Markers. You are passion. blessed still live

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1 Praying Through the Ten Healthy Missional Markers You are invited to use this prayer guide to help you, your prayer team, your church, or any body of believers with a passion for Vitality to pray through the Ten Healthy Missional Markers. About the Authors Darren and Brenda Olson have been married for 24 plus years. Darren has served as a youth pastor for approximately half of their married life. More recently, he has served as a Senior Pastor in three Covenant churches: in Princeton, MN; Moline, IL, and presently in International Falls, MN for the last 2 and a half years. They are blessed with five children, two of which are in ministry in a Christian band traveling the country. The other three still live at home, with the next moving out this year to pursue a degree in the field of medicine with the long term goal to go into medical missions. They enjoy family time when they can all get together and many other activities involving sports and the outdoors. They both have attended Vitality Training and desire to lead the church into being healthy and missional.

2 Centrality of the Word of God Dear Heavenly Father Thank you for revealing Yourself through Your Word. Your Word is truth. Help me to believe that Your Word is the only perfect rule for my faith, what I am to believe about You and Your ways, and how You would want me to live. I confess that I have not always made Your Word these things. Thank You for Your forgiveness. Lord, help Your Church to faithfully preach and teach Your Word. Lord, I lift up (Names of Pastors and Teachers) and ask that You would help them to carefully prepare the preaching and teaching of Your Word in a way that accurately, relevantly, and creatively presents Your Word in a life transforming manner. Lord, help Your people to receive Your Word in a way that causes them to grow, become equipped and empowered to live it out in a daily walk with You. Bless their ability to study and apply Your Word in a powerful way. Lord, I specifically pray for (names of Individuals) that Your Word would bring life and guidance for them. For the Praise of Your Glory, Amen Names of Pastors and Teachers You Are Praying for: Names of Individuals You are Praying for:

3 Life Transforming Walk with Jesus Dear Heavenly Father Thank You that are living water for those who are thirsty and the bread of life to those who are hungry. Thank You that you are the way, the truth, and the life. Thank You that in You I have salvation and a new life. Thank you for initiating a relationship with me. Lord, reveal Yourself in this way to (names of specific people who have yet come to know Christ in this way). Lord, help me to be attentive to Your Son in all circumstances and to walk with Him through every waking and sleeping hour. Lord, help Your Church and Your people everywhere to grasp the radical nature of Your message and to live out the mission of Your Son in way that humbly accepts the changes You desire for them. Lord, I specifically pray for (specific people who are struggling in their walk with Jesus, include yourself.) Lord, cause Your people to grow in Christ, to become equipped and empowered with His presence through the many possible means that are provided by Your Church. Use resources, experiences, and settings to help us know Christ better and walk with Him in life giving ways. For the Praise of Your Glory, Amen Names of specific people who have yet come to know Christ: Names of people who are struggling in their walk with Christ, include yourself:

4 Intentional Evangelism Holy Father Thank You that You sent Your Son, Jesus Christ, to seek and save the lost of which I once was lost. Give me a heart for the lost that beats with Your heart. I confess that I have not always had the same passion for the lost that You did when You sent Your Son into this world. Lord, break my heart for what breaks Yours. Give me a burden for the spiritual condition of those around me. Lord, I specifically pray for (names of family members, friends, co workers, fellow students, neighbors etc.) that I do not yet know if they know You. Give me opportunities to show and speak of Your love in such a way that it leads to salvation for them. Give me the right words when given the opportunity to speak into their lives. Lord, burden Your church with the same desire for the lost. Make it the intention of the many ministries of the church to seek and save the lost. Help us, Your people to make those who do not yet know Christ a greater priority. Lord, help us to build salvation bringing relationships to those around us. Cause us to want to grow, be equipped, and empowered in the many methods and ways to speak to about God s redeeming love, mercy, and grace. Allow me to trust the work of Holy Spirit who convinces and convicts people to put their faith in Christ. For the Praise of Your Glory, Amen Names of People I am praying for their Salvation: Family Members Friends Co workers / Fellow Students Neighbors Others

