PRAYER NOTICE March 25, 2020

We lift up our world As COVID-19 continues to affect many areas of the world, we particularly lift up the World Partners that we as a church support, as they seek wisdom and protection. Take a look at this list of status updates and prayer requests from our partners. May God give them wisdom generously as they seek it and may this situation open new and unexpected opportunities to demonstrate and declare God's glory and grace.

We lift up our community We pray for the hospitals and medical facilities in our region that are experiencing additional stress at this time, as well as preparing for increased care. May the Lord provide the necessary beds, staff, and medical equipment & supplies to care for those who are sick. May God protect the nurses, doctors, and staff and give them courage and compassion as they give of themselves for others. May the help that these caregivers provide point to the restoration that God is working even now in our world. We lift up the families of children who are in the foster care system. As the stress of our current situation might make it more difficult for some families to cope and heal, we pray that God would provide the resources these families need to get help. We pray that foster families would have wisdom in how they manage the interactions of the children with their biological families and that DCF staff would continue to provide the necessary support. ( NSCBC, along with six other churches in the North Shore Gospel Partnership have committed to praying weekly for the foster care system in our region. We have developed a relationship with the Department of Children and Families and have told them that we want to pray until we see a change in the fostering landscape on the North Shore, or until we feel God leads us to stop praying. If you would like to learn more about how you can get involved, contact  Lianna Sours . May God's Kingdom come in this area. )

We lift up our church We thank God that he grows us through trials . May we seek God for wisdom in the midst of uncertainty, knowing he generously gives it to those who ask. May the Lord use our current circumstances to bring to light our immaturity and may he guide us into a deeper trust in and dependence upon Christ. (If you would like to hear last Sunday's sermon,  listen here .) We pray that God would give us wisdom for how to take steps forward in preparing to plant a church . As we set our focus on more immediate issues during these current weeks, may he continue to lay the groundwork for a new church. (To subscribe to a semi-regular church planting prayer and info email, click here .) We lift up our church's local outreach ministries . We pray that we would continue to find creative ways as a congregation to serve and bless those we partner with through Family Promise, Beverly Downtown Dinner, Evening Service, and more. May those relationships deepen and may individuals and groups who are not believers see Christ in us as we reach out.

We lift up our body Let us pray for Angelina Mauro-Conrad's 78-year-old mother who recently had exposure to someone with COVID-19 in her assisted living facility in New York. She is in isolation in her room and so far is not feeling ill, but we pray that God would enable her faith to remain strong and that he would protect her physically and emotionally. We lift up college student Sarah Welton-Lair's grandmother who has struggled with chronic health issues for a long time, but recently experienced a rapid decline and is not expected to have much time left. Because of current circumstances, distance, and her grandmother's hearing impairment, some family is not able to communicate much at all with her. We pray that she would have peace in these final days and put her hope in God. May Sarah and her family be comforted in their grief and trust that God is in control. We continue to pray for Kris McKenna's mother , Janis Swanson, who recently had a stroke (Kris is NSCBC member Jean McKenna's daughter-in-law). Janis is now in hospice care in New Hampshire. May God comfort her, as well as her husband, and daughters Kris and Wendy.

We pray to the One who is sovereign over all: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit Have a prayer request? Email prayer@nscbc.org .