Don t forget to record your prayer time!! See page 3

Transcription

1 But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Jude 1:20 24 Hour Prayer Guide Thank you for praying! By now you should have signed up for a 15 minute time slot. That time will be your opportunity to pray for the items listed in this booklet. Imagine what our world, church, nation and families would look like if God answered just half of the prayers in this booklet? Do you believe He can? I do! Start by asking the Lord to give you the faith to believe He can do abundantly more than we ever hoped or imagined! We encourage you to find a quiet place, a prayer closet and lift up the needs outlined in this booklet. It could be at home or anywhere you choose. We will end our time of fasting and prayer at the Celebration Service, Sunday, February 17, in all three services. Thank you for seeking the Lord s face on behalf of God s church and world! 24 hour prayer guide Don t forget to record your prayer time!! See page 3 February 16 & February 17 Noon to Noon Page 2

2 What time are you scheduled to pray? My day to pray is: My time to pray is: Page 3 Page 4 Why are we praying? These 24 hours give our church an opportunity to petition and thank God uninterrupted. Like the persistent widow in Luke 18, we want to remind God of our concern for the things that also concern Him. We want to thank Him too for the many blessings received from His hand. The church and all of human history rests on the shoulders of the One, True, Living God. Why would we not seek Him in prayer? Our theme this year is We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you.... The 24 hours will be broken into four, six hour segments based on Colossians 1:3-12. These verses remind us to thank God for His salvation while praying for the world to come to know Christ, our own spiritual growth, and finally that we would exhibit fruit in service and Christ-like attitudes and actions. Page 6 begins to give you some guidelines in what to pray for during your 15 minute time slot. Feel free to break away from that if you wish and pray for other things. It is just a guide. Read on!

3 24 Hour Prayer Guide Scripture Meditation on Prayer Here are some verses related to prayer: Matthew 6:5-15 The Lord s Prayer Luke 11: 9-13 Ask and receive Luke 18 The Persistent Widow Colossians 4:2 Be devoted to prayer 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray always! Psalm 65:2 God hears us! Philippians 4:6 Pray about everything 2 Thessalonians 3:1 Pray for God s Word Colossians 4:3 Pray for open doors Ephesians 6:18 Pray in the Spirit Ephesians 3:16 Pray for strength Ephesians 1:18 Pray for the lost Romans 8:26 Pray when you don t know what to say Psalm 32:6 PRAY!!! Page 5 24 Hour Prayer Guide Why are we fasting? A guide... Fasting as a spiritual discipline doesn t receive much notice in our indulge as you may society. Unfortunately, it has gotten the same attention in our churches...none. We are not real big on denying ourselves anything. But scripture tells us that God hears the prayers of those who seek Him sincerely. Fasting shows God we are serious about our prayers. Here are some things to think about as you consider fasting for 24 hours What is fasting? Here is a good definition of fasting: a Christian s voluntary abstinence from food for spiritual purposes. Are there different types of fasts? Yes. The three main fasts are a normal fast where you abstain from all food, a partial fast where you limit what you eat, and an absolute fast where you avoid all food and water. Which fast should I do? Pray and ask the Lord to guide you in that. Also, if you have a medical condition, seek the advice of your physician. No fast is better than another if the purpose is the same. Page 6

4 24 Hour Prayer Guide What is the purpose of a fast? The main reason people fasted in the Bible was to strengthen their prayers, seek God s guidance, express their grief, overcome temptation and express love and worship to God. By denying ourselves the basic needs of life (food and/or water), we are showing God that He is the source of our life and love. Fasting DOES NOT help us earn God s favor, impress Him, or gain us His acceptance. Only faith in Christ can do that. What does the Bible have to say about fasting? Matthew 6:16-17 has Jesus speaking to His disciples and He says, when you fast. Not if, but when. He just assumes we will! Matthew 9:14-15 is once again Jesus speaking and He tells some religious leaders that His followers will fast as they wait for the bridegroom to come. We, too, are waiting! And so we should also be fasting! Isaiah 58:6-7 explains what God desires a fast to accomplish here on earth. Some more...: Joel 2:15-16, Acts 13:2, Nehemiah 9:1, Jonah 3:5-8, Matthew 4:1-11 We pray your fast will draw you closer to Jesus as you live, move, and have your being in Him alone! Page 7 Page 8 Thanksgiving to God For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. 1 Timothy 4:4-5 Please thank God for: Your salvation and the salvation of others this year in our church -Saturday Noon to 6 pm- A church that preaches the Word with conviction Godly Elders that pray and lead courageously Godly Deacons who minister faithfully Godly Deaconesses who serve selflessly Godly Trustees who manage with integrity Godly lay leaders who love Jesus passionately Godly servants who care without reward Godly members who support our church with time, gifts, and finances The Pastors and their families Providing abundantly, financially in 2012 Many guests to our church in Worship services that lift up Jesus The Word that changes hearts and lives Our church family Ministries that help us grow Opportunities to serve that stretch us Heaven!

5 Slow Pitches and the Gospel I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. Philemon 1:6 -Saturday 6 pm to Midnight Sunday- Please pray for: Int l Workers overseas Millions of unsaved people in the 10/40 Window Alliance Women prayer groups 800 C&MA missionaries around the world Evangelism training Opportunities to share with neighbors, co-workers and family Outreach into Warren C&MA Church planting efforts Unreached people groups (UPG s) and closed countries Food Pantry & Nursing Home Ministries Every person to have slow pitches in 2013 Salvation in weekend services Page 9 24 Hour Prayer Guide Spiritual Growth and the Word With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of His calling, and that by His power He may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. 2 Thessalonians 1:11 -Sunday Midnight to 6 am- Please pray for: Spiritual growth in: Our Children Our Youth Our Men (Husbands, Dads) Our Women (Wives, Moms) Our Senior Adults All Growth Groups (men, women, youth, & mixed) Our Sunday School Faithful preaching and teaching of the Word Marriages to be restored Victory over addiction Wise stewardship of finances (personal and church) Raising up of new leaders Page 10 Develop new ministry Healing from grief and sickness New Missionaries and Full-time workers Being filled with the Holy Spirit daily Consistent prayer and study times Obedience to Christ A love for Jesus A passion for true worship A yielding of our lives to God s work Growing hatred and conviction of sin Desire to be like Jesus Moral purity Increased faith

6 Service and the Church Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way. I particularly urge you to pray so that I may be restored to you soon. Hebrews 13: Sunday 6 am to Noon- Please pray for: Servant hearts Current needs in: Visible evidence of our Our Nursery salvation (fruit) Children s Church Self-less attitudes Welcome Center Renewed vision for people burned out Ushers Regular attenders to Greeters serve faithfully Kid s Sunday School Board positions to be KidsZone filled with godly Music Ministry and Choir servants Newcomers to get connected to our family New members to fulfill their commitments to Love Jesus, Grow Together and Serve their world Old members to continue to serve Physical, emotional, and spiritual needs to be met Believers to discover their spiritual gifts Our services to be a pleasing sacrifice to God Page 11 We have other opportunities to pray on a regular basis at North-Mar Church: Wednesday Prayer and Fasting for the whole church Sunday Night Prayer Group in the Prayer Room from 6:00 pm -7:15 pm All of our Growth Groups include a time to pray for needs in our church and personal lives. E-Prayer Partners is a weekly prayer bulletin put out by the church to pray for our ministries. Our Prayer Room is open during the week and each Sunday during the services. Come and pray for the ministries of the church and your own personal needs. For more information on any of these opportunities to talk with God, contact our church office at or visit our Prayer Ministries page online: NorthMarChurch.com/PrayerMinistries.html.