Prayer Calendar: Winter 2024

Dear Friends,  

The team at CVE Scotland is so grateful for your prayerful support and interest in helping to ensure that Christian values and beliefs are part of Scottish education, so that our children and young people can make informed decisions about their own faith. 

The theme of the most recent newsletter is Scottish Christian Heritage to inspire and give thanks for God’s handiwork in our nation.  As, in the words of the hymn How good is the God we adore, ‘… we will praise Him for all that is past, and trust Him for all that is to come’.  We are also in the season of Advent and Christmas with all the opportunities this brings to share the Good News of the birth of Jesus. 

Could you share these 31 prayer points and consider getting together with other Christians to pray for our children, young people, school workers, chaplains and teachers? Perhaps encourage others in your own congregations to subscribe to our newsletters? We would be so heartened if you were able to also use these in your own quiet time or in corporate church prayer sessions. 

We wish you a joyful Advent and Christmas time,  

from CVE Scotland Trustees and staff members; Megan, Iain, Steve, Kirsteen, Steve, Sandra, Elaine, Marjorie and Lynn 

If you would like to download this prayer letter to read or print as a PDF please click here Winter Prayer Letter 2024 final
 

Please pray for school staff, school visitors and pupils: –  

1. Thank God for the many opportunities afforded to share the wonder of the birth of Jesus during Advent and Christmas in nurseries, primary and secondary schools across Scotland.
2. Pray for physical strength and good health for school staff who work especially hard and give up their own personal time to run Christmas events.
3. Pray for pupils who will find Christmas a particularly hard time after the loss of a family member or being separated from their birth family.
4. Pray for Christian teachers for boldness to take up opportunities to share their faith with colleagues or invite friends/family to Christmas events.
5. Pray for the many SU and other Christian lunchtime/afterschool groups across Scotland that they may continue to be a place of fun and fellowship for pupils. 
6. Pray for chaplains and other school volunteers as they share the Good News of a Saviour born in Bethlehem during assemblies across this month.
7. Pray for senior pupils who are preparing for prelim examinations. Pray for the ability to find a study technique that suits their learning style, that they have the time and space to revise, and that school staff can support them during their preparations. 
8. Pray for staff involved with the heavy workload of marking prelim papers and completing school reports. 
9. Give thanks for the church volunteers who have helped in schools throughout 2024, meeting many different needs such as sports clubs, before/after-school clubs, foodbanks, breakfast clubs, homework clubs, assemblies and as lesson guest speakers.
10. Pray for the many churches who will be hosting a school Christmas assembly that they may give a warm welcome and demonstrate God’s love and care to visitors who will perhaps be in a church for the first time in a long while (if ever). Pray that invited guests will be pointed to Jesus in this holiday season.
11. Pray as Christmas carols are sung across Scotland, that the truth of the words sung becomes a reality to those who have not yet accepted Jesus as God’s son.                                                                                                                                             Please pray into the Winter newsletter themes: –
12. Give thanks for the work of, and pray for the effective use of, the Advent and Christmas resources that Christian organisations such as SU Scotland, Scottish Bible Society and SCIAF have created this year. 
    https://cve-scotland.org.uk/resources/advent-and-christmas-resources-2024/
13. Give thanks for the life of past saints in our Scottish Christian Heritage blogs and newsletter and pray for opportunities to share their life story with children and young people within RME and Social Studies lessons.
14. Give thanks for the re-print of Andrew Murray’s booklet on the life of Thomas Guthrie (Mission of Mercy) and pray that it may be inspiring and challenging to those who have requested a free copy.
15. Pray that engagement with the CVE Scotland social media channels will increase and that we will gather ideas on new ways to equip, resource and support networking within Scottish education from our future subscriber survey. 
16. Give thanks for the Evangelical Alliance What Kind of Nation – 10 years on report and a favourable reception at the Scottish Parliament. Pray that Christians working in education may share the vision to have a positive impact on the future of Scotland.Please pray for CVE Scotland: –
17. Give thanks to God for past CVE Scotland Trustees and team members who continue to serve in other new ways; Sandra Sutherland, Victoria Myles and Zonya Bewick. 
18. Give thanks for the recent AGM and re-election of Megan Patterson as Chair, Iain Macleod as Treasurer and Steve McLeister as Vice-Chair. Please pray for guidance and vision for the Management Committee as they lead CVE Scotland into 2025. Give thanks to God for the election of a new Trustee, Elaine Tait. 
19. Give thanks for answered prayer for the promotional video plans and to Hamilton College pupils and staff who helped in its production, and for Ross Wiseman’s production skills. Please pray it will be impactful in how it shares the charity aims more widely.
20. Give thanks for the success of two major fundraising events and for all who came along to the Trio 56 classical concert and to the Soup and Pudding lunch in Stornoway. Pray that we might find more opportunities to raise funds to support the work of CVE Scotland. 
21. Pray for the work of Rev Steve Younger as CVE Scotland Chaplaincy Project Leader and for the ability to manage the many different responsibilities he has. 
22. Pray for the plans for a CVE Scotland National Chaplaincy event in October 2025. Pray that the speaker programme will meet the interest and needs of those attending and that it might be an event which allows for the equipping, resourcing and networking of those who go into schools in a variety of roles.Prayers for Christmas: – 
23. Pray, as those who have received and accepted God’s greatest gift to man, that we might be able to share our gifts with others this Christmas time.
24. Pray that we may all be challenged by Paul’s teaching in 2 Corinthians Chapter 9 to be a cheerful giver of our time and resources to those in need.  Give thanks to the many individuals and organisations reaching out the homeless, the lonely and the sick during this Christmas holiday.
25. Give thanks for those who have worked tirelessly within education over the last year, having accepted God’s Christmas gift at an earlier point in their lives. May they keep looking to Him for guidance and enjoy this special day with their beloved family and friends.Please pray for 2025 events, initiatives and national issues: –
    
26. Pray for the final completion of the RSHP project and its continued use within schools and in households.
27. Pray that Christians will respond to the Scottish Government consultation paper on proposed changes to Religious and Moral Education/Religious Education – because of the new UNCRC legislation – within our denominational and non-denominational schools by the 26 January 2025 deadline. Pray that those who are leading the Scottish Education Bill and plans to reform Scottish qualifications seek wise guidance.
28. Pray, as the world commemorates the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz in January 2025, that the story of the Scottish missionary Jane Haining is freely shared. Pray that the new and existing teaching resources available on the CVE Scotland are helpful and give school staff an opportunity to share her story (and of whom she served) during https://cve-scotland.org.uk/jane-haining/
29. Pray that financial resources allocated to schools are used in a way which ensures all children are supported and included and able to achieve that which God has planned for them. Pray for Christian teaching staff who still seek permanent employment after an extended period in a supply position.
30. Pray for trainee Christian teachers during their PGDE studies and for 2024-25 probation teachers that they may be able to manage the demands of the profession, as well have a good work/life balance which allows them to serve and enjoy fellowship in the congregations where God has placed them.
31. As we look to 2025, an increasing number of Christians in education report experiences of prejudice and lack confidence to stand true to their beliefs as they clash with secular and progressive cultural norms. Pray that our teachers, chaplains, school and church volunteers will be the “salt and light” in the world (Matthew 5:13–16).

 We would also love to pray for you. If you would like to raise specific prayer requests, please email Lynn MacMillan at cve@cve-scotland.org.uk. 
 
Thank you very much for being part of the CVE Scotland prayer support network.