5 Transforming Communities through Active Compassion, Mercy, and Justice Ministries Holy Father Thank You that You love this world and have a heart for the widows and orphans, the poor and the outcast, the enslaved and the broken, the imprisoned and hurting. Thank You that in loving the least we are told that we love You. I confess that I have turned my back and ignored You many times. I confess that I am quick to make excuses and slow to take action when given these opportunities. Lord, give me eyes that see societies (name specific places and people within your community) hurts, give me a heart that beats for those in pain, and give me hands and feet that move to take action. Help Your church to not sit passively by and have judgmental attitudes towards others. Help Your church to be a part of the solution and not part of the problem (names of ministries and programs within Your church that are presently doing Compassion, Mercy, and Justice). Give us identifiable pathways to be a bigger blessing to our community by showing Your compassion, Your mercy, and Your justice. Help us to love like Jesus. Bless our efforts so that they bring glory and honor to You. Lord, cause us to grow to love all people, to be willing to be equipped so as to go places that have been neglected and ignored for far too long. Empower us with Your Holy Spirit to take radical action and go where we have refused to go in the past. Help us to be Your loving answer in this hurting world. For the Praise of Your Glory, Amen Names of specific places and people within the community that need Compassion, Mercy and Justice: Ministries and Programs that the Church is presently doing Compassion, Mercy, and Justice:

6 Global Perspective and Engagement Dear Heavenly Father Thank You for creating and loving this world and the people that inhabit it. This world is an amazing place with many different types of people, cultures, and languages. All of which reflect Your glory and Your image. All of which Jesus had in mind when He came to this earth and died on the cross. I confess, that I think that the world revolves around me and that I have a small view of the world. Stretch me to see the world through Your eyes. Lord, allow me to begin to see Your vision for all people. Help me to see the world through the redemptive qualities of Your Word. Teach me to pray and weep for this world as Jesus wept over Jerusalem. Stretch me beyond the comforts of my own safe boundaries and make me willing, as You call, to echo and live out Isaiah s Word, Here I am, Lord, Send me. Lord, at the bare minimum, burden me to pray for this world and for others (name missionaries and political leaders) who are Your servants in the world. Lord, create within Your Church a calling, sending, supporting, and going community. Help the church to stretch beyond the comforts of her own safe boundaries and limited budgets. Help Your people to develop a global perspective (name specific global events). Help Your church to be equipped to engage the world with Christ. For the Praise of Your Glory. Amen Names of Missionaries: Name of Political Leaders: Specific Global Events:

7 Compelling Christian Community Dear Heavenly Father Thank You for including me into Your body, the place where I get to experience You in a very intimate and powerful manner. The place where I get to share my love for You with those of like minded faith and community. I confess, that I have been critical of Your Bride and have far too often been part of the problem; rather than, the solution. Lord, allow me to be a part of Your Church. Help me to believe in others gifts, talents, and passions the way I believe in my own. Help me to see the value of each and every member of Your Church in a way that brings You pleasure and empowers my fellow members of Christ. Lord may I serve my fellow brother and sister with humility and love Jesus, create within Your Church a love that is a unique and a powerful testimony of who You are to this world. For You are Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord, God Almighty. Help us to love one another as we are, not as we should be offering love and forgiveness when we fail (names of people I need to forgive or need to ask for forgiveness from); grace and mercy when we are weak (names of people who are experiencing a particular tough time within the church). Develop within us a fellowship that goes far beyond Sunday mornings. Lord, I pray for these specific groups in our church (name those groups). Allow us to be a vibrant and compelling community that draws all humans to You. For the Praise of Your Glory. Amen Names of people I need to forgive or need to ask for forgiveness from: Names of people who are experiencing a particular tough time in the local body: Names of Small Groups, Bible Studies etc. within the church:

8 Heartfelt Worship Dear Heavenly Father You are worthy and only You are worthy, my Lord, to receive all glory, honor, and praise. I want my soul to bless You with all that I am. Yet, I confess that I worship far too many idols including mostly myself. I want my worship of You to come from heart, mind, soul, and strength. Enrapture me with Your greatness so that I will become more devoted to You. Lord, create within Your Church a holy fire of adoration that is led by the Holy Spirit. May worship never be about us, but completely about You. We long to exalt You and celebrate You for who You are, for what You have done, for what You are doing, and what You will do. Allow Your Church to be unleashed and free to worship You with all that we are because You are the great I am. Lord, we specifically pray for those who lead us in worship (name of pastors, worship leaders, and anyone who assists in corporate worship). Fill them to overflowing with Your Spirit. Give them the right words and prepare them to help Your Church worship in all the manners of worship (May the prayer speak and think of these words slowly): adoration, praise, contrition, lament, and commitment. Lord, may all who come to worship leave changed by being in Your presence. May we know Your heart better and may our hearts be changed for Your glory. May we become continuous worshippers throughout lives busy and hectic pace. May a prayer never be far from our lips, a song from our hearts, and a silent receptive moment from You. We give ourselves to You, O Lord. Praise the Lord, O my soul. Amen Names of pastors, worship leaders, and anyone who assists in corporate worship: Ponder ways that you may worship God throughout the week so as to prepare for corporate worship together:

