PRAYER DIARY April - June 2018

Transcription

1 PRAYER DIARY April - June 2018

2 WELCOME to the prayer diary 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 (Philippians 1 v 3-5, NIV) As with Paul and the Philippians, joy and partnership in prayer between God s people has been at the heart of all fruitful mission. We too thank God for our faithful partners in prayer. Many of you have been praying with us for more than 40 years, and will have rejoiced with us at God s grace poured out on the lives of many sportspeople. We thank God for those answered prayers and for the many boys, girls, men and women who continue to proclaim the gospel in the world of sport. But we are weak, and easily overwhelmed at the mission laid before us to reach the world of sport for Christ. So we ask that as you read of this growing and expanding work, we might all press on, and not delay, in this most vital of partnerships prayer. And may these prayers fill our hearts with joy! Laura Murdoch, Development Team Did you know we re on the PrayerMate app? It s a great way to help lift this work up to our Heavenly Father in prayer. You can get prayers each day onto your phone to pray wherever and whenever suits you. Why not download the app or add Christians in Sport to your existing feed? Here s the link you need: praynow4.org/cis_uk

3 CONTENTS 4 Elite Sport 6 Global Mission 8 Youth 10 Students 12 Bible study: Why should I pray? 14 Big Prayers 16 Churches 18 Thanksgiving 19 Pray for your sports friends 20 Pray for sport as a church 3

4 ELITE SPORT 1-14 Apr 4 Heavy training and competition schedules take elite athletes and coaches away from home for long periods of time, meaning they can miss a lot of church teaching and church fellowship. Please join us in praying for the world of elite sport and all those within it, and in particular this month all those involved at the Commonwealth Games on Australia s Gold Coast taking place between 4th - 15th April. Sun 1st Easter Sunday. Praise God that Jesus is alive! Pray that the truth of the resurrection might motivate and shape all that we do. Mon 2nd Chaplaincy. Thank God for the opportunity staff members Julia Wilkinson and Graham Daniels have to serve on the Commonwealth Games chaplaincy team. Pray that they may display God s endless love and grace to those they meet and that they would encourage those seeking the Lord. Tue 3rd Christian coaches and staff. For Christians who hold positions of authority within their teams at the Games, ask that they would lead with a servant heart and for God to give them great wisdom and strength to deal with any situation they face. Wed 4th Recently retired athletes. Pray for retired and injured athletes watching from home, that they would be aware of His everlasting arms upholding them through what can be a painful and confusing transition. For those who don t know Christ, pray that as their identity as an athlete is stripped away, it would lead them to find their true identity in Him. Thu 5th The growing Christian community in elite sport. Thank God for the many Christians who we know of competing this week. Pray for opportunities during the Games for this growing community of believers from all nations to meet and encourage each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. Fri 6th Athletes who experience success at the Games. Pray that the Lord would help them deal with the attention that follows. For those who feel flat because their success did not satisfy, may the Lord reveal Himself to them. For those who already know the Lord, may He protect them from pride, remembering that their talent is a gift from Him.

5 Sat 7th Athletes who experience disappointment at the Games. Ask God to help disappointed athletes deal with any negative attention that comes with failure. For those who are crushed because sport is their identity, may the Lord reveal Himself to them. For those who already know the Lord, may He remind them of who they are in Him. Sun 8th Young Performance Athletes (YPAs). Thank God for the YPAs and parents/guardians we support. Pray they would acknowledge that their talents are a great gift from God and would strive to worship Him. Pray that these families would have wisdom in knowing how to balance the pressure of the elite world of sport and keep Jesus at the centre. Mon 9th Paralympic Sports. Thank God for the athletes, coaches and physios we know of boldly sharing life and the gospel in Paralympic sports. Pray for the planning of a gathering of those involved in Paralympic athletes in the next few months, that it would foster a community of believers. Tue 10th Professional Golf. Pray for the work of LOGOS Golf Ministries as they seek to open the word of God on the European Tour, Ladies European Tour and Tartan Tour. Wed 11th IAAF Diamond League. Pray ahead to the start of the Diamond League, athletics premier circuit, running from May to August. Pray that God would be preparing the way for Julia Wilkinson, Stuart Weir and others as they host group Bible studies with believers and seekers at events. Thu 12th Professional football. Thank God for the footballers we know of who have a living faith in Jesus. Pray that they would boldly live it out and speak of the hope they have in Him with teammates. Fri 13th Cricket. As the County Championship season starts today, pray for continued opportunities for Andrew Wingfield Digby and for regular Bible studies with believers and seekers to be established. Sat 14th New resource for YPA parents. Pray for a new booklet which aims to address questions that parents of YPAs have about supporting their children. Pray it would be helpful in understanding what the Bible says about these issues, and would prompt helpful conversations as each family applies it to their own situation. 5

