St Thomas Aquinas:
Prayer for Guidance

O creator past all telling,
you have appointed from the treasures of your wisdom the hierarchies of angels,
disposing them in wondrous order
above the bright heavens,
and have so beautifully set out all parts of the universe.

You we call the true fount of wisdom
and the noble origin of all things.
Be pleased to shed on the darkness of mind in which I was born,
The twofold beam of your light and warmth to dispel my ignorance and sin.

You make eloquent the tongues of children.
Then instruct my speech and touch my lips with
graciousness.
Make me keen to understand,
quick to learn, able to remember;
make me delicate to interpret
and ready to speak.

Guide my going in and going forward,
lead home my going forth.
You are true God and true man,
and live for ever and ever.

             St Thomas Aquinas, 1225-74

Psalm 25: Petition for Help

Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths;
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.
           Psalm 25:4-5

To ensure that we keep in mind Jesus’ promise that he will be with us where “two or three come together” in his name, we always open our Bishop’s Committee meetings with a spiritual reflection or a piece of Scripture.   At our May meeting, we meditated on this prayer, which set the tone for a positive and constructive discussion.  Written many centuries ago, this prayer is a wonderful petition for help and guidance for everyone, especially those facing difficult decisions or change.

             Vicky Granger-Jones

St. Philip’s Prayer Walk

The Monday morning Bible Series has come to an end and it truly was an inspirational time to study God’s word and develop our prayer life.  One of the activities arising from our study on intercession was the idea of a prayer walk.  The members of the group met up at Friday lunchtime and we walked throughout the property praying for the various ministries that were associated with that part of the building.   This not only gave us an appreciation for the amount of work that goes on at St. Philip’s, but it was an opportunity to powerfully present our hopes and requests for the church before God.  Prayer is always powerful, but when a group prays together, the presence of the Holy Spirit is tangible.

I would like to encourage and invite all members of the St. Philip’s community to take part in a Prayer Walk through the facility, either by yourself, with you family or friends. There is a sign-up list posted on the notice board by the exit of the Church.  The timing of each Prayer Walk can vary.

Stand in the parking lot and focus on praying for all those who will pass through here into St. Philip’s.  Pray for a welcoming spirit to reside in foyer. 

Stand by the altar and pray for the pastor and the message that he (or she) will give to the congregation.  Stand where the musicians stand and pray for them to be glad of heart and to lead the Church in worshipping God.  Sit where the congregation sits and pray that they will be encouraged to worship God in spirit and in truth and that they will be encouraged and challenged in their faith.  Pray in the nursery for the wonderful ministry of Wendy Harrison and her helpers who enable parents of toddlers to worship in the knowledge that their little ones are in a safe, loving and fun environment.  Pray in the office to strengthen Carter and her commitment to Youth Ministry, for Mardi and the business heart of St. Philip’s and for the encouragement and support of our interim minister.  Pray for the enrichment of the learning environment of each Sunday School, Youth & High School classroom and pray for the encouragement and support of the teachers.  Pray for the communities who are able to use the Community Room, pray for the fellowship and bustle of the kitchen, pray for the hard work of Tina & Sheryl in the garden, pray for the upstairs office space to be rented.  Stand in the corridors and give thanks to all those who work tirelessly to maintain the building and work with the facilities management. 

This is only a starting point for the possibilities of prayer around the building.  I am sure that each one of you reading this would be able to contribute much more to this list.  So please, sign up now and get praying!!!! 

             Vicky Granger-Jones