Grace Toronto. A church for the city in the city. Get to know us.

This week we will be focusing on those without jobs in the city and our church and the recent violence in St. Jamestown this past week.  **Please note the Special Focus section, featuring our friend and former Grace Toronto member Elizabeth Beck and her ministry in London, England.

Prayer for the City:

• Pray for those in the city who have recently lost jobs or are currently looking for employment.  Pray against discouragement and frustration that would lead to anger and potentially addictive behaviour.  Pray that God would be their Provider and that through this time of waiting for His provision, they may encounter God in a powerful way.
• Pray for the neighborhood of St. Jamestown and the recent violence that has been happening there.  Pray for the children who play in the areas where gunshots have been fired–for their safety, protection and freedom from influence of the wrong kind.  Pray that the police department would prioritize this neighborhood for the protection of those in this community.
• Pray for the Summer Camps that Toronto City Mission is holding in St Jamestown from now thru mid-August.  Pray for their safety in the midst of the recent violence. Pray that their campers would arrive safely each day and would learn and grow, especially spiritually, in the safe context of the camp. Pray also for some of the campers who struggle with eating disorders–that their identity would be found in their relationship with God and not in the world’s idea of image.

• Pray that we would seek to examine our lives and figure out what our ‘Isaac’ is, as the sermon on Sunday reminded us that we are all prone to staking our hopes in that one object or person in our lives.  Pray that God would reveal to us what He is calling us out of (complacency, comfort, etc) and what He is calling us into to trust Him for.  Pray that we would have the commitment and teachability to follow-through where He calls us (Genesis 22).
• Pray for those at Grace who are struggling to find employment, that the diaconate would be able to help care for them and encourage them in the midst of this time.  Pray for us as a congregation to carry one another and encourage each other when we are hurting or struggling and may Grace become a place of authentic, caring community (Romans 12:10-13).
• Pray for the members of Grace who have recently moved into St. Jamestown.  Pray for their protection and safety in the midst of the recent violence.  Pray for their ministry to this diverse neighborhood, that they would be the light of Christ to this ‘world in a block’ that this neighborhood is known as.  Pray for movement forward for the Gospel and for them to come in contact with those who are hungering to know the Lord.  Pray for boldness and natural opportunities to build relationships with their neighbors, that this place may be impacted by eternity! (Colossians 4:2-6)

Special Focus:

Pray for our missionary friend and former Grace Toronto member, Elizabeth Beck, who is serving with World Harvest Mission in London, England.

• Pray for her ability to sense God’s presence in the midst of the intensity of the spiritual battle there.
• Pray for her ministry to young adults in the alternative cultures of London (goth, punk, market traders, etc).
• Pray for her team to really bond together as friends and co-workers and that their weekly times of prayer together would be refreshing and uplifting for one another.
• Praise God for her ability to find a studio apartment for August!
• Praise God for some recent deep spiritual conversations she’s had with those she is trying to reach, that have led to their interest in coming to her church and finding out more about God!
• Pray for her homesickness to be replaced with a love and joy of being in Camden, England and that she would quickly begin to feel settled there.