SUMMER PODCAST REBOOT – this episode was originally published in Advent 2019.

Welcome to Friday’s Foundation Daily podcast.  Today we reach the end of the book of Ephesians, and we will be looking at Chapter 6 vs18-24.

Next week you will be able to listen to a different member of our staff team sharing each day, as we look again at the Christmas story and reflect on what God is saying to us in this season.

Today though, we are going to be focusing on verse 18 of Ephesians Chapter 6:

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.  With this in mind be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”

REFLECTION:

Today some of us will be tired, having stayed up all night to find out the election results.  Although I am writing this podcast in advance, I can assure you that I am one of those people.  I did Politics at A-level and modules in British, American and Russian politics at university.  I love election results night.

Today perhaps you are not physically tired, but instead feel emotionally tired.  At the end of yourself and what you can do.  Or maybe you know someone in this situation?

Today some will be happy at the election result.  That may be because the candidate you voted for was successful, or the party you support did well.  Some will be happy because the election is over, and members of Parliament can return to London and continue with their jobs, rather than campaigning.  Today others will be disappointed at the election result, worried about what the future may hold for them and their family, concerned that little has been resolved and deep divisions still exist in our nation.

As we approach the end of this year, some of us will be happy – we have been successful in the things that we wanted to achieve or see happen in 2019.  Things have gone well for us and for our families.

Others will be approaching the end of 2019 with disappointment in their lives.  We have not seen the things that we wanted and hoped for come to pass.  There are worries about what lies ahead, concerns regarding health or finances, or perhaps divisions and unresolved issues in our relationships.

And this is not just the end of a year, it is the end of a decade.

For some we approach the new decade with excitement and anticipation – it’s the decade in which we will leave school, leave home, get a job, get married, have kids……or perhaps a combination of a number of these things!

For others we look at the decade ahead with nervousness and caution – how will we afford a deposit for a house, what will it be like when the children leave home, what am I going to do once I have retired, do I have another decade left?

For every person listening to or reading this podcast today, for every situation we face, for every emotion we feel, for every hope and dream, fear and worry……today’s Bible passage is a word in season:

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.  With this in mind be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”

Maybe our prayers today are ones of celebration and rejoicing – that is fantastic!  It is so important to pray in the good times, to thank God for his faithfulness, his provision, and for the way he has answered our prayers.  It is also important to share those prayers of thanksgiving with others, as in this way we overcome the work of the enemy and we encourage others in their faith.

If you are praying prayers of celebration and rejoicing today, then let someone else know!

Maybe our prayers today are ones of lament and tears.  If this is you, take comfort in the fact that the Bible is full of such prayers, and that you are not alone.  And when the words fail you, God promises that his Holy Spirit intercedes on our behalf.

If you are praying for breakthrough in difficult times,