Advent Prayer: Mon to Fri 6pm
From today, 6pm we are inviting you for Advent Evening Prayer from Monday to Friday for 15 minutes.
From today, 6pm we are inviting you for Advent Evening Prayer from Monday to Friday for 15 minutes.
Christoph and Edda will lead us in 15 minutes of praying together. Click below to join. (This video can be streamed afterwards).
We encourage you to take a moment to watch today’s video from Carl Knightly. Carl is the Chief Executive of Faith In Later Life, a charity that seeks to reach, serve and empower older people in every community, through the local church; and to encourage older people in their faith.
Advent is a time of waiting and preparation (it literally means arrival).
On the Saturday before Advent Sunday, we are setting aside time to pray – from 7am to 9pm.
You are invited to spend one hour during the day in silence, worship and intercession to bring the needs of our world before God.
Please click here to sign up for one hour during the day..
Hourly slots can be booked by more than one person, so please pick the time that suits you best.
Click here to download the guide…
(Of course you can use this guide to set aside time for prayer any time during advent.)
Wherever there is the grace of God, human beings pray. God works in us, for we know not how to pray as we ought. It is the Spirit of God that incites us and enables us to pray in a fitting manner. We are not skilled to judge whether we are worthy or capable of praying, or whether we have sufficient zeal to pray. Grace in itself is the answer to this question. When we are comforted by the grace of God, we begin to pray with or without words.
—Karl Barth, Prayer
“Lord, in these dark and difficult times, grant us grace to seek Your face with undiminished love. Replenish our reserves for the road is long. Surprise us with glimpses of Your goodness, hints of your holiness, and a song of hope in this very strange land. AMEN.”
As we enter a second lockdown, we are called to pray! Here are some ways in which we will pray as a church community – please join in!
All resources for prayer can be found on this website – simply click on “The Latest” or go directly to www.denhamparish.church/blog
1 Praying Daily at 6pm
Set aside time as often as you can to bring the needs of the world, our nation, our community and those we know and love before God.
Download a suggested outline for evening prayer here…
Download the Church of England Resource “Prayer for our Nation”…
Download the Church of England Resource “Personal Prayer”…
2 Praying Together Weekly: Thursdays at 6pm
Once a week we are invited to pray together for 15 minutes on Thursdays at 6pm. Find the link here on this website or on our FaceBook page…
3 Making Fridays a Day of Prayer and Fasting
Fridays have been days of prayer throughout the history of the church. Could you make Friday a special day of prayer? Integrate prayer into your normal daily rhythm – when you get up, saying grace before meals, in the car, as you go about your business. Use your senses to see, hear, observe and turn that into prayer.
On Fridays our associate minister Nnamdi Maduka will also be posting suggestions for prayer on this website.
At a time of crisis many Christians decide to fast – why not try fasting on a Friday, maybe by skipping just one meal or a regular treat such as chocolate or alcohol?
NB: Please make sure that you take medical advice if fasting could be detrimental to you!
Read a guide to fasting for beginners here…
4 Come to St Mary’s Church for Personal Individual Prayer
In November, St Mary’s will be open for personal prayer on Sundays from 2pm to 4pm. Please wear a mask and observe social distancing.
5 SATURDAY, 28 NOVEMBER: A DAY OF PRAYER FOR ADVENT
Set aside on hour between 7am and 9pm. You can register by clicking here… and before Saturday we will provide you with a simple suggestion how you could spend the hour in prayer (find it on this page or at www.denhamparish.church/blog from Thursday 26 Nov). The sign-up sheet allows multiple people to book the same hour slot, so please choose the time that works best for you.
Find out more about how we can pray together…
“On the brink of this second lockdown we might understandably feel helpless, anxious and vulnerable. And we do what we can to halt the spread of this virus – but we can still feel powerless. Prayer is my first response when I feel out of my depth, when I need help, when I am worried, when I am concerned for those I love. It is a gift that God gives to all – whether you are a regular pray-er or not – bring your cares and the cares of the nation to God. For God loves and hears and holds. Prayer changes things.”
Archbishop Justin Welby
Maranatha- Come Lord Jesus
During the month of November Christians have been called to make prayer a priority. Join us for 15 minutes to pray and listen to God together.
Click here to join us live at 6pm (and to stream it afterwards)…
Today’s Prayer is a prayer of gratitude for God’s creation and a call to action:
Praying together in November at 6pm:
Today, Archbishop Justin will be leading a time of prayer live on Facebook for our nation. Wherever you are, and whether you pray all the time or you’ve never prayed before, you’re welcome to join him at 6pm UK time.
You can tune in and join us on Archbishop Justin’s Facebook page by clicking here…
If you’d like to explore the Christian faith, we’d love to be part of your journey of faith. There are also some helpful websites as a starting point:
St Mary’s Church Office
Village Road
Denham UB9 5BH
Tel: 01895 832771
Monday 10.00am – 12.30pm
Tuesday 10.00am – 12.30pm
Wednesday 10.00am – 12.30pm
Thursday 12.30pm – 3.00pm
Friday 10.00am – 12.30pm