10th March 2021 - Lessons in Lent - Let Us Pray

​APC 10th March 2021             Lessons in Lent- ‘Let us Pray’
 
Welcome and Introduction           
Good morning everyone and welcome to our Midweek worship.  Today we continue with our ‘Lessons in Lent’ as we pause and think about the powerful potential of prayer. Let’s begin by doing that right now.  Let’s pray…
 
Opening Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer
 
Lord of heaven and earth, of all that is and has been and will be- Forgive us for trusting in our own strength rather than in yours.
 
Forgive us for thinking our way is best, for claiming honour that is rightly yours, for seeking ‘our ends’ rather than your Kingdom, for putting our confidence in things which have no power to save or satisfy.
Forgive us for trusting in our own strength rather than in yours.
 
Forgive us for all the challenges we have ignored, the opportunities we have missed, the work we have failed to do, all through refusing to trust you fully.
Forgive us for trusting in our own strength rather than in yours.
 
Forgive us for the people we have let down, the circumstances we have despaired of, the opportunities we have wasted, all because we have trusted our judgement before yours.
Forgive us for trusting in our own strength rather than in yours.
 
Lord of all, teach us that when we feel most weak and helpless you are at your strongest, and what the world counts powerless is often most powerful.  Save us from closing our eyes to your mighty presence.
Forgive us for trusting in our own strength rather than in yours.
Give us renewed faith, greater trust, and deeper confidence in all that you are able to do.
Teach us to trust your strength rather than our own, and so may we attempt new things in your name and fulfil them to your glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
 
Join with me as we say the Lord’s Prayer together….
 
Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name,
Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day, our daily bread, And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us,
And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil,
For Thine is the Kingdom, the power and the glory,
For ever and ever, AMEN.
 
 
Bible Reading         Exodus 17 v 8-13   ‘The Amalekites Defeated’
 
8 The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. 9 Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.”
10 So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. 11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12 When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. 13 So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.
 
 
 
 
Lessons in Lent – ‘Let us Pray’.
 
Intro:
 
In his book ‘The Prayer Factor,’ Sammy Tippit recounts the story of how God miraculously changed the life of a community in answer to the prayers of one faithful minister.  He writes,
 
“Pastor Morris shepherded a small Baptist church in Louisiana.  In the late 1960s he asked me to preach in Evangelistic meetings in his church.  A few weeks before the meetings began, I grew discouraged.  Reaching the people seemed impossible.  The church and community possessed little interest in spiritual matters.  The Vietnam War raged on.  Young people were rejecting the values of their elders.  Drugs and Eastern mysticism were capturing young people.  Racial tensions plagued the schools.  Worldly standards were creeping into the churches.  I felt defeated and helpless.” 
 
On the passage that we read earlier, Moses faced a similar, ‘Mission Impossible’.  Since the miraculous victory over the Egyptians at the Red Sea, things had gone from bad to worse.  Despite the fact that God had provided them with food in the shape of manna and quails and had given them water from a rock to drink, the whole Israelite community had started complaining about the hardships of living a nomadic life in the Desert.  Even the slavery of Egypt seemed better than this!  In desperation Moses cries out to the Lord, “What am I to do with these people, they are almost ready to stone me?!”  Then, just as he thought things couldn’t get any worse, they did.  Their enemies, the Amalekites, mounted an all-out assault. 
 
Back in Louisiana, Pastor Morris’ response to the growing crisis was to organise a prayer session with the young people.  He asked the Evangelist, Sammy Tippit to join them.  Sammy writes, “Only a few attended.  I told Pastor Morris, ‘I think we ought to cancel the evangelistic meetings.  There is no interest.  We will be wasting my time, your time and the church’s time.’  I will never forget his response.  With a twinkle in his eye he said, ‘I’ve been praying.  God has given me assurance that He is going to do something special during these meetings.’”
 
Moses’ response to the military crisis was similar to Pastor Morris.  Firstly, he mobilised the troops.  He summoned his right hand man, Joshua and said to him, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites.”  But in addition to putting men on the ground, perhaps with a twinkle in his eye, Moses also took the situation to God in prayer.  We read, “So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill.  As long as Moses held up his hands the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning.” 
 
Despite Pastor Morris’ optimism, Sammy Tippit admits that he was still sceptical.  He writes,
 
“I preached the first evening and there was no response.  I looked at pastor Morris as if to say, ‘I told you so.’  He smiled and said, ‘I’ve been praying.  It will be O.K.’  On Thursday night I preached to about 50 people.  There seemed to be no effect on the congregation.  However, at the time of invitation one of the church leaders came forward and prayed with Pastor Morris.  He then came to the pulpit with tears in his eyes and asked the church to forgive him.  He said that he had failed the young people by being a poor example.  He said that God had now freed him from his alcohol problem.  He then asked the church to pray for him.    Something wonderful happened that moment.  A Spirit of brokenness and prayer swept the congregation.  The altar was filled with people confessing sin and seeking God’s righteousness.  On Friday evening the church was nearly full….By Sunday evening there was no room for the crowds.  Pastor Morris said, ‘I’ve been praying and I believe we ought to extend these meetings another week.’  I knew not to argue.  We moved from the church to the university campus.  The first building we secured was also not big enough for the crowds.  We moved to a larger building.  It was not sufficient either.  Pastor Morris said, ‘I’ve been praying.  I think we ought to talk to the former Louisiana governor.  He owns the local T.V. station.  We should ask him for time on television to tell what God is doing in our city.’  I said sceptically, ‘I don’t think he will help us.’  But pastor Morris said, ‘I’ve been praying and God will prepare his heart.’ 
 
