{"id":1369,"date":"2020-05-06T21:00:16","date_gmt":"2020-05-06T20:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/broughtybaptist.org\/wpsite\/?p=1369"},"modified":"2023-11-26T22:55:44","modified_gmt":"2023-11-26T22:55:44","slug":"6-may-2020-prayer-update","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/broughtybaptist.org\/wpsite\/?p=1369","title":{"rendered":"6 May 2020 &#8211; Prayer Update"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>As we come to the middle of another week in this corona virus pandemic\u00a0it is time for reflection and prayer on what is happening in the world, in our local communities as well as in our church families and within our circles of family and friends. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are always issues for which we need to pray for one another, but also things that encourage us. One of these is a collaborative effort by a selection of worship leaders and singers from a varied network of Christian churches in the United Kingdom that have produced a song based on the Aaronic blessing from Numbers 6:22-27:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p><strong><em><sup>22\u00a0<\/sup><\/em><\/strong><em>The\u00a0Lord\u00a0said to Moses,\u00a0<\/em><strong><em><sup>23\u00a0<\/sup><\/em><\/strong><em>\u2018Tell Aaron and his sons, \u201cThis is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:\u00a0<\/em><strong><em><sup>24\u00a0<\/sup><\/em><\/strong><em>\u2018\u201c\u2018The\u00a0Lord\u00a0bless you\u00a0and keep you;<\/em><strong><em><sup>25\u00a0<\/sup><\/em><\/strong><em>the\u00a0Lord make His face shine on you\u00a0and be gracious to you;<\/em><strong><em><sup>26\u00a0<\/sup><\/em><\/strong><em>the\u00a0Lord\u00a0turn His face towards you\u00a0and give you peace.\u2019\u201d\u00a0<\/em><strong><em><sup>27\u00a0<\/sup><\/em><\/strong><em>\u2018So they will put My name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.\u2019<\/em>Take a few minutes to play this song and let its message minister into your life and circumstances today.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s called\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/TheBlessing?src=hash\">#TheBlessing<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The UK Blessing \u2014\u00a0Churches sing &#039;The Blessing&#039; over the UK\" width=\"660\" height=\"371\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/PUtll3mNj5U?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Let us look very briefly at this\u00a0passage of Scripture\u00a0and reflect on its message for us today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>This is how you are to bless the Israelites\u2026.<\/em>\u00a0In the secular Western world people hope or aspire to success or fame or material prosperity, but in ancient Israel there was a desire deep within them to have the favour of God on their lives articulated through the recital of a blessing on them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This form of words in Numbers 6:24-26, many scholars believe, was already fixed as a familiar blessing used in the Israelite community before it was written down as part of the text of Numbers chapter six. The framework of the blessing is in the plural, but the actual words of the benediction itself are in the singular\u00a0<em>The Lord bless you\u2026<\/em>\u00a0The blessing was for the community of God\u2019s people collectively,\u00a0but like the gift of God\u2019s unmerited favour in salvation through Jesus Christ, it was received individually and personally.\u00a0Where does seeking God\u2019s favour and blessing rank in your priorities in life?\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The context is clearly the community of faith.\u00a0<strong><em><sup>27\u00a0<\/sup><\/em><\/strong><em>\u2018So they will put My name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.\u2019<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0The blessing of God is experienced as His people seek\u00a0<strong>together\u00a0<\/strong>to worship Him, live out His values in daily life and serve others in His name collectively. It is my hope and prayer that the rediscovered emphasis on community and \u2018togetherness\u2019 we have experienced in recent weeks will continue once this virus crisis fades into history. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The people of God must prioritise gathering together for worship and fellowship, as well as going out for witness and service in the wider community. Solitary Christianity is not an expression of the faith envisaged by Jesus or the Early Church. Belonging to and actively participating in the life of a local church is\u00a0something Jesus envisaged as He is building His Church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;There are three sections to the actual blessing recited over the Israelites:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First:\u00a0<strong><em>The Lord\u00a0bless\u00a0you<\/em><\/strong><em>&#8230;\u00a0<\/em>what kind of blessings were these first recipients hoping for? Undoubtedly this declaration includes aspirations to be loved and to love,\u00a0which for some might include the gift of marriage and the blessing of children; for many of them it would certainly\u00a0include the gift of close friendships; there would certainly be a hope for the joy of a place to call home and the provision of the necessary food and other essential supplies required each new day.<em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>The Lord keep you<\/em><\/strong><em>;<\/em>\u00a0If blessing was about provisions, this declaration was about divine protection. For example, Exodus 23:20 where God said to the nation of Israel through Moses:\u00a0<em>See, I am sending an angel ahead of you\u00a0<\/em><strong><em>to guard<\/em><\/strong><em>\u00a0you along the way\u00a0and to bring you to the place I have prepared.<\/em>\u00a0It is the same word used by Joshua, the second leader of the nation of Israel after Moses,\u00a0at the end of his life in Joshua 24:17.\u00a0He has spoken of the miracle of the Exodus from Egypt, but goes on to speak of so much more from God:\u00a0<em>He\u00a0<\/em><strong><em>protected us<\/em><\/strong><em>\u00a0on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we travelled.\u00a0<\/em>Our God is the One we have confidence in to provide all our needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Second:<em>\u00a0the Lord make His face shine on you\u2026<\/em>It was a plea for God\u2019s divine pleasure to be revealed through answered prayer for His servants.\u00a0<em>Let\u00a0<\/em><strong><em>Your face shine<\/em><\/strong><em>\u00a0on Your servant;<br>save me in Your unfailing love\u00a0<\/em>(Psalm 31:16).\u00a0Remember Moses who led the Israelites out of Egypt and who spent a long time in God\u2019s nearer presence receiving the Ten Commandments. Exodus 34:29b:\u00a0<em>His face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord.