As 1 Timothy 2:1-2 taught us last week, prayer is the most important thing we do, as individuals & as a local church.
It follows then, prayer is the most important thing we can do as a church for our country at any time—especially right now.
PRAYER BREAK
That’s why we are taking each Wednesday in October to pray.
You can take specific time to pray at any point of the day. In the morning, before the day has begun. Throughout the day, in little bursts of prayer in the midst of the days activities. In the evening, at the end the of the day.
If possible, I want to encourage you to break your day in the middle to fast & pray during lunch. We all take time to eat. However long you normally take, devote that time to prayer.
PRAY FOR REVIVAL TODAY
What is a revival?
Ray Ortlund says: Revival is a season in the life of a church when the normal ministry of the gospel surges forward with extraordinary spiritual power.
Revival is a season when the church is doing what it normally does but is supplied with extraordinary spiritual power & success.
We long for revival in churches throughout our country. We long for revival in our city & our community & our church.
Pray for understanding.
If our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. -2 Corinthians 4:3-4
Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law. -Psalm 119:18
Father, open the eyes of our country to see the greatness of God, the wickedness of sin, & the free invitation of the gospel.
Pray for joy.
“If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” -John 7:37-38
You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain & wine abound. -Psalm 4:7
Father, help our country to realize forgiveness of sins before a holy God is the greatest gift we could ever receive & the source of all lasting joy. Let all earthly cares & concerns pale in comparison of the great grace & joy we find in the gospel.
Pray for transformation.
If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. -Romans 8:11
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. -Galatians 5:22-23
Father, fill our country with the Spirit & mark us individually with the fruit of the Spirit. Let us walk in the power of the Spirit as children of light. Let us love what you love & hate what you hate. Let us live in a way that shows our allegiance to Jesus.
Pray for gospel-preaching churches to multiply in our community & nation.
Then Jesus said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” -Matthew 9:37-38
Father, bless the churches in our country. Increase the influence of every gospel-preaching church. Send out people who love the gospel into areas & among people where Christ is not treasured.
May God draw near to us as we cry out to him for ourselves & our country!