Lent 2012: Thursday 23rd February

Posted on February 23, 2012 by David


Gathering: Give thanks to the Lord because he is good. His love is eternal.

Reading: Matthew 6:5-8

Reflection: What is prayer?

Prayer is opening our hearts to God and discovering God’s caring presence with us. It means trusting God with our deepest thoughts and needs. Our prayers are to a loving God who wants to hear from us and wants to give us what we need.

In this scripture passage, Jesus does not condemn public prayer, but disapproves of those who pray aloud to draw attention only to themselves. Jesus encourages a regular, private prayer life. Conversation is the primary means of getting to know another person and the means for building any kind of relationship, and prayer is a conversation with God.

Do you set aside time each day to talk with God? Prayer is not just asking for things. In conversation with God, we become more aware of God’s glorious nature and, by contrast, of

our own shortcomings. We can confess these and seek God’s forgiveness and renewal. We offer our thanksgiving to God for all of the many ways we see God’s movement in our lives. We seek God’s help for ourselves and for others. This regular connection with God allows us to grow in deep faith.

Prayer point: Help us to listen to you as much as we talk to you.

Free prayer

Ending: In your mercy, let your kingdom come.

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Lent 2012: 22nd February Ash Wednesday

Posted on February 22, 2012 by David

Gathering: Give thanks to the Lord because he is good. His love is eternal.

 Reading: Matthew 6:9-13

Reflection: A model for prayer

Jesus’ disciples asked him to teach them to pray. Prayer may not come naturally to us, but we can learn how to pray.

The Lord’s Prayer gives us a model to use. We can approach God as a loving parent or close friend, yet remembering that God is so much greater.

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.

We acknowledge that God’s will is so much better than our own actions will be. We trust God to answer our prayers.

Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

It then naturally follows that we would want to bring our needs to this great, trustworthy God. These needs include those things necessary to sustain life, our need for forgiveness, and help in temptation.

Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

In prayer, we invite God to be an active part of our whole lives.

Prayer point: Pray that every member of the church family may know God’s presence in all of their lives.

Free prayer

Ending: In your mercy, let your kingdom come.

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Daily Reading & Prayer – Lent 2012

Posted on February 21, 2012 by David

A daily devotional guide for Lent 2012

We’ve produced another booklet for us all to read and pray through during lent this. Coming Soon, you’ll be able to receive each day in your RSS Feed Reader. For now you can download it from the bottom of the page, but first …

What is Lent?

Lent is the season before Easter. It is a forty day period, plus six Sundays, which reminds us of the duration of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. Lent began as a time for people to fast, study, and pray, in preparation for baptism and church membership. It remains a special time of prayer, fasting, and contemplation.

This prayer booklet is designed to help us deepen our prayer life as we pray individually and together. We begin with a short series of meditations on the Lord’s Prayer and then follow a prayer theme for each of the other weeks of Lent.

  • 26th February: Adoration
  • 4th March: Confession
  • 11th March: Thanksgiving
  • 18th March: Petition
  • 25th March: Intercession
  • 1st April: Contemplation
Westbury-on-Trym Baptist Church - Lent prayer booklet 2012
Title : Westbury-on-Trym Baptist Church - Lent prayer booklet 2012
Caption : This booklet will print the pages 2 per sheet of A4 in the correct order for double sided printing and then folding in half to make a booklet!
Size : 471 kB
Westbury-on-Trym Baptist Church - Lent prayer booklet 2012 - Non Booklet Format
Title : Westbury-on-Trym Baptist Church - Lent prayer booklet 2012 - Non Booklet Format
Caption : This booklet will print the pages in the normal order, formatted for A5 paper
Size : 506 kB

Receive each day in your RSS Feed Reader

If you’re wondering what on earth that is, then find out what RSS is!

Point your Feed Reader at the Worship Tips Feed.

