Prayer Letter

Hello Everyone,

I trust you are well.

Thank you, I continue to receive responses from the PL which told the story of the Dog who awaited his owner’s return. I thank God that that story spoke to many of you. It certainly did to me.

This PL is going to be very personal; I give no apology as I know The Lord wants me to share the following.

I received an email at the end of last week from one of our Surrey Officers. Here is part of it.

“All in all, as a family; we are extremely blessed. I was thinking about that this morning, I know that trials will come but we have certainly been through some wonderful times and so often overlook the day to day blessings that God gives us. The classic verse from Lamentations comes to mind and the wonderful hymn ‘Great is Thy Faithfulness’.

Every blessing to you, not sure when I will see you next but know that I am praying for you Alice and the CPA. Take care, Adoni bless you!”

The writer had no idea how important that message was for me. I had felt under the weather for a few weeks, but knew I was physically well. As I read his reference to “Great is Thy Faithfulness” the penny dropped. I was running up to the Anniversary of the death of my Husband, 11 years ago this week. Some years this period of time has come and gone and no effects felt, this year and I don’t know why; it has been lingering in the subconscious. The Hymn “Great is They faithfulness was sung at our Wedding and then at my Husband’s Thanksgiving Service.

I want to Testify here and now of the Amazing Faithfulness of My Heavenly Father, during these last 11 years before you and My Heavenly Father.

I want to repeat the verses the Officer referred to, so that to you, wherever you are right now, they will be a Blessing as they were to me.     

                                        Lamentations 3. 20-23

I will never forget this awful time,
as I grieve over my loss.
Yet I still dare to hope
when I remember this:

The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness;
His mercies begin afresh each morning.

I have the great honour of reading the above verses at Surrey Police Remembrance Service this coming Monday at HQ’s.  God’s Co-incidences!

May you be aware of His Constant Faithfulness. Amen.

In Him Alice. 

Hello everyone,

I trust you are well.

I have during this last week been in touch with the ACC of Essex Police. As in all tragedies, eventually the horror of the happening slowly drops out of the News Headlines. The ACC said that they were looking after each other and their Police Chaplains were playing a big part in their care. Please join me in continuing to Pray for the large Team in Essex, continuing to identify people who lost their lives. Also, the investigations that will follow, that justice will be brought to bear.

On Sunday one of our Church Members told us of a visit to a Portrait Gallery. Paintings of very famous people were hanging there. As he studied them, the word famous played on his mind. “I will never be famous enough to have my portrait hung here”. Then God came into his thinking. “God has a Portrait Gallery and I am in that”.

As Christians we are special in His Eyes.

We sang a Hillsong Chorus later –

“I am chosen not forsaken.
I am who you say I am.
You are for me, not against me.
I am who you say I am”. Ben Fielding.

This song was written after Ben Fielding read John Chapter 8.

May you know the truth, of who you are in Jesus Christ.

God Bless you.
In Him
Alice.

Hello everyone,

Thank you for the responses to last week’s Prayer Letter. Many people reacted to the story of the dog awaiting the return of his Master and the verse that followed, “Lean not unto your own understanding”; part of Proverbs 3. 5-6. Please join me in Prayer for those who contacted me.

I attended a Sunday Service a few weeks ago where an Officer was brought into Eldership. Later in the Service, the Pastor was preaching. He walked up to where the newly appointed Elder was sitting with his family in the Congregation and said, “In your work as a Police Officer, you look after people, God is now asking you to look after the people within your Church as an Elder”.

He was also encouraged to recall the words from Psalm 23; “You prepare a table before me” verse 5. The Pastor went on to say, “That table is there, for you, as a newly appointed Elder, created and filled by God for all those things you need in your life in this Church”.

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies”. Psalm 23.5.

May I encourage all of you to go to that table throughout the day whilst at work; with your family/friends and also within your Church Life. He has everything you need. There are other gifts He has for you there too that you do not realise you need, have Faith in the Lord as you step forward to receive from Him. Essential in today’s world, especially in Policing – and then you return home at the end of a shift – to be available for your family and friends.

