I’ve been praying in the mornings. Not for the show, but because I want God to move. It has been incredible. Some others have come to the church to pray too. Some have said they want to come but can't for scheduling reasons (work, taking kids to school, etc.). A couple of people have asked if they could have a copy of the Morning Prayer guide to which I’ve referred. Instead of the popular ACTS method (Adoration-Confession-Thanksgiving-Supplication) which is good, I’ve found Jesus’ model prayer is more helpful for me to get things going. I've been using the following and the time flies!
MORNING PRAYER
October 19-November 26 Mondays-Thursdays
Nothing fancy. No music. No preaching. No requests. Just prayer.
Come any time between 6-8 AM. Pray however long you want.
5 Aspects of an Effective Prayer according to Jesus in Luke 11:2-4
“Father,”
1. Acknowledge your privileged position with Him: He is your Father.
"hallowed be your name,"
2. Affirm His “Awesomeness.”
"your kingdom come."
3. Align your priorities with His: The Kingdom is first.
"Give us each day our daily bread."
4. Ask Him to provide for your needs.
5. Address sin:
"Forgive us our sins," Confess your sins to God.
"for we also forgive everyone who sins against us." Forgive others’ sins.
"And lead us not into temptation." Ask God to guide you away from sin.
Some ideas for your prayers:
For God to have mercy on our nation:
•Spiritual awakening- that he would cause many thousands to be saved, changing our culture, turning back the moral decline.
•Leaders
President Obama
Congress in general
Our Senators: Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker
Our US House Representative: John Duncan, Jr.
Supreme Court Justices
State and local leaders
Pray God will give them wisdom to do what’s right & best for our nation. Pray they will not give in to corruption or dishonesty, or act out of self-interest. Pray they will seek to know God and his will. Pray they will not spend unnecessarily. Pray that God will remove those who lead wrongly.
•Military personnel serving in Iraq and Afghanistan
For God to have mercy on people you know:
•For those who do not know Christ- that God will draw them to himself, that God will open doors for you to lead them to him.
•Christians you know who are in sin, not growing or struggling spiritually.
•For the spiritual well being of your family.
For God to have mercy on the church:
•For Providence specifically:
That we are true to God’s word and sensitive to his will.
That we are effective in reaching the lost AND growing believers.
That our people find meaningful relationships with each other.
That God will help us impact the world through our missions efforts and planting churches.
That God will give the elders and staff wisdom to lead.
That God will protect us from division, error, and scandal.
That God will provide financially through the giving of his people.
That God will raise up people to lead and volunteer.
•For the Church in general:
That the drift toward moral relativism & radical tolerance is reversed.
That God’s people would love and obey God’s word.
That we would not be divided, but unite in spreading the gospel.
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