Pray Continually (Spring 2016)

Spring 2016

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.