Night of Prayer

New Phase of this church

I would like to spend this evening in prayer

As we enter into a new phase

I am so grateful for the opportunity to

serve here as your pastor

I also believe in the power of prayer

so tonight

we we will have a corporate night of prayer

in which we will prayer through 4 different types of prayer

each with Scripture starting it off

to start things off and to get our minds right

I would like to answer briefly

a couple of questions about prayer

Philippians 4:6–7 “Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

Why do we pray?

Do you think we pray so that God can know what we need?

Not really

Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:8 “Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask him.”

God already knows what we need right?

so then again

why pray?

well, for one

God wants us to pray because prayer

expresses our trust in Him

and it is a means in which our

trust in Him can grow

In fact the bible emphasizes that we are to pray with faith

which means we are to trust or depend on God

for the outcome

And God, delights in being trusted by us

as part of our relationship with Him

praying also indicates that we humbly

and genuinely are convinced of

His wisdom, love, goodness and power

If we look at the first words of Lords Prayer in Matthew 6:9

which we will do in a few minutes

it says our father in heaven,

this right here

recognizes our dependance on Him

and recognizes that he rules from above

The second reason we pray or why God

wants us to pray is

fellowship

it is through prayer that we come into a deeper fellowship with Him

and He loves and delights in our fellowship

A third reason we pray is that in prayer

God allows us

as His creatures to involved in eternal matters

Not that our prayers change God’s mind

but that it incorporates us with Him and His will

so that our wills will align with His

simply put its a form of serving God

as well as obeying him

And well Jesus said to do it right

lol

Now, not only do we to pray to God in private

But we are also to pray to God corporately

which is what we are about to do

Praying with Others

because we can find strength when we prayer together

So, before I end up going into a long sermon on prayer

I think I should stop there

5 basic types of prayer

This evening

They are

Prayer of Blessing and Adoration

Adoration is praising God for who He is. God is the Lord of all and deserves our praise because of that alone.

what are some things we can praise God for?

Prayer of Petition

is what many people imagine when they think about prayer. It means asking God for something, but lets specifically ask for our church in this one

What are some things we need as a church

numbers?

kids?

don’t be bash-full

Prayer of Lament

God wants us to bring our fears, doubts, and despair to Him

so here we will pray for any personal issues

family etc

Prayer of Guidance

these prayers with God allow us to acknowledge God’s sovereignty. We can express that He knows best and that we trust him to direct our lives when we ask Him for guidance

What are some things we need guidance on

or with

and finally - a prayer of Thanksgiving

where we thank God for what he has done for us

Any thing specifically

And then we will close out

Now after each one starts we will spend 2 minutes in silent reflection

then, who ever is to prayer will pray for those specific things

if more than one person would like to pray

we can definitely keep going

Prayer of Blessing and adoration

Psalm 104:1–4 “My soul, bless the Lord! Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed with majesty and splendor. He wraps himself in light as if it were a robe, spreading out the sky like a canopy, laying the beams of his palace on the waters above, making the clouds his chariot, walking on the wings of the wind, and making the winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants.”

Pray for the things we can praise God for

Prayer of Petition

Ephesians 3:14–21 “For this reason I kneel before the Father from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. I pray that he may grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power in your inner being through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, and to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us—to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

Pray for our church!

Prayer of Lament

Psalm 88:1–7 “Lord, God of my salvation, I cry out before you day and night. May my prayer reach your presence; listen to my cry. For I have had enough troubles, and my life is near Sheol. I am counted among those going down to the Pit. I am like a man without strength, abandoned among the dead. I am like the slain lying in the grave, whom you no longer remember, and who are cut off from your care. You have put me in the lowest part of the Pit, in the darkest places, in the depths. Your wrath weighs heavily on me; you have overwhelmed me with all your waves. Selah”

Individual prayers

Prayer of Guidance

Psalm 25:4–5 “Make your ways known to me, Lord; teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; I wait for you all day long.”

Our church as we move forward

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Daniel 2:20–23 “and declared: May the name of God be praised forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to him. He changes the times and seasons; he removes kings and establishes kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals the deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with him. I offer thanks and praise to you, God of my ancestors, because you have given me wisdom and power. And now you have let me know what we asked of you, for you have let us know the king’s mystery.”

What do we have to be thankful for

Close with the Lords Prayer

Matthew 6:9–13 ““Therefore, you should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, your name be honored as holy. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”

Thank you!