God Bless you and keep you. May His Face shine upon you and give you His Peace

In Him
Alice.

TRUST.

This morning, I was chatting to a Co-Trustee for our local Street Angels. We were about to Interview potential Street Angels. As ever he had brought his faithful dog with him. He told me the following. “I left home just now when I realised on the way, I had forgotten to place my lap top in my ruck sack. I knew I would be late for my appointment here with you if I returned home with my dog, she is now old and slow, so I told her to sit and stay. She sat and watched me as I returned home with her favourite tennis ball in her mouth. At one stage I disappeared from sight. As I returned some – time later, there she was, exactly as I left her”.

As soon as I heard that, the word “TRUST” came to mind. She knew her Master would return.

There has been a time recently when I found it very difficult to believe that God was still there. I had given up talking to the Lord about a specific situation; which I felt was now, a lost cause. He was not listening and He certainly wasn’t answering. BUT He was working on it all the time and surprised me and all was well. I admit, as the outcome to my great concern became known to me – that He had dealt with it – I cried, such a relief. He had never at any stage taken His Hand off that situation I could not control and had no right to do so. He had done it all.

I was given the following verses many years ago, when I faced a big unknown. “Trust in The Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path”. Proverbs: 3. 5-6.

The person who gave me those verses, said, “Lean not unto your own understanding is often overlooked; we tend to only see the other phrases in those verses. Our imagination takes us down unhelpful paths, leave your imagination with God, He is handling it for you”.

Stay safe in Jesus.
Blessings
Alice.

Hello Everyone,

Thank you for the response to last week’s PL.

This coming week 13th – 19th October is Prayer Week for Prisons. Below is a Prayer for Prisons as found on the web site https://prisonsweek.org/

“Gracious Lord who calls, equips and knows us, be with all who work in our prisons and the probation service. We pray for our prisons in the region. Help our prison and probation staff not to lose heart in a place where the reality of trauma and the risk of violence is a daily occurrence. Keep all who work in the prisons from being imprisoned by their role, but instead set us free by your love so that we can meet with others and understand their true needs and serve them well, relying on your strength to bring your grace and peace wherever we go”.

It is also well worth reading how successful Alpha is in prisons:
https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/alpha-christian-prisons-organisation-interview?fbclid=IwAR1FI7UaTgMH7HLvyk1VU1ImhYN_YYonG8rfxmpcA03JLWUFI6iet2Fh_Bc

Prayers please for all Officers on duty in London. Also, for wisdom as to how to deal with the issues here.

“The Lord Bless you and keep you. May His Face shine upon you and give you His Peace”. Num:6 24.

In Him
Alice

Hello everyone,

I am aware of quite a number of Officers and Staff who are very involved with their Church life. Taking on Eldership Roles and other important positions. Safeguarding in particular being a vital role sadly in today’s world; is often led by people in the Emergency Services within Churches.
Please join me in Prayer for such people with Church responsibilities and their families.

I have been in touch with a Pastor in the North of England for about two years. He shares about his busyness, caring for the needs of the people who attend his Church. He and his wife are carrying out many tasks in supporting God’s People who have arrived at this Church.

Here is a recent quote from one of his emails,
“We worship in an area classed as deprived, with many broken homes, social poverty and terraced housing.
Jesus is The Foundation upon which we are building”

Later in the same email he went on to say –

“But in all of this we have a God who sustains us, and lifts us above the mayhem and into His Presence.”
I should be there more often!”

The phrase “I should be there more often”, spoke loud and clear to me. How often do I spend time in His Presence?

A favourite song of mine by Noel Richards –

To be in your presence
To sit at your feet
When your love surrounds me
And makes me complete
This is my desire, O Lord
This is my desire
This is my desire, O Lord
This is my desire

To be a blessing to others; in both our Church and work life, it is essential we spend time in His Presence.

His Blessings.
Alice.