6 6 GLOBAL MISSION Apr We are part of a global movement whose European arm is the European Christian Sports Union (ECSU). Please join us in thanking God for all He is doing in the world of sports mission and praying for the coming months. Sun 15th Sustainable mission. In March, the ECSU held their annual Strategy Team meeting. This started the process of writing a new three-year plan for Europe. After the success of ReadySetGO, the challenge now is to develop sustainable mission in cities, multiplying sports mission strategies across countries and building local teams. Please lift all this to God in prayer. Mon 16th Montenegro. Pray for a couple in Montenegro whose first contact with the ECSU was the Gathering last June. They were inspired by sports mission and have since run their first ever sports camp. They run a weekly football programme which starts with a gospel message. Pray for God to sustain them and their ministry. Tue 17th Jersey. Praise God for the Jersey Youth Team Challenge Tournament which took place in March. Pray the young people would have been bold inviting friends and non-believing friends would have had their eyes opened to the gospel. Wed 18th Video resources. Christians in Sport s resources have been seen in every country of the world. Pray for those living in closed countries that these would be of comfort and encouragement to them and pray for continued access to the videos. Thu 19th Translators. Pray for translators who are working to translate the ReadySetGO resources and some of our videos. Praise God for their skill and hard work and pray this will enable more people to access and understand gospel films and trainings. Fri 20th Conference. Pray for a conference planned in June to support and train sports players across Europe. Like Clubhouse Xtra, our UK student gathering, this is specifically for people playing competitive sport to help give them the tools and training to be effective and bold witnesses in their clubs and teams.

7 Sat 21st Team Time. Pray for Team Time which gathers young Christian sportspeople in Jersey monthly for a Bible study. Pray for our Intern Vusa as he leads this and that it would both encourage and challenge the young people to be bold in their faith. Sun 22nd European Sports Mission. Pray for the third European Sports Mission, a month-long training event for 18 to 25-year-old leaders in July. Pray for the logistics of the teaching and missions and the hearts of those coming; that this would be a transformative month of growing in faith and being challenged to share Jesus back home. Mon 23rd Country partnerships. Pray for the countries where the ESM leaders will be serving. Previous teams have been to Macedonia, Serbia, Romania and Portugal. Pray for the continued relationships these locals have with the young people and for suitable missions to be found this year where the teams can serve well. Tue 24th Catch-up calls. Pray for the monthly catch up calls of last year s ESM team. A few do not have Christian friends around them and so it has been a great chance for fellowship. For those with Christian community, it has been a great reminder of the wider mission field across Europe. Wed 25th Teamwork. Give thanks for the 10 people who sit on the Facilitation Team and the wider group of 60 on the Strategy Team who help co-ordinate, support and deliver all the activity in the ECSU. Everyone gives their time voluntarily. Thu 26th Orlando. In May, the global team will meet in Orlando to work on plans for different sports mission strategies. This varies from writing resources and training manuals to multiplication plans to reach new areas. Pray for good collaboration. Fri 27th Protection. Pray for safe travel to and from Orlando for those from countries which are hostile to the gospel. We know of people who have been questioned by police for attending. Pray God gives soft hearts to those who may wish to question them. Sat 28th Jersey. Pray for the monthly after school Sports Plus Xtra. Pray the young people would be compelled to invite their friends along and ultimately increase the number of Christians hearing the gospel in an interactive way every month. 7

