Nightlight Autumn Prayer Letter
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Transcript of Nightlight Autumn Prayer Letter
CDs of Bible stories or similar so as she
could listen to them on her way to work
(approximately a 45 minute drive to the
North Coast from her home). Within a few
days suitable material was given to her. As
yet she has not come out and directly told
any of the Odyssey team that she has be-
come a Christian but she certainly appears
very interested. Please pray that through
reading her Bible and listening to the CDs
that God would speak to her and that she
would come to faith in Christ.
From the beginning of September this year
Brian Simons, as well as heading up the
team at the Odyssey, has been involved with
the Rev Chris Bennett in ‘The Dock’ project
in the Titanic Quarter. Every Tuesday Bri-
an will be in The Dock, just behind the Od-
yssey, getting alongside people and sharing
God’s love in a real and meaningful manner.
This ‘daylight’ work will continue as a trial
until the end of the year. Please pray that
God would continue to use Brian in this ven-
ture.
Can you encourage others to grasp the vision and become more involved?
BY PRAYER (Points for Prayer / Prayer Topics in NIGHTLINES and Web Site below)
BY FINANCIAL SUPPORT (Direct Debit / Gift Aid)
BY BECOMING A VOLUNTEER
WHY NOT JOIN US ONE EVENING FOR A NIGHT TOUR? Give the Nightlight office a call
NIGHTLIGHT 13 Botanic Avenue, Belfast
BT7 1JG
028 9033 2777
Email:- [email protected] Information online at:- www.pcinightlight.org
and:- www.missionireland.org/nightlight
NIGHTLINES AUTUMN 2012 The Quarterly Prayer Letter of the
Presbyterian Church in Ireland’s Night Ministry Specific Prayer Requests
It has been quite alarming
the number of people who
have recently told our team
members that though they
genuinely believe there is a
God and would not deny the
truth contained in the Bible,
they unfortunately feel they
have to earn forgiveness. In
other cases people have given
up trying, stating that their
past is somehow too awful for
God to excuse. Please pray
that the team members
would be able to explain
God’s grace to such people.
Please remember in your
prayers all the new universi-
ty students, many away from
home for the first time. Pray
that they would be kept safe
and that their new found
freedom will not result in too
many nights of heavy drink-
ing and missed lectures the
next day! Many students
quickly learn where the
Nightlight tea table is and
have found the team mem-
bers to be of much help when
they have needed assistance,
especially if their evening
does not turn out as planned.
There have been quite a
number of men who have
arrived at our tea table who
are going through divorce
proceedings. Divorce is nev-
er pleasant and in most cases
involves less time with their
children. There is such a
mixture of emotions in their
stories and inevitably a sense
of despondency. Pray that
the team members would be
able, with God’s help to listen
to these people and offer
hope, found only in Christ
A few months ago,
while my daughter was
in the back garden
studying for her end of
year exams, she no-
ticed our big fluffy cat,
Jebediah, sauntering
across the garden with
a mouse in his mouth.
While this is not an un-
usual sight, it is still a
rather unpleasant one.
Knowing Jebediah only
too well, my daughter figured
he was only going to
play/torment the poor creature
and so she quickly embarked
upon a rescue plan. Just as
she was about to lift the cat, he
dropped the mouse and some-
how the mouse managed to fall
down a grate. She continued
to carry Jebediah to the front
of the house, hoping to give the
mouse a chance of escaping.
Not so! The mouse was now
struggling to stay above the
water and appeared unable to
climb out of the grate. On dis-
covering the plight of this most
unfortunate mouse she put on
a pair of ‘old’ rubber gloves and
pulled the soggy and exhausted
rodent from the water. I would
point out that while all this
was going on I was at the far
end of the garden shouting
words of encourage-
ment but refusing to
come any closer! She
placed the mouse
well away from Jebe-
diah who by this time
had returned to see
what he was missing.
