Prayer Letter

Hello Everyone,

I have this week chosen (much to my personal surprise) to take time off.

Due to Covid and other circumstances I have not been on holiday or had a break of any kind since July last year.

I cogitated with myself over this decision on Sunday. Then on Monday, I read a verse in a book called Soul Fuel, A Daily Devotional; by Bear Grylls.

He had written about “Plans that we make”. The verse was Prov:16.9:

                           “In their hearts; Humans plan their course

                               But the Lord establishes their steps”.

It has been amazing what has happened this week so far. I have stood down from regular commitments. In turn the Lord has placed many things before me to handle. But – He knew what I was capable of and “Established” my steps.

                                             A God given Holiday!

Incidentally – every activity that has been handed to me is Police related, He knows where my heart is!

Many Blessings.

Alice.

Hello Everyone,

I was speaking this afternoon to one of our Officers in Woking Police Station. We were chatting about how life was at the moment, how everything seems to be impacted by the virus that has chosen to come to live with us. As we went to leave each other, I was reminded of a phrase I sometimes used as I left a conversation. “Well we have put the world to rights again”. I mentioned it to the Officer, “If only that was true” was his reply.

A few weeks ago, I was with three friends, again discussing our lives as it is today. I stopped taking part in the conversation and thought about what we were saying. I then re-joined the conversation with, “If a year ago, we decided to jump forward a year and listen into this conversation and we were able to hover above our heads as we are sitting here at this moment, we would have no idea what we’re talking about and surely we would wonder why we were sitting so far apart from each other.

Yes, things have changed so much.

This week I have had cross my path a verse that I often use, but it now has a different significance to this time last year:

Esther 4.14 “We are here for such a time as this”   

The Lord has chosen us to be here when such major happenings are taking place. He needs us, for such a time as this, to be His Children amongst those with whom we work. Being there for our Families and Friends. He will enable us to carry on as His Children, even though we are finding this situation exhausting.

Also, this week, I heard the following verse:

John 15.16  “You did not choose Me, I chose you”.

An amazing sense of security in those words for today.

You are in His Grip.

Alice.

Hello Everyone,

Today I am greeting you with the Words that Our Lord Jesus Christ spoke to His Disciples –

“My Peace I leave with you; My Peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid”. John 14.7.

These were the words I shared with you last week. Because of your replies; I knew they had to be my opening words today.

Two Colleagues, one in Surrey, one in The Met are suffering from Pneumonia, not Covid related. Prayers please.

The Prayer Letter goes out to our Brothers and Sisters in Surrey, Sussex and The Met. I send a copy and then they are sent on to the CPA Groups. I wrote to the Representative in The Met, as I sent last week’s PL and referred to the weariness I was feeling and of which I am aware of, as I visit many Departments here in Surrey.

He replied to me with the following words-

                        “Praise be that we have a God that never gets weary!”

As I read those words, I was reminded of a Service held in London by The Christian Police a few years ago, where the writer of that message above asked me to close the Service in Prayer, just as it started!! “Yikes what am I going to say, no time to prepare …” Immediately to mind came a scripture I put to music some years before, (I did not sing it), but I read it as a proclamation over everyone there. Here it is below. Indeed “God does not grow weary”.

Is: 40. 29-31.

Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.
²⁹ He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
³¹ but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

In His Grip.

Alice.

Hello Everyone,

Last week, I placed a Prayer request at the beginning of the Prayer Letter. Here is the answer to our Prayers:

“I received the result of the blood test yesterday. Thankfully it was negative, so the next step is to liaise with my consultant in regards to the course of steroids”.

Thank You Lord for answered Prayer.

One of the Team with whom I work in the CPA here in Surrey is called Bert Dean. He has on occasions written this Prayer Letter. He is an Inspector and is a Borough Commander. I have from time to time walked around HQ’s with him. Everyone seems to know him. He is full of action, massive smile. Always arrives full of joy and buzzes.

He arrived in our Phone Conference Prayer Meeting last Friday bright and breezy, he always seems to be switched on. As a group we shared; ready to Pray. Finally, Bert spoke. He said he wanted to share the words that Jesus shared with His Disciples. “My Peace I give unto you”. “I believe the Lord wants us to know His Peace right now and in these coming days.”

