Prayer points

WEEK COMMENCING 12TH JULY

“Praise the Lord. Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands. Their children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.”
Psalm 112:1–2 (NIV)

1. Give thanks for God’s faithfulness and pray for Christians facing challenges

After a seven-year legal battle, Rev. Dr Bernard Randall has reached a settlement with Trent College and successfully challenged the Church of England’s safeguarding blacklisting of him following a sermon on freedom of belief and gender identity.

We thank God for sustaining Rev. Randall through a long and difficult season, and for his commitment to faithfully proclaiming Christ.

Please pray:

• Give thanks to God for this outcome and for upholding Rev. Randall with strength, wisdom and integrity.
• Pray that God would continue to restore, refresh and encourage Rev. Randall after the challenges he has faced.
• Pray for Christian organisations supporting believers through legal and professional challenges, including Christian Concern, asking that God would bless their work and provide the resources they need.
• Pray for wisdom for schools, churches and Christian leaders as they navigate complex questions around faith, freedom of belief and cultural debates.

“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 1:3–6 (NIV)

2. Pray for schools, staff and pupils affected by SATs results delay

Exam board Pearson has apologised after technical issues delayed the publication of this year’s SATs results in England by more than a week. The disruption has caused frustration for schools, parents and pupils, with some staff needing to work through the summer period to complete assessments.

Please pray:

• Pray that schools would receive accurate and reliable results quickly, and that leaders and teachers would be supported as they manage the disruption.
• Pray for teachers who may need to complete additional work during the holidays, asking God to give them strength, patience and opportunities for rest.
• Pray for pupils and families awaiting results, that anxiety would be eased and that they would remember their identity and value are found in Christ, not in academic outcomes.
• Pray for wisdom and integrity for those responsible for assessment systems, that future processes would be dependable and serve schools well.