IT IS OUR
FIRST PRIORITY!
Paul wrote to Timothy, “I urge, then, first of all, requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone” – I Timothy 2:1
.
IT IS A
LEADERSHIP PRIORITY!
In Acts 6:4, when ministry demands increased, the disciples made arrangement for that expansion and then said, “but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” Prayer was of first importance for leaders.
IT IS A TOTAL
CHURCH PRIORITY!
Scripture tells us that the early church gave themselves to four disciplines, “the apostles’ doctrine, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer.” – Acts 2:42
IT IS A
MINISTRY PRIORITY!
In Acts 13, the disciples were seeking the Lord in a time of fasting and worship and during that time the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.”
IT IS A
KINGDOM PRIORITY!
When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, He said, “When you pray” – not “if” but “when” you pray. The first request was, “your kingdom come, your will be done.”
It is a Network of Prayer coordinators who…
Partner with pastors to help the church become a house of prayer.
Connect monthly by conference call to pray for one another, for the needs of the church and for the expansion of the Kingdom.
Exchange ideas, resources and encouragement on facebook.
It is a call to prayer for…
God’s anointing, leading and protection for pastors and those in leadership.
The multiplication of disciples through the Missionary Church around the world.
Perpetual renewal/revival in local churches and throughout the country.
Unity as Jesus prayed in John 17:1-25.
Grace and protection for believers around the world who are persecuted for their faith.
CURRENT OR UPCOMING
FREE RESOURCE TO PRINT
Jesus modeled prayer and fasting for us; we also need to share with our churches the ways and reasons to pray and to fast. To assist you with this, we’ve condensed the First Friday Fast prayer needs and some teaching on fasting onto a page that you can print and distribute with your Sunday bulletin. This brief message might also be displayed and made available with your church’s other print resources. Once tucked into a Bible, it will be a ready reminder of how and why to fast and pray for awakening.
We encourage you to share this prayer tool with your church.
MAY PRAYER FOCUS
As you pray this month, praise the Lord that He has called you to follow Him and learn from Him – to be a disciple. Look for ways to grow as a Christ-follower and seek opportunities to disciple others. Look for others who will partner with you in making disciples.
“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’” – Matthew 28:18-20
The following Scriptures and prayers remind us of the command of Jesus to make disciples of all nations. It is not the responsibility of my church but my responsibility to make disciples. They are also a challenge to live as disciples of Jesus.
Interactive Prayer Experience
Materials suggested: rusty cross, vial of oil, sandpaper, buffing cloth and a journal. You will use these items during your experience.
The Prayer Experience is 20 minutes, with times to pause if you would like extra time of prayer.
We invite you to gather your materials, prepare your heart and mind for this time, and begin the video.
RESOURCES
The resources posted here are intended to assist in your prayer ministry. The prayer initiatives are generally national initiatives that provide ways for you to join with thousands around the world in praying for our nation, schools and the persecuted church.
Spending an Hour in Prayer
Planning a Prayer Breakfast for your church
Suggestion for Prayer Coordinators:
Begin the New Year with a Prayer Event in January
HOW TO PLAN A PRAYER BREAKFAST
(from “Partners in Prayer” by John Maxwell pp.140-141)
Step 1 – *Select the date ASAP and get it on the church calendar.
1. Begin early to make your church aware of this event by announcements in your church newsletter and Sunday Bulletins.
2. Sign-up sheets should be made available in December to Adult Classes and at the Information Desk in the church foyer. (DO NOT WAIT UNTIL JANUARY—CALENDARS FILL UP QUICKLY)
*NOTE: When selecting a date the second or third Saturday in January is usually best—by then people will be ready to think about the New Year—Christmas is now over. When setting dates always be aware of other church and community activities—then people will not have to chose one over the other.
Step 2 – Ask your pastor or staff person to plan an in-depth lesson focused on “How to Grow in Your Prayer Life”.
1. Make your request early—never wait until the last minute.
2. Some good topics include praise, thanksgiving, intercession, meditation, listening to God, praying Scripture, How to pray for others, etc.)
