Sunday 9th January | Becoming a Praying Church, First Move Prayer Pete James began our teaching series Becoming a Praying Church by inviting us at the beginning of a New Year to make prayer our "first move" not an after thought. Pete looked at how in Jesus' wilderness experience and 40 days of prayer in Luke 4, he enjoyed union with his Father and a fruitfulness upon returning to the world. We are determined to be a praying church and this talk marks the beginning of a couple of months of diving deep into the world of prayer. Do join in the adventure!
Sunday 23rd January | Becoming a Praying Church, Devotional Prayer Pete James continues our teaching series on prayer by looking at Devotional Prayer. Looking at Jesus' prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, Pete casts vision for cultivating a union and intimacy with God by deliberately and regularly bringing our whole, true self in front of God in conversational prayer. He also takes a look at five different drivers of disconnection many of experience
Sunday 30th January | Becoming a Praying Church, Maturing Prayer Pete James continues our journey into becoming a praying church by looking at the idea of "maturing prayer". Pete explains that prayer is the means by which life's events mature us and not just age us and invites us to exchange seeing the world and life through an achievement lens but instead through a transformation lens. If we do, we will realise that every single thing that happens in our life – through prayer – has the stunning potential to mature us into the image if Jesus.
Sunday 6th February | Becoming a Praying Church, Intercessory Prayer This week in our series on prayer we shift a gear and look at Intercessory Prayer. Pete James looks at how we have a role to play our part in the renewal of the world around us by taking up a posture of intercession. Pete explains how praying for others is both an expression of love and an act of spiritual warfare. Taking inspiration from Elijah's life, we explore how intercessory prayer is a midwife for the kingdom of God.
Sunday 13th February | Becoming a Praying Church, Ministering Prayer Dan considers our calling to share God’s heart with those around us through ministering prayer. Jesus shares his anointing and authority with us and instructs his disciples to listen and obey ‘as we go.’ We heard from Rhiannon, who experienced God’s kindness recently as others prayed with her, and Dave, who has been learning to cultivate faith and intimacy with Jesus by praying with others.
Sunday 20 February | Becoming a Praying Church, Hungry Prayer – Fasting We continue our series on becoming a praying church by looking at Hungry Prayer and the practice of fasting. Pete outlines four reasons why fasting has always been woven into the tapestry of the people of God: it breaks off apathy; reveal what controls us; trains us for joy in times of lack; and facilitates a power surge. Why not explore it for lent?
Sunday 6 March | Becoming a Praying Church, Persistent Prayer Pete James continues our series on prayer by looking at the parable of the persistent widow. Pete explains that Jesus teaches us that to live in the "now and the not yet" of the arriving kingdom of God, we will need persistence and to trust in both the character and timing of God
Sunday 13 March | Becoming a Praying Church, Revival Prayer Continuing our series on prayer, Abi Horne shares about how as a community we can press into praying for revival. From looking at Habakkuk and Elijah in the Bible and sharing stories of the Hebridean revival she looks at threads and themes which seem to run through them and what we can learn so we can pray to see a move of the power of God "in our time".
Sunday 20 March | Becoming a Praying Church, Contemplative Prayer As we near the end of our teaching series on becoming a praying church, Pete talks about how important contemplative prayer is in an age dominated by distraction. Giving God our attention may just be the modern day equivalent of pouring an alabaster jar of perfume on Jesus' feet.
