We are dedicating Friday’s for prayer and fasting. Why?

 Historically, the church has fasted on Friday.
Friday was the day Jesus was crucified. It was a day of humiliation. A day of bearing the sins of others. And historically it has been a day of collective fasting and prayer.

Therefore, we dedicate Fridays to fasting and prayer, given our country’s current suffering.

We will stop to pray at 9:00am, 12:00pm, 3:00pm and 6:00pm. Each of those times we will focus on different things beginning with our own hearts and then moving in concentric circles out into the world. 

Below are the prayer blocks in written and audio form. We invite you to join us, even if you can’t actually join us. 

Prayer Time 

1. Personal 

Gentleness

Pray for Gentleness 

Anchor Text: John 13:12-17

Pray: Lord help us to be…1. Gentle like Jesus (13:12) 

• O Lord Jesus, you were patient and gentle with your words, even when we are slow to understand. Thank you that you patiently explained all you did. Help us to be gentle with our words. Help us to resist the temptation to be proud, mean, or destructive with our words. 

2. Grateful for Jesus  (13:14) 

• O Lord, we praise you for your deep, deep humility. You not only humbled yourself to wash the disciples’ feet, but you humbled yourself all the way to the cross to wash away our sin. Help us to praise and love you for your humility. You, the wisest Teacher and most powerful Lord, took the form of a servant and made yourself nothing in order to make us clean.

3. A servant like Jesus (13:15) 

• God, help us! Help us to serve others like you served us. Help us to love one another, even if it is messy or costly. Help us to be gentle, practical, and personal in our love and care. 

4. A servant of Jesus (13:16)

• O Lord, help us to remember that we are the servants and you are the master. You are a good and wise master. Lord, forgive us for thinking more highly of ourselves than we should. Lord, help us to be willing to do anything our master asks of us.

5. Blessed by Jesus  (13:17)

• O Lord, help us to reject the lie of our world that says the good life is achieved through getting things, winning games, or having our way. Jesus says true blessings come from giving not getting. Lord, we thank you for this truth. Help us to know it and live it. Make our gentleness a blessing to others and to us.

2. A Neighbor 

Anchoring Texts: Acts 17:16-34 

Ask God to cause this person to be…1. Curious (v.20) 

• Christianity is probably a “strange idea;”  perhaps they are confused about what it is all about, or they have heard unhelpful things in the media or even through other Christians. 
• Pray that despite these misconceptions, your neighbor would be curious about our faith and want to know more. 

2. Make them dissatisfied with worldly things (v.23) 

• What is your neighbor worshiping? Children? Career? Sports team/involvement? 
• Pray that they would become dissatisfied with whatever it is they are chasing and they would start searching for real meaning. 

3. Praise him for his plan (v.26) 

• God has planned for you and your neighbor to live near each other; Thank him for that. 
• Ask him to use you in the location he has placed you. 

4. That they would Seek You (v.27) 

• What would seeking the Lord look like for your neighbor? Coming to church? Having a personal conversation? Reading the Bible? Joining you for dinner? 
• Pray for opportunities for you neighbor to hear the gospel and take steps toward Christ. 

5. Respond with Belief (that they would hear again and again)  (v.32-34) 

• Pray that in time they would come to believe the good news. 
• Pray for patience and perseverance to keep sharing the gospel, however long it takes. 

3. Church 

Anchoring Text: Acts 2:42-47 That we would be devoted to one another

1.  We would be devoted to learning together (v.42) 

• Pray that our church would be devoted to learning: learning from the word, from one another; from history; 
• Pray that we would avail ourselves of opportunities to learn. 
• Pray that our hearts and mind would be stirred as we devote ourselves to the Word. 

2. We would be devoted to building relationships (42,44) 

• Pray that our church would be devoted to spending the time together that is required to build meaningful relationships. 
• Thank God for the friendships you already have, and then prayerfully ask the Lord to show you ways you can foster and deepen your relationships during this time. 

3. We would pray together (42) 

• Ask the Lord to create a hunger for prayer, and that hunger would permeate everything we do. 
• Ask him to make us the kind of people who delight to come into his presence. 

4. We would meet one another’s needs (v.45) 

• Pray that our church would be sacrificial in its generosity, always ready to meet each other’s needs (spiritual, emotional, material) 
• Pray that we would be willing to give up our time, money, or convenience to ensure others have what they need. 

5. And He would add to our number (v.47) 

• Pray that our church would be a community that is friendly and welcoming to newcomers. Pray that our church would grow; when able, people will come, hear the gospel, and be transformed. 

4. Justice in our Community  

Text: Zechariah 7:8-12 
1. The Exploited/Trafficked people (v9) 

• Behind closed doors there are those in literal bondage; shackled in unspeakable horrors; 
• Pray for justice; lasting freedom; 
• Pray for those charities and public services that are seeking to bring them liberation and hope 

2. Homeless (v.9) 

• Living and working on the streets can be terrifying; violence, addiction, ill-health—these are all issues they face; Often they experience deep dehumanizing experiences; 
• Pray they would experience God’s true mercy and compassion, and receive the help they need to move toward short term help and long term wholeness. 

3. Broken Families (v.10) 

• At the core of our societal breakdown is the breakdown of the family. Too many young men have no role models, too many children have never experienced real love. 
• Pray that we would recapture the centrality of the stable family. 
• Thank God he has called you into his family and pray they you would welcome the hurting and the lonely. 

4. Refugees (v.10) 

• People from all over the world flock to cities, many live below the poverty line and experience great prejudice, and have been deeply scarred by what they escaped. 
• Pray that all those who have come to our city from another place would be treated with respect and loved by the church. 

5. The Church (v.11) 

• Suffering can be so prevalent on our screens that we become numb and lose compassion. 
• Confess those moments when you have failed to care and ask God to grow in you are a heart for those who are marginalized. 

5. A Litany of Thanksgiving 

Let us give thanks to God our Father for all his gifts so freely bestowed upon us:

For the beauty and wonder of your creation, in earth and sky and sea,

We thank you, Lord.

For our daily food and drink, our homes and families, and our friends,

We thank you, Lord.

For minds to think, and hearts to love, and hands to serve,

We thank you, Lord.

For health and strength to work, and time to rest and worship,

We thank you, Lord.

For all who are patient in suffering and faithful in adversity,

We thank you, Lord.

For all who earnestly seek after truth, and all who labor for justice,

We thank you, Lord.

For all that is good and gracious in the lives of men and women, revealing the image of Christ,

We thank you, Lord.

For the communion of saints, in all times and places,

We thank you, Lord.

Above all, we give you thanks for the great mercies and promises given to us in Christ Jesus our Lord;

To him be praise and glory, with you, O Father,

and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen