May 18 – This week’s prayer letter is on God’s presence & power.

Luke 7:16, ‘Great fear swept the crowd, and they praised God, saying, “A mighty prophet has risen among us,” and “God has visited His people today.”

Father, in this verse we have a record of the people’s response to Christ’s ministry to the grieving widow at Nain, the miraculous raising of her only son from the dead. They saw in the raising of the dead man a revelation of Jesus’ power and authority as a mighty prophet. They also saw Him acting as Your representative; and therefore, they believed Your presence was active once again among Your people.  

As we consider our day with all the unusual things that are happening through the spread of Covid-19 – we acknowledge the many places that You are active in and give You thanks that Your Son is still moving and ministering with that same compassion today as to that broken widow 2,000 years ago. We ask that we may be in on some of what You are doing in these days, and ministering with the same compassion as our Lord demonstrated. That Christ’s authority and the Spirit’s power may be at the very centre of our church’s ministry online and in person. In Jesus’ name. Amen

May 19 – Galatians 3:5, ‘I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ.’

Father, thank You for the exuberant gift of Your Spirit – He does not come because of our religious fervour or devotion; no – His coming is because of Your covenant promise that He would come. We recognise that without faith we cannot please You – without standing upon Your word we will not achieve anything that lasts.

As we pray this week about moving in Your power and carrying Your presence – we ask for the fullness of Your Spirit. As we confront sin, self, the world, sickness and Satan, we ask for wisdom and sensitivity to the leading of Your Spirit so we step out in Your power, in the centre of Your will, and filled with Your presence to enable us to be victorious and overcome all the works of Satan.

Where we encounter unbelief and hardness of heart, only Your Spirit can breakthrough as we minister Your word and in Christ’s name – may He do so as we minister so we hear of many testimonies to healing, deliverance, salvation and freedom in Christ. Grant us the boldness and spiritual authority to step out in the Spirit and minister as You call us to do. We pray for many amazing demonstrations of the Spirit and power through the ministry, online and in person, of Telford Elim leading to many men, women, young people and children flourishing in their salvation and freedom in Christ. Amen

May 20 – Hebrews 2:4, ‘And God confirmed the message by giving signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever He chose (according to His will).’

Father, as we consider Your willingness to authenticate the Gospel message by working through Your people with signs, wonders, miracles, and spiritual gifts – the question we must challenge ourselves with is, ‘do we allow You the room to do so among us?’ Forgive us when we have sought to confine You to our will, and sought to get You to act on our behalf. We acknowledge the supremacy of Your will. We also confess there have been times when we have stepped out in the agency of human knowledge, wisdom, energy and opportunity. Forgive and cleanse us – sanctify us by Your word and Spirit.

Guide our feet and ministries into the very centre of Your will. We humble ourselves before You, and pray that many will be set free because of Christ at work through us. As we preach, teach, testify and share Your word – confirm it with signs following. May we  impart spiritual gifts and encourage faith through our ministries. We proclaim that our ministry will be Spirit-led, directed, empowered and authenticated leading to a great harvest of souls for Christ through Telford Elim. In His name and for His glory. Amen

May 21 – John 14:12, “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in Me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father”

Lord Jesus, You are not precious about which of Your people should follow in Your footsteps doing Your works; in fact, You said, ‘he or she who believes in Me…will do also.’ This verse gives us reason to hope, and emboldens our faith. You are with the Father and delight to enable us to do many more works through Your church – more in number and more in scope, but never greater in faith or power.

We ask that You may use us as a church, and guide and enable us to do those ‘many more/greater’ works. We pray that we would be a church where every single believer is equipped to be wholeheartedly committed to Your cause and Your service. Where people are held back by all sorts of different reasons or responsibilities – we pray for wisdom and discernment to have a word of breakthrough for every given situation and every single person. We pray for people to be equipped to be Your ambassadors at home, in the wider family, circle of friends, work, in the community. Save, heal and cleanse our land through Christ being preached and presented by Your UK church; may Telford Elim be at the centre of this powerful ministry to the nation and nations. In Jesus’ name. Amen

May 22 – 2 Kings 6:1-2, ‘One day the group of prophets came to Elisha and told him, “As you can see, this place where we meet with you is too small. Let’s go down to the Jordan River, where there are plenty of logs. There we can build a new place for us to meet.”

“All right,” he told them, “go ahead.”

Father, what an amazing picture of growth – the place which was big enough yesterday is no longer large enough. They needed more room, an enlarged space, a house big enough to allow them to function and minister today. This was because a man of God was ministering among them, Elisha. There was evidence of Your blessing on the ministry.

Forgive us when we allow yesterday to loom large, tomorrow to seem out of reach, and today to be overwhelmed with everything but Your will and Kingdom work. Lead us into Your truth; we ask that as our place is too small on a Sunday morning, because of Your blessing on the ministry in Telford Elim, You will lead us to a larger, more spacious place for Sunday morning ministry in preparation for when Lockdown is eventually over. We pray for the raising up of many men, women, young people and children as ministers of Christ who attract many to come and sit with them in our church. May Your anointing, authority, grace, and favour rest on their lives filling them with Your presence and power making Telford Elim a presence led, and a Spirit-filled, powerful church. In Jesus’ name & for His glory. Amen

May 23 – Isaiah 28:20, ‘The bed you have made is too short to lie on. The blankets are too narrow to cover you’

Father, the predicament of Your people in Isaiah’s day reflects our day – they were confined, hemmed in and limited. They were also cold spiritually, and feeling vulnerable and exposed to the cold winds blowing through their land and cities. They could not enter properly into a place of rest because of this. The UK, as a nation, is facing the same cold winds of ill-health, economic hardship and spiritual lethargy – the UK church ministering for years in a period of spiritual apathy and opposition.

As we think of our church online and in our Borough – a world around us which is largely cold towards Christ and His cause – wrap us in Your presence, and make a space for us to dwell in Beulah land. ‘No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, your land Beulah; for the Lord will take delight in you, and your land will be married’ (Isaiah 62:4). We pray for a great Reformation of our nation bringing Christ to the centre, His salvation, truth, way and life to the heart of the people. Amen

May 24 – Isaiah 28:22, ‘Now therefore, do not be mockers, lest your bonds be made strong. For I have heard from the Lord God of hosts, a destruction determined even upon the whole earth’

Father, thank You that in the previous verse, 21, You are revealed as appearing at the place of breakthrough and breakout – Mount Perazim. Verse 22 contains Your warning against mocking You for what You are doing, of mocking Your people. Mockery reinforces spiritual bondage, strengthens the power of the enemies of Christ, and leads to the spiritual imprisonment and enslaving of millions in the bondage of sin and rebellion against Christ. On the one hand – You are the Lord of breakout and deliverance, on the other – Satan stands as the imprisoner of people in slavery to sin, self, the world and himself, the enslaver of souls.

I pray that You will fill our church with Your presence and power to enable our church to be a house, online and in person, of breakthrough and deliverance into the promised freedom in Christ. Enable us to guard against mockery in all its forms, and to teach and preach against it leading people into thankfulness, praise, worship and Christ’s service. Amen