Day 16 of "27-Day Prayer & Fasting Journey with Rev. Jack Ford

Greetings in the name of Christ.

My name is Jack Ford and I am the Presiding Elder of the New York Rome district in the Northeast Conference of the Global Methodist Church. Welcome to Day 16 of 27 Days of Prayer as we prepare for our Annual Conference gathering on May 8-10 in Cortland, NY.

The 11 churches of the New York Rome district are located in the central and northern parts of the state of New York.  What I love about our district is, first of all the beauty of central and northern NY can’t be beat, the Mohawk Valley and the Adirondack Foothills are some of the most beautiful places in NY State. I also love the fact that some of the churches in our district are churches I have known all throughout my 21 years in ministry and I like that I already have a good working relationship with them and their pastoral leadership. I am also grateful for the opportunity to meet and work with new congregations and leaders like those I have met in the Northern part of NY - Our churches are Kendrew Methodist Church, DeKalb Methodist Church, Ava Hilltop Church, Boonville Methodist Church, CenterPoint Church, Church of Cold Brook, Floyd Methodist Church, Hannibal Methodist Church, Mount Pleasant Church, Salisbury Community Church, and Stittville Methodist Church. Pray for us today, that we would faithfully live into our shared mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ and to spread scriptural holiness across the globe.

We in the New York Rome district are eager to see many of you at Annual Conference in May.  We encourage you to use these days of preparation to hear God’s Word and pray with us as we prepare to fan the flame that the Holy Spirit has kindled in us all.  

Here is today’s focus Scripture passage from Philippians 4:4-6: 

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

This is the Word of the Lord.  Thanks be to God.

Today’s Prayer Focus

Paul’s repeated encouragement is to rejoice always, at all times, in every situation. The Lord is indeed near, and the nearness of that presence should calm all anxiousness. Center your prayers this day on becoming a person of rejoicing, one who is not anxious, one who has the peace of God, and one who shares it.

Today’s Suggested Prayer (Prayer of St. Francis, from Our Great Redeemer’s Praise, Copyright © 2022 by Seedbed. #706.)

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much
seek to be consoled as to console,
not so much to be understood as to understand,
not so much to be loved as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
it is in dying that we awake to eternal life. Amen.

~St. Francis of Assisi

You can find this prayer, and all the other prayers of the 27 Days, on the Conference website, northeastgmc.org.

May the Lord richly bless your faithful prayers. Amen.