8 YOUTH 29 Apr - 12 May Please join us in giving thanks for the work being done amongst young Christians in sport. Pray on for God s will to be done within clubs and teams, churches and schools, as well as for ongoing fruit from our summer Sports Plus camps. Sun 29th Sports Plus leaders. Each summer we need over 350 Team Leaders, Coaches and Support Staff to make Sports Plus happen. Thank God for those who have applied already and pray that God would raise up the leaders needed for each role across all Sports Plus camps this summer. Mon 30th Sports Plus Young People. Pray that Christians would be strengthened in their faith by the gospel and leave better equipped to represent Jesus in their sport. Pray that those who don t yet know Jesus would trust in Him as they hear the good news. Tue 1st May Sports Plus Coaching Bursary. Pray for the coaches across four sports who are completing qualifications ahead of Sports Plus this summer. Praise God for this new provision of funding to improve the number of coaches and standard of coaching at Sports Plus in the coming years. Wed 2nd Sports Plus Trainees. Thank God for the opportunity to invest in over 80 Trainees lives this summer. Pray that the training and experience they receive will equip them for future roles both within Christians in Sport and their local church. Thu 3rd Sports Plus teaching. Pray for all those who will open the Bible with the young people at Sports Plus. Pray that they would be faithful to God s Word in preparation and relevant in the delivery of talks, Bible studies and water-breaks. Fri 4th Sports Plus logistics. Pray for the Sports Plus team as they make final preparations ahead of the camps. Pray for the finer details to fall into place and for the ongoing witness as we interact with school staff both prior to Sports Plus and when on site. Sat 5th Sports Plus Bursary Fund. Praise God for all those who have donated to the Bursary Fund this year which will enable many more young people to attend Sports Plus who wouldn t otherwise be able. Pray that God would raise up further donors to enable Sports Plus to grow in the future. 8

9 Sun 6th Youth Leaders. Give thanks for those youth leaders who invest sacrificially in the lives of young sportspeople, often on a voluntary basis. Even amongst the busyness and giving out, may each of these leaders know the sustaining power and peace that comes from a strong relationship with their Heavenly Father. Mon 7th Eltham College. Praise God for the opportunity to go and speak at the Lenten Addresses at Eltham College in south east London before Easter. Pray that the good news of Jesus death and resurrection would speak to and impact the hearts of every pupil at the college. Tue 8th School groups. Praise God for the three 1st XI hockey girls who have set up a Christians in Sport group at their school in Belfast this year, and thank Him for the influence they ve had on their hockey coach through their boldness in living out their faith. Please pray for this group, and the handful of others led by teachers and sixth formers across the UK. Wed 9th Rugby School. Praise God for the Year 9 activity slot being delivered by Nathan Elliott and team this afternoon. Give thanks for teacher Dan Shaw and his courage in setting up these regular slots for pupils to play sport and consider the Christian faith. Pray that pupils will see that sportspeople can be Christians! Thu 10th School Mission Day. Please pray for Mike Harris and team running lessons, assemblies and other activities today at St Cuthbert Mayne School, Torquay. Pray that through it young sportspeople in the school might grasp why Jesus came to earth. Fri 11th Dumfries Dodgeball. Pray for the dodgeball tournament Dumfries Baptist church are hosting for the local youth sports clubs and teams in their town on 25th May. Pray that many attend and it gives all the youth, along with their parents, an opportunity to enjoy a fun evening whilst hearing about the good news of Jesus. Sat 12th Night of Champions. Praise God for churches like Kirkpatrick Memorial Church, Belfast who have used the Sports Mission Pack to run youth multi-sports tournaments known as Night of Champions. Give thanks for the courage of those young people who invited friends; may God keep them firmly trusting in His word despite any opposition they may face. 9

