Pray Continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
1: List
ten things you are thankful for – big and small. Thank God for them. ‘I will praise God’s name in song and glorify
him with thanksgiving’ (Psalm 69:13)
2: Pray for church across Stafford in their
mission for Jesus and our unity together under Christ. Pray churches may ‘have confidence in your
leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as
those who give an account’, and those called to lead them would find their work
a ‘joy, not a burden’ (Hebrews 13:17).
3: Pray
for three Christians you know as they live out Jesus on their frontline of
home, work or leisure that we may be ‘Christ’s ambassadors, as though God was
making his appeal through us’ (2 Corinthians 5:20)
4:
Pray for national and local leaders.
Remembering ‘In the Lord’s hands the king’s heart is a stream of water
that he channels towards all who please him.’ (Proverbs 21:1)
5: Pray
for your role personally and for the church as a whole in bringing justice and
righteousness into the world. ‘Speak up
for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are
destitute. Speak up and judge fairly;
defend the rights of the poor and needy.’ (Proverbs 31:8-9) Pray for the work of House of Bread.
6: Pray for growing courage and readiness to
risk for Jesus as reflected in our value of being ‘courageous in mission’. ‘Therefore go and make disciples of all
nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And
surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’ (Mathew 28:19) What would be a courageous step for you?
7: Think of three people you know who are not
yet Christians. Pray that the ‘God who
said ‘let light shine out of darkness’ would make his light shine in their
hearts to give them the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the
face of Christ’ (2 Corinthians 4:6)
8: Pray for Smile orphanage in Nepal and the
Anusuran Centre in India, both of whom we support. ‘Religion that God our Father accepts as pure
and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress…’
(James 1:27) Pray for the trip of eleven
from our church to Nepal in June 2016: Simon, Ruth, Thomas, Grace, Jon, Rachel,
Seth, Hattie, Chris, Roberta and Alex.
9: Remind yourself of some places in our world
in need for prayer for peace, stability, provision or resources. Pray for them.
10: Pray for some of our partner organisations
and associations we work within as a church.
For example Baptist Union of Great Britian, BMSWorld Mission, Heart of
England Baptist Association. These are those who ‘partner in God’s grace with
us.’ (Philippians 1:7)
11:
Think of three people you know in the church -
pray they ‘may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have
the full riches of complete understanding.’
(Colossians 2:2) Pray for two
courses we are running as a church – ‘Evangelism Explored: How to talk about
Jesus’ in May and ‘Bible Explored: how to hear God’s voice when you read the
Bible’ in June.
12: Pray for a growing readiness to love everyone
and help all people find God as their Father, Jesus as their Lord, and the
church as their family. Our value of
‘loving people’. ‘I keep asking that the
God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of
wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.’ (Ephesians 1:17)
13:
Pray for men. Pray for three men you
know. Pray for responsibilities they may
have – friends, colleagues, husbands, fathers, grandfathers, etc. Pray that in all these roles and more ‘men
everywhere would pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing’ (1
Timothy 2:8)
14: We all make
mistakes. Think and pray about: ‘Have
mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great
compassion blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.’ (Psalm 51:1-2)
15: Pray by name for leaders in the church. ‘Since an overseer
manages God’s household, he must be blameless – not overbearing, not
quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest
gain. Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is
self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the
trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by
sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.’ (Titus 1:7-9)
16:
Pray for God’s hand and guiding to lead us as
we pursue a vision of one church growing God’s kingdom in four local
communities – Sandon Road, Beacon International Centre, Marston Grange and
Highfields. Pray that we might release
mission in significant and impactful ways through this model. Pray for the releasing of evangelists to lead
our four locations out in serving the community. Pray for Alex and the elders as they seek to
teach, steer and care for our one church in those four locations. Pray in it all we would be ‘filled with the
Holy Spirit and speak the word of God boldly.’ (Acts 4:31) Pray for the ‘new’ central meetings to grow
in Highfields, Marston Grange and on a Sunday afternoon at Sandon Road.
17: Pray
we would pray. We would ‘devote
ourselves to prayer’ (Colossians 4:2) and ‘pray continually’ (1 Thessalonians
4:17). Ask God to continually renew your
heart that pray is not a duty but a joy; not something we must do but something
we may do!
18: Pray for women. Think of three women you know. Pray for responsibilities they may have –
friends, colleagues, wives, mothers, grandmothers, etc. Pray in all these areas they may live as
‘women who profess to worship God’ (1 Timothy 2:10)
19: List ten things you are thankful for - thank
God for them. ‘Cry out, ‘Save us, God
our Saviour…that we may give thanks to your holy name, and glory in your
praise.’ (1 Chronicles 16:35)
20:
Pray ‘that God may open a door for our message,
so we may proclaim the mystery of Christ…’ (Colossians 3:3) Pray for yourself. Pray for the church. Pray for those who publicly preach.
21: Pray
for the centrality of the Bible in your personal life and our corporate church
life. Pray for those responsible to
teach or preach it in all sorts of contexts.
Pray that we might be ‘a pillar and buttress of truth’ and therefore a
‘living church’. (1 Timothy 3:15)
22:
Pray for our various ‘lifegroups’. Pray using
this description of a church gathering: ‘Let the peace of Christ rule in your
hearts, since as members of one body you are called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell in you richly
as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom…’ (Colossians 3:15-16)
23:
Praise God as the great Creator: ‘You are
worthy, our Lord and God to receive glory and honour and power, for you created
all things and by your will they were created and have their being.’
(Revelation 4:11). Praise Jesus as the
great Rescuer: ‘You are worthy…because you were slain and with your blood you
purchased for God people from every tribe and language and people and
nation. You have made them a kingdom and
priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.’ (Revelation
5:9-10).
24:
As we gather as a church in our main meetings pray
‘May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for
everyone else…’ (1 Thessalonians 3:12)
25:
Pray for how we operate our mid-week Bistro and
conferencing facilities used by thousands of people each month as we seek to
serve the Technology Park. We seek to be
an ‘above expected experience’ giving people a taste of what Jesus is like over
their lunch time. ‘Taste and see that
the Lord is good…’ (Psalm 34:8)
26: Pray for a growing reliance and dependence on
God’s Spirit as an individual and in our life as a church. Our value of ‘Spirit dependent’. ‘But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,
peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and
self-control.’ (Galatians 5:22-23)
27:
Pray for our Tuesday Group parent-toddler group
serving the community and building relationships to explain Jesus through. Pray for our pre-school that runs throughout
the week at Sandon Road. For children, staff
and parents. ‘And Jesus took the
children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.’ (Mark 10:16)
28:
Pray for our finances as we seek to be good and
wise stewards with the resources God has made us responsible for. Pray we may ‘excel in the grace of giving’ (1
Corinthians 8:9)
29: Pray you would ‘be careful, then, how you
live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity…’
(Ephesians 5:15) Pray for yourself, and
for five other people who come to mind: ‘Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.’
(Ephesians 5:14) How could you
verbally or practically encourage a couple of those people you are praying for
today?
30:
Pray for new ventures, steps of faith and ways
we could be used by God to initiative new mission or rejuvenate stagnated
churches. Pray we would have open ears
and obedient wills to God’s calling. ‘It
has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not
known…’ (Romans 15:20)
31: Pray for clarity or creativity in your own
life as to decisions you need to make.
How are you using your life?
‘Show me O Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know
how fleeting my life is.’ (Psalm 39:4)
Are there any changes you need to make?
Pray about these.
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