POINTERS FOR PRAYER and THANKSGIVING
April 2019
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April 2019
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THE LORD SETS PRISONERS FREE
Psalm 146: 7
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Psalm 146: 7
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1 Give thanks for all those former prisoners who having come to faith in the Lord Jesus are now serving the Lord in so many ways.
2 Give thanks for Emmaus Bible School and others providing Bible Study opportunities for those in prisons in the UK and Ethiopia. 3 Pray for those who issue the instructions that separate families, that they may also look for opportunities to encourage healing and to believe that change really is possible. 4 Give thanks for churches ready to welcome ex-offenders on release from prison with all their different needs and associated risks. 5 Pray for prisons claiming they are unable to continue running Sycamore Tree & other victim awareness courses due to staff reductions affecting everything from selection of prisoners to take part through to supervision of the volunteers who deliver them. 6 Pray for prison staff who have day to day interaction with prisoners that they may be alert to risks and be able to prevent any serious incidents. 7 Sunday. Pray that prisoners wishing to attend a service and to worship the Lord in chapel with others today will not be hindered from doing so. 8 Pray for prisoners whose grandparents have died and who cannot go to the funeral. Often grandparents are the only stable influence in their lives. 9 Pray for team members as they share with church groups etc. something of the opportunities and challenges of prisons ministry both in the UK and in Ethiopia 10 Pray for Community Chaplains/Resettlement co-ordinators and mentoring schemes now being developed to help ex-offenders live more ordered lives. 11 Pray for the families of prisoners and ex prisoners as they return home. All kinds of emotions can be experienced. 12 Pray for parole boards as they make decisions affecting the release of prisoners. 13 Pray for the innocent and caring families of vulnerable prisoners in the UK who have been given draconian instructions not to make any contact with the one they love – even by correspondence or a birthday card. 14 Sunday. This is Palm Sunday. Many will be remembering today the exuberant welcome Jesus received from the crowds as he rode into Jerusalem riding on a donkey. 15 As we go through this week and remember the price that Jesus paid that we might be set free, pray that chaplains may be able to spend time with prisoners whose circumstances prevent them from joining with others for corporate worship 16 Pray for people being released from prison – especially if they have no money, no job prospects because of their criminal record and nowhere to live. They can find it very difficult to cope without some help and support. |
17 Pray for the national chaplaincy leadership responsible for prisons in England and Wales - especially that the Christian chaplains working at the "sharp end" will be encouraged and fully supported in their work .
18 Betrayed and given a mockery of a trial, Jesus is condemned to death with the crowds shouting "crucify him" - so different from the shouts of "hosanna" only a few days earlier. Pray for prisoners who may be hearing about this for the first time. 19 Abandoned by his friends and mocked by the crowds many will be remembering today the price that Jesus paid. Even as he was dying on the cross he called out "Father forgive them...." Pray that this amazing truth may be able to be shared in the prisons. 20 We remember today - Sabbath - that Jesus was laid in someone else's tomb and the disciples were confused and wondering what to do. Pray for those who today may be feeling confused and at the same wanting to know more about Jesus. 21 Sunday Rejoice - the Lord is risen, death has been defeated. Yes - Jesus who died to pay the price of our sins is now alive. A day that demonstrated death has been defeated and life is found in Jesus. Millions of lives have been changed for ever as a result. 22 Pray for prison health care departments attending to many different needs including problems caused by addiction and poor lifestyle choices. 23 Pray for prisons in England and Wales where the statutory post of Church of England chaplain is currently not filled. 24 Pray for the Ethiopian volunteer medical teams visiting prisons as part of the Prisons Medical Project. 25 Pray that the improving relationship between Ethiopia and Eritrea associated with the peace initiatives of Dr Abiy Ahmed, Ethiopia's Prime Minister, will also help to end the wrongful imprisonment of Eritrean Christians. 26 Pray for UK prisoners taking part in a Prison to Prison Project to raise funds for a vital and urgent sewage treatment system in an Ethiopian Prison. Such projects can be life transforming for both prison communities as they open up new horizons. 27 Pray for the holistic prisons ministry of Justice for All PF Ethiopia that the good news may continue to be shared in word and deed and lives changed for ever 28 Sunday Pray for staff escorting prisoners to Chapel, that they too will be blessed as they witness the difference that Jesus makes. 29 Pray for those unjustly or inappropriately in prison throughout the world – some denied a fair trial or any trial at all. 30 Pray that ways can be found to provide some meaningful activity for the large number of UK prisoners currently spending around 23 hours a day wasting away behind their cell door. |
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Twinkle of Hope and REFUGE
PROJECTS CARING FOR PRISONERS' CHILDREN IN ETHIOPIA
Please pray for these projects that can make such a difference not only for the children but for the whole family.
The Twinkle of Hope Project continues its focus on meeting some of the needs of young children who are in prison with
their mothers. These needs include providing improved diet, education, health care, accommodation, sanitation etc.
This project is prison specific so that every child in the prisons where it operates is included.
With the committed help of UK sponsors arranged through this Trust, the REFUGE project continues to provide much
needed holistic support in the community for children with parents in prison. On the parent's release, a sheep
or a goat may be given to the family with sponsorship continuing for a further six months.
Twinkle of Hope and REFUGE
PROJECTS CARING FOR PRISONERS' CHILDREN IN ETHIOPIA
Please pray for these projects that can make such a difference not only for the children but for the whole family.
The Twinkle of Hope Project continues its focus on meeting some of the needs of young children who are in prison with
their mothers. These needs include providing improved diet, education, health care, accommodation, sanitation etc.
This project is prison specific so that every child in the prisons where it operates is included.
With the committed help of UK sponsors arranged through this Trust, the REFUGE project continues to provide much
needed holistic support in the community for children with parents in prison. On the parent's release, a sheep
or a goat may be given to the family with sponsorship continuing for a further six months.