DEVOTIONAL/PRAYER GUIDE
WEEK 3
FOCUS:
Your Community
MEMORY VERSE:
"For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God." -Acts 5:38b-39
THOUGHTS:
In the Acts passage mentioned above, the believers had been preaching boldly in Jerusalem. We're told that "more and more" people believed in Jesus each day and that many miracles were being performed. They had been arrested twice, but yet refused to quit preaching as they were commanded to do. On their third arrest they appeared before the Sanhedrin - the religious high council - when one of it's leaders, Gamaliel, stood up and addressed the rest of the council making the statement above. He understood that if what the apostles and believers were doing was truly from God then not only would they not be able to stop them, but that they would find themselves fighting against God. What truth and assurance we have!
We are told in Romans 8:31 that if God is for us, no one can stand against us. When we are dedicated to sharing the Gospel of Jesus, God is on our side fighting for us - he's fighting for you! The message of Jesus and His power that displays cannot be stopped or silenced. Expect to see that in your homes and our community beginning today. You will see breakthrough with your family. You will see your school saved. You will see God's power shake your workplace so that people will clearly see Jesus is Lord.
We will focus this week on praying for the needs in our community as we enter it expecting our message to not be stopped.
Day 21 - January 23rd
Focus on praying for the other churches in the community. Pray that they would be committed to evangelism and that God would pour out his spirit on them.
Acts 1:8 | Luke 10:2
Day 20 - January 22nd
Focus on praying for our schools - for there to be peace among the students and teachers, for God to raise up students who boldly speak out about Christ, for the teachers and faculty to have wisdom to educate the students.
Isaiah 26:12 | 1 Timothy 4:12 | 1 Timothy 2:2
Day 19 - January 21st
Pray for those who are poor in the community, that the Lord would meet their needs and that he would raise up givers within the church to provide for them.
Psalm 41:1-3 | Psalm 112:9 | Hebrews 13:16 | Proverbs 22:9
Day 18 - January 20th
Pray that the "Gentlemen's Clubs" and bars in Clarksburg would be shut down permanently and that God would raise up righteous men and women who have a hatred for pornography and who remain faithful in marriages.
Ephesians 5:3 | Colossians 3:5
Day 17 - January 19th
Pray against the drug issues in our community - that drug sellers be exposed to law enforcement and that we be empowered in sharing the gospel so that addictions are broken.
John 10:10 | Ephesians 6:10
Day 16 - January 18th
Pray for married couples in Clarksburg, that their homes would be filled with peace rather than arguments, violence, separation and divorce. Pray for married Believers to set the Godly example for the community to see.
James 3:18 | Matthew 19:4-6 | Hebrews 13:4
Day 15 - January 17th
Pray for all believers to have this understanding and assurance of God's power that's with the message of Christ so that we boldly proclaim it in our community, seeing "more and more" saved and healed with many signs and wonders.
Acts 3 | Acts 4 | Acts 5
WEEK 2
FOCUS:
Kingdom Advancement
MEMORY VERSE:
"All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation." -2 Corinthians 5:18
THOUGHTS:
In 2 Corinthians 5, God emphasizes that not only are we "new creatures" through Jesus Christ, but that He has given us a ministry to be carried out: that God forgives all those who call upon Jesus! He says we are to be ambassadors. Just as ambassadors in the political world, we belong elsewhere - we are seated with Christ in heavenly places (Eph. 2:6, Heb. 13:14-21) - but are commissioned with carrying out the business of the land from which we were sent. God's business is saving souls. Even at a young age, Jesus said in Luke 2:49, "Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?" What was he doing? Preaching and teaching. Let us be about the Father's business and advance His Kingdom!
Day 14 - January 16th
Pray for God to stir any hearts that have grown cold and that the Church would develop a genuine compassion for the lost.
Ezekiel 37:4-6 | Matthew 9:36
Day 13 - January 15th
Pray that the Church would operate in all the gifts of the Spirit so that the Gospel would be preached in full power. Pray that believers would eagerly desire these gifts.
1 Corinthians 12
Day 12 - January 14th
Pray that the Church would have a desire to search & study scripture, and that they always be fearlessly ready to share the gospel.
1 Peter 3:15 | 2 Timothy 2:15
Day 11 - January 13th
Pray that the Church would develop a wonderful name and reputation in the community so that Jesus Christ can be seen more clearly. Pray that we are stirred to good works so this may happen.
Isaiah 58:12 | Isaiah 61:4 | 1 Peter 2:12 | Colossians 4:6
Day 10 - January 12th
Pray that believers would be full of joy as we demonstrate the wonderful love of Jesus Christ, and that any stronghold of depression in the Church be broken.
Psalm 144:15 | 2 Samuel 6:12-22
Day 9 - January 11th
Pray for God to send “laborers” - workers, Pastors, volunteers, leaders - into the Church to evangelize our local community and state.
Luke 10:2 | John 4:35
Day 8 - January 10th
Pray for the Church to have a genuine love to win souls; to have a "there is still room" mindset as the servant did in the Gospel of Luke.
Luke 14:22 | Matthew 28:16-20
WEEK 1
FOCUS:
THE Church
MEMORY VERSE:
"Why should they say among the people's, 'Where is their God?'" -Joel 2:17
THOUGHTS:
In Joel 2 the people of God are called to a fast. In verse 17 the priests are instructed to pray, "Spare your people, Lord! Don't let your special possession become an object of mockery." It's possible for God's people to become a mockery. In fact, in many ways, that is what has happened to the church in the U.S. People do not take the Body of Christ seriously, and therefore do not take Christ seriously. Let's take being the Body of Christ seriously so that we can affect change! Fortunately, verse 13 says, "Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish."
Day 7 - Wednesday, January 9th
Pray for unity in the church. For a welcoming atmosphere, so that we can create a place for people to belong so they can grow in faith and love in Jesus.
1 Corinthians 1:10 | 1 Thessalonians 2:8 | Philippians 2:5
Day 6 - Tuesday, January 8th
Pray for believers to have a heart for giving so that there will be an abundance to advance the message of the Gospel.
1 Chronicles 29:3-5 | Acts 4:32-37 | 2 Corinthians 9:6-15
Day 5 - Monday, January 7th
Pray for believers to walk in the authority that Jesus gave us so that strongholds of sin and sickness be broken, and so that we would take new evangelistic ground in our workplaces, communities and with our unsaved family members.
John 14:12 | Mark 16:17-18
DAY 4 - Sunday January 6th
Pray for God to move with signs and wonders in our Church services, and for believers to have a heart for worship.
John 4:23-24 | Acts 4:30-31
Day 3 - Saturday, January 5th
Pray for yourself and other believers to cultivate roots that are firm in righteousness and sincerity of love so that we can mature as the Body of Christ. Let's seek to go beyond the elementary things of faith in Jesus and press in deeper!
Ephesians 4:14-32 | Hebrews 5:11-14
DAY 2 - Friday, January 4th
Focus on personal repentance, and for the Church to have a hunger and thirst for righteousness and a disdain for sin [not sinners]. A small target is hard to hit, but no target is impossible to hit - let's hold ourselves to a high standard of righteousness.
Lamentations 3:40 | Matthew 5:6 | Matthew 5:48
DAY 1 - Thursday, January 3rd
Pray that we will boldly be the "light of the word", completely unashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Joel 1:13-14 & Joel 2:12-28 | Matthew 5:14-16