One of the most important things a Christian can do is pray.
It doesn't have to be something that is complicated and difficult and it is something we can do anywhere at any time.
We have a prayer request box in the Gathering Area in the church building and our prayer group usually meets at 8am on Saturday mornings there. Anyone is welcome to come along.
If you have any prayer requests or would like more information about our prayer groups, simply send an email to prayers@tranentparishchurch.co.uk.
More prayers suggestions are available from Lothian & Borders Presbytery - here
Tranent Parish Church
Prayer Bulletin – July 2024
1st As we enter the second half of 2024, let us give thanks to Father God for all He has
provided for us, in the good times and the challenging times this year. We also ask for Him to
guide us for the rest of this year.
2nd Give thanks for the life, service and witness of Bill Young, a faithful member and elder of
our congregation as his funeral service is held today and pray that his family know God's
peace and comfort. Pray for all those we know who are grieving the loss of a loved one at this
time, and remember Tom Davidson’s family in prayer too.
3rd Pray for our nation, that the trend away from belief in God and Jesus will be reversed,
that the power of God will break through once again and this time remain, transforming
Scotland to a people on fire for God! Pray to God for a revival in Scotland so that His will is
done in Scotland as it is in Heaven.
4th We pray that God will show us and others in the United Kingdom who we should vote for
in the General Election. May Godly people be elected to lead our nation and may the whole
country support the government, whoever is elected. May the new government protect the
rights of Christians and may all politicians put Christian values at the top of their agendas and
make policies that live out these values.
5th Our concern about climate warming extends to the poorest countries in the world where
they have the smallest carbon footprint but even now suffer the most with rising sea levels,
storms, drought and changes to traditional agriculture. We pray that the richest nations will
act with responsibility to provide support where possible and to help climate migrants.
6th With changes in the political scene we pray that our representatives will keep a care for
the Climate Crisis as a top priority. We have a huge responsibility towards the most vulnerable
to the effects of flood, famine, storms and migration as well as to our children, grandchildren
and future generations.
7th Today as we meet let us give thanks to God for His power, might, compassion and love.
Please pray that Katherine’s sermon will make each of us think about how we can let the
light of Christ shine in our life and reach out to others who need the light of Jesus in their
lives.
8th With schools on holiday, we pray for rest and enjoyment for pupils, teachers and other
who work at schools. For some children the holidays are not a fun nor a safe time and we pray
for their situations to improve.
9th While the big decisions on Climate Crisis lie with governments and big companies we can
each make a difference by the way we live and the choices we make. May our lives be a living
prayer in the way we travel, what we eat, and how we use our money and our talents.
We pray for much enjoyment as the Pool and ~Table Tennis groups gather in our Church Hall,
providing a time of friendly competition
10th Pray for health, strength and protection for all involved in works of care and compassion
this year, such as those involved in night shelters, as Chaplains and looking out for vulnerable
young people on the streets, in ministries such as the Salvation Army and similar organisations
providing much-needed love and care to the lonely and disadvantaged in society. Pray that
the love of Christ will shine through their every smile and compassionate action.
11th We pray for peace in Ukraine and Israel/Gaza. May those in power end the conflicts and
the horrific death and destruction we see in many countries in the world. We pray that the
wars will not escalate and pray that all sides may come together to find an end to war and
that peace may be found as soon as possible.
12th Give thanks for Crookston and Tranent Care Homes and Well Wynd Sheltered Housing
in Tranent and pray for the residents and carers. Pray that all our services in these homes
would be a time of blessing for all who attend. Give thanks for the community of people there.
13th SU have been organising holidays and activities for children, young people and families
for more than 100 years. Urban Saints and Christians in Sport also offer camps as outreach.
Ask God to bless all such camps with safety, fun and many lives being dedicated to our Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christ.
May all who attend the litter-picking today know joy in being a witness to Christ today.
14th We ask for great fellowship, worship and learning at our morning service.
Our Outdoor Church takes place today in Polson Park from 3pm to 5pm. Pray that this will
be a happy time of bringing people together and a good witness to God's love for us.
Pray for other Churches in our local community and ask God to give us wisdom in how we
deal with them so we can share ideas, resources and opportunities as He sees fit. We all
worship the same God so may we grasp chances to work together to make disciples of
Christ.
15th Dear God, You are 'the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts
us in all our troubles' (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). May all those Christians experiencing rejection,
discrimination or isolation for their faith know the depths of this comfort. We pray that
family members would increasingly keep their hearts and minds open when one of their
own comes to know You. Amen.
16th Give thanks for the outreach at Open House today and may those who attend leave
feeling they have a purpose and are loved.
As part of our prayers for Lothian and Borders Presbytery, we remember in prayer Duns and
District Parishes including the leadership and all involved in the life of this community: Give
thanks for the growth in regular attenders at Messy Church and the link that is developing
with Kirk Kids, the Wednesday toddler group.
17th Confess our sin as a nation in the ways we have turned away from God in the governing
of our nation, and pray that He would in His mercy stay His hand of judgement and instead
release His Holy Spirit to bring about a transformation in every sector of society. Declare the
truth that God is the sovereign over all nations, His thoughts are higher than our thoughts
and His ways are not our ways. Also pray for revival in Scotland. History shows that fervent
and sustained prayer is vital for a revival of the Holy Spirit so let us all pray that this happens
in our town. May we continue to pray that God’s Holy Spirit will move powerfully in our nation
to convict and inspire many to follow Jesus.
