Our monthly prayer diary written by Hilary Prescott

THURS 1  Naming and Circumcision of Christ  As the Church acknowledges this event , let us thank God for the privilege of being called Christians after Jesus Christ our Saviour, and ask Him that we might live lives worthy of that name in the year ahead.

FRID 2  Heavenly Father, as by the Grace of your Son Jesus Christ, we can put behind us the sins and errors of the past year, grant us the power of the Holy Spirit to face whatever 2026 holds for us with faith, courage and confidence.

SAT 3  O God, we commit to you the congregations and ministers of the Offa Mission Area, and pray that they may flourish in their worship and mission in the weeks ahead.

SUN 4  Heavenly Father, we ask for your blessing on today’s Family Service ; thank you for those who lead the worship and Sunday Club sessions ; please empower them with your Spirit in their vital work.

MON 5  O worship the Lord/in the beauty of holiness;/bow down before him,/his glory proclaim;/with gold of obedience,/and incense of lowliness,/kneel and adore him:/ the Lord is his name.

TUES 6  EPIPHANY  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 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 forever. Amen  (collect for the day)

WED 7  Lord God, we give thanks for our local police and pray that you will guide and protect them in their important work.

THURS 8  Heavenly Father, we ask for your blessing to rest on all who lie in Coronation Drive in Chirk.

FRID 9  Let us pray for those who help and organise and lead work and activities involving young people in our area:  may God grant them the wisdom, energy and support they need.

SAT 10  Be content with such things as you have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, I will not fear what man shall do unto me.  Hebrews 13: 5,6

SUN 11 THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST  Eternal Father, who at the baptism of Jesus revealed him to be your Son, anointing him with the Holy Spirit: grant to us, who are born again by water and the Spirit, that we may be faithful to our calling as your adopted children; 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 for the day)

MON 12  As our local schools start a new term, let us commit their staff and pupils to the Lord, and pray for a productive and happy term ahead.

TUES 13  Loving Lord God, we bring before you the people we know who are unwell in any way, and we pray for their restoration to health and for the courage and patience to bear delays. We also pray  for the patients cared for by our local surgeries and hospitals and for the staff who tend them.

WED 14  Lord, we pray for the members of St. David’s Church Committee meeting today , and ask that you will bless and guide them in their discussions and decisions.

THURS 15  We give thanks, O Lord God, for the Holy Eucharist, and the way it brings us closer to our Saviour Jesus Christ.  Please bless and strengthen all attending this morning’s service at St. Mary’s.

FRID 16  Almighty God, we pray for the members of St. Mary’s Social Committee and give thanks for their important service to our church and community: may your blessing rest upon them.

SAT 17  Lord, we ask for your blessing to rest on all who live along Gate Road in Fron.

SUN 18  O God, we commit to you all members of our churches who lead the Intercessions, and we ask you to bless and inspire them as they write and deliver the prayers.

MON 19  Yesterday the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity began, so let us pray for the Church worldwide and for more willingness to work and pray  together regardless of the differing shades of belief and Scriptural interpretation. May God guide us all as we reach out to Him and the world in our different ways. Let us give thanks that our local churches work so well together.

TUES 20  Let us pray for the people who work in our local industries and businesses, for their success and for their productive engagement with the community.

WED 21  Loving Lord, we pray for the staff at Chirk Court and for the happiness and well-being of the residents.  Please bless today’s service led by our two churches, so that all who attend might find comfort, strength and joy from the words and the music.

THURS 22  We give thanks, O Eternal God, for the people we have parted from in death and all they have meant to us. We pray for all who mourn at this time, and also for families, friends, clergy and funeral directors who are arranging and carrying out the funerals.

FRID 23  O God, we pray for all who are hard of hearing and who find it a problem when in company ; may they receive the support they need. We also pray for individuals and organisations seeking to help them.

SAT 24  Tomorrow the Church celebrates the Conversion of St. Paul, so let us give thanks for Paul and his world- changing ministry. May we too listen out for and respond to God’s message to us as individuals, with confidence and joy.

SUN 25  Chirk Churches Together Service Lord, may your blessing rest upon this evening’s celebration of Christian Unity , that our ties might be ever strengthened and a source of mission and peace.

MON 26  Timothy and Titus  As we remember these evangelists of the early church and their faith, commitment and wisdom, let us ask God to help us mirror those qualities in our own lives and witness.

TUES 27 Lord, we give thanks for the Mini Market team and their hard work and dedication. We pray for the success of this season’s sessions.

WED 28  Almighty God, we may the Holy Spirit rest on all attending this evening’s meeting of St. Mary’s ChurchCommittee, that discussions and decisions might reflect what is your Holy Will for our church. Thank you for the members and their commitment.

THURS 29  People will not attend to what we say, they will look carefully at what we do; and they will say to us ‘First obey your own words and then you can exhort others.     

However just your words, you spoil everything when you speak them in anger.  

John Chrysostom 347-407 CE  preacher and Church Father                                     

FRID 30 Let us pray for Chirk Library, giving thanks for the caring and effective work of the Librarian, now retired, and praying for all the current staff in their important service to the local community.

SAT 31 Lord, we pray for all involved in this year’s Chirk Pantomime and for happy and successful