The mouse was saved
and the mission ac-
complished. God has
a rescue plan for our
lives and it is so sad
the number of people
who still refuse to ac-
Proclaiming and Demonstrating the Kingdom of God through Word and Action
cept Jesus’ offer of forgiveness. The
cross, and all that it represents, is
meaningless to so many. Please pray
that the team members will be given
many opportunities, by God, to explain
his perfect and eternal rescue plan.
In the following stories initials have
been used to protect individuals’ ano-
nymity.
Bin-men! What have they got to do
with Nightlight? Well, when most of
us are tucked up in bed, many bin-
men are out in the small hours clean-
ing the streets of Belfast, which of
course includes the Golden Mile area. The
bin-men have been grateful for the cup of
tea or coffee offered to them during the cold
winter nights. And, like so many, they have
been baffled as to why this group of Chris-
tians are out at that time of the morning.
They have since recognised the effect that
the team members have in this area of town.
The team members are conscious that the
bin-men are working but have been able to
share a little about Jesus Christ.
‘S’ is a young Roman Catholic lad from Bel-
fast who stopped for coffee and a chat at our
tea table on Botanic Avenue. He said that
although brought up Roman Catholic he has
attended a number of services in Protestant
churches. And while he respects what they
believe and teach, he suggested that he
would not be travelling along the Christiani-
ty road. He believes that all faiths are right
and all faiths are equal. Please pray that ‘S’
would be challenged to look again at the
Christian faith.
“God must hate me because of the suffering
I have had to endure during my life.” A
statement made by ‘M’ at the beginning of
the summer. He claimed to have researched
many religions and went as far as to say he
would like to believe in God but just could-
n’t. He believes Jesus was a prophet but
does not believe He is the Son of
God. When the team member gave
answers to his many questions ‘M’
simply did not accept the answers
given. He could not understand
that God loves him and has a plan
for his life. Surprisingly, he is in-
terested to talk some more. Please
pray that he would stop by again
very soon.
‘R’ spoke of how after fourteen
years living with his partner and
children that the relationship has
ended, and not harmoniously. He is
angry with his ex-partner’s pastor
for not making time for him and, as
he sees it, rejecting him. He told the team
member that even though he does not go to
church he does believe there is a God. ‘S’
also mentioned that he believes God is not
perfect and that Heaven is not a perfect
place. He therefore believes that he will
have no problem going to Heaven as he has
lived, in his opinion, a reasonably good life.
Please pray!
Please remember the Odyssey team as re-
cently they have had a number of very in-
tense and difficult question sessions. Some
questions have related to demons or fallen
angels. Others have included people dis-
tressed that a parent, whose mind is too
confused to consider eternal life, will spend
eternity separated from
God.
A young man, ‘C’, was
asked to leave one of the
Nightclubs at the Odys-
sey. As he stood com-
plaining at the door of the
Club, and asking to be let
back in, he noticed Brian
and made his way over to
him, mistaking him to be
a doorman. Brian told
him that he would be
much better not going
back in as it was a waste
of money and ultimately
not good for him. Surprisingly ‘C’
agreed. He said that he had come out
with £80.00 and had already ‘drunk’
£60.00. He told Brian that he and his
girlfriend had recently had a baby
and were intending to marry. Brian
suggested that he would be far better
getting a taxi to his girlfriend’s house
to spend time with her and talk about
their future together. Brian also sug-
gested that they go along to a local
church and get to know some people
there and through time learn just how
much God loves them. At that ‘C’
broke down and cried for quite some
time. He said that he was leaving to
go and see his girlfriend, but before he left
he asked could he give Brian a hug. Cer-
tainly was the reply. He thanked Brian and
noted that it was no coincidence that he had
been thrown out of the nightclub and had
had this conversation. Please pray for ‘C’
and his girlfriend that God would guide
them to a church where people will be wel-
coming and non-judgemental. Pray that
God would be pleased to move in their lives.
About a year ago a young girl at the Odys-
sey asked for a Bible following a conversa-
tion she had had with a team member. A
Bible was supplied and she promised to
read it. She was in the Odyssey a few
weeks ago and asked if it was possible to get