So far, I have talked about the brightness, action and energy of Bert. But when he said the word “Peace”, it sank down inside me as I heard it. A warmth seemed to settle within me and around me. It was as though the Lord Himself had said “Peace” at that moment.

I want to pass that on to you for you to experience the “Peace” that Jesus has for you today and for it to be a warmth inside you too. Thank you, Bert, you had to leave us due to your commitments and I was unable to tell you about what had happened to me. I continue to live in the good of that. Thank You Lord.

                                                John 14.27.

                                      “My Peace I give unto you.

                           It’s a Peace that the world cannot give.

                      It’s a Peace that the world cannot understand,

                                Peace to know Peace to live,

                                  My Peace I give unto you” (Maranatha Singers).

May the Peace of the Lord fill you today. Amen.

Alice.

Hello everyone,

When last week’s PL was about to arrive on your screens; the devastating news from Croydon landed very loudly with great disbelief. I have had contact with people involved in this horrendous happening, appreciating our Prayers and as I write, have just received request for Prayer as the Investigation continues, Surrey Police are working alongside The Met. We have transferees from Croydon in Surrey Police. It has been a privilege to meet up with these Officers and will be ongoing. Prayers too for Matt’s family, Colleagues and Friends.

Some months ago, we were Praying for one of our Officers undergoing a Liver biopsy. The outcome to the investigations that followed have only just become clear. Here is what that Officer has just sent to me on an email.

“I remain grateful for the prayers I have received regarding my health journey. Following my liver biopsy in April, I have recently been diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis. The plan is to treat this with immunosuppressants and steroids. However, the biopsy also picked up some possibility of TB. A chest X-ray was thankfully all clear, but there is something called latent TB, which in essence is where the virus cocoons itself in the body and sits there with no symptoms until I guess it does what it wants. I had a blood test last Monday and am currently awaiting the result, which hopefully is negative, so we can crack on with the steroids. My prayer points are for thankfulness for our amazing NHS, for a negative TB result, and that the steroids do not cause any issues with my diabetes (one’s blood sugars can go a bit haywire and one’s hypo signs can be lost).”

“I Praise you because we are fearfully and wonderfully made” Psalm 139:14

Finally, a request for Prayer I have received –

“I think it would be relevant to pray for everyone whose work circumstances have changed through this pandemic. For example, it is easy to take for granted those that we see on a day to day basis. But when you don’t see them, you realise how important they are to you, how much you miss people even if you don’t actually know them that well. After all, we are built to live in community”. National Mental Health Day 10^th October.

You are in the Palm of His Hand.

Alice.

Hello Everyone,

I am writing this latest Prayer Letter; having just returned from my weekly visit into Woking Police Station as their Chaplain. It is by no means a full building. Many of your Colleagues; possibly like yourself, working from home.

There was one thing everyone had in common as I chatted and that included their Chaplain. All of us were weary. Today was certainly one of my “Grot” days. Thankfully a rare occurrence for me. But perhaps the result of the news of those things we are having to face for the next 6 months and of course the change in the weather.

For Prayer this week – and here I am suggesting you put yourself first. That you Pray for yourself in all the areas that you need support. The list would be endless if I made one, but to me the most important item would be, our personal walk with The Lord, so that we would be a Blessing to our family and those around us at work. But it starts with us as individuals and God.

I sent an email to one of our Leaders in Surrey’s CPA a few weeks ago. I was not complaining, just saying, that infrequently our CPA Prayer times on Zoom in Sussex and Phone Conferences in Surrey; result in my sitting on my own; as everyone else is tied up with their work and that is fine with me. It truly is.

This was his reply –

                                  I’m sorry you are often on your own!

When I read his response, I “heard” myself saying out loud –

                                             “It’s OK, God turned up!”

As it says in His Word – Hebrews 13.5.

                                “I will never leave you or abandon you”.

Returning to my earlier comment, “My personal walk with The Lord”. You and I need Him so much in our lives, so that in turn, we are able to be available to those who are precious around us.

Many Blessings

Alice