Feb 27 – The Prayers this week are focussed on the Love of the Spirit.

Father, thank You for that verse in Romans 15:30 which reveals that Your Spirit loves us, and that this can be a basis for our prayers. ‘Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, through our Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in prayers to God on my behalf.’

It is such a profound revelation. We often conceptually embrace a truth without experientially entering into the full blessing of it.

May this great truth not only remain ‘head-knowledge,’ may it become an experiential reality in our lives bringing security, a silence of soul which overcomes the world’s destructive noise, the motivation to fully embrace the Spirit’s love, and to strive together in prayer for the advance of the Gospel.

Thank You that His love is closely linked to ‘our Lord Jesus Christ.’ Without You, Lord Jesus, we could not come in prayer to God. We pray for this revelation to also impact us, and enable us to grow and mature in faith leading to a deepening prayer life. Amen

Feb 28 – Father, we acknowledge the invisible nature of Your Spirit; however, we also declare the ‘felt-reality’ of His presence.

His invisibility is not an intangible absence but rather a great solace and strength for our souls as we experience His joy and peace flooding our bodies, souls and spirits.

Your Son declared that the world cannot receive the Spirit because it isn’t looking for Him, nor does it recognise Him. May our church become an open spiritual family fully embracing, experiencing and exulting in Your Spirit’s presence and love.

May the world come to know the Spirit, because He is so clearly at work in us, His invisible presence made clear by the visible impact on our lives as disciples and followers of Jesus of His work in us. May His revelation lead to many more coming to Christ in repentance and belief in and through Telford Elim, in person and online. Amen

Mar 1 – Father, Your word is resplendent with references to the power of Your Spirit. Acts 1:8, ‘But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”’

Thank You that His power is not an undisciplined force which at times is destructive to us. It is a power that is perfectly matched or joined with His love and completely in tune with Your Perfect Will and Ways for us and our lives.

Lord Jesus, it is His power at work in us that enables us to be the witnesses You call us to be.

We pray for an out pouring of His power and love across our Church, in person and online, flowing beyond our walls out into the communities beyond them so that we are effective witnesses to Your saving Gospel and keeping power. Amen

Mar 2 – Father, Your Son opened the door for the inbreaking of Your promise – Your Spirit’s presence in Your Church. Your Church is to be the vehicle through which our Lord Jesus Christ is made known to the world.

May the spiritual life that Your Spirit brings, His spiritual vitality and love, lead to an even greater dimension of His love at work in our church.

The life He draws us into is not aimless, an existence for the sake of being, but it is Him sharing His essential being with us giving Divine Purpose and Call which creates a redemptive existence through the blood of Your Son.

This new life in Christ, by the Spirit, culminates not in a type of utopia but in the very flesh and blood reality of Christian life in this world with all of its challenges, need for faith and obedience, and victories and defeats.

May the Spirit’s love and life flow through Telford + Wrekin/ Shropshire, and beyond, because of the people and ministries of Telford Elim, in person and online, ushering many into eternal life in Christ. In Jesus’ name and for His glory. Amen 

Mar 3 – Father, the love of Your Spirit is a bright and shining light; yet, it is not a distinct light from Your Son’s saving light as the true Light of the world.

Rather, we give thanks that Your Spirit’s love is completely compatible with Christ’s love – Your Spirit is the only one able to open the door to a saving faith in Your Son. Unless we are born-again by Your Spirit, our light is darkness, our day night, and we are unable to receive all the benefits Your love in Christ can bring.

When the Spirit’s invisible work begins within, then it opens the portal to a clear revelation of Jesus the Saviour, to Your love, and Your Son’s saving grace. Our inner darkness of soul is able to be overcome by the true Light of the world.

I pray for such a work in the lives of those in my family, in my circle of friends, among my colleagues, in my communities who are not yet saved. In Jesus’ name. Amen

Mar 4 – Father, thank You that Spirit baptism is also a baptism in true love. It is the well of Your love being opened up in us, welling up within, which is able to drive out the darkness of sin, depravity, fear, worry and unbelief.

The Spirit’s love is love in action – not austere, not formal and cold, not condemnatory, not abusive but sincere, encouraging, relational, and inspirational.

May a baptism of such love give evidence to His awesome presence among us – to Your love in our midst. May the pure nature of His love: without stain, shadow nor presupposition, be one of the Hallmarks of our Church. In Jesus’ name. Amen

Mar 5 – Father, thank You for the true freedom and liberty that signifies the presence of Your Spirit.

This is a freedom from the straight-jacket of religious observance, uniformity, religious imposition, and even from religious pluralism: Syncretism. Instead, Your Spirit opens us up to be completely saturated by Agape Love.

His freedom is not a manifestation of selfishness, Him wanting to be separate from us, but it flows from a full, total commitment to Your New Covenant sons and daughters.

It is a freedom that liberates us from the weight of the Law, and instead completely ushers us into the transforming power of Grace in our Lord Jesus Christ.

May this freedom to love You, the Triune-God, also become a freedom to love ourselves and our neighbours as You command and desire for us to do. In Jesus’ name. Amen