10 10 STUDENTS May This fortnight, we are praying for the student work and praising God for all the marvellous things He has done in the world of university sport. Please join us in committing all our plans and desires to our Heavenly Father and asking for His kingdom to come in university sports clubs across the UK. Sun 13th Mission weeks. Praise God for the many university mission weeks that went on last term, and pray for the many sports players who attended events that they would be continuing to investigate the claims of Jesus. Pray for persistence in prayer for Christian students who invited sports friends who remain apathetic towards Christianity. Mon 14th Exams. Pray for student sportspeople currently in the thick of exams. Pray for a right perspective and that in the midst of a high pressure period they would be able to make the most of opportunities to spend time with sports friends and to live and speak for Jesus. Tue 15th Guest events. Pray for guest events taking place at a number of different universities this month, in particular volleyball and other sports tournaments. Pray for boldness for Christians inviting sports friends and that many would come despite academic pressures, and that God would be at work bringing student sportspeople to know Him. Wed 16th Summer sports. Pray for students involved in summer sports clubs with short university seasons. Pray that they would compete for the glory of the God who gave them their abilities, and that He would grant open doors for the message of the gospel. Thu 17th Leaders. Praise our Father in heaven for the 57 University Group leaders at universities around the UK and their passion to see the gospel go out to sports students at their university. Pray that they would continue to serve faithfully and lead by example in sharing not only the gospel but their lives as well with their sports friends. Fri 18th New Christians. Praise God for a student runner and a student hockey player who put their trust in Jesus last term. Pray that they would grow in knowledge and depth of insight as they continue in their new found faith, and would love Jesus more each day.

11 Sat 19th Graduation. Pray for the many sports students we know graduating this summer. For those uncertain of what s ahead, pray they continue to trust in God s sovereign plan. Pray for all to settle well into new churches and sports clubs. Sun 20th Church partnership. Praise God for good partnerships with many churches in student cities. Pray that student sportspeople would be well plugged in with churches and be supported and challenged in growing in faith and sharing it with those in their clubs. Mon 21st Clubhouse Xtra. Thank God for the 139 students who attended Clubhouse Xtra, our student conference, in both England and Northern Ireland in January and all it led to last term. Pray for fruit from the many dialogue dinners and students who looked at the Bible with sports friends after the call to boldness from 2 Corinthians. Tue 22nd More sportspeople. Pray that the Lord may raise up more sports players who trust in Him at universities currently without a University Group, including York, Brighton, Worcester and Chester, which were all represented at Clubhouse Xtra. Wed 23rd Training. Praise God for the University Group leaders training weekends that took place in March and April in England and Scotland. Pray that God would sustain and use the new leaders to lead by example in their groups, and pray that God would raise up new leaders to serve in groups that still lack them. Thu 24th Leadership. Pray for students in leadership positions in their clubs, that they may be able to lead distinctively and wisely and be salt and light among those they play and train with. Fri 25th Derby University. Praise God for the start of a new Christians in Sport group at Derby University last term. Pray that the group would continue to encourage Christian sportspeople to be bold in their witness to sports friends and that there would be an increasing number of sports clubs represented. Sat 26th Discipling. Praise God for students who have come to faith during their time at university. Pray that they might be discipled and encouraged in evangelism in their local churches and pray for those without a church at home, that they might become a part of a local church this summer. 11

12 WHY SHOU The Bible tells us that prayer is a vital part of the Christians life, but we can so often find it hard and lack motivation. Here s a Bible study adapted from our Pray Play Say The Youth Way: Part 2 book, which tackles that issue. The Aim To understand the right motivation to pray and to act upon it in prayer. Get ready Be honest when was the last time you prayed? When do you find it hard to believe that God will answer your prayers? Let s get straight into the action and read James 1 v 5-8 and 4 v 1-3. What do you think James is pushing these Christians to pray for themselves? Get set When we talk about the Pray section of Pray Play Say we usually talk about praying for friends who are not Christians. In this study we are going to look at what we should pray for ourselves in order to have faith in action. Prayer is talking to God Part 1: Read James 1 v 5-8 What do you think James means when he uses the word wisdom? Does God always give wisdom to the one who asks for it? Explain why (v 6-7) Who does James use the picture of a wave of the sea for? What does this picture describe? Part 2: Read James 4 v 1-3 In these verses it seems like there are some Christians who are fighting and squabbling amongst themselves.

