Quarterly Prayer Service - January 2023

Those are the words of Corrie Ten. Boom. Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire.

As I expressed to you at the very least. Last week, one thing that I think I feel the Lord has put on my heart for this year for us as a church. One of the things is for us to intentionally, take time to pray together. Deliberately intentionally and corporately set aside specific time and which we collectively go before the throne of grace together. Because the reality is before Jesus calls us to do anything in life. He first and foremost, Lee calls us to be with him. Mark chapter 3 verses 13 to 15. Tell us just went up on a Mountainside and called to him those who he wanted and they came to him. He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and I have authority to drive out demons.

You have to understand the precise order and wording is recorded there before, Jesus sends out the 12 apostles, the 12 disciples to do the important work of preaching of teaching of casting out demons of Healing, The Sick, and so on and so forth. Very important things to do right now, gospel Ministry before they do that. The text tells us, they must first be with Jesus. What is that mean? It means to listen to him, to talk to him, to converse, with him, to have fellowship with him. You see this also in play, in Luke chapter 10,

Luke chapter 10, verse 38, familiar passage but it's good to be refreshed in it. Nonetheless. As Jesus and his disciples were on their way. He came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said, but Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had been made. She came to him and asked Lord, don't you care? That my sister has left me to do the work by myself. Tell her to help me Martha Martha. The Lord answered. You are worried and upset about many things, but a few things are needed, or indeed. Only one Mary has chosen. What is better? And it will not be taken away from her.

Those of you who know who have hosted family members before in your home, or friends relatives strangers, even, you know, that there's a lot of work required to get your house, ready. I certainly, we can certainly testify to that with the babies cuz it's always our current house is always a train wreck right now and anytime some church people or fate or even just family come over here, like, around to get everything in order and whatnot. So we we get that there. There's necessary good work to do. You need to make the bed, I need to vacuum, you need to sweep. You need to wipe down the counters. You need to clean the bathroom, you need to cook food, cut vegetables. I want to important necessary things to cultivate a good productive home. but before any of that, do you notice what Jesus emphasizes? What he puts the focus on. She had a sister called Mary who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. What's more important for you? And I been too busy. Do stuff is to sit at the feet of Jesus, to listen to him but also to bring our requests to him as Philippines Chapter 4 tells us. another wonderful passage you may have heard the language about, but it's a great one to memorize as well flipping for Rejoice in the lord, always. I'll say it again. Rejoice, let your gentleness be evident to all the Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but they listen in every situation by prayer and petition with Thanksgiving present your requests to God, You see, I hope you understand what prayer is prayer. Is responding back to what God his first said in his word. Prayer is simply continuing the conversation. The God first started in his word. We're responding to God, we first. Listen to God. Of course, we should always pray with an Open Bible. We listen to God, but we respond to God. Dupre's to adoration but also it is good. And proper to bring your request, your worries, your troubles, your desires to submit It All To God In Prayer. As that wonderful song goes, take it to the Lord in prayer. Bring everything to God In Prayer. E, m lb. He said, I have a couple of his books. He wrote a lot about prayer. If you ever want to borrow them small little thing books, they can easily be, read and digested, but one of the quotes in one of his books said to be little with God is to be little for God. Just think about that, to me little with God is to be little for God. And what he's doing is summarizing these truths of the Bible. God's first and foremost, calling and desire for us is to be with And that's a code even in what Jesus said, regarding the temple at my house shall be called a House of Prayer, a place where people can fellowship and commune with God almighty. so therefore in light of all those things this morning, What I want us to do with a church is having extended time of prayer. And Lord willing, we'll do this at least quarterly probably towards the first Sunday of each quarter. What is the time for us as a church to intentionally and deliberately practice? The presence of God is what brother Lawrence called? It practicing the presence of God. Jesus, invites us to come to him. Throughout scripture to clear that he wants us to come to him. Come to me, come to me, bring your request, bring everything to me. It's as if God's word. It's as, if Jesus is saying to us, talk to me, just come talk to me. If you're worried about something, come talk to me about it. Are you happy? We're Joy sing about something. Come talk to me about it. Are you sad? Talk to me about it? Are you confused talk to me about it, bring everything to God In Prayer. With a massive daunting sometimes shaming topic, like prayer. Because I mean, how many of us are proud of our prayer lives? Just be honest. I doubt anybody in this room is so I know I am praying. Just enough in life. Thank you very much. I don't need to pray anymore. That's none of us, right? So how do we begin? How do we tackle, how do we engage in something? That can be. So, Conceptual generic and daunting because it's great work. It's important work. But how do we begin? Well, every Sunday it's going to look different. I have different things in my heart, and mind that I want to lead us through. We see prayer. Doesn't necessarily have to mean sitting in complete silence with just trying to you know. Because if you try that for long enough, if you've lived long enough you know you know you start praying about know what. Lord I pray for for my my child that you alone just bless them. Your help him to grow and and you will come to know you and father, I pray that you'll keep us safe as we travel in or is that place we went to last week, I don't remember what the name of that restaurant, what what did I order, right? You know what I mean? You just you just go on this Trail and eventually just start thinking about random things and you pray, so it's okay. It's good in this proper. You have guidance in prayer to have instruction to have some props, even structure to a prayer. You don't believe me if you think printer should be totally and only spontaneous. Well, what did the disciples do in Luke chapter 10? If you remember, it's also recorded in Matthew. More of us are familiar with that passage but Luke, by chance. Luke chapter 11, forgive me. But the Disciples of Jesus. 11:1. One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished one of his disciples said to him, Lord teach us to pray. Write the Twelve Apostles who walk with Jesus every single day for 3 ish years. Roughly If they struggled in there for life, is a struggle, knowing what to do, what to say, how to say it. When does say it, and they asked the master teacher Jesus. Can you give us some help on this topic? We're not, we're not quite sure how to pray for the best of the our abilities. What did Jesus do when you pray say? And many of us, not all of us are familiar with the Lord's Prayer. So this morning, what I want to do is I want us to begin by praying The Lord's Prayer together verbatim. Just to bring us all in unity, so that we can all be United in the truth than reflect upon Jesus's words. And then we'll continue from there. I hope you know that the Lord's Prayer Jesus didn't necessarily intended to be repeated verbatim. It's good to do that. It's fine to do that. But Jesus is saying, when you pray, this is what a prayer should consist of. This is what a prayer should contain for to be biblical thorough, all-encompassing, and God honoring in Christ exalting. This is what the Christ child in prayer. Sounds like. so, when you pray, say,

