May 25 – This week’s prayer letter is again on God’s Presence and Power. Genesis 3:8, ‘and they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to Adam & said to him, “Where are you?”’
Father, so many are still hiding from You. They are hiding behind many things including their hobbies, unbelief, self-will and rebellion. No matter where a person hides – Your voice can still be heard asking, ‘where are you.’ Thank You that You already know exactly where each one of us hides, what we use for cover from Your holy and awesome presence.
Adam and Eve had to respond, no-one can hide who they are, what they believe, how they think and act, and how they relate to others – it is useless to do so. You are El Roi, the God who sees me. When You saw their nakedness – You provided a covering for Adam and Eve to hide their shame. So today, You still offer One whose atoning death is a covering for all who will believe in Him, Christ Himself. He can remove our guilt and shame and dress us in His righteousness making us fit to stand in your presence – hallelujah.
I pray that Your presence will be with us and Your voice heard in and through the ministries of our church online as we call people out to have an audience with Your beloved Son. When people meet Jesus, they have the chance to regain the purpose for which You created them – to reflect Your glory and honour, and to be whole-heartedly devoted to Your service and worship. Save many through the witness of the people and ministries of Telford Elim. In Jesus’ name. Amen
May 26 – Exodus 3:2, ‘And the Angel of the Lord appeared to Moses in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, & behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed.’
Lord Jesus, You called to Moses in a remote place when he was a forgotten man – You called Him into Your service and for the benefit of Your people, so we pray that many will be called to serve in Your harvest fields – to serve You Lord Jesus and Your purposes. Your presence transformed Moses, and You empowered him to ultimately succeed in Your purposes.
Lord, you took a forgotten man from obscurity into a new life of obedient service; so, today, You are calling people to follow Your call to worship and obedient service. It was Your fiery presence in the midst of the ordinary & commonplace that astounded and drew Moses aside. I pray for such divine interruptions and appointments in many lives today. May the fire of Your presence draw many aside from their ordinary day into an extraordinary encounter with You. Amen
May 27 – Exodus 33:14, ‘And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”’
Father, Moses asked for the promise of Your overwhelming presence and power in His ministry, and to be among Your people – so I ask for Your presence and power in my life and in our church. It is not just that I want to know that You will help us – I know that You will, but I recognise that we need Your tangible and overwhelming power and presence to complete the tasks that You have allotted to each one of us in Telford Elim and those who join us online so that people will give all the glory to Your Son, our wonderful Lord Jesus Christ.
Lord, Moses was asking for Your presence to go with them because the sin of his nation had brought them into a place of judgement instead of grace. By asking for You to restore to the nation Your presence and power – He was asking You to remove the threatened judgement and agree to act in mercy and grace towards Your people. Likewise, we pray today for forgiveness for the sins of our nation, and for You to remove the hand of judgement that is on it transitioning us to a new season of mercy and grace and forgiveness for the UK. In Jesus’ name. Amen
May 28 – Psalm 100:2, ‘Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing.’
Father, in this period of Pandemic with the closure of our church buildings – it is more difficult to come into Your presence with singing. As we are unable to gather for corporate worship – pour upon us in our homes, workplaces, leisure spaces and online the Spirit of thanksgiving, praise and worship – the Spirit of righteousness, peace and joy. Wherever the people of our church are today: at home, at work, out for some exercise and rest and refreshment, online – may each one be singing Your praises till the evening fades.
To be glad and rejoice in worship and Your service is a wonderful spiritual weapon which connects us with Your presence and power. We pray that this attitude to life will be more than simply an emotional response to things going well – but will be the attitude to life of all who are part of our church, and those who engage with our church online. You ask me to come singing praise and thanks to You. I ask that You will fill me with Your Spirit to enable me to give You thanksgiving, praise and worship each new day. May our church be filled with people who have decided to worship and serve You with gladness, no matter how the external or internal winds are blowing. In Jesus’ name. Amen
May 29 – 1 Chronicles 16:27, ‘Honour and majesty are before Him; strength and gladness are in His place.’
