Day of Prayer | Budleigh Salterton Baptist Church

On February 15th we're inviting everyone to join us as for a Day of Prayer, focussing on COVID-19 and it's ongoing impact around the world.

This day has come about because one of our home groups felt that there was an urgent need to set aside a time to pray together.

The day will be broken into eight sections. At the start of each, different people will lead a short time of prayer and reflection on Zoom before suggesting some prayer points for that section. After that, you are welcome to stay on Zoom and pray with others, or leave and pray on your own.

The prayer points will also be available on this page, so that those who can't join the Zoom meetings can pray on their own.

We know that there hasn't been much notice, and that some of you will also have commitments. If that's the case, please don't worry. You're welcome to join us for as much or as little of the day as you can, or to pray through the different sections in your own time.

The timings of the day will be:

9-9.30am - Worship and Introduction to the day
9.30-11am - Our world and national leaders in politics, science and healthcare (led by Chris & Rosie)
11am-1pm - Elderly People and Young People (led by Jill)
1-3pm - The Church global, BMS World Mission, stories of friends and family overseas (led by Penny)
3-5pm - The Church in the south west (led by Julia)
5-7pm - Key Workers in health, education, emergency services and shops (led by Chris & David)
7-8.30pm - Our own church (led by Julia)
8.30pm - Closing prayers

Unfortunately we can't make the Zoom details available here. They will be on the weekly news email for those who receive this. Otherwise, please get in touch if you'd like to join in.

Click the section titles below to make the prayer points for that part drop down.

9.30-11am - World & National Leaders

11am-1pm - Younger People & Older People

The key prayer points for this section are:

Younger People

Relationships between family members. With the additional pressures and stress which Covid has brought into daily living these have been stretched sometimes to breaking point which impacts deeply on all members.
Pray for parents - that they may be given wisdom, understanding, and patience to deal with their situation, and find support when needed from different agencies both official and voluntary
Home schooling for some has been a joy, for others a struggle generating feelings of being a failure, not meeting the demands as well as other parents, so letting their children down.
In some homes there has been little encouragement or concern in this area as some parents are unable or unwilling to tackle this challenge. Pray that all involved in this aspect of family life may gain reassurance and encouragement, not judge themselves harshly. Pray that they would find satisfaction and pleasure from what they have achieved.
Teachers are front line workers and many are exhausted after all the changes they have made in order to make school life as good as possible. Pray especially for Steve Hitchcock (St Peter’s Budleigh) and his team. Please also pray for all schools, nurseries, and all agencies involved with education. Pray also that those who have to makes decisions at higher levels may consider their decisions and discuss beforehand so that government requirements are realistic.
Children with special needs can easily be overlooked in the present situation and are more vulnerable to the changes they meet so pray that their teachers have the resources they need to work in a satisfactory way.
All youngsters have had to adapt to learning in very different environments and have developed anxieties and changed attitudes to learning. Building relationships, being isolated from friends, and feeling concerned for their futures. Missing out on milestones, disappointment over university life, limited opportunity for travel, and concerns over work prospects are all challenges. Mental health issues and self-harming has increased.
Pray that the negative aspects of this life experience will be mitigated, and the result may be to make them more responsible adults. Pray for parents, teachers, social workers and all who contribute in any way to youngsters’ wellbeing and upbringing.
Also remember that these problems are worldwide, and many places have far more difficulties to contend with.

Older People

Older people are part of families but some are alone, or live with help of carers who may be family members, friends or part of other agencies.
For many lockdown life is not much different to their normal lives. This has become more apparent as neighbours have been looking out for folk who need extra help and care. Give thanks for those who have built new supportive relationships through this crisis. Pray that these will continue into the future.
Pray for all people who provide support for older people and carers. Give thanks for community provision such as The Hub, Care Agencies and Medical Professionals. Pray that they would have the PPE they need to keep themselves and their clients safe.
Pray for the Residential Homes in Budleigh – Bay Court, Pinewood and The Firs. Give thanks for the staff in these homes. Pray that the residents would be safe and well.
Pray for those whose mental health has suffered through isolation and lockdown. Be with those who feel there is no hope and that there is little to look forward to in life. Pray for organisations such as Samaritans, Age UK, Westbank etc.
Pray for older people whose physical health has suffered perhaps through Covid, other illnesses which are not being treated at present, or due to a loss of mobility and independence brought about by lockdown.
Pray for those younger retired people who feel the best years of their retirement are being stolen from them.
Pray that nobody would feel forgotten or isolated. Pray that those who need it would reach out for help, not being ashamed of loneliness or difficulties.
Pray for ourselves that we would be alert to the needs of older people in our church and our neighbourhoods.