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Prayer Diary for 19 February 2012

Posted on February 19, 2012 by Laura
  • As we look towards the start of Lent, we pray that we may be able to use this time to draw closer to God and make space for him in our busy lives.
  • We pray for the work of re.Source in the larger estates of South Bristol and in the inner-city areas to the east of our city. We pray that the Mission work they are doing in conjunction with smaller urban Baptist churches in Bristol may bear fruit.
  • We pray for the work of BMS in Angola, where the Evangelical Baptist Church of Angola (IEBA) is continuing to expand. We pray especially for the evangelistic outreach to remote rural areas.
  • We pray for an end to the violence committed by armed militias in Libya, who are committing human right violations which remain unchecked by the interim government. We pray that the report released last week by Amnesty International may bring about change.
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Prayer Diary for 12 February 2012

Posted on February 12, 2012 by Laura
  • We pray for the Baptist church at Cheddar, Somerset, as they continue to engage with their local community.
  • This week, we join with the BMS Day of Prayer on Monday 13th February to pray for the work of world mission.
  • We pray for the work of Tearfund and its partners in Malawi, where poverty is increasing due to governmental greed.
  • We pray for the Baptist church in Lebanon, that the freedom and security it currently enjoys may not be threatened due to political events in Syria at this time.
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We’re thinking of you, Harvey!

Posted on February 7, 2012 by David

Harvey, one of our members (and awesome youth work volunteer) is overseas at the moment with Tearfund and is having a M.A.D. time. For a few months he is in Musoma, Tanzania.

We’re thinking of you, Harvey, and praying for you!

Anyone that wants to keep informed of what the team are up to – head on over to the Go M.A.D Tanzania Jan 2012 travel blog.

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Prayer Diary for 5 February 2012

Posted on February 5, 2012 by Laura
  • We pray for the WEBA Ministers’ Conference taking place from 6th-8th February, for all those attending and especially for the speakers, that this may be a time of renewal for them.
  • During this, National Marriage Week, we pray for all married couples and all who are preparing for this important commitment.
  • We pray for Baptists in Belarus, for their ministers who are teaching them, and for all who hear their words that they may accept the message of Christ.
  • We pray for everyone affected by the football violence in Egypt last week, and for the wider political implications that this tragedy may have.
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Prayer Diary for 29 January 2012

Posted on January 29, 2012 by Laura
  • We pray for the Baptist Church at Cambray, Cheltenham, especially for the outreach they are doing with their Christianity Explored course and International group.
  • During this, Poverty and Homelessness Action Week, we pray for all those in our communities who are homeless or struggling to make ends meet, and for those who work with them, in particular the Crisis Centre and Wild Goose Café in Bristol.
  • We pray for the people in Brazil who are affected by the slum clearance programme being undertaken by the government. We pray that the people being evicted may be treated with dignity and fairness.
  • We pray for the people of Fiji, where in the last week flooding and landslides have killed 11 and displaced thousands.
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Prayer Diary for 22 January 2012

Posted on January 22, 2012 by Laura
  • We pray for Counterslip Baptist Church as they decide whether to redevelop their present site or to relocate.
  • We pray for the work of BMS in Brazil alongside the Brazilian Baptist Convention, which is now one of the largest in the world.
  • We pray for the Baptist Union in Austria as they undergo the process of being legally recognised as a church under Austrian law.
  • We pray for the relatives of those lost on the Costa Concordia off the coast of Italy last week, for those involved in the salvage operation, and all those who survived and remain traumatised by their ordeal.
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Prayer Diary for 15 January 2012

Posted on January 15, 2012 by Laura
  • We pray for the Baptist chapel at Culkerton, Gloucestershire, which has a congregation of just five. We pray that God may continue to reach out through them to their local community.
  • During this week, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, we pray for communication and understanding between different denominations, and a willingness to focus on points in common rather than differences of belief or practice.
  • We pray for the work of BMS in Israel and Palestine, and for the Christians living in the region.
  • We give thanks for the peace agreement agreed last week between the Burmese government and the Karen rebels who have been fighting for greater autonomy for more than 60 years. We pray that this ceasefire may lead to long-term peace between them.
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