Prayer diary written by Hilary Prescott.

FRID 1 Heavenly Father, may my New Year’s Resolutions , helped by your Holy Spirit, be to get to know you better and to follow faithfully that great resolution- to love you with all my heart and all my soul and my neighbour as myself.

SAT 2  Lord God, we pray for the ministers and congregations of the Offa Mission Area, and ask that this year, despite the circumstances, might be a powerful year in our worship, witness and mission.

SUN 3  Holy God, we offer this day and the  time of our worship up to you, that they might glorify you in word and deed. Help us to stay focused on you and your will for us.

MON 4  Loving Lord God, we pray for the people whom the Offa Mission Area has been supporting in Tanganyika. May they and all who are working to bring them help, receive your enriching blessing.

TUES 5  Heavenly Father, we pray for all involved in researching, delivering and administering the Covid 19 vaccines. Thank you for them and their work, O Lord. We pray that the systems may work effectively and that all who receive the vaccines might find hope and healing.

WED 6  O God, who by the leading of a star manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth: mercifully grant that we, who know you only now by faith, may at last behold your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen (collect)

THURS 7 Brightest and best /of the suns of the morning,/dawn on our darkness/and lend us thine aid;/star of the east, the horizon adorning,/guide where our infant redeemer is laid.

Vainly we offer /each humble oblation,/vainly with gifts/would his favour secure:/richer by far /is the heart’s adoration,/dearer to God /are the prayers of the poor.

FRID 8  Thank you, Lord, for our Church Treasurers and our Gift Aid representative and for all their hard work. May they be granted the time, patience and energy they need for their work- which all helps to promote your work.

SAT 9  Thank you, O God, for all who work in Chirk Library: please bless and guide them in their important  work for the community.

SUN 10  Heavenly Father, we pray for your blessing on the families connected to our churches, that they might continue to know that they are part of your family and the family of the church and remain in your love. We also remember before you the families who used to attend Messy Church.

MON 11  Lord, we ask for your blessing on all who live in St. Mary’s Close, Chirk.

TUES 12 O God our Father, we pray for the young people in our area, especially those who have found the past year particularly difficult, educationally and socially. May the year ahead prove a more stable and satisfying time for them.

WED 13  Lord of the Universe, we bring before you the Covid 19 situation, praying for guidance for our leaders in its handling, patience and good sense for the people, and your healing in body, mind and spirit.

THURS 14 For God alone my soul in silence waits; truly my hope is in him.  He alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold, so that I shall not be shaken.  Psalm 62 6-7

FRID 15  Let us thank God for our church secretaries and all they do for our churches, asking for his blessing on them . May they find the time and energy they need to carry out their tasks.

SAT 16 Lord God, we bring before you the people involved in the businesses in our locality. Please help them as they work to maintain production and custom, and grant them the support they need to flourish.

SUN 17  Let us thank God for our organist and for the beauty and richness he helps bring to our worship, and ask God to bless and support him in all that he does.

MON 18  Lord, we pray for the staff and pupils of our local schools as they settle in to a new term, however that might be organised. May this year prove to be a more settled one forthem and one in which everyone can feel that they have achieved a great deal.

TUES 19  Thank you, Lord, for our local press and for all they have done and do to ensure that we are kept in touch with our communities and national concerns. Thank you for the encouragement they give and the realisation that good things are happening as well as the bad and that there are so many caring people around. We pray for Chirk Community Newsletter and the team which also promotes the community spirit.

WED 20  Loving Lord God, we ask you to send your healing spirit on the staff and patients of our local hospitals: keep them safe and grant the staff the energy and skill they need to work in often difficult circumstances.

THURS 21  Almighty God, we pray that this year our churches might be able to boost their funds so that our worship and community outreach might be facilitated.

FRID 22 Father God, we bring before you people who are feeling lonely and cut off from the world around them; may they receive the support and comfort they need and know that you are always with them.

SAT 23  I am only one but still am one. I cannot do everything but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything let me not refuse to do the something that I can do.

Edward Everett Hale   N American Unitarian clergyman 1822-1909

SUN 24  O Lord our God, we give you thanks and praise and rejoice that with all that has been happening , we can trust you and your care for us. Please help our fellow Christians in Chirk as we work singly and together to proclaim our belief in your power and goodness.

MON 25 Let us pray today for the men in HMP Berwyn and for their readiness to change their lives for the better; let us also commit to our Lord the staff there, especially the chaplaincy team, as they seek to help their charges on their journey to wholeness.

TUES 26  O God, it has been difficult for many deaf people to cope with some of the problems associated with Covid 19. We pray that they will find the support they need and the confidence and comfort to make the most of life.

WED 27  Holy Lord, we commit to you the residents of Chirk Court, especially those who might be feeling lonely and frustrated because of the virus restrictions. Thank you for the staff and all they do to keep residents as happy as possible. We also remember the families and friends of residents who long for unrestricted access.

THURS 28  Lord God, Ruler of the Universe, we pray that you will guide all world leaders . Knowing that our world needs more than just physical healing of its peoples, we pray for less pride and selfish greed in many rulers and a greater understanding between nations and within countries so that ordinary people can live in safety and peace.

FRID 29  Let us pray for all people in our area who are unemployed, that they might find the support and encouragement they need to move forward.

SAT 30  Almighty God, we pray for all who live along Gate Road in Fron.

SUN 31  Lord, we pray for all who have been baptised or married  in the last year or so in our churches,  and pray that such sacraments will be able to take place in the year ahead.