1-3pm - The World and World Church

3-5pm - The Church in the South West

5-7pm - Key Workers

The key prayer points for this section are:

Pray for all key workers in health and social care, thinking especially of those who are part of our fellowship including staff in our local GP practices in the Woodbury, Exmouth and Budleigh cluster, all the local care agencies and residential homes and our local hospitals in Exmouth and the RD&E including the Nightingale hospital.
Pray for all teachers, teaching assistants, nursery/preschool workers, cleaners, mealtime staff and admin staff especially those who are part of our fellowship and in schools locally which our children attend; St. Peter’s, Budleigh, St. Joseph’s, Exmouth, Woodbury Primary, Exmouth Community College and any other local schools you feel led to pray for.
Pray for all key workers in the Emergency Services including Fire, Ambulance, Police and Coastguard.
Pray for key workers in Gas, Elecrtricity, Water, Telecoms and other IT services remembering those especially who are part of our fellowship.
Pray for those who work in shops, the production, manufacture and distribution of food including delivery drivers.
Pray for those in the Armed Services who have been called upon to support in any of the above sectors, thinking especially of those who are known to our fellowship or part of our local community at CTCRM, Lympstone.
Pray for any other groups that are on the Government critical worker list that are either known to you personally or that God lays on your heart.

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Pray for God to be with them at this time, to give them strength to do their jobs, to keep going and deal with daily challenges, not to become tempted to take shortcuts with new working regimes due to fatigue or pressure of work.
Pray for them to seek the Lord and turn to Him.
Pray for Christians to come alongside them and let them know they are loved, prayed for and to give practical support where needed; pray that God would show us where that may be us and give us courage to rise to the opportunities that He presents to us.
Pray for them to have good physical and mental health and the wisdom to maintain their own health through healthy diet and exercise even when they don’t feel like it.
Pray for protection for them against contracting the virus, and if this is unavoidable to only get a mild dose.
Pray that the government would include teachers earlier in the vaccination programme.
Pray that they would hold onto the knowledge that God is in control and that there will be an end to the pandemic.
Pray for those in any of the above groups who are parents, that they will be able to keep calm and not become anxious and that their children would be protected from picking up their parents’ anxieties.
Pray for any in any of the above groups that are struggling financially, that they would have courage to speak out and seek help and that help would be forthcoming.

7-8.30pm - Our Church

Giving Thanks!

Give thanks for our church family. We are now a community of over 50 people from all ages and walks of life.
- Think of the youngest person you know of in our church – give thanks for them and pray for them.
- Think of the oldest person you can think of in our church – give thanks for them and pray for them.
Give thanks for God’s faithfulness to our fellowship for over 170 years.
Give thanks for the ways that we have been a blessing to our community in the 11 months since lockdown 1, both as individuals and as a church body – Think of conversations with neighbours, practical help given, Light Party Bags funded and delivered, Alpha course online, financial donations to the Covid Support Group and working collaboratively across the town to provide support, Christmas Art Trail, support to teachers at St Peter’s School, online services and prayers which are viewable by anyone at any time.

Pray… Looking Outward

For those God wants to reach in our community. Ask him who He would have you bless with a card or a chat. Ask him who He is wanting to reach next and how you can help.
For those in need in our community – struggling families, elderly folks on their own, shop keepers, business owners, keyworkers, the unemployed, the sick, the bereaved. Pray for God’s blessing upon them, but also ask how our church might be a means of that blessing.
For the people we used to have regular contact with through the Café and Splash. Pray for them by name if you know any. Pray for chance meetings with them in the street. Pray for their health and wellbeing. Pray that God would lead them to tune into our online content. Pray that he would give them dreams and visions and draw them to himself.
For wisdom and opportunities to respond well to the ‘rebuild’ that will be needed across our community in the weeks and months ahead. Think in terms of mental health, children’s education, loss of mobility for older people, financial difficulties etc.

Pray… Looking Inward

Pray for everyone in our fellowship by name if you can. Find your church directory or flick through some of the photos on the website - https://www.budleighbaptistchurch.org.uk/
Pray for our unity and oneness in Christ. Ask that this period of social distancing would not drive us apart.
Ring somebody in the church that you haven’t spoken to for a while. Let them know you are praying for them. Yes do it now while you think of it!
Pray for our deacons – Pat, Rosie, Liz, Penny, Kate and Graham.
Pray for James and Julia.
Pray for church finances to improve
Pray that we would grow deeper in faith, stronger in love and wider in mercy.

Ben – Seaton	Kay – Axminster
Sam – Littleham	Ali - Ilfracombe
Karen and Murray – Penzance	Sara and Barney – Looe

County Lines Drug Trafficking	Poverty
Homelessness	Struggling hospitality industry due to lockdown
Farming and Fishing Communities	Lack of affordable housing for local people

Prayer Points