so as we go into a time of prayer, Know that the little alter benches up here or available if you would like to use them or you're welcome to kneel at your seats, welcome to just sit in your seats. There's different means and modes by which you can pray. A thing can be over there. And we're just going to pray, I'll guide us kind of minute-by-minute moment-by-moment. Keep our thoughts on focus upon Christ on the church. On different things, we can pray for according to his word. But let's begin if you will with reciting the Lord's Prayer together.

Will you pray with me? Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come thy will be done on Earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread and forgive us our debts. As we forgive our debtors lead us, not into temptation but Deliver Us from Evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Take a bit of time to reflect on that first stanza. Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name, Take some time to just praise God for who he is, how he is enthroned above the entire world. Praise him that he's adopted us into his family. Praise him that we can all call him. Our heavenly father.

The kingdom come thy will be done on Earth as it is in heaven.

Take some time to ask God. In, what areas of your life? Do you need to submit to him?

Fer God's kingdom to come into the world. Impart that entails us submitting to him as king. And our finances, our sexuality, or work ethic, our relationships are speech or thoughts. Ask God to open your eyes to see. What areas of your life you need to submit to him. As king.

Give us this day, our daily bread. What is it that you need today from God?

What does your soul need today?

If God is giving you The basics of Life food shelter clothing. If he's given you strength.

Just the basic components of life. We take for granted give him. Thanks. For daily providing for you.

Forgive us our debts.

The sand in your life that you may be struggling with.

Maybe just a popped into your head.

Confess it to the Lord. Ask him for strength. First cleansing power to be in your life.

Asking for forgiveness and look to Jesus as the one who's provided that forgiveness for us through the cross.

As we forgive our debtors.

are those people in your life who you may be holding on to some bitterness towards

Will you ask God to give you the power the grace in the love to forgive them?

Has got his first forgiven you.

Lead us not into temptation. But Deliver Us from Evil.

Ask God to keep, you far from Crossing that line. Send territory. Ask him to keep you close to him walking in the path of righteousness. The straight and narrow way.

Ask him for strength to resist, the devil and a flee from temptation.

For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Give praise and honor and glory to God for who he is. And he is exalted above all that he is good. He's compassionate. That he's revealed himself to us.

Let's turn our attention to the world now.

Pray for the church, Universal around the world. The God would have refine and renew the church. Are you in Bolton Christians to share their faith?

That he would keep us rooted. In the truth and not be led astray by false Doctrine. By the ways of the world.

For persecuted brothers and sisters around the world.

Pray that God would give him comfort. He would give them relief from the agony and ostracism in their suffering. And pray that they might have more boldness to share the gospel even in the midst of clothes countries.

Weather be in a r on North Korea, Somalia. another country that is are closed off to Christianity. Please pray for our family around the world that God might strengthen them and protect them.

Countries and regions that are in a political crisis. Would it be Afghanistan? Ukraine Me and Mar Venezuela.

