Prayer

What is prayer?

Its good to talk. It's lovely to be able to chat with family and friends about ordinary things as well as our concerns, struggles and joys. If we live alone or are lonely it can be a lifeline.

We can also chat to Jesus about anything too. Just in the same way as you might chat with a friend, anyone can talk to Jesus about anything, including our deepest desires, our deepest fears, our joys, our struggles and the things we hope for. We can do this any time and anywhere, with a cup of tea, on a walk, on our own or over the phone with a friend. What is more, Jesus has promised that He hears us, and is delighted when we talk to Him and that He will answer us. This is called prayer.
 
Jesus can and does help us in our struggles and with the things we hope for, he does rejoice with us when we rejoice and mourn with us when it's hard. He loves to get involved to make our lives good. However, He will never over step the mark and do anything unless we ask or want Him to. 

How can I hear what Jesus says to me?

You may just think of a new way of doing something, have a sense of hope or peace, or get a picture in your mind. Don’t over think these things. Just go with it and the more you do it the easier it becomes. You can also read a few lines from the Bible each day asking that Jesus speaks to you through this. He will. Start with the book of John, if you have never read the Bible. Read it asking and expecting Jesus to say something to you about what you have said. If you don’t have a Bible, please contact the church office and someone will help you get one.

Sometimes Jesus causes circumstances to change, sometimes we find that the circumstances don’t change but they no longer worry us because we know Jesus is in control. We find we experience a peace we did not think possible.

The more we do it, then prayer becomes deeply personal, reliable and meaningful to us and Jesus.

Would you like someone to pray for you?

If you would like someone to pray for you please email your request to prayer@altrinchambaptist.org We have a prayer team who will commit to praying for you. All prayer requests received are depersonalised by our admin team, to protect identity, before forwarding to our wonderful prayer team. The individual on the rota will then pray for you as requested for 5 days.

The team pray too for global, national and more local issues, (currently including: work within the Hub, ABC employees and Core Team...PLUS all those in our local community...yourselves included!)

Would you like to pray with someone because you are unwell, worried, fearful or lonely?

If you would like to receive individual prayer about a physical, emotional or spiritual health matter, someone can pray with you over the phone or in person. If you need medical interventions or medication this prayer never replaces this, but is addition to it. If you have any of the symptoms of COVID 19 you must self isolate and get a test. Prayer does not replace this, but you can ask for prayer as well.

We have a team of prayers who have been trained and authorised by the church to pray with people in this way. It is not counselling and you won't be asked to say in detail what the problem is. We will pray into the problem, rather than talk about it.

If you would like this type of prayer please email Andrew Hawksworth, who is our Assistant Minister at andrewhawksworth@altrinchambaptist.org to discuss.

Prayer with someone or for someone is always confidential, unless you say something that suggests you or someone you know is in danger. In all situations we follow national safeguarding guidelines.

Are you a member of staff or a volunteer at church?

Staff and volunteers gather for prayers Monday - Friday mornings via zoom.

Would you like to join with others in the church as we pray?

 

ABC Prayer Weekends

 "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know" Jer 33.3
 
We have three Prayer Weekends each year.  You are warmly invited to join us, in person or on zoom, doing as little or as much as you want. We gather in anything anyone has felt or heard during the weekend, including pictures, words or scriptures.

The next prayer weekend is Friday 22nd - Sunday 24th September.

The format is always the same:
Friday: Hale Road: A short message, prayer and worship 8-9.30pm
Saturday:  variety of options, including praying wherever you are (shops, football, away, at home or using the church building which is open 10,to 12.00.
Sunday: Hale Road -Prayer bring and share breakfast 9.00am to 10.15am 
From the last Prayer Weekends we believe God has given us 7 calls as a church:

• to Jesus
• to committent and community
• to unity
• to inclusion
• to arms
• to praise
• to prayer

Would you like to pray with many others for our city and local areas?

Our church has agreed to join with a large number of other churches in Greater Manchester who are meeting to pray and cry out to God for a move of His Spirit and a turning of the tide across Greater Manchester. This a meeting is called Manchester Prayer. We prayer with city leaders, including the police, the Mayor, teachers and health leaders to name a few. Each meeting usually covers a particular theme.
 

How can I get Zoom? 

Zoom is an app that can be downloaded to a phone laptop or iPad. If you need help to do this, please visit our Technical Support Page.