God’s Love – a Change Agent

This week’s prayers are written by Bernard Langford. The aim of these prayers is to help us see and understand how God’s love for us causes us to completely change our lives. The Lord’s wonderful provision for our lives provides the opportunity for us to do things and reach positions/places we never dreamed possible. As we go through each of these prayers – stop and consider:

• Where we have come from?
• Where God wants us to be?
• And what He wants us to do for Him?

May 16 – Review and Reflection time – Psalm 51

Heavenly Father, as we come before You at the start of this new week, we want to open ourselves up to what You have for us in the coming days. Forgive us for not trusting You this last week with the issues that we faced, and thus failed to deal with them in the right manner. 

Sometimes, Lord, it is difficult when we are consumed by fear which seems to block You and Your love out. Other times You ask us to step out in our decision making but we hold back, and, as a consequence, we fail to have the success or reach the goal that You desired for us. 

So, as we come before You today, we ask that You forgive us for the things we should have done but have not done. Wash us clean by the precious blood of Jesus so that we can move forward without the burdens and failures of last week. Lead us deeper into the experience of Your life-changing love in Jesus. Amen.

May 17 – Adapting to Change – Jeremiah 18:1-4

CSB, ‘This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Go down at once to the potter’s house; there I will reveal my words to you.” So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, working away at the wheel. But the jar that he was making from the clay became flawed in the potter’s hand, so he made it into another jar, as it seemed right for him to do.’

Lord, we thank You for saving us through the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, and bringing us into Your wonderful Presence. We thank You that we can rejoice knowing that we have a Heavenly Father who does really love and care, and is also very patient with us.

Lord, we recognise that Your desire is to transform our lives, and lifestyles, for the better; and that changing our attitudes does not happen overnight. For some of us the journey can be difficult when it comes to changing our habits and life patterns, and this is where we ask for a double dose of Your grace.

Teach us by Your Spirit, word and fellowship with other mature believers – how to reschedule and re-align our lives so that we find time for You, and deal with any stubbornness or lack of faith that prevents us from receiving Your life changing love, and what You have for us. We ask in Jesu’s precious name. Amen.

May 18, – Life’s enrichment – Jeremiah 15:16a

CSB, ‘Your words were found, and I ate them. Your words became a delight to me and the joy of my heart…’

Father, we thank You too for all the wisdom and understanding that Your Word brings to us; and following Your instructions is central to living a life of joy and peace. We also recognise, Lord, that as we read Your Word certain verses or passages jump out at us, and these are such a blessing as they turn out to be so relevant to us at a particular time.

Thank You that even though You are the God of the Universe – You do speak to every single one of us – if we make the time and effort to read Your Word. Help us, Lord, to be more disciplined, and read Your Word so that we can live life to the full.

Holy Spirit, speak to us and teach us as we read it so the life of faith grows, Your love in Christ is made mature and perfect in us, and we transformed and renewed on the inside. We ask it in Christ’s name. Amen.

May 19, – Character forming – 2 Peter 1:3–8

CSB, ‘’His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. By these he has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being useless or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.’

Father, You encourage us to make every effort to add to our faith, not just goodness but knowledge, self-control, perseverance or endurance, godliness and kindness or brotherly affection. 

Thank You that You equip us to be able to live a life that helps us shine in the world around us (Philippians 2:15); and whilst this outcome is, more often than not, formed by difficult situations that come our way – You provide that divine power and grace to help us cope, and the encouragement of our brothers and sisters so that we reach those goals.

Thank You for the biblical characters, Joseph and Job, who stories encourage us as their lives were richly blessed but only after many, many struggles. Glory to You, Lord God the Almighty – You never let us down no matter what life throws at us.

Your love in Jesus has the power to change everything about us in godly ways that honour Christ – may that change continue and take deep root in our lives. May it overflow from our lives into others igniting new life in them also – especially those we love, pray for, and regularly come into contact with. Thank You in Jesus’ name. Amen

May 20 – Effectiveness – Philippians 3:12-14

CSB, ‘Not that I have already reached the goal or am already perfect, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.’

Father, having accepted Jesus into our lives – we have come to realise that You are slowly taking us from one degree of glory to another. As Creator of this wonderful universe, You are wanting to create something beautiful out of our lives too.

You never stand still and are always lovingly, and slowly, moulding us into the person who truly reflects the new creation You have begun in us (2 Corinthians 5:17); so that our lives can reflect Christ, and bring the riches of His grace, in us, into the world around us.

Whether it be at home, work or social life, You want us to make an impact – no matter how large or small. Thank You, Lord, that You designed our lives to have a purpose; so we ask that, in Jesu’s name, we reach our destiny in Him. Fill us afresh today with Your agape love. Amen.

May 21 – Desire to serve – Colossians 3:1-3

CSB, ‘So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.’

Thank You my Heavenly Father for the journey that You have taken me on so far in my life. Because of the love You have shown towards me in Jesus, my heart’s desire is to want to give You something back. 

However, Lord, I do realise that there are blockages that prevent me from giving freely. Lord, I ask that You will show me the barriers in my life that are preventing me from serving You and Your purposes fully.

Lord, I need Your help and abundant grace so that I can seek help to deal with the blockages in my life. Set me free from any chains that bind me. In Jesu’s name I ask. Amen.

May 22 – Deciding to serve – Joshua 24:14-15

CSB, ‘“Therefore, fear the Lord and worship him in sincerity and truth. Get rid of the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and worship the Lord. But if it doesn’t please you to worship the Lord, choose for yourselves today: Which will you worship — the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living? As for me and my family, we will worship the Lord.”’

Lord Jesus, we thank You for the abundant love and protection that You give us from the minute we lay our lives down and follow You. We give thanks that You showed us the way by coming to serve rather than be served.

You laid down Your life for us and, as we move forward at Telford Elim, we ask that every single one of us will step forward to pick up the baton/ministry that You prepared for us.

For those who are struggling, have blockages and other difficulties – we pray that Your grace will flow into their lives just as water brings life to the earth. We pray that Your Holy Spirit will bring abundant life to those in need.

Bless Nigel Tween as he comes to preach and minister in church today. We ask for Your rich anointing on him and his ministry. May each one of us be open to receive what You are saying to us though Nigel, and the ministry that Your Spirit wishes to impart to us.

As we think about vision in church, and what we believe You are calling us to step into – help us as a church to follow You and to step out in faith, living sacrificially and selflessly as we serve You, and Your purposes, in our day. We ask this in Your precious name. Amen.