All the Lord’s followers often met together, and they shared everything they had. …Day after day they met together in the temple. They broke bread… and shared… while praising God. …and the Lord added to their number. From Acts 2: 44-47
We pray for those gathering this month for international Christian fellowship and conferring, that they will know the presence of the risen Christ in their midst. We thank God for those who give generously for the work of Christian mission to those suffering from poverty, injustice, hunger and any other need. We thank God for growing churches and for every person that accepts Jesus as Lord and Saviour. Living Lord, inspire us to share our faith with others through our worship, our relationships and our actions. Amen
We pray God’s blessing on those gathering in fellowship this month – women at the South Pacific Area Seminar in Fiji; women of the Methodist Church in the Caribbean and the Americas (MCCA) meeting in Antigua; women of Confederation of Methodist Women of Latin America and the Caribbean gathering in Costa Rica; the Methodist Church in Britain meeting for their annual Conference; the World Methodist Council meeting in Seoul, South Korea.
We pray for Esther Macheka from Zimbabwe joining other Scholars at the Bossey Ecumenical Institute, Switzerland 23 July – 10 August.
We pray for people in need, particularly aware of refugees:
The monsoons in Bangladesh are affecting the Rohingya refugees. UNHCR fear the extreme weather will cause further damage, destruction and potential loss of life, given the scope of the refugee population, the sheer size of the settlements and the challenging terrain.
We join with the United Methodist Women in their outrage that refugee children have been separated from their parents on the Mexico/USA border.
We thank God that some refugees from N Africa have been allowed to enter Spain, having been turned away from other countries.
We thank God for the welcome being offered to Syrian refugees in parts of the UK and elsewhere in Europe.
We continue to pray for peace and justice.
We ask God’s blessing on the developing peace plan in the Korean peninsular, on preparations for the 30 July elections in Zimbabwe, on attempts to stem a wave of violence in Nigeria and Cameroon, and political unrest in Italy and Turkey. We pray for all those caught up in gang violence, that they might find alternative and non-violent means of responding.
In the name of the one who, in his earthly life, enjoyed fellowship, welcomed the stranger, and offered peace that passes understanding, even Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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