Aztec God would out those oppressive regimes. Either through conversion. Or that he would remove them and then put into place God-fearing l. Respect. The decency and sanctity of human life.

Pray for the Christians in those regions.

it doesn't go through the fire now that many will come to know Christ in the midst of political turmoil.

Ask God to raise up more missionaries. Both from the states but also raised up more missionaries from around the world.

articulator, is that more people who spread the gospel in places where the Bible is not yet translated

want to quit the ministry. I want to leave the mission field.

Pray for our missionary Partners, Kelsey in North Africa. Assassin Camila in Spain.

The God would sustain them and their endeavours to spread the word around the world.

Turn our attention to the United States.

Scripture tells us that we must pray for our leaders to pick some time now, to pray for President Biden. Vice president Harris. Governor Younkin No, those legislators both in the state and in this country.

They don't know, Christ is Lord and Savior. The first and foremost lie, they might be born again.

Secondly, pray that all of these individuals might govern in such a way so that we as the church and all people might have peaceful quiet lives.

Pray for the church in this country.

The Wiz, his people might be United in Christ and in his word. It will put off little qualms and kouros about non-essentials.

That we his people will be a brighter light. The number increasing Dark Country. And if we his people will do, our what we can to point others to the truth. Pray for the church in America.

Let's narrow our focus more. Let's pray for Hillsborough Baptist Church.

Pray, that would be the church. That does not compromise the truth. But pray, the exact same time that we will be at church. The compassionately shares the truth. In a world filled with lies and deception.

Pray, that will be unified as a congregation.

It will find our unity in the truth of who God is, and what he's done. And then what he's declared in this word.

Maybe keep his truth. The centerpiece of who we are as a church

Ask God collectively that he might give us all a deeper passion to spread the gospel.

It'll give us. The words to say the opportunities to say them to our family. Your friends to our neighbors. Who need to hear about Jesus.

Take a moment to pray for the preschool. For Amy for Karen Sybil Trisha. Joe, Alyssa and Barbara. Pray that God will work through these ladies. To encourage the kids to strengthen them in the world, and the share the love of Christ with them. But they're always remember as they grow up.

Thank God for all that he's done for the preschool this year, and over the past. 10:15, 20 years.

Take some time to pray for. The Lord to send the right person to come and serve. Student Ministries. Pastor here.

Someone who's willing to put down some roots to serve the church, serve the community.

Ask the God will send the right person at the right time.

Let's narrow our Focus one more time. And pray personally.

Mark chapter 10 verse 36. Four chords that I think is one of the most astounding questions posed in the Bible by Jesus. That's when he asked James and John. What do you want me to do for you?

if Jesus were to ask you that directly today, what would you ask him for? What do you want Jesus to do in your life? It only he could do.

Think about somebody in your life. He's a close friend or even a work associate or an acquaintance, somebody, you know. Who is lost?

Just think about one person for now whoever that person is will you bring them for the throne of grace? Asking that God will do a work in their hearts. Open their eyes to see their sin, open their eyes to see their need for Jesus.

Ask the Holy Spirit to do a supernatural work. To save that lost person.

Do you have a child or grandchild? Espouse. Another close family member who's lost.

Pray for that one individual from the Lord, put on your heart.

The God would save them. You cleanse them and change them.

Whatever else may be on your heart this morning? Bring it before. The Lord in prayer.

however, big however, small if your concern, maybe bring it before him in prayer,

Like to close our time with a prayer from Ephesians chapter 3, verses 14 to 21 if you'd like to turn their to follow along. You're welcome to.

Ephesians, 3:14 tells us. This is our prayer. for this reason, I kneel before the father, from whom every family in heaven and on Earth derives, its name I pray that out of his glorious riches. He may strengthen you with power, through his spirit in your inner being, so that Christ May dwell in your hearts, through faith. And I pray that you being rooted and established in love may have power together with all the Lord's, holy people to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. And to know this love that surpasses knowledge that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now, to him, who is able to do measurably more than all we ask for Imagine according to his power. That is at work within us to him be glory in the church in Christ. Jesus, throughout all generations, forever and ever, amen.

Your church when we work, we work. When we pray. God works. I want this to be a year in which we see or able to see God's hand visibly at work in our lives. Personally, and in the lives of the entire congregation collectively, You want to see God work in your life? Do you believe that he still works today? Read the god did miracles in the New Testament. He's still alive and active. He still is with us and cares for us.

Jesus tells us the book of Hebrews, there's Grace, there's help, there's Mercy their strength all at his disposal. There's only one requirement will you come to him asking for it? Becoming ask he'll give in. But if you do not have because you have not first asked from God,

when we work, we work. When we pray, God works. We Stand now will sing the doxology and then we'll We dismissed.