NEW PARLIAMENT, NEW PRAYERS

By Andy Freeman

State openings of Parliament are always grand affairs, yet in practical terms they are about agenda setting - what is the Government planning to do?

Sometimes these plans get changed, ideas never make it to the floor of the House ... but each Queens Speech is a sea-change, an agenda which is at least intended for the future. How should we pray at this time ?

Watching the events today drew me back to a manifesto put forward about 2000 years ago in Palestine.

Luke 4:16-20:

"He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me,

because he has anointed me

to preach good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

and recovery of sight for the blind,

to release the oppressed,

to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, 'Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.' "

Jesus set out a 'Queen's speech' at the beginning of his ministry, to give good news to those who faced poverty, to proclaim freedom for prisoners, give the blind their sight, to lift burdens from the oppressed. This was a picture of Holy Spirit filled ministry.

As we pray for this new Government, as we consider the place our nation is in right now, as we formulate our responses and questions for this new Queens Speech, lets take a moment to pray and ask for a Jesus agenda ...

Lord would you fill us with your Spirit ...

Jesus we give our lives to you afresh, and ask that the Spirit of God which you so freely give might empower us and fill us today.

May there be good news for the poor ...

What does this look like? In any nation or any city, good news means things like hope, provision, freedom. protection ... We ask God that the needs of the poor may be heard

Prisoners free, the oppressed released

In Home and Foreign policy, we hope that the human rights of the oppressed and the cases of the wrongfully imprisoned will be taken up. Our prayer is that the UK might be a champion for the needs of the oppressed throughout the world.

Sight for the blind

We pray that God might continue to be at work through our NHS and that through a Spirit miracle or the hands of a surgeon, those who face challenges like blindness may be helped and given sight.

Holy Spirit, we ask you to be at work in us, in our MP's and leaders and in this nation and the world.
Amen

Andy Freeman, 25/05/2010