Horizontal Prayer --Intercession and Supplication for the Church

English Standard Version Chapter 11

27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

HORIZONTAL PRAYER—Church (Prayer of Intercession and Request) – 5 min.

Buck Braswell - 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 -

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.

[13] For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

[14] For the body does not consist of one member but of many.

[15] If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.

[16] And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.

[17] If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell?

[18] But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.

[19] If all were a single member, where would the body be? [20] As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

[21] The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”

[22] On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, [23] and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, [24] which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, [25] that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.

[26] If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. [27] Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

· Preserve and protect our love for the Word

· Grow us in the knowledge of the Scriptures

· Bless us with great numerical growth

· Grow us in age range diversity

· Protect the pastors of our church and their families

· Mobilize our deacons to serve faithfully

· Protect our church from division and disinterest in one another

· Guard the purity of our church

· Grant us a unified and clear vision

· Forgive us for sin and allow us to forgive others for sinning against us

· Break our hearts for the things that break your heart

· Break our hearts for unbelievers in the community

· Cause us to be faithful in our financial gifts and stewardship

· Make us a praying church

· Cause us to take Sunday school and worship services seriously

· Bless our church with answers to prayers for healing and other physical needs

Buck Braswell - Prayer