[Please join me in praying for the Church on Sundays this year. Many ideas in this post are from an article by Jamie Rohrbaugh, praying over the year 2023.]
Jesus said, “I have revealed you to those whom you [the Father] gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.” (John 17:6-9 NIV)
God,
Salvation belongs to you, our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb. Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Today we come to you to pray that YOU and only YOU would be preeminent in all local Churches. We pray that…
• pastors and other leaders would have great hunger and desire to seek you, and that they would be filled to overflowing with Holy Spirit’s gifts and power
• all those who make decisions in and for your Church would earnestly seek you for their choices
• Christians will return to fellowship, to the apostles’ doctrine, to prayer, to deep and regular Bible study, to Spirit-led worship, and to the breaking of bread
• Christian churches shall be crowded again with people desiring to hear the Gospel
• the Gospel shall thunder from the pulpits of American churches
• revival shall break out on every corner in every city, town, and rural area
• our friends, sons and daughters, husbands and wives, grandchildren and parents who are away from You will return to You with fasting, weeping, and mourning
• You shall thrust your laborers into the Harvest Field at an unprecedented rate, opening doors to allow all who desire to serve You full time in vocational ministry to do so
• the Church will do its job in helping the poor, caring for the widows and orphans, the displaced, the ill, and the downtrodden
• the Church will influence the world’s systems for your Goodness and Righteousness
• You will work with us as we proclaim Your Word; and You will confirm Your Word with signs, wonders, and miracles of every kind
• Christians shall become such good stewards of Your finances that we shall be known as the blessed and wealthy of the Lord
• you will answer every prayer we have prayed and honor every fast we have observed
• Christians shall become such good stewards of Your finances that we shall be known as the blessed and wealthy of the Lord
We thank You that Your word cannot return to You void.
In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
“Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share.” (1 Timothy 6:18 NASB2020)
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6 NIV)
“‘Even now,’ declares the Lord,
‘return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.
“Rend your heart and not your garments.
Return to the Lord your God,
for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love,
and he relents from sending calamity.” (Joel 2:12-13 NIV)
“God also testifying with them [confirming the message of salvation], both by signs and wonders and by various miracles [carried out by Jesus and the apostles] and by [granting to believers the] gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.” (Hebrews 2:4 AMP)
“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 6:1 NIV)
“So will My word be which goes out of My mouth; It will not return to Me void (useless, without result), Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11 AMP)
“Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!” (Revelation 7:10, 12 NIV)
h/t https://www.elijahlist.com/words/display_word.html?ID=28678#word-truncate