Father, David understood perfectly that dwelling in the secret place of the Most High resulted in more than simply a nice emotional experience or feeling – dwelling there brings one into Your throne room, the place of potential where we can be anointed for the purpose to which You call us. It opens doors long locked ushering us into Your powerful presence which brings the possibility also of much honour and glory being brought to our Lord Jesus.
Lord, history teaches us that the man or woman who dwells in Your presence becomes the person whose life deeply impacts all those within their sphere of influence. As I set aside time to come into Your presence today, teach and train me in how to do so effectively and consistently in person and online. May it become the routine of my life to dwell, in the Spirit, in that mighty place. It is there that we gain great spiritual strength, and the Spirit’s joy to be effective witnesses to Christ – Kingdom builders establishing Christ’s reign in many hearts, lives, communities, rural areas, hamlets, villages, towns, cities and online. In His name & for His glory. Amen
May 30 – Psalm 16:11, NLT, ‘You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of Your presence and the pleasures of living with You forever.’
Father, the psalmist David had such an assurance of Your goodness and love established through years of walking with You and seeing You work on his behalf. He not only experienced many, great deliverances in times of crisis, but he also deeply appreciated what Your loving presence meant for him. Your covenant commitment to David meant that He lived a life filled with Your favour and blessing – even when all the outward circumstances were against him. Forgive me when I forget, or overlook, what it means to live a life that pleases You filled with Your mercy, grace and favour.
To walk in step with, and be filled by, Your Spirit is good for our spiritual and physical well-being. You promise to guide us, to overrule our false inclinations when necessary – to even turn bad moments ultimately into positive steps in the process of our sanctification, of establishing Christ’s Lordship and reign in every area of our lives. It is a journey of deepening love and building greater understanding and sensitivity in the relationship that we have with You. You are on our side, in Christ, Your enduring faithfulness and love is ours.
We proclaim that His mercy, grace and love will be the bedrock for a radical, reformation of our nation as people are born again and enter into a living relationship with You, through Christ, in the comfort and presence of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name. Amen
May 31 – 1 John 4:12, NLT, ‘No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and His love is brought to full expression in us.’
Father, although no human being has ever seen You – Your beloved Son came to reveal You exactly as You are. Lord Jesus, thank You that You are the full expression of Your Father. Your presence – experiencing Your Spirit’s indwelling of my life – can only be truly realised when I love my brothers and sisters as You call me to. In fact, as we love one another Your love is brought to its fullest expression in the life of Your Church, and the world cannot help but see it and acknowledge that Your presence fills our lives.
Lord, this is an amazing challenge. It is wonderful that Your Spirit is willing to help me, when I ask for Your grace, by pouring into me Your amazing love (Romans 5:5). Fill our nation, O Spirit of the living God, with Your overflowing love, grace and power. As we open ourselves up to the inflow of Your love by walking in step with Your Spirit and being filled with Your word, may You save, cleanse and heal our nation.
Holy Spirit, fill us with Your love, the love of the Father, Son and Spirit. May You teach us how to love our brothers & sisters as You do. We humble ourselves and ask that Your love and power would flow through us into the lives of hundreds, and eventually thousands who engage with our church online. We pray that we will develop a fellowship online. Fellowship is always two way, never only one way. Lord, tear down the veil that separates people from us online so that we create a church fellowship online. When Your love is perfected in our lives, fear is expelled, blockages that prevent the flow of Your love through us – are unblocked. As we apply Your word and obey Christ’s commandments – we demonstrate our love for Christ (cf. John 14:15), and create a pathway of salvation, sanctification and Kingdom building worship and service. We pray that we may apply these spiritual principles, including speaking to the Rock Christ Jesus so that His love may flow throughout the British Isles, flowing over to the nations. Once again make the UK and Ireland a spiritual blessing to the world (cf. Numbers 20:8). May Telford Elim grow and flourish in person and online in worship, fellowship, witness and mission. In Jesus’ name and for His glory. Amen
