Prayer Meeting

I. Getting Focused (5-10min)

A. Our prayer theme this evening is: HEALING

B. Friendly reminders:

1. Prayer is simply having a conversation with God

2. Silence is okay

3. People should pray as they feel comfortable

C. First, we are going to take a few minutes while this song plays to individually prepare our hearts and minds so we can focus on prayer. This time is to give us a chance to confess any known sins, ask God for forgiveness, and to ask Him to fill you with the Holy Spirit. Name any worries or thoughts that could distract you and tell God you want to hand them over to Him so you can focus on praying. After two minutes, I will pray out loud to open up the rest of our time.

D. Opening prayer:

1. Ask God to fill you all with His Spirit and guide the time according to His Will

2. Thank God in advance for always being ready to answer, even if it’s not the answer we expect or want

3. Thank God that He knows best, and ask for His will to be done

E. Ideas to help focus:

Theme: Healing Devotion: “A Faith Like That”

Mark 10:46–52 CSB

46 They came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a large crowd, Bartimaeus (the son of Timaeus), a blind beggar, was sitting by the road. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 Many warned him to keep quiet, but he was crying out all the more, “Have mercy on me, Son of David!” 49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called the blind man and said to him, “Have courage! Get up; he’s calling for you.” 50 He threw off his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus. 51 Then Jesus answered him, “What do you want me to do for you?” “Rabboni,” the blind man said to him, “I want to see.” 52 Jesus said to him, “Go, your faith has saved you.” Immediately he could see and began to follow Jesus on the road.

Mark 10:46 CSB

46 They came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a large crowd, Bartimaeus (the son of Timaeus), a blind beggar, was sitting by the road.

Bartimaeus met Jesus. In the book of Mark, there are many stories about Jesus healing people, and Bartimaeus’s story is remarkable in several ