Prayer pointers was last updated in time for Sunday 4th May
This page offers prayer suggestions for personal use and for intercessions relating to the Benefice in our Sunday services. Don't feel obliged to use all of it!
Please pass on prayer requests to Stephen, via email. Please do not request prayers for the health or wellbeing of named individuals in this public forum.
Easter Reflections
During Lent we asked churches to reflect on Stephen's Ash Wednesday sermon, which drew attention to the way in which, as local church, our burdens are multiplied and our resources are divided. During the Easter Season, as we hear from the Book of Acts about the early days of the church, the call is to reflect prayerfully about our mission. How might we renew our churches, and deal with that mismatch of burdens and resources?
Please pray in particular for good attendance and fruitful discussion at our workshop on 17th May.
This week the pewsheet invites us to think about the things that are missing, either from our church, our parish or from the whole benefice. What do we need to flourish spiritually? Is there something that we have found beneficial in a past church to which we have belonged? Pray that God will inspire and enable us to develop a more rounded spiritual community. In particular, please pray that there might be more prayer.
Ministry Team
We pray for Chris as he settles in and begins to experience the diversity of our area, its churches, schools and communities.
We pray for Stephen and others as the conduct a recruitment process this week to replace Joyce Keetley, our deanery administrator. We pray for Joyce's retirement, that it might be fruitful and fulfilling.
Our PCCs
As the season of APCMs begin, we pray for all those who take on responsibilities and offices across our 8 parishes.
Growing Younger
Please pray for the staff and young people of Taste of Morland, as they enjoy a weekend of choral singing, aimed at those who are not yet old enough to attend Choristers' Camp. Pray that this particular aspect of church life, the distinct English choral tradition, might continue to flourish here and elsewhere, to the praise and glory of God.
Pray for Collective Worship in our schools this coming week, and for JAM in Bolton, that young people may find inspiration and know God through our teaching.
Online presence
We give thanks for the use we are able to make of our website, WhatsApp Community, Facebook Page and now YouTube Channel. Help us Lord to prosper this work and reach out beyond our congregations. In this most hazardous of human activities, keep us on a straight and narrow path. May our corner of the internet always be one that glorifies you.
Occasional offices
We give thanks for the opportunities afforded by the many baptisms, weddings, funerals, burials of ashes and memorials we are able to help with. We pray for the ministers who take these services, and all who are involved in making them a success. We ask God to guide us in service and in proclamation of the Good News at all these occasions.
Church buildings
We give thanks for permission to undertake works to the West End at Bolton, and for forthcoming applications at this and other churches.
About prayer pointers ThePrayer pointers page was a suggestion made at one of our Saturday morning training sessions on 15th February 2025. Talking about leading interecessions, we identified the importance of praying, as a benefice, for all the different needs and activities of our communities, churches, PCCs and congregations. In order to do this effectively, we need to know what each other are doing.