13 LD I PRAY? What causes these fights and squabbles? What could be done to prevent this fighting? Like the Christians that James writes to, when it comes to friends, we all have things that we struggle with. What are they for you? Use verse 3 to describe how prayers that ask God for things will be answered by Him. How would you advise these Christians to live out their faith in action in this area? What word do you think is key to getting it right? How might Luke 10 v help you answer? Timeout James pushes these Christians to ask God for His wisdom which will be freely given. God s wisdom is to be able to make decisions about life that please God and to grow in maturity as a Christian. There seems to be only two ways in which this wisdom will not be received: 1) If a person doesn t believe 2) If wisdom is asked for with the wrong motives God always answers our prayers. If we don t get the answer we re looking for it doesn t mean that God hasn t answered it, it means that God answers in His way and He knows best. His answer will always be yes or no or not yet be patient. Pray Pray for your sports friends in whatever stage they are at when it comes to believing in God. Pray that God would one day move in their hearts and give them new birth. If you pray believing that God will answer and pray with the right motivation, you re living out faith in action.

14 BIG PRAYERS 27 May - 9 Jun 14 We read in Ephesians 3 v that God can do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, so let s pray big. As we look ahead, please join us in praying for the long-term aims of different areas of the work, that we would depend on God in everything. Sun 27th ReadySetGO. Pray ahead of the global team working on the sports mission resource kit ReadySetGO 2.0. ReadySetGO has been phenomenally effective around the world, equipping people to deliver sports mission without relying on external trainers. Now we look to deepen and improve the resources. Mon 28th Professional tennis. Pray for a regular Bible study of players and coaches to be established on both the main men s and women s professional tours and for God to raise up the right people to lead them. Tue 29th Unity in diversity. Praise God for the diversity of Christian sportspeople. Thank God that He does not discriminate by race or denomination, but brings us together from all backgrounds and all walks of life. Pray that we might cherish our different personalities, abilities and passions, and be united by the mission to reach the world of sport for Christ. Wed 30th Sports Plus. Pray that God would use Sports Plus this year to bring salvation to those who don t yet know Jesus and equip many young sportspeople to be bold in their faith to share the gospel with their lost teammates as they go back to their clubs and teams. Thu 31st New life in Christ. Pray that there might be a sports player who comes to faith in Jesus this year in every university where there is a Christians in Sport group. Fri 1st Jun Financial provision. To achieve the plans set for this year, a budget of 1.6m has been set - an increase of 250,000. We pray that God would raise up new and current partners who can contribute financially to enable development regionally within the UK and internationally.

15 Sat 2nd Competitive players. As it s a year without the Gathering (the networking conference for those involved in sports mission across Europe), we are running three events according to the sports mission context. Pray for the Competitive Players conference in June. This will be like a global Clubhouse Xtra, with topical seminars and teaching. Sun 3rd Sunday sport. With much sport now being played on Sundays, pray for churches as they respond to this trend in culture. Pray that they would be able to work with sportspeople and parents of young sportspeople to find workable solutions for them to be active members of both their local sports clubs and their churches. Mon 4th Elite hockey. Pray for God to raise up a Christian to represent Christ in every single one of the Premier League teams and in each of the home nations senior squads. Tue 5th New leaders. Pray that God might raise up more men and women across the UK with a desire to find and help others like them in their churches to pray, play, say. Pray for wisdom in how to serve and resource these leaders to share this vision widely. Wed 6th Sports Stadium Kit. We are developing a new set of training resources for Christian sportspeople alongside a new website for the organisation. Pray for wisdom and good partnership with the outside companies involved as this is all created and developed for launch. Thu 7th Bold witness. Pray that God would be raising up numerous young Christian sportspeople ready to come to university in September with a desire to boldly share Jesus in sports clubs in every university in the country. Fri 8th Partners. We are thankful of the opportunity to share our unchanging vision this term with many of our partners who pray, serve and give. We ask that many more will join the team and together, through their financial and prayer support, we can do more to reach the world of sport for Christ. Sat 9th Sustainable mission. By 2020, we long to see leaders in 300 towns and cities across the UK and globally, serving to reach the world of sport for Christ in their local area. Please pray that God would raise up more leaders to carry this out. 15

