The focus of this week’s prayer letter is on Praying through Setbacks.

Apr 22 – Father, thank You for Your promise in Hebrews 13:5, that ‘You will never, ever leave us nor never ever forsake us.’ As this is a promise we can stand on, we can boldly say, ‘You are our Helper, we will not be afraid; what can man do to us.’

Sometimes Father, it seems that everything turns against us and we feel alone, forsaken, isolated and bereft of comfort. I proclaim this passage, in Hebrews 13, over the lives of any who are thinking such thoughts or are feeling that this is the case today.

May Your grace and peace, and the assurance of Your presence become a bedrock in their lives. The verse is in the context of ensuring that covetousness, the love of money, and sexual sin are not allowed to get a hold of our minds and hearts.

Instead, we are to see that You are with us, and You supply that which our souls need – a supply that money or illicit sex cannot bring. Help me to live out the truth contained in these verses. In Jesus’ name. Amen

Apr 23 – Father, throughout our lives there can be times when it appears that everything is against us, that all our hopes have been crushed, all our dreams no longer possible. We pray today for any who are facing such thoughts.

We pray for any whose situation appears fraught or even hopeless. In the midst of the battle, when the days are dark and hope eludes – may You bring hope and healing. Even if there are wounds from being abandoned by those who should have stood with us, or from facing chronic ill health – we pray for wholeness and Your touch.

May stories of wholeness in Christ, restoration and renewal be part of our church story. In Jesus’ name. Amen

Apr 24 – Father, we pray today for anyone in a desert experience – experiences that the greatest saints have all had: Joseph many years a slave in Egypt, Moses forty years in the desert, Israel forty years in the wilderness, David with the sheep, and Your beloved Son forty days in the desert contending with the enemy.

It is often a lonely, dark, foreboding place devoid of peace and filled with danger to the soul.

This experience is often the place where You prepare Your servants for a lifetime of service through which they will honour Your Son, and advance Your Kingdom and its cause. It is a place wherein we prove Your faithfulness and goodness.

Thank You for such times when You have done Your deep work in the dark places – places we thought as lonely and barren, but actually we were covered by Your shelter. Psalm 91:4, CSB, ‘He will cover you with his feathers; you will take refuge under his wings. His faithfulness will be a protective shield.’ 

We pray for patience and understanding so as to persevere and increase in faith. After all, You never, ever leave Your children – even in the darkest days.

We declare this and proclaim it as true, a truth that lifts us up in faith. When You step in and we apply Your word, when we say thank You, praise and worship, it can set a believer free from the darkest thoughts or the darkest experiences. In Jesus’ name. Amen

Apr 25 – Father, setbacks come in many different guises including ill health, bad news, poorer than hoped for results, trials which arise like clouds out of a blue sky, attacks of temptation and testing, the onslaught of the enemy, and from false expectations.

They also come from many different places including growing out of what we have been sowing by our ungodly thoughts, words or manner of lifestyle. You know us better than we know ourselves – You see clearly the outcomes from our lives.

What a person sows is what he or she will reap; & yet, You are merciful, gracious, kind and good. You don’t repay us as we deserve. We acknowledge that our bodies and minds do often produce the results of which we have been sowing into them.

Even if that is the case, we pray for healing, wholeness and restoration. We claim afresh the efficacy of the blood of Jesus. His blood is able to cleanse, produce redemption and lead to renewal. Thank You for Christ’s blood. Amen

Apr 26 – Father, how we deal with setbacks is an important indicator of the level of spiritual maturity we have. We proclaim the words, ‘by Your Spirit and word, we will arise from the ashes of defeat.’

God, we also acknowledge that sometimes the thing that can appear to be a defeat to us – is in fact the beginning of the life of abundance and the victory Your Son promised. It is the point where we move from self-reliance or independence, to learning to truly depend on Christ for everything.

Thank You for the times when my defeat has ushered in a new season of dependence and reliance on the power and fire of Your Spirit.

May any today who are in the place of defeat be able to completely surrender and begin, from the place of brokenness, the steps which will lead to the life of victory, overcoming and abundance in Christ. Amen

Apr 27 – Father, we pray for any who have been crushed by the setbacks they have experienced; for those who have been wounded and torn by what has happened; for those crushed by the feeling of failure; for those whose faith has almost been extinguished.

Often, we think about what could have been, by what we think should have been. Such thoughts can make us resentful or disillusioned by our faith. We pray for those in such a place today. It is a real and terribly debilitating mind set.

Renew their minds by Your word. Lord, may they come to see that what they have been hoping in was not Christ, but success or their own view of what success would look like.

Cleanse all of our mind sets from such thoughts, and restore a right spirit within. May our hopes become sanctified and conformed to Your will, and Your Kingdom’s true purposes. In Jesus’ name. Amen

Apr 28 – Father, short cuts, misconceptions and misunderstandings often lead to setbacks. Erroneous thinking or mind sets, false expectations, lack of spiritual knowledge and understanding of Your ways can lead us to a place of fear or anxiety.

What we hoped for or what we expected does not happen, and we are left feeling confused and worthless. May You break these old cycles, and renew our minds in Your word by Your Holy Spirit.

Where any of our foundations are not laid properly in Your word and on Christ the Cornerstone – take us on a redemptive journey renewing our minds and educating our understanding.

May our foundations be true, our backstage righteous, and our hope in Christ. Thank You for the capacities, the talents, the gifting and the time You give to us. May these be redeemed from self-control, and released, under the power and authority of Your Spirit, by the power of Your love and grace.

Take us and sanctify us. Heal our brokenness – replace our misunderstanding, and teach us to submit our wilful ways so that we are conformed to, and renewed in Christ. Amen