It's Time To Pray

Martin Luther said, "When I feel that I have become cold and joyless in prayer because of other tasks or thoughts I take my little psalter, hurry to my room, or if it be the day and hour for it, to the church where a congregation is assembled."

We will follow Luther's example this morning for there is no better way to start a season of prayer than by singing a psalm; Psalm 40:1-5.

On this morning of prayer that has been specially convened by our Presbytery we have assembled for the twin purposes of praying for:

1. Our Easter Convention Services on Friday 14th April, 8.00pm; and Monday 17th April, 3:30pm and 7:00pm.

2. To pray for the arrangements in regard to the 5ooth Anniversary of the Protestant Reformation.

Much work has been done in preparation for our celebration of this most notable anniversary:

• A booklet has been produced – “Why do the 5 SOLAS Matter Today?”

Copies have been sent to England, USA, Australia and South American countries. It has been encouraging to hear stories coming back of how individuals have been blessed through it. Other have been using it in Youth Fellowships and Bible Classes, etc.

• CD's have been produced by various choirs from our churches: this will be launched at the Easter Convention.

• A Gospel Tract is on the drawing board, with designs to have it delivered through the postal service to every home in Northern Ireland. To publish and put this tract into every home (760,000) will cost approximately £60,000.

A key event in our calendar for this year is the Reformation Rally to be held in Martyrs Memorial Free Presbyterian Church on Friday 2th October 2017.

Apparently Martin Luther once said, "I have so much to do today that I'm going to need to spend three hours in prayer in order to be able to get it all done." While these words do not appear in his writings, if you read through his life you will quickly discover they are not at variance with his practice. He was a man of prayer. In all of his letters there are requests for prayer.

* For example, to Melanchthon he writes, "Only pray for me that my faith in the Lord does not fail."

* Writing to Nicholas Haussmann in 1538 he wrote, "Pray diligently to the Lord for me, therefore, that I might be able to do what is good in his eyes."

[ This was an excerpt from a brief talk given by the Moderator of the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster, Rev. Thomas Murray, at a morning of prayer organised for Reformation events this year ].