16 16 CHURCHES Jun The local church is vital to our mission it s the primary community through which sportspeople come to know Jesus and grow in Him, and from which they are sent out to make disciples in the world of sport. This fortnight, please join us in committing all these churches and their leaders to God, and in praying specifically for a handful of these churches as they encourage and equip sportspeople to share Jesus in clubs and teams. Sun 10th Bloomfield Presbyterian, Belfast. Praise God for the sport-specific youth evangelism training at Bloomfield last month. Pray that the event will have strengthened those who came in their gospel convictions and given them greater confidence in answering their teammates questions about Jesus. Mon 11th St Leonard s, Exeter. Please pray for God s work amongst those who attended the annual Sports Quiz on 29th April. Pray for Christian sports players following up with their sports friends and for Geoff as he coordinates sports players to pray regularly for their clubs and further events. Tue 12th City Church, Birmingham. Give thanks for the sports quiz held last term, and the opportunity to share the glorious truth of the gospel with friends. Pray that guests would keep questioning, and that those who invited them would seize every opportunity to point them to Jesus. Wed 13th Boathouse Church, Putney. Give thanks for the guest event in March and for the sportspeople there. Pray for the Christians in sport in the church, and that the event may lead to opportunities to speak about Jesus to their teammates. Thu 14th Carnoustie Churches Together. Give thanks for the Carnoustie Churches golf dinner held earlier this month. Pray that the long summer days on the course will provide many opportunities to pick up on what was shared, and for courage in asking friends if they would like to read the Bible one-to-one. Fri 15th Christ Church, Newport. Thank God for Christ Church, Newport and for their engagement with their city. Pray for their young people who went to Sports Plus Xtra Wales, that they d continue to fix their eyes on Jesus. Pray as they plan to reach sportspeople in the city through a quiz.

17 Sat 16th Helen s Bay Presbyterian, Co. Down. Give thanks for a quiz held earlier this year driven by James Megaw. James came as a coach on Sports Plus for the first time in 2017, and took home the vision to reach lost sportspeople through his church. Pray for God s wisdom over plans to establish regular training and guest events aimed at sportspeople. Sun 17th Spicer Street, St Albans. Thank God for the sportspeople who have been gathering regularly to pray and spur one another on to run the race for Christ. Pray for wisdom and boldness as plans are made for a World Cup big-screen event next month. Mon 18th Perth, Scotland. Pray for Christian sportspeople in churches across Perth after their Sports Quiz in March and ahead of their Clubhouse training event. Thank God for the friends and teammates that came along to the quiz and pray for further opportunities to share the gospel with them. Tue 19th Newcastle. Praise God for the number of Christians of all ages involved in sport across Newcastle. Thank God for the recent city gathering and the reminder that God places us in teams and clubs to enjoy His gift of sport and hold out the word of life to our friends and teammates Wed 20th Bethel Church, Carmarthen. Pray for the very few young Christian men and women involved with the Trinity Camarthen University sports teams. Pray that God would strengthen them and show His love through them to their teammates. Pray that Bethel would support these students and that they would be a light in the darkness. Thu 21st Southampton. Pray for Anna and Andy Gordon as they mobilise Christian sportspeople across the city to be bold and prayerful ambassadors in clubs and teams. Pray that more would hear about the network and receive training and support. Fri 22nd Globe Church, London. Give thanks for the events around the Six Nations this spring and the opportunities it provided to invite teammates to church. Praise God for those who did come along to church and pray for continued follow up with them, that they might one day put their trust in Jesus. Sat 23rd Histon Baptist, Cambridge. Give thanks for the evangelistic sportsmen s breakfast taking place this morning. Pray that the men might see that their deepest need is not sporting success or regard within a club, but a restored relationship with God. 17

