in Me MY HOPE Prayer & Fasting Guide - January 2022 Devotional Booklet Prepared by Rev Millicent Brown
make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:27
I take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks to all who have prayerfully prepared and submitted reflections to enhance our worship during this time of prayer and fasting. I give sincere thanks also to my Sisters and Brothers who continue to give their full support as part of the Christian Education Team: Rev Winnifred Hylton, Sisters: Melsady Wilson, Elaine Campbell, Maulin Fisher, Loylyn Thompson and Jackie Barker Brothers: Gary Williams and Owen Simpson. Thank you all. Rev. Mrs I Millicent Brown Minister of Christian Education November 2021 01
W e are continually grateful to God for his favour and grace. In spite of the pandemic, we have been able to achieve notable successes in 2021. Among these are the following: • The renovation of our Community Heritage Centre • The renewal of our central heating system • The renewal of the water mains • Significant repairs to the main church roof 02 • Replacement of guttering to the main building We celebrate the success of several of our young and senior members who have gained excellent degrees, and those who have now gone off to further educational studies. We wish to express our sincere appreciation to all members and friends who have continued to support the church with their finances throughout the pandemic. Your faithful giving has enabled us to meet our commitments and function effectively. Bishop Brown, Church & Pastor’s Council and Ministry Teams
Schedule for 21 days 4 Greetings from Bishop & First Lady 5-7 What is Prayer 8 - 11 Fasting 12 Types of fasting 13 Preparation for Fasting 13 Reason to Fast and Pray 13-14 Physical Benefits of Fasting 14 Preparation to end Fasting 15 Daily Reflections Prayer Points 16-26 27 - 40 References 41 03
PRAYER AND FASTING Monday 3rd January to Sunday 23rd January 2022 Our 21 days of prayer and fasting will commence on Monday 3rd January 2021 and will conclude on Sunday 23rd January 2021. For the next 21 days (or part thereof) we encourage you to join with us as we fast and pray from 6.00am to 6.00pm daily. Please keep in mind the prayer points in this booklet. 0330 606 0182 ACCESS CODE 988480# The cost of call to this number is at the normal local rate for landlines/mobile. MORNINGS, VIA ZOOM: MONDAY - 10.30AM TO 11.30AM THURSDAY - 9.15AM TO 9.45AM All of our prayer sessions will be held in our homes. EARLY MORNINGS: TELEPHONE LINE MONDAY TO FRIDAY MORNINGS, 6.00am until 6.30am A telephone conference line will be open where members, friends, adherents and families can log on to hear/contribute a thought for the day, make requests for prayer and pray for the needs around us. In these sessions we pray for governments and nations and for God’s will to be done around the world. To join via the Conference line, please dial the following number and follow the joining instructions: 04 EVENINGS, VIA ZOOM: WEDNESDAY - 7.30PM TO 8.30PM To join via telephone: 0203 481 5237 Meeting ID: 649 479 9948# Password 476 723# To join via zoom video conference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6494799948 Meeting ID: 649479 9948 Password: 0LKUW7 (The first digit of the password is the number ‘zero’)
BISHOP ERIC A. BROWN P recious greetings to you my beloved brethren and friends in the name of Jesus. I thank God for his watch care, especially over these two years of pandemic, lockdown and our ongoing battle with Covid-19. and from generations but now has been revealed unto his saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is, Christ in you, the Hope of Glory” (Colossians 1:26-27). This new year, 2022, will not be without its challenges but by God’s divine grace come through. Let us put our trust in Him who is the author and finisher of our faith. God had the Gentiles in his plan of salvation before time began. The full revelation of this mystery came with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and with the adoption of Gentiles into the family of God. The Bible says: “He came unto his own and his own did not receive him, but as many as received him, to them gave he power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name” (John 1:11-12). “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20) This year we have chosen for our theme Christ in Me – My Hope. It speaks of God’s redemptive plan for mankind revealed in the person of his son Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul said it is “the mystery which has been hidden for ages Again, the Bible says: “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his Grace” (Ephesians 1:7). Our salvation is not a partial salvation, rather it is full and complete “For in him (Christ) dwell all the fullness of the godhead bodily, and you are complete in him who is the head of all principality and power” (Colossians 2:9-10). My position in Christ, our position in him is secured and no man can pluck us out of his hands. ‘Christ in Me’ must mean more than a mere affirmation of faith. It must manifest itself in our daily living. He dwells in us through the person of the Holy Spirit and his primary purpose is to bring us into a deeper personal relationship with God. Through his indwelling presence we are able to worship, to love, to have fellowship, to serve, to be more intimate in our communication with God and importantly to develop more of the character of Christ. To help us on our journey, God gave us apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers with the responsibility to equip his people 05
body of Christ, “until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s son that we will be mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full statue of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:13). As we unpack our theme this year, we will be personally challenged to pursue the presence of Christ. Let us desire him in all of his fullness: • Fullness of life in Christ • Fullness of life in the Spirit • Fullness of life in his Word 06 • • • • Fullness of life in his Church Fullness of life in Worship Fullness of life in Service Fullness of life in Fellowship These are among the ways in which we will manifest ‘Christ in Me’. The apostle Paul puts it this way: “…I live in eager expectation and hope that I will never do anything that causes me shame, but that I will always be bold for Christ…. And that my life will always honour Christ, whether I live or die” (Philippians 1:20). Whilst we eagerly await the glory, the splendour, the magnificence that awaits us in heaven, let us strive to magnify him in all areas of our lives and conduct here on earth. If we do, it will bring glory to him and to us.
FIRST LADY MILLICENT I t is my pleasure to greet my church family, friends and adherents in the wonderful name of Jesus our Lord. 2021 has been a year mixed with different emotions. It has been a year when many of us have had to say ‘goodbye’ to family and friends whilst we hid our faces under a mask and tears trickled down our cheeks; fear gripped many individuals causing them to experience depression which, sadly some still suffer from; it has been a year when our focus has been turned towards mental health issue, and it has also been a year of celebration for some – the excellent examination results; the birth of a child; the celebration of that special birthday and as in my case, a wonderful landmark wedding anniversary. It has also been a year when the Church has experienced a radical shift in its ministry and outlook. Covid-19 has changed our daily lives with speed and intensity; the greatest of these changes being in relation to our work patterns, our travel, the way we socialise and last but by no means least, the way we worship. Politically our world continues to face pressures within the economy, education, healthcare, national and local security, climate change and of course, how to eradicate Covid-19. In spite of all that has happened, the Church (the body of Christ) has prayed more earnestly, and locally we have seen leaders emerged who have influenced and inspired others. As a Church we are conscious that Christ lives in us, and he alone is our hope. ‘Christ in Me’ means I am not alone. It means I live with purpose and as I endeavour to pattern my life in line with His will, I am privileged to understand the mystery of God in Christ (Colossians 2:2). ‘Christ in Me’ means I am daily being transformed into His image so that His reflection is seen in me through my actions, attitudes and conversations, and these in turn bears witness of our awesome and wonderful saviour. It is comforting to know that we are not living without hope. As stated in 1 Corinthians 15:19 “And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world”. (NLT). The hope we have in Christ is not ‘wishful thinking’, but it is a confident, expectant, joyful knowledge that as we become more and more like Jesus, we can look forward to that day when face to face, we ‘shall behold him!’ 07
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