The governor gave us two fifteen minute television spots to tell what God was doing in the city.  But more than that he rang the mayor and said, “I have some young men in my office who are doing something positive in our community.  They need larger facilities.  I would like you to donate the civic centre to them free of charge.’  The mayor agreed.   The meetings that began with fifty people concluded with around 3000.  Both black and white students involved in racial tension were converted to Christ and asked each other’s forgiveness.  I walked out of the governor’s office that day humbled at the greatness of God.  I looked over at Pastor Morris.  He said nothing but he had a smile on his face.  I realised in that moment one of the great truths of the Christian life:  Victory does not come through our magnificent schemes, expert publicity, or financial holdings, victory comes from the Lord.”
 
This was the truth that Moses and his friends Aaron and Hur had also learned.  That’s why when Moses was too tired to hold his hands up in prayer to God that his friends got beside him and held his arms aloft.  And while Moses prayed, the Israelites had the victory.  As soon as he stopped praying the enemy began to gain the ascendancy.
 
Today people ask us, “What are you giving up for Lent?”  Often our response is “Chocolate, biscuits, alcohol or cigarettes.”  Whilst there are many benefits to all of these things, it betrays the reality that in many cases we’ve forgotten the original intention of the season.  When people gave up eating treats like butter and eggs or meat, they did so for one reason- So that they could focus their minds on prayer.  Prayer for themselves and especially prayers for other people. 
 
What was true for Moses, for Sammy Tippit, for Pastor Morris and for the city of Monroe Louisiana in 1960, is true for us in Arklow in 2021.  It is true individually in our personal lives and collectively in our family, congregational and community lives.  Whatever difficulties and battles we face, God can give us the victory.
 
Can I ask you- what is it that keeps you awake at night?  What situation?  Which member of your family?   Remember, nothing is impossible for God.  That’s why I want to encourage you to pray.  Pray in your homes, as you drive to work, as you walk around the shops.  Pray as you stroll in the forest or on the beach, as you run along the roadside.  Pray anytime, anyplace, anywhere. 
 
Remember, victory does not come through our magnificent schemes, expert publicity, or financial holdings, victory comes from the Lord.  So pray, pray and pray again.  Amen.
 
In light of that, let’s take a few moments to pray for other people and circumstances…
 
Prayer for Others
 
Lord, we thank you that you are real and powerful.  Thank you that you hear and answer our prayers.  So today we pray for our government and ask that you would continue to give them strength and wisdom for all the work they are responsible for.  We pray that vaccination programs throughout the world would make good progress and that as a consequence vulnerable people would be protected. 
 
We pray that you will guard our mental well-being.  Please give anyone who is struggling emotionally the courage to be honest with those who love them.  Give us wisdom to know how to support one another and especially those who are not sleeping or feel anxious and exhausted. 
 
We pray that our children and young adults will soon be able to return to school and university.  We pray that our elderly will be protected and that family visits to residential homes will soon be permitted. 
 
We ask that those who have businesses would soon be able to resume their normal activities and that in the meantime you will provide financially for their families.  We pray that sporting activities will soon be able to restart and that we will be able to go to the cinema or theatre or enjoy a coffee or a meal with friends. 
 
We pray that soon we will be allowed to meet again in church.  We pray that those who have been on hospital waiting lists will soon be able to have necessary procedures.  We pray that all those working in frontline services especially in our hospitals and care homes would be able to have a period of respite when they can spend time with family and get much needed rest.  We pray that those who have had to postpone their weddings on many occasions will be enabled to get married.
 
We pray especially for those who have been bereaved over this past year.  Lord comfort all who mourn and give us wisdom to know how best to support those who feel they have been unable to grieve in the normal way because of the Pandemic.
 
Lord we pray for those all who are battling with disabilities or chronic illnesses especially those who are elderly or young.  We ask that you will give them courage and strength and enable them to find every help and even healing.  We pray that you will give comfort, wisdom and strength to all those who care for them.
 
Lord, we thank you for all the ways that you have provided for us physically and emotionally during this crisis and for everyone who has encouraged and helped us at some point along the way.  But we admit that we are weary and cry out to you for a turning of the tide and for a real and lasting breakthrough that will bring this Pandemic to an end.
 
 
Take a moment to bring your own prayers to God now…
 
Lord we believe that nothing is impossible for you.  We know that you have told us to ask and we will receive.  So we ask you to hear us and help us in your mercy and according to your promises… Amen.
 
 
Closing Words
 
It’s been a joy and privilege to share with you again today. Thanks again for logging on.  I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s reflection.  Please do spend some time in quiet over the next couple of days reflecting on how you might make more time to pray.
 
One piece of exciting news is that we will be leading worship on the RTE Sunday morning service on 28th of March, that’s Palm Sunday.  That gives us all something to look forward to!
 
Also I’m delighted to say that Bev is back home form hospital so thank you for praying for him and for Sharon.
Please do continue to pray for Fr Padraig whose been in hospital and for all clergy in these difficult days.
 
And don’t forget this weekend it’s Mothering Sunday so do tune in at our normal time as we give thanks to God for our mothers and for all the women in our world.
 
But for now, let me lead you in a Benediction after which I invite you as always, to say the grace together…
 
 
Benediction   
As you go out into this day and the rest of this week don’t try to do life on your own.  God is with you – include Him in the conversation.  You might just be surprised at the results.  And
 
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all now and for evermore, Amen.”