9 Sacrificial and Generous Living and Giving Dear Holy Father Thank You for Your love and generosity. You have blessed me far beyond what I deserve and could ever understand. You have modeled sacrificial and generous living and giving when You sent Your Son to this world. The words thank you don t seem to say enough. I confess that I have not given nearly enough of myself and the resources that You have blessed me with in my life. I have only given a mere drop in the ocean of Your love. Lord, help me to discover, develop, and deploy Your many blessings that you have given me through natural talents and Spiritual gifts. Help Your Church to embrace these talents and these gifts setting them free to be used for Your glory and for Your purposes. Lord, I specifically give You these gifts that You have given me (name them and give them to God). Lord, I specifically identify and thank You for the gifts I recognize in my fellow believers (name individuals and their gifts that you recognize). Lord, Your Word tells us that the earth is Lord s and everything on it belongs to You. Help us to give back all that You have blessed and entrusted to us. All that we claim is ours, is Yours. Help us to let go and surrender our tight grip on things that possess us and keep us from being truly Yours. Lord, we choose to give (List specific things that you want to and need to give to God). Help us to be sacrificial and generous to others. Help us to live and give as You did when You sent Your Son, Jesus. Let it be so. Amen. Name the specific gifts and talents that God has given you: Name the individuals and their specific gifts and talents God has given them: List the specific things that you want to and need to give to God:

10 Culture of Godly Leadership Dear Heavenly Father Thank You for Your leadership in my life. Thank You for those in spiritual leadership that You have blessed me to have in my life. I confess that I have not always been receptive to Yours and their leadership. Forgive me that I have supplanted Your authority and theirs in my life by wanting things my way; rather than, Your way. Lord, not my will but Yours be done in my life. Lord, I pray for (Name those that God has placed in spiritual leadership over you). Allow them to serve with a Christlike character, competence, and conviction. Give them Your strength. Lord, I pray that Your Church would have a spirit of trust in their leadership and that they would serve Your church with humility. I pray that there would be a unique unity with the Your Church that would reflect the unity of the Trinity. A unity and a trust so powerful that it would be contagious to others. Lord, help us to continue to identify other potential leaders (name those who you believe God would be calling into such leadership) by believing in them, listening to them, mentoring them, equipping them, and empowering them. Give us grace to let them do things differently and creatively all for Your purpose and Your glory. I ask one more thing of You Lord, help all entrusted with leadership, to be godly and to submit to Your supreme leadership. For the Praise of Your Glory. Amen. Name those that God has placed in spiritual leadership over you: Identify and name potential leaders that God may be calling into leadership:

11 Fruitful Organizational Structures Dear Holy Father Thank You for the gift of Your Church. You created the Church for Your glory and for the blessing of Your people. It was Your vision and Your plan to reach this world for Yourself. You indeed created her to function as Your bride in this world. I confess that I have not always seen it this way. That I have doubted and questioned its purpose. That I have not participated in the ways I should have and fulfilled my responsibilities to the body. Help me to be the part of the body that You made me to be. Lord, help Your Church to communicate it s compelling, Christ honoring vision clearly and powerfully so that all would serve You and one another faithfully. Lord, I pray (the local vision for the church you are involved in). Your Church is a divinely created organism, but it is also a human institution which means that it will experience conflict. Lord, I ask that this conflict would not divide us, but that through Your redemptive power would make us stronger and more united. (Acknowledge those concerns and issues that God could redeem in your church at this time.) Make us one. Lord, give wisdom and discernment in the decision making process of Your Church. And when a decision has been made Lord, help us to own that decision and flesh it out in a way that brings You honor and glory. Allow Your Holy Spirit move in and through us. For the Praise of Your Glory. Amen. What is the local vision of the church you belong? Those concerns and issues that you want God to redeem in your church: