Prayer Points for Friday Prayer
1) Pray for our Sovereign Grace Global Family:
Taken from what Dave Taylor (Emerging Nations Director) wrote in the Emerging Nations Newsletter…
1 Corinthians 8. 1-5, ‘We want you to know brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches in Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own free will, begging us earnestly for the favour of taking part in the relief of the saints - and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.’
I started last months ‘things to pray for’ post with exactly the same verse, making comment on the wonderful interdependence that we experience in Sovereign Grace, and how we really are family, understanding that we can do far more ‘together’ than we can ‘alone’. Since then COVID-19 has affected us all, economies are crashing, lockdown for most of us is a reality, and borders have been shut. We can no longer just get on a plane to go and support our global churches, we can no longer go just go and visit… But here’s what we can do, we can pray, and oh my, what a glorious faith-building reality that is!
Over the last few weeks I have been able to reach out to all of our global partners, to encourage them, listen to them, care for them and let them know we’re with them. In all of the countries we are serving in, there is either a key Pastor or Pastors that we are working with. Some of them, in turn, care for a number of Churches themselves, sometimes in upwards of fifty, and so please pray for each of these men, their families, pastoral teams, churches and countries. We may not know all that the future holds, but we do know the One who holds the future...
Australia - Myself, Dave Taylor - Sovereign Grace Church, Sydney
Bahamas - Cedric Moss - Kingdom Life Church
Belarus - Sergie Lukyanov - New Covenant Church
Bolivia - Jorge Del Castillo - Iglesia Gracia Soberana
Brazil - Fabiano Silveira - Igreja Graca Soberana de Sao Paulo
Brazil - Emerson Soares - Igreja Nova Vida
Colombia - Jacobys Aldana - Iglesia Soberana Gracia in Santa Marta
Costa Rica - Allan Monge - Gracia Soberana de Cartago
Croatia - Mario Vucenovic - Church of God’s Grace
Cuba - Juan Vineta - Iglesia Biblica Emanuel
Cuba - Eddy Cambria - Iglesia Biblical de a Gracia
England - Nathan Smith - Grace Church, Bristol
Ethiopia - Michael Granger - Sovereign Grace Church Plant
Germany - Christian Wegert - Arche Church
India - Jayaprakash Ravuri - Calvary Gospel Church
Ireland - Ray Clancy - Calvary Galway
Italy - Lee Walti - Verita di Grazia Church
Italy - Giuseppe Fortuna - Chiesa Grazia e Verità
Jamaica - Joel Bain - Grace Family Church
Liberia - Dyonah Thomas - Grace Life Church
Mexico - Carlos Contreras - Gracia Soberana de Cd Juarez
Nepal - Pastor/Church name concealed for protection purposes
Pakistan - Pastor/Church name concealed for protection purposes
Philippines - Nilo Ebo - His Dwelling Christian Church
Philippines - Jeffrey Jo - Church of the Chief Shepherd Gospel Ministries
Philippines - Pete Valdez - Sovereign Grace Church of Tagbilaran
Puerto Rico - Josue Caceres - Iglesia Redimodos
Puerto Rico - Richard Gonzalez - Torre Fuerte
South Korea - Songhwan Kang - Lord’s Grace Church
Spain - Gabriel Reyes-Ordeix - Sovereign Grace Plant (Preparation)
Thailand - Pastor/Church name concealed for protection purposes
Turkey - Pastor name concealed - Sovereign Grace Plant (Preparation)
Venezuela - Eduardo Oistochea - Iglesia Cristiana Biblica Palabra Viva
Zambia - Wilbroad Chanda - Christ Community Church
… May His grace and mercy abound to us all. The whole world is in His hands.
2) Pray for Frontline Workers
Mark Prater has asked all SG Churches to join in praying on April 17 for Frontline Workers. See below from him:
We want to pray for men and women who transport food, stock grocery shelves, and work at checkout counters that make it possible for us to purchase food. Men and women who provide public transportation, and men and women who work in police and fire departments around the world providing essential emergency services. This is not an exhaustive list, so when you pray, add anyone you know who is serving on the frontlines. As Thessalonians 5:17 exhorts us, let us “pray without ceasing” for them. Here are a few ways you can pray:
Ask God to protect these frontline workers from being infected with the COVID-19 virus.
Ask God to heal those frontline workers who do contract the COVID-19 virus.
Ask God to give them strength and endurance for the long hours they need to work.
Ask God to comfort them when they need to spend time separated from their families or need to self-quarantine because of risk of exposure.
Ask God to give them wisdom for any difficult situations they may face.
Ask God to use Christian frontline workers as a voice of gospel hope for the hopeless.