PRAYER NOTICE April 22, 2020

We lift up our world Tomorrow is the beginning of Ramadan , a month of fasting for Muslims all around the world. For many it is a time of heightened religious awareness and questioning. This is a time for Christians to be particularly in prayer for Muslim friends and neighbors and for those in our partner gospel movement countries around the world, particularly in Western and Central Asia, North Africa and East Africa. Pray that the Holy Spirit would speak to Muslims and guide them to exploring Christianity. Pray for believers to have the wisdom to know how to talk to Muslims during this time. Pray that our world partners would particularly know God’s strengthening and equipping this month. Pray as Muslims search on the internet and watch satellite television, they would come across Christian media that speaks to them and inspires them to ask questions about Islam.

We lift up our community We pray for Women in Transition , a ministry to women in prison of which Katherine Horvath is a leader. We thank God for the opportunity she and her team had on Easter Sunday to deliver a special breakfast to the ladies and sing "Christ the Lord Is Risen Today" to them. As visits and group meetings have been suspended, we pray that the women would be encouraged by the cards and written messages they are receiving. May they know the comfort of the Spirit and transforming power of Christ. We pray for parents whose children are in the foster system . May God strengthen them and enable them to receive the help and care that they need. May God guard them from additional emotional heaviness, circumstantial stress, or the propensity to make unhealthy decisions, particularly in this time when many factors are increasingly challenging. May the Lord enable families to be reunited. ( 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 praise God that his Word speaks to us and guides us. May we grow in meditation upon Scripture and on the work of Jesus Christ on our behalf. May God increase our thirst for him and, as we are planted in his Word, may he make us into established followers of Christ, rooted in his truth and love and able to produce fruit that honors him and points others to Christ. (If you would like to hear last Sunday's sermon,  listen here .) As we continue to prepare our hearts for church planting , may we press in to God, seeking to align our hearts with his. May our passion for God's glory and burden for the lost around us continue to grow and may we give our whole hearts to God's mission to transform people's lives by his grace . (To subscribe to a semi-regular church planting prayer and info email, click here .) On this Administrative Professionals Day, we lift up our church's Administrative Assistant, Amy Tuck . We thank God for her and the support she gives to our staff and ministries daily. May the Lord sustain her as she continues to work from home and encourage her in her service, knowing it is for the Kingdom.

We lift up our body Let us lift up Peter Coleman who has been diagnosed with coronavirus and has been struggling with symptoms, exacerbated by pre-existing asthma. He is experiencing severe headaches, bronchial spasms, coughing, and trouble breathing. Thankfully an x-ray showed his lungs are clear and he is on medications and an inhaler. May God touch his body and strengthen him physically, emotionally, and spiritually during this time. May he be certain of God's presence with him and may the Lord enable him to endure. We pray for Sarah Welton-Lair , whose grandmother passed away last week. We thank God for the opportunities Sarah's father had to be with her in her final days and to share the hope of Jesus. May God comfort the family as they grieve. May those who don't have a relationship with Christ know his peace and provision. And may God protect Sarah's father as he travels back home. We lift up Ellie Harris who was not feeling well recently. We pray that God would touch her body and also encourage her spirit. May she know the love and care of our church community and, most of all, know the deep love of Christ for her. We thank God for the opportunity NSCBC had to support World Partners Nick and Nika as they transitioned back to the States because of current circumstances. Thank God for his provision of a house in Asbury Grove that came through Dirk and Kris Nims, former NSCBC attenders and parents of World Partner Josh Nims. To read an encouraging note from Nick and Nika, click here.

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