday, June 13th, 2010

Sammy Kamore, Office Manager for Lifewords, writes: “Africa continues to be a continent of challenges. As we prepare to celebrate ten years of Pavement Project, please pray for all those involved in our Transform programmes, without whose work and dedication none of this would have been possible”.

  • Praise God that funds are available to carry through plans for a pilot of Choose Life and sister-curriculum Choose Wisdom in DR Congo this year. Thank God for the generous response of SGM Lifewords supporters in the UK who gave specifically to meet this need.

  • Please pray for the practical arrangements that still need to be finalised for this pilot. We particularly need to find good interpreters to help with the Teacher Training sessions. Please pray that the right people would be available and able to help.

  • Thank God for the success of last month’s Pavement Project Worker Training Workshop in Kampala, Uganda. Please pray for the newly trained workers as they begin to use the Picture Me process to counsel children. Ask for confidence with the process, for sensitivity to the needs of the children and to the Holy Spirit; and that children may experience freedom and transformation as a result.

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Looking forward to Biblefresh

Sunday, June 6th, 2010

Preparation for the multi-agency Biblefresh campaign for 2011 continues – the Biblefresh manual was launched at last month’s Christian Resources Exhibition (CRE), full of ideas for UK churches about how to engage with the Bible (and with Biblefresh!) through 2011. Find out more or get a copy at biblefresh.com.

  • Please pray for the ongoing preparations for Biblefresh. Pray for the organising Executive group (from various agencies) and for campaign manager Rob Cotton. Ask God for creative energy and ideas for all the agencies taking part; that UK churches may be provided with genuinely fresh stimulus to engage with the Bible’s life words, so that the lives of individuals and communities might be transformed.
  • SGM Lifewords own contribution to Biblefresh, a project called TWELVE was also launched at CRE, with a piece of “live art” created by Abi Spendlove. Abi “drew the Bible” on the SGM Lifewords stand for the week, using as an inspiration twelve words that map the Bible’s story. Thank God for the opportunity this provided to talk together with visitors about the “big picture” of the Bible. Pray for those who have been inspired to use the idea as a starting point in their own churches; ask that this opening initiative for TWELVE will provide a creative way for people to explore together the whole story of the Bible.

  • Several initiatives are planned for 2011 as part of TWELVE. Please pray for the team working to develop these. Particular practical needs are for creative artists to join the project; and also for guidance for those working to refine the manuscript for You Are Here – a “telling” of the whole Bible story, that will provide a resource for groups to read the Bible together over a number of weeks. Please pray for real inspiration as the team work on the resources, and refine the text and ideas.

You can find out more about TWELVE and follow the preparations for 2011 at 12words.org.

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Praying for good government

Tuesday, June 1st, 2010

As the dust settles in the UK after one of the closest general elections in decades, the new coalition government is facing big decisions about how best to govern and to work together. This month, join us in praying for our political leaders in all parties.

  • In 1 Timothy 2:1-3, we read that we are to pray “for kings and all others who are in authority.” Please pray for our new Prime Minister and Cabinet. Pray that they will make decisions for the good of the people and that they will govern wisely in accordance with God’s will.
  • In the wake of last year’s expenses scandal, many MPs stood down at the general election. With over two hundred new faces in Parliament, pray that this new beginning will help to restore trust and confidence in our political system.
  • Please pray for all Christians serving in parliament as they seek to put God first in the way they serve both their country and their constituencies. Pray that in the unique and challenging environment of the political arena, they will remain committed to living in and living out of the Bible’s life words.

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