God hears your prayers. You can trust him with them.

Prayer Time

We now have a weekly prayer meeting at the Olive Tree Branch every Thursday at 7:30pm to 8.30pm. Please join us as we explore how to pray for ourselves and others, and experience the power of God through prayer andmore!

We, at The Olive Tree Church, Luton, (UK) aim to pray, for one another, each day at 7:00PM – (other time slots are available – just do it!) We let the Holy Spirit guide and unite us as we pray in our own time and spaces. Please try and join us; in spirit. If that time is inconvenient please allocate yourself some Prayer-time to suit. Tell a friend – they may wish to “join” you.

Please bring the Leadership Team to God; particularly Michael ,our Minister, and his family, as we embark, this Spring season, on God’s Mission for the Olive Tree Church, Luton.

I’ve taken this from TEARFUND’s latest Prayer Letter:- The rock on whom we place our trust ‘Do not tremble, do not be afraid,’ says Isaiah 44:8. ‘Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one.’ Further on in the passage, Isaiah paints us a picture of a man crafting an idol. Verse 16 to 17 says, ‘Half of the wood he burns in the fire; over it he prepares his meal, he roasts his meat and eats his fill. He also warms himself and says, “Ah! I am warm; I see the fire.” From the rest he makes a god, his idol; he bows down to it and worships. He prays to it and says, “Save me! You are my god!”’ And then comes the admonishment in verse 18: ‘They know nothing, they understand nothing.’While the story is about a man actually building an idol, there’s a bigger picture. And it comes back to verse 8. There is no other rock – no other solid foundation – than our God. Though our resources and practical skills are sensible and even vital (after all, food and warmth are important to survival), we cannot place our trust in them. We might use our money and our God-given abilities to work towards resolving needs in our lives and the lives of others, but he must be where our ultimate focus lies. And this is very encouraging – the reason we need not ‘tremble’ against the scale of crisis and need around the world! We can do what we can, but our reliance for the outcome is not determined by what we can achieve with our hands and our resources, but on what God can do through us, with us and for us.

The crisis in Gaza and Israel continues to escalate, despite a brief pause, and has already devastated tens of thousands of lives. You can use this prayer guide to call out to God in intercessory prayer, which simply means praying on behalf of someone else. Some of the the Prayers below are taken from Tearfund

What to pray…

Pray for peace

• Pray for an immediate ceasefire and an end to the violence.
• Pray for world leaders with influence in the region to make wise decisions that lead to lasting peace.
• Pray that God’s peace would fill the hearts and minds of everyone who is suffering as a result of this conflict.
• Pray for safety
• Pray for all civilians – that God would protect them from harm, particularly the most vulnerable, including children, older people, and people with disabilities.
• Pray for humanitarian workers – for protection for those who are working to provide humanitarian assistance and medical supplies.
• Pray for safe access to food, water, sanitary items, medical supplies, fuel and electricity.
• Pray for people forced to flee their homes – pray for safe places to stay and that they will be able to return home.
• Pray for strength
• Pray for church leaders – for wisdom and strength to lead people through fear and uncertainty. Pray for bravery as they guide their communities and offer loving support.
• Pray for Christian communities and faith leaders across the region – for unity, connection and mutual understanding so that they can help bring people together and show kindness.
• Pray for humanitarian workers – that God would strengthen their resolve and ability to provide relief and humanitarian assistance.
• Pray for hope
• Pray for those who are terrified, mourning and suffering in Israel and Gaza. Ask God to save them from despair – for the trauma and violence they’ve experienced not to overshadow hope.
• Pray that people in Gaza and Israel and those in the wider region wouldn’t lose hope that peace is possible. ‘With God, all things are possible’ (Matthew 19:26).
• Pray for healing
• Pray for people who have been traumatised or injured; ask God to heal their physical and emotional wounds and bring them deep comfort.
• Pray for hospitals and medical workers who are struggling with limited resources and overwhelming needs. Ask God to provide all the resources and equipment they need to treat the sick and injured.
• ‘With God, all things are possible’ Matthew 19:26

A Prayer for Peace in troubled areas
Dear God, We cry out to you on behalf of the people seriously affected by the conflicts in Gaza and Israel, in Ukraine, in areas of Africa and elsewhere.
Our hearts break at the devastation and suffering that we see, and we know it breaks yours, too.

Amen.

How we can pray…

• Use scriptures on peace to centre your thoughts on God and his promises in the Bible. They can be easily found with (Google) internet searches.
• Pray with a map of Gaza, Israel, Ukraine, Africa – indeed the whole Earth where troubles exist: to guide your prayers.
• Light candles to help you meditate on Jesus as the light of the world.
• Set up prayer stations in your church.
• Thank you for joining us in prayer for the conflict in Gaza and Israel. Let’s continue to pray and act together on behalf of people suffering the effects of violence everywhere.

We believe that prayers are more powerful than anything else.

Pray with us

‘Creator God In bright light and dull darkness  In the energy of each day and the rest that comes with night  We remember the goodness of God  In the heavens high above our heads  In waters that run deep around the world  We remember the goodness of God  In solid land and flowing seas  In vivid flowers and fruit-laden trees  We remember the goodness of God In the rising and setting of the sun and the cycles of the seasons  In the patterns of the shining stars  We remember the goodness of God  In oceans teeming with fish  In skies filled with birds  We remember the goodness of God  In a world filled with animal life  And in ourselves as human beings  We remember the goodness of God  And God looked and saw all that he had made, and indeed it was very, very good  In rest and reflection, in wonder and worship  We remember the goodness of God  Amen’ [Taken from the Church of England Environment Program Creation Care Prayers]