Thy Kingdom Come 2020

Join us from 21st May – 31st May for the global prayer initiative Thy Kingdom Come 2020.

How to join in. 

You can commit to pray anytime during the ten days between Ascension and Pentecost. But here are some simple ideas to get you going in the Beaminster Team

Commit to praying a set prayer once a day at a time of your choosing. 

Bishop Karen has been doing this since the beginning of lockdown, praying the diocesan prayer daily and putting it on Facebook. You don’t need to film yourself – unless you want to, but just commit to praying it every day for the duration of Thy Kingdom Come. 

You could pray: The Lord’s Prayer or the Diocesan Prayer or the Daily Prayer from the Church of England or another prayer you know by heart. Here are some suggestions. 

God our Father, renew our hope. 
By the Holy Spirit’s power strengthen us to pray readily, 
serve joyfully and grow abundantly, 
rejoicing in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Let there be respect for the earth, 
peace for its people, 
love in our lives,
delight in the good, 
forgiveness for past wrongs and from now on a new start. Amen

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.

Commit to praying daily for five people

Think about five people you know who you want to come to faith in Jesus Christ and pray for them. 

You can do this in so many different ways: write their names down and pin them up where you will see them, put five beads on a bracelet and use them to remind you to pray, tie five knots in a piece of string and put it in your pocket, find five pebbles and write a name on each, set yourself a reminder on your phone each day. And pray. Pray for God’s blessing and love to be at work in their life, pray for their needs, pray that they may come to know Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit. Tell them you are praying or don’t, but just pray.

Joining in 24/7 prayer 19:00-20:00 every day. 

Through the 24/7 prayer initiative we have signed the Beaminster Team up to join in a 24/7 prayer for Thy Kingdom Come. We have responsibility for 19:00-20:00 every day from 21^st May to 31^st May. You don’t have to pray for the whole hour, but perhaps find a time to sit down and be in prayer sometime in that hour.  That hour may not be convenient every day, but between us I have no doubt we can pray. Pray for the world, for our nation, for the spiritual life of our churches, for our communities, for the people you are praying for and the people living in your community. Pray for anything you like. Perhaps keep a prayer journal for this time, jotting down what you are praying for and what God is saying to you? Pray whilst you are cooking dinner, eating a meal, having a gin and tonic, walking the dog, whatever you do in that hour. 

Prayer walking your community

Following current government guidelines, we can leave the house for exercise multiple times a day. Why not make one of your walks a prayer walk? Prayer walking is easy. As you walk ask God to bless the community you are walking round. Perhaps pray for people you know as you walk by their houses and pray for people you don’t know. Think about the community issues and ask God’s help and support. None of this needs to be done out loud unless you want to. It is more like taking a walk with God and being intentional about committing the time to him. And don’t forget to listen to what God might be saying about your community and how we can support each other. 

Joining in with online resources

Have a look at the Thy Kingdom Come website. There are resources there you can use including interactive resources for children and families.  Or download the App or follow them on Facebook or Instagram. Take part in a worldwide action of prayer.