As we begin our sermon series on the Lord’s Prayer, “Teach Me to Pray,” the Session is calling for a week of prayer and fasting from Monday, January 18-Sunday, January 24. As part of this week, we will gather Wednesday night, January 20 at 7pm on Zoom for an hour of prayer for our church, our city, our nation, and our world.
We believe this is particularly important in light of the violence in our nation’s capital last Wednesday, the ongoing political and social unrest, and upcoming presidential inauguration and threats surrounding that event.
King Jesus has called his church to pray, “Your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” so make plans to join us this week by selecting one day to which you will commit to pray and fast, laying our burdens down before the sovereign throne of God’s grace. Our goal is that at least two people will pray and fast each day of the week.
A helpful tool for understanding the purpose of a day of prayer and fasting can be found at http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/fasting-for-beginners, written by David Mathis in an excerpt from his book Habits of Grace.
To assist you with your day of prayer and fasting, below, please find a guide you can use to lead you through each petition in the Lord’s Prayer, as well as biblical prayers for our church, city, nation and world. Each season could correspond with a particular hour of the day, so that we might seek His face throughout the day. For example, you could start with season 1 at 8am, followed by season 2 at 9am and so on. If you miss an hour (i.e. 10am), you would just pick up with the next season (3) the next hour (11am).
SEASONS OF GUIDED PRAYER
SEASON #1 – “Our Father in Heaven” – Meditate on the relationship we have with God as Father, through our adoption as his sons and daughters through union with Christ Jesus.
SEASON #2 – “Hallowed be Your Name” – Take time to praise and worship God for who He is and what He has done, is doing, and will do.
SEASON #3 – “Your Kingdom Come” – Pray that the kingdom of God would come in its fullness, and that we would live out of the reality of our heavenly citizenship above all else.
SEASON #4 – “Your Will Be Done on Earth as it is in Heaven” – Pray that God would be worshiped, praised and followed on earth as is true in heaven. Pray that His love, peace, and justice would be evident in and through our lives.
SEASON #5 – “Give us this Day our Daily Bread” – Pray for God’s daily provision to do and be all to which He is calling us as His people.
SEASON #6 – “Forgive our Debts as we Forgive our Debtors” – Confess your sins before the Lord, resting on His promise that there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. Pray that He would give you grace to forgive those who have sinned against you.
SEASON #7 – “Lead us not into Temptation, but Deliver us from Evil” – Pray for the grace to run from temptation and look to Jesus. Pray for protection for our hearts, our minds, our eyes, and ears, that we would bear the fruit of the Spirit, rather than the works of the flesh.
SEASON #8 – “Yours is the Kingdom, the power and the glory forever. Amen.” – Pray for our eyes to be fixed on eternal things, rather than temporal things. Confess with joy that Christ is King, the Spirit is at work in power, and to God be glory throughout all generations.
SEASON #9 – Pray the church would follow Jesus in the midst of a hostile world – (Matthew 5:3-11)
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.”
SEASON #10 – Pray for the leaders of this city, state, nation and world and for God’s peace to be evident in this season – (1Timothy 2:1-6)
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.