A Praying Church: Becoming a People of Hope in a Discouraging World

Product Information

Holy or clean hands is symbolic of a blameless life (cf. 2 Sam 22:21; Ps 24:4). When we are walking in sin, it hinders the effectiveness of our prayers. David said, “If I had harbored sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened” (Psalm 66:18). Holding on to unconfessed sin will hinder our prayers. Therefore, we must faithfully confess and repent of our sins. James 5:16 says that the prayers of the righteous are powerful and effective. There is power in a holy life. 2. Believers should pray without anger. We decided together as a leadership team to focus on prayer. We now pray together for one-third to half of all leadership meetings. We also designated the role of a prayer lead: a person who coordinates prayer gatherings and keeps prayer at the forefront of our minds and schedules.

We know that the enemy wouldn’t be fighting so hard against us if we weren’t making a difference for your Kingdom. He wouldn’t be trying so hard to stop us if he didn’t think you had so much good still in store. Remind us that this battle belongs to you Lord, and whatever we’re up against can be taken down in one fail swoop by your mighty hand. Help us to trust you more and to never waste time spinning our wheels fighting in our strength.So, if we’re called to pray for the “church,” what is the church, exactly? The Bible reminds us that the church is more than just a building or a gathering place of people. And it’s much bigger than any single denomination, social status, or country. The church quite simply is the body of believers all around the world who confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. It is referred to in the Bible as the Greek word “ekklesia” and is defined as “an assembly,” or the “called out ones.” Application Question: How can we practice prayer for all people? 1. We can pray for all people generally.

Dear Lord Jesus. Thank you so much for all the precious children in this world. We know they mean so much to you. We pray you would help us do all we can to protect and give them the start in life they deserve. Lord we bring to you all of the wonderful work being done to release children from poverty, and we pray that you would bless every pair of hands that works for you. Increase and bless their efforts in Jesus name, Amen. Paul says that “requests, prayers, intercessions, and thanks be offered on behalf of all people.” One of the things we can discern about prayer from this verse is that all people need prayer. There is not one person we know that doesn’t need constant grace from God and, therefore, our prayers. I looked for a man from among them who would repair the wall and stand in the gap before me on behalf of the land, so that I would not destroy it, but I found no one. So I have poured my anger on them, and destroyed them with the fire of my fury. I hereby repay them for what they have done, declares the sovereign Lord.” Some children may find it easier to pray at bedtime. Use this selection of children’s bedtime prayers to connect with God during your child’s nighttime routine:Obviously, we don’t know all people; however, we can pray generally for the salvation of the lost. Paul later says God desires for all to be saved (v. 4) and prayer for the lost pleases him (v. 3). We can pray for the church to be strengthened, encouraged, and protected and for it to influence nations as it walks in holiness and preaches the gospel. To pray for all people, we can simply pray generally. 2. We can pray for all people specifically. Lord, we lift up our world to you in prayer as we see so much pain and suffering. Give us your wisdom and teach us how to pray for the world. May your kingdom come, and your will be done on E arth as it is in H eaven. Amen . Health and Health Workers In Paul’s writing, he commonly singles out males as the spiritual leaders both of the home and the church. In Ephesians 5:22-23, he calls for wives to submit to their husbands as unto the Lord, and for the husbands to wash their wives with the Word of God, like Christ does the church. Similarly, in 1 Timothy 2:11-15, Paul commands for ladies to not teach or have authority over males in the church. In addition, in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:6-9, he teaches that the overseers of the church should be males.