18 18 THANKSGIVING Jun Since all our blessings flow from God, we have much to be grateful for. This week, let us praise and thank God for all He has been doing in the world of sport. Sun 24th The local church. The church is a space of fellowship and encouragement, especially for the many sportspeople who are the only Christian in their club or team. Thank God for the gift of church family, and for all those who spend time investing in sportspeople and helping them know God better. Mon 25th Elite netball. Thank God for the new Christians we have found in the last few months playing in the Vitality Netball Superleague and in Junior International squads. Pray for this growing community of believers, that they would be an encouragement to each other as sisters in Christ. Tue 26th European growth. Praise God for the growth of the European network of Christians using sport as a way to share the gospel. We have the great problem now of finding venues suitable to hold us all and a team to help follow up and mentor people to reach all sportspeople for Christ. Wed 27th Parents. Thank God for parents and all the sacrifices they make to enable their children to keep playing the sport they love. Please pray for Christian parents who faithfully and prayerfully do what they can to bring their children up to know the Lord. Thu 28th Guest events. Thank God for the 80 student guest events that took place in the first two terms this year. Many of these were dialogue dinners where students shared their testimony with friends. Fri 29th Financial giving. We give thanks to all who commit financially to this work; many been giving faithfully for over 30 years! We give thanks for them and for those 202 who started supporting the work financially last year. Sat 30th Sports Mission Pack. The third Sports Mission Pack was published in February - a free collection of downloadable evangelistic resources. Thank our Heavenly Father that more than 1,000 churches and individuals have downloaded the pack since its debut in 2016.

19 YOUR SPORTS FRIENDS Why don t you write down the name of three of your sports friends who you can commit to praying for in the next few months? Use this as a prompt in your daily prayers. 19

20 PRAY FO AS A CH When could we pray for sport at our church? This totally depends on your church, but here are just a few ideas: 1. Ask to use a slot in one of your monthly prayer meetings. 2. Run a sports prayer evening. 3. Include a few lines in your weekly intercession prayers. 4. Feature a sports prayer in your church's prayer diary. What could we pray for? 1. Sportspeople in your congregation Find out who plays sport in your congregation and which clubs/teams they play for. Pray that God would help them to play in a way that honours Him and to give them opportunities to speak about Him with their friends. 2. Local sports clubs in your community Do some research to find out who your local sports clubs are. Here are two websites that may help - sports-clubs.net and sportengland.org/research - which include lots of stats and figures on who is playing sport in your area. Pray that God would raise up Christians in these clubs to represent Him and that people that don t know Him would come to explore Christianity for themselves.

21 R SPORT URCH 3. Sports activities to engage with your community Maybe you re planning to run an event to invite sportspeople to? If so, pray that God would use it mightily. Maybe you don t know where to start with engaging with your local sports community? Pray for ideas and wisdom. There is lots of information and advice on running events in our Sports Mission Pack, including tips on hosting a prayer gathering and some great Bible verses to look at. Download the pack for free at sportsmissionpack.co.uk. 4. Pray for sports events coming up Head to the BBC s Sports Calendar to find out what major events are coming up. Pray for the event, for the Christians competing, for safety, for opportunities for churches to engage with it and anything else you think needs prayer. 5. Pray for sports ministries There are lots of organisations who are reaching and serving the world of sport. Pick a few to pray for from the Sports Ministry UK website uksportsministries.org or share this prayer diary. 21

22

23 Download it online Visit christiansinsport.org.uk/pray to download a PDF of this prayer diary. Receive it on your phone Find Christians in Sport s daily prayer points on the free PrayerMate app. Sign up to get it via Register to receive prayer points via fortnightly at christiansinsport.org.uk/pray. For the most recent news and stories visit the Christians in Sport website or find us on the following social media Christians in Sport ChristiansinSportUK Christians_in_Sport

24 CONTACT DETAILS Christians in Sport Frampton House Unit D1 Telford Road Industrial Estate Bicester Oxfordshire OX26 4LD christiansinsport.org.uk Registered Charity number for England and Wales Registered Charity number for Scotland SC Registered Company number