Wednesday 18th August 2021

Beside The Burn
This week we continue a new series for the summer, “Meals With Jesus!”.
One of the things that we have all missed during the Covid Restrictions is being able to eat together with friends and family. These are always such important occasions when we catch up, encourage one another and learn about each other’s lives. In church we have missed sharing those cups of tea and catching up, so this summer we are going to eat a number of meals with Jesus, continuing this week as Jesus feeds the 5000. We begin the week looking at some Old Testament passages which help us understand the meal.

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​Let’s Pray For St Petersburg Christian University, Russia 
Pray for staff and students as they prepare for the start of the new semester. Pray too that the financial situation at the university will continue to improve.


Middle East
Pray for National Evangelical Synod of Syria & Lebanon as it continues to reach out in many practical ways to people, including to the internally-displaced and refugees, all more difficult due to Covid-19. Pray for the church leadership team, that God will grant them wisdom and guidance in all their decision-making.

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Glen Scrivener
“Reading Between The Lines” a series working through the bible looking at the well known phrases.
Of Making Many Books There Is No End

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Prayer
Wednesday is always the day that we concentrate on prayer on the Blog, today we have lots of articles helping us to pray for Afghanistan and Haiti.

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​5 Ways To Pray For Afghanistan
We have watched the news reports this week and it is so difficult to know how best to pray, here are some suggestions from Open Doors.

https://www.opendoorsuk.org/news/latest-news/afghanistan-prayer/

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How To Pray For Afghanistan and the Taliban
More suggestions from the Gospel Coalition

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/how-to-pray-for-the-taliban/



A Prayer For Afghanistan
A video prayer for Afghanistan and some additional background on the country.

https://www.prayercast.com/afghanistan.html



5 Prayers For Afghanistan

https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/prayer/prayers-to-lift-up-for-afghanistan.html




A Prayer For Afghanistan - Evangelical Alliance

https://www.eauk.org/what-we-do/prayer-centre/a-prayer-for-afghanistan



Afghan Pastors Ask For Prayer

https://www.9marks.org/article/afghan-pastors-ask-for-prayer/



Prayer Guide For Afghanistan
This guide was produced before the recent events but provides a lot of background information.

https://www.imb.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Afghanistan-Prayer-Guide.pdf

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FIRST-HAND PRAYER REQUEST FROM AFGHANISTAN
Pete Greig (The 24/7 Prayer Course) writes the following
“The fear for Afghan people is not so much the unknown, but rather the known: a brutal regime of daily life filled with unbearable tension: regular public executions, oppression for women, fear of a knock at the door from the Taliban…
“For too long people in Afghanistan have looked for salvation from Western powers. Well that hasn’t worked. It’s failed spectacularly. We need our brothers and sisters in the global church to take spiritual responsibility and stand with us in prayer.”
Let’s pray urgently for:
1. Protection, peace & courage for our brothers and sisters in Christ who are understandably terrified. “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32)
2. Political & humanitarian aid for the vast number of Afghan refugees suddenly displaced from their homes by the terror the Taliban.  May they discover that “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and he knows those who take refuge in Him.” (Nahum 1:7)
3. Wisdom for world leaders as they seem to respond and build an international consensus for peace. “Counsel and sound judgment are mine; I have insight, I have power. By me kings reign and rulers issue decrees that are just;”(Proverbs 8:14-15)

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Prayer For Haiti and Afghanistan

https://news.americanbible.org/blog/entry/prayer-blog/pray-for-haiti-facing-earthquake-and-afghanistan-in-national-turmoil


How To Pray For Haiti
Several pastors share their concerns for Haiti in the aftermath of the recent earthquake.
https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2021/august/pray-for-haiti-earthquake-2021-2010-christians-theodicy.html

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Tides
Ruth Bromley wrote in yesterday’s Tides devotional about prayer.
PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
REFLECT
CS Lewis said in the movie Shadowlands, “I pray because I can't help myself. I pray because I'm helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time, waking and sleeping. It doesn't change God. It changes me.”
 Prayer is an incredible gift that we have at our disposable to daily communicate with our maker. The Bible tells us to not be anxious or worried about anything but to pray, tell God how we feel, present our requests in every situation to him. We get to talk to God about anything at any time and in any place. Wow!
And not only that but God’s peace, which transcends all understanding, will guard our hearts and minds. What could be better than that?

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​The Blessing

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Among The Ashes
Among the Ashes is a new film and prayer resource for churches from Open Doors. Learning to Lament with the Persecuted Church.

https://www.opendoorsuk.org/churches/resources/among-the-ashes/?_cldee=YnVybnNpZGVjaHVyY2hAZ21haWwuY29t&recipientid=account-4df2addbca6ceb11a82f000d3a2cff99-46a1caf3068c4db6909936574518a856&esid=d985d401-30ea-eb11-a830-000d3a2cff99

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Jigsaw
The times for yesterday’s Jigsaw


Janice 1:41 
Jean 2:32
Eddie 3:12

​Play the "Steps Wednesday" puzzle!
https://www.jigsawplanet.com/?rc=play&pid=045b67c2bb43