40 Days of Prayer: Week 4
I want us to take the six weeks (7/24-8/28) leading up to the Fall semester to pray as a church. This is Week Four. As well, every Tuesday morning, I will lead a time of prayer at the church office (910 Collier St, Suite 200, Fort Worth, TX 76102), from 7-8am. I would love for you to join me.
Help us to Proclaim you Through Bold Evangelism
This week in our 40 Days of Prayer together we ask God to help us be bold in evangelism—sharing the Good News of Jesus and his love for us. The Apostle Paul encourages the church to do so in 2 Corinthians 5:17–20:Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.“All this is from God.” I know, for me, my biggest fear and hang-up when it comes to evangelism is thinking it’s up to me: it’s up to me to share the Gospel the right way, at the right time, and hopefully without feeling weird. But “all this is from God”—he alone saves, he alone calls us, he alone empowers us, we can trust him alone.As you pray, will you consider these questions? Ask Jesus to show you his love. Meditate on the Cross which is the highest display of his love. Let that truth lead your heart to worship Him for saving you, and then ask Jesus to do the same for those around you. For your neighbor to know the love of God. But “all this is from God”—he alone saves, he alone calls us, he alone empowers us, we can trust him alone.Let’s be bold in our evangelism, and let’s ask God for help in prayer.
Example Prayers:
Example Prayers based on PRDX365 reading (Psalms 62-68):Tuesday you can declare “In Judah God is known;” (Ps. 76:1) and ask that He might be known here in Fort Worth, on your street, to your neighbor. On Wednesday we can pray and meditate on God “who works wonders;” (Ps. 77:14) and how he “redeemed [His] people,” (v15) as we ask God to redeem those in this city. Use the Psalms—God’s prayer book for us—to seek a deeper understanding of God’s love.
Prayer Tips:
As you read your bible or just consider God’s promises and your need, depending on where you are in your heart you can:• Praise - Thank God for Jesus’ work on the Cross for you. Praise Him for His grace & mercy.• Ask - Ask God to save others.• Lament - Cry out to God. Recognize the lostness in our city.• Intercede - Pray boldly, by name, for those in your life who do not know Him.
More Info on 40 Days of Prayer:
Seasons of intentional prayer, where we posture ourselves before Jesus in expectant dependency, are important for any church—I believe this is a necessity for our church family at this time. Prayer is the practice of being in His presence and receiving His blessings—doing nothing, in complete dependence on Jesus. Each week we will pray about one of three overarching themes: Affections for Jesus, Love for Others, and Wisdom for our Church. As we work toward planting churches, maturing as a church, and growing in our dependence on the Holy Spirit, we need to start the Fall off with intentional time of prayer. Here’s what we will pray for specifically each week:Affections for Jesus• Week 1 - We Confess our Dependence on Jesus• Week 2 - We Need to Know the Love of Christ for UsLove for Others• Week 3 - Call us to Love Others Through Hospitality• Week 4 - Call us to Proclaim you Through Bold EvangelismWisdom for our Church• Week 5 - Our Hope is in the Spirit to Give us Wisdom• Week 6 - Our Trust is in you for FavorOur 40 Days of Prayer will coincide with PRDX365, our daily bible reading plan—so if you haven’t jumped in or have fallen out of rhythm with your reading, jump back on! Each week we’ll post a blog with the theme we will be praying about, along with some examples of what those prayers could look like. As you do your daily PRDX365 reading, and throughout the day, together as a church we can “present our requests to God.”As well, every Tuesday morning, I will lead a time of prayer at the church office (910 Collier St, Suite 200, Fort Worth, TX 76102), from 7-8am. I would love for you to join me.