A Month of Prayers
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An Urgent Need for Prayer
History tells us that every great movement of God was preceded by two elements: a commitment to reading and doing the word of God and prayer. (Persecution is often a Third element, but more on that another day.) That is why I am urging all believers, especially those at Clemmons First Baptist, to dedicate themselves to these two tasks in 2021. At Clemmons First Baptist Church, we desperately need an outpouring of God's Spirit to empower us to become and do all that God has in mind for us in the coming years. We cannot hope to transform ourselves into the image of Christ or fulfill Jesus' command to make disciples through our own self-will or ingenuity. No, we must seek God in His word and the power of the Holy Spirit to transform our individual lives and our community of faith.
To this end, in my last blog I invited everyone to read the entire Bible 2021. If we are going to learn who God is, who He has called us to become, and our purpose in the world, then we must start in His word.
Unfortunately, we can know the Bible backwards and forwards, we can even have advanced degrees in Bible and theology, while at the same time being spiritual infants. Many Christians today have not grown with respect to their salvation (1 Peter 2:2). They are no more holy than the day they were reborn. They may not be dead, but they are barely recognizable as followers of Jesus and they are certainly not living the abundant life that Jesus promised His followers, they are not even close to fulfilling the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:35-40) or Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). The only way we can live that kind of Spirit-empowered life is to seek the Spirit with all our heart, mind, and soul. Friends, the world needs revival. But no clever schemes are going to bring revival about. Only the Spirit of God active among the followers of Jesus will do that. So, to His word and to our knees we must go.
My hope and my prayer for CFBC this year is that a movement of the Holy Spirit will begin in our church, that lives will be changed, and that the spiritually dead will be given new life through our witness.
The following list of prayers is a starting point. They address the topic of prayer, not the content. I want to encourage you to search the Scriptures (those provided and others) for what you should pray. Pray boldly knowing that God will answer our prayers (Mark 11:24). Persist in your prayers (Colossians 4:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:17). On the first day of each month, pray #1 below. On the second day of each month, pray #2 below, and so on throughout the month. By all means, pray more than I have suggested if you are lead. But, everyone can follow this pattern.
A Month of Prayer for the Church
- Pray for unity among believers. John 17:22-23
- Pray for a culture of discipleship. Matthew 28:18-2
- Pray that God will raise up new leaders. 2 Timothy 2:2
- Pray for protection from the enemy. 1 Peter 5:8
- Pray that God would be glorified in all that we do. 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12
- Pray that God’s Spirit and power will fill our church. Ephesians 3:16-19
- Pray that we will have a love for God’s word. Psalm 119:9-11
- Pray that we will worship God in Spirit and truth. John 4:24
- Pray that we will be deeply committed to seeking God through prayer. Philippians 4:6
- Pray for renewal in our church, community, and nation. Ezekiel 36:26-27
- Pray for a spirit of wisdom and understanding. Colossians 1:9-11; Ephesians 1:17
- Pray that we will be people of hope. Ephesians 1:18
- Pray that we will all be righteous and pure. Philippians 1:9-11
- Pray that we will all live with a spirit of gratitude, especially for one another. 1 Timothy 2:1
- Pray for our generosity and financial well-being. 2 Corinthians 8:1-2
- Pray that our love will always be increasing. Philippians 1:9-11
- Pray for a shared commitment to our mission, vision, values, and strategy. Proverbs 29:7
- Pray that the lost will be saved through the ministry of CFBC. 1 Timothy 2:3
- Pray that everyone at CFBC will grow with respect to their salvation. 1 Peter 2:2
- Pray that all our members will be examples of mature faith. 1 Corinthians 11:1
- Pray that deep, meaningful relationships will become the norm. 1 Peter 1:22
- Pray the members will discover, develop, and deploy their spiritual gifts. Ephesians 4:12-13
- Pray for our members’ witness in the workplace. 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12
- Pray for strategic disciple-makers. 2 Timothy 2:2
- Pray for our deacons. 1 Timothy 3:8-10
- Pray for our small group leaders, Sunday school teachers, and other ministry leaders. James 3:1
- Pray that God will protect marriages and families. Ephesians 6:22 & 25
- Pray for our youth. 1 Timothy 4:12
- Pray for our children. Matthew 19:13-15
- Pray for our Ministry Staff. 1 Timothy 3:1
- Pray for our Pastor. 1 Timothy 3:1
If you are willing to commit to pray for CFBC, for your church, or the Church every day, please comment below.
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