18th Give thanks for the medical and other staff at Tranent's GP Practice. Pray that their work
be blessed and that those in need of their care know healing of mind, body and spirit. Praise
the Lord for the success of our participation in the Tranent Gala and for those who make the
arrangement and customers, together with those who took part.
Pray for those who struggle to provide for themselves and their families. Pray for the East
Lothian Foodbank, asking God to continue to provide the much needed people, funding and
donations to enable it to operate. Ask God to intervene in many situations so foodbanks are
no longer needed and until then ask Him to provide for those who rely upon them.
19th For all CrossReach staff and volunteers across the country: thanks for their commitment
to come alongside people facing vulnerable positions, working with them to offer help, care
and support so that they might experience life in all its fullness. For strength and resilience
for all CrossReach services amidst the challenges and adversity being faced across the social
care sector.
20th Pray for the young people connected to our congregation and that we may know ways
to support the growth of their faith. Give thanks for the work of Recharge in Tranent and pray
that their summer activities for young people be blessed.
Ask our Heavenly Father for guidance for the leaders of our Guild as they plan the syllabus for
the next session. Details of the Guild’s new projects, events and speakers will be released
soon and we pray that many will enjoy attending their events.
21st Today we meet to praise God. May we come to Church ready to worship God for His
goodness and love. Pray that we all listen carefully to the words in the Bible readings, songs,
prayers and Rev Dr Ann Allison’s sermon and that they help us grow as Christians. Also pray
for safety and protection for all the Church’s property.
22nd Give thanks to God for the Word being broadcast by Premier Radio and ask Him to
continue to use this Christian radio station to speak to many people, especially those with
busy lives who find it hard to spend time with our Lord and those who are housebound who
cannot get out for times of fellowship.
23rd We pray for much fun and laughter at Open House this morning and give thanks for the
dedicated team who make Open House work each week in our church hall.
About a million people live in coral atolls like those in the Maldives, Tuvala, Kiribati, and The
Marshall Islands. These islands are just a few feet in elevation making them some of the places
most at risk from the rising seas that is occurring with Climate Change. We pray that resources
will be given to help people take measures to make their homes safe.
24th Heavenly Father, we thank You for gathering us together and calling us to serve as your
disciples. You have given us, through Your Son Jesus, the mission of evangelising and
witnessing Your love to the world. Send Your Holy Spirit to guide us as we discern Your will
for the spiritual renewal of our nation. Give us strength, courage and clear vision as we use
our gifts to serve You. We ask for their intercession and guidance as we strive to bear witness
to the Gospel. In the name of Jesus Christ Your only Son our Lord, Amen.
25th Thank our loving father for all that He has done through Christians in Sport and for the
thousands of sportspeople who heard His name through faithful Christians in clubs and teams.
Pray that Churches throughout the UK would start thinking now about how to use sport to
reach out with the Gospel. The Paris Olympics start today and for us it is a special event
because it is 100 years since Eric Liddell won a gold at the Olympics. May we all use the Games
as an opportunity to mention to others the importance of our faith.
26th There are millions of refugees in our world. The situations of those who have fled their
country in search of protection is more pressing than ever. The Bible reminds us repeatedly
of God's compassion for the vulnerable foreigner. Let us pray that these people know God’s
love and in Him find hope for the future. Also pray for wisdom for political leaders to resolve
these issues.
27th We are grateful for the work of our Pastoral Care Team who visit members of our
congregation to show them God’s love and compassion. May all in the team know God
leading them as they serve in this way.
Pray for South Sudan, give thanks for the peace talks which began in May in Kenya aiming to
end the sporadic violence that has continued following the end of the all out civil war. May
they quickly be a success.
28thLet us rejoice that we can meet today to worship our great Father and His Son. Ask for
God to lead Murdo MacDonald as he leads our service today. Pray for Katherine’s continued
ministry - that we would continue to be led to greater love for Jesus, greater praise for
Father God and greater knowledge and relationship with the Holy Spirit. Ask our mighty
Lord to protect and strengthen Katherine in all she does for Him. Give thanks and pray for
all those whose efforts make our Sunday morning services possible. Also pray that any
people who are not regulars will feel welcome and will want to come back to our church.
29th Thank God for the privilege and fun of being able to reach out to children and youngsters
in our community. Pray that there will be enough leaders willing to love and serve these
young people and that the youngsters will know and experience the love and wisdom of God
so that their lives are transformed. Also thank our loving Father that He teaches us and calls
us no matter what age we are. Finally pray for the right person to come forward to be our
youth worker.
30th Pray for all in our congregation who are struggling in any way. May we as a Church be
sensitive to the needs of those around us. Help us to see what we can do to show love to
those in need. Ask that those who are struggling would feel able to ask for help and prayer.
31st Pray for those with financial issues. Pray they would address their situation quickly, that
the services of Christians Against Poverty and other agencies would be available for all those
who need it. Let us ask God to help us use our finances wisely at this time of economic
uncertainty.