\u00a0<\/em>The declaration is a call for divine approval\u00a0on the recipient\u2026.\u00a0<em>and be gracious to you;<\/em>\u00a0grace is given to the undeserving. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Exodus 34:6b-7a contains some precious words about the character of the One who gave Moses the Ten Commandments:\u00a0<em>\u2018The\u00a0Lord, the\u00a0Lord,\u00a0<\/em><strong><em>the compassionate and gracious God<\/em><\/strong><em>, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,\u00a0<\/em><strong><em><sup>7\u00a0<\/sup><\/em><\/strong><em>maintaining love to thousands, and\u00a0<\/em><strong><em>forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin<\/em><\/strong><em>.\u00a0<\/em>So soon after this gift of the Ten Commandments the Israelites fell into sin and needed a call to repentance to restore them to God\u2019s favour. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Do you actively desire God\u2019s favour on your life? If you are serious about it then it will affect your behavioural choices. Or do you need God\u2019s grace and forgiveness? If this is a genuine desire to say sorry to God for something, then He sees our heart and forgives us, because of Jesus\u2019s sacrifice on the cross in our place around 2,000 years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thirdly:<em>&nbsp;The Lord&nbsp;turn His face towards you<\/em><em>&nbsp;<\/em><em>and give you peace&nbsp;<\/em>[Shalom]<em>.<\/em><em>&nbsp;<\/em>When someone looks you in the eyes you know you have their full attention at that moment in time.&nbsp;Here the call is for God to do&nbsp;that towards us as individuals!&nbsp;What is the culmination gift of this entire blessing?&nbsp;It is&nbsp;<strong><em>Shalom<\/em><\/strong>.&nbsp;It is much more than the absence of conflict. It includes the gift of contentment and for a sense of purpose and fulfilment in my life. Do you need to seek God\u2019s shalom for your life today?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Listen to \u2018The Blessing\u2019 song again before we come to prayer.<em><\/em><em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Prayer Time for Wednesday 6 May 2020<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>What blessings in particular do you want to thank God for today?\u00a0Take some time to praise God for who He is and then thank Him for the things we can be grateful for in our lives.<br><\/li><li>Pray for the many vulnerable countries, that they would receive the financial and humanitarian aid they need to prevent virus spread and meet people\u2019s basic needs.\u00a0And that aid may be distributed fairly within countries\u00a0so that minority Christian and other faith communities don\u2019t miss out on essential supplies in countries like Pakistan and India, for example.\u00a0\u00a0<br><\/li><li>Continue to pray for the Government in Scotland and in the wider UK and for their clinical and scientific advisers, may they have the wisdom they need to make the right decisions at the right time.\u00a0<br><\/li><li>Pray for the physical, emotional and mental health of\u00a0the staff and residents in Care Homes. Pray that supplies of the right equipment would get through to meet their needs. Pray for residents as they may struggle with the need to stay in their rooms and not having visitors. Please especially remember those who live and work in the Care Homes that our church led services in \u2013 Ferry House, Orchar, Elder Lea Manor, Ballumbie Court, Moyness and Balcarres. Pray also for our neighbour, Lochleven Care Home.\u00a0<br><\/li><li>Please continue to remember the NHS workers, whatever their role, as each one plays their part to ensure that we can access care when it\u2019s needed. Pray for those who you know by name and ask God to sustain them.<br><\/li><li>\u00a0Pray for teachers, especially those known to you. Ask for God\u2019s help for them as they adapt to new ways of teaching and for help with the frustrations that can bring. Pray that those working in school hubs would be able to work in safe ways and wouldn\u2019t be put at unnecessary risk.\u00a0<br><\/li><li>Pray for parents who are trying to support their children with school work at home, particularly while trying to do their own work too. Pray for patience and understanding. Remember children and young people who have additional support needs and are now struggling with a big change to their routines and a reduction in their usual support services.<br><\/li><li>\u00a0Remember those with ongoing health issues in our church family just now, pray for the NHS to resume its usual services as soon as possible to attend to those waiting for operations, treatment plans, tests and check-ups.<br><\/li><li>Pray for those recently bereaved\u00a0that they may experience more of God\u2019s love and comfort at this time.   <br><\/li><li>Pray for ourselves, ask God to help us to seek Him first in everything that we do and to always make time each day to read His word and spend time in His presence.<\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As we come to the middle of another week in this corona virus pandemic\u00a0it is time for reflection and prayer on what is happening in the world, in our local communities as well as in our church families and within our circles of family and friends. \u00a0 There are always issues for which we need &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/broughtybaptist.org\/wpsite\/?p=1369\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">6 May 2020 &#8211; Prayer Update<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1369","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-archive"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/broughtybaptist.org\/wpsite\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1369","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/broughtybaptist.org\/wpsite\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/broughtybaptist.org\/wpsite\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/broughtybaptist.org\/wpsite\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/broughtybaptist.org\/wpsite\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1369"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/broughtybaptist.org\/wpsite\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1369\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1370,"href":"https:\/\/broughtybaptist.org\/wpsite\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1369\/revisions\/1370"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/broughtybaptist.org\/wpsite\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1369"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/broughtybaptist.org\/wpsite\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1369"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/broughtybaptist.org\/wpsite\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1369"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}