Step 3 – COMPONENTS OF AN ENCOURAGING BREAKFAST
1. Food and Fellowship (45-60 minutes) great way to establish easy interaction.
(Menu suggestions: egg casseroles, muffins, juice & coffee)
2. Worship (15minutes) is the best way to prepare hearts to hear God’s Word.
3. Equipping (45 minutes) Make sure lesson gives specific truths to think about.
4. Prayer (30 minutes)
Since the focus of this ministry is on prayer, it should always be the last thing you do together. While still in one large group, share some recent answers to prayer, since this reminds participants of the results and value of prayer ministry. Then list current prayer requests for the pastors and the church.
Divide everyone into small prayer groups of three or four. First, remind them of how they can apply the day’s lesson to this prayer time. Ask them to share personal prayer requests for five to ten minutes. Then they will pray for the church, the pastors, and each other for twenty to thirty minutes. John Maxwell recommends that you tell them they are dismissed when their group has finished praying.
Building a Prayer Team
Prayer Coordinator's Job Description
Devotions for Personal and Corporate Renewal
30 days of prayer for small group leaders
National Day of Prayer
See You At the Pole
For more than two decades, See You at the Pole has been about one simple act—prayer. SYATP is still about students uniting themselves in prayer before God interceding for their generation.
There are two opportunities to unite in prayer with your friends:
- DAY: SEE YOU AT THE POLE day is on the fourth Wednesday of September, at 7:00 a.m. local time. All around the globe, in every time zone, students will be gathering at their flagpoles, praying for their school, friends, families, churches, and communities. SEE YOU AT THE POLE is a day committed to global unity in Christ and prayer for your generation.
- WEEK: The GLOBAL WEEK OF STUDENT PRAYER (the last full week of September) encourages students to find new and unique ways, places, and times to pray throughout the week. Whether you attend PUBLIC SCHOOL, PRIVATE SCHOOL, or HOME SCHOOL, gather your friends wherever and whenever and pray! The GLOBAL WEEK OF STUDENT PRAYER is dedicated to prayer and launching your on-campus Bible clubs, prayer strategies, and student ministries.
For more information, resources and ideas go to http://syatp.com/
Prayer for the Persecuted Church
This is an international initiative, on the second Sunday of November, calling for the Church to pray especially for those believers in countries where persecution is a regular part of life.
The International Day of Prayer crosses geographic and denominational borders. Please join this Christian community in prayer for our brothers and sisters who are persecuted because of their commitment to Jesus Christ.
“Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.” –Hebrews 13:3.
More information and resources are available at www.opendoorsusa.org
“If my people, who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sin and heal their land.” – 2 Chronicles 7:14
Seek God for the City
Seek God for the City helps you to mobilize many to pray with united, sustained vision for people of your community. The prayers in this prayer guide are biblically grounded and easy to pray.
The forty days to Palm Sunday makes an ideal time to venture into a season of sustained, hope-filled prayer.
Pastors, mission leaders and positioned prayer leaders may call for a complimentary review copy at (800) 264-5214 or (512) 419-7729. https://waymakers.org/
Call to Prayer & Fasting
Could we be on the verge of another great awakening? Is it possible that we are desperate enough to seek the Lord for a fresh outpouring of His Spirit across this country? Could we begin to believe that a revival could actually sweep across the nations?
For the past couple of years, we have been encouraging believers to set aside the first Friday of the month as a day of fasting and prayer. That call to prayer is part of a larger prayer strategy that would unite churches in prayer for their community. That broader strategy is outlined on the Missionary Church website under First Friday Fast.
The call to prayer seems increasingly urgent as we read headlines regarding the situation in Afghanistan. As this is being written, there are reports from within Afghanistan of the Taliban going door to door taking women and children. There are also reports of Christians being killed if they are found with a Bible app on their phone.
The urgency for prayer is also fueled by the needs in Haiti. The loss of life and property is terrible. While numerous relief agencies are on the ground working hard to meet the needs, the images still grip our hearts.
Then there are the challenges facing the United States. We are divided over race issues; over COVID protocols; over curriculum in local schools; and over gender issues to name a few. Churches and families are divided over many of these issues.
There is GOOD NEWS! The first bit of news is that God still reigns. Our confidence is not in governments but in our Father in Heaven. The second bit of good news is that Jesus is coming back!
The need for prayer is great. The need for a spiritual awakening is great. Unless there is a move of the Spirit of God across this country, we will continue to see our culture spiral downward, away from Christian values.
AWAKENINGS BEGIN WITH PRAYER. We need not be in despair. We are living in a time when more and more people are uniting in prayer for another great awakening. Jesus told His followers “that men always ought to pray and not lose heart” — Luke 18:1.
Evan Roberts was one of the key figures in the Welsh revival in 1904-1905. He was 26 years old when revival broke out. He had been praying for it every day for 13 years. In the call to prayer, don’t ignore the teens. God has often moved among the young people of the Church.
Jeremiah Lanphier, a businessman who became a lay missionary in Manhattan, began a noontime prayer meeting on September 23, 1857. Only one person attended that first Wednesday, but in the weeks to come, the prayer meeting spread to other churches and then across the country. There are reports that one million people came to faith in Christ as a result of this prayer meeting. This move of God was often referred to as the Prayer Meeting Revival or, in other circles, the Businessman’s Revival.
The Great Awakening of the 1730s was preceded by extraordinary prayer. Churches united to pray. Many observed a “first Friday fast.” The Spirit of God moved across the country.
Could we be on the verge of another great awakening?
First Friday Fast
STRENGTHENING PRAYER IN YOUR CHURCH
HARVEST PRAYER MINISTRIES
Provides resources to help churches make prayer foundational to their ministries so that they can become houses of prayer. Harvestprayer.com
PRAYER CONNECT
A full color, quarterly magazine entirely on prayer, designed to equip the reader toward deeper levels of personal prayer and to become a catalyst for prayer in their local church. prayerconnect.net
CHURCH PRAYER LEADERS NETWORK
Connects local church prayer leaders to encourage and equip in their efforts to develop prayer in their local church. www.prayerleader.com/
PRAYERSHOP PUBLISHING
Everything prayer – books, prayer guides, workshops, small group material, children’s material, personal prayer, corporate prayer and prayer evangelism. www.prayershop.org
PRAYER CRISIS
REACHING OUT IN COMPASSION
People in crisis desire to talk to a live person, someone who has a listening ear, is compassionate, and who cares about their unique personal needs. When a person calls our toll-free hotline they speak directly with a real person who will listen compassionately, pray and suggest other ministries or organizations that may meet the caller’s felt needs in their local community. Most calls deal with very real life issues, marriage, family issues or personal concerns. If a local ministry, church or faith-based organization is not available, the person is directed to other organizations or government agencies that may meet the immediate needs.
MOMS IN PRAYER
OUR VISION IS THAT EVERY SCHOOL IN HTE WORLD WOULD BE COVERED WITH PRAYER.
Our purpose – our whole reason for existing is…
- To pray that our children will receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, then stand boldly in their faith
- To pray for teachers and school staff
- To pray that teachers, administrative staff, and students would come to faith in Jesus Christ
- To provide support and encouragement to moms who carry heavy burdens for their children
- To pray that our schools will be directed by biblical values and high moral standards
- To be an encouragement and a positive support to our schools
ONE CRY
JOIN WITH MILLIONS AROUND THE NATION IN PRAYER FOR SPIRITUAL AWAKENING
OneCry is a movement of believers who are urgently crying out to God to revive the church and transform the culture. It isn’t an organization, program, or event. It’s a movement of like-minded people, churches, and organizations who agree that our nation needs a dramatic turnaround.
THE 6:4 FELLOWSHIP
A DIVERSE, INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY OF PASTORS COMMITTED TO PRAYER AND THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD.
The 6:4 Fellowship, inspired by Acts 6:4, equips, encourages and coaches pastors to lead their churches in prayer.
BLESS EVERY HOME
Be a LIGHT to Your Neighbors
Lay the foundation for your personal mission field by praying regularly for your neighbors by name. Use the interactive list of your neighbors to track your journey through prayer journal entries, interactive maps, set-up automatic reminders to yourself, track and make notes each time you care and connect with your neighbor, keep their prayer request, celebrate those who receive Christ by marking them as a disciple and much more!
CLAIM YOUR CAMPUS
Claim Your Campus’s mission is to unite 1 million students (15 students per campus) in prayer on every MS & HS campus in America. It is a student-led, adult-encouraged prayer movement. Within its first 7 years, CYC is active in 40+ states with thousands of students and continuing to grow.
Using the CYC mobile app streamlines students’ experience from registration to prayer day. The app organizes the campus by allowing students to see what groups are already meeting on their campus and what days of the week still need a group. The app also trains students to pray by leading them through Jesus’s teachings on prayer each day. The CYC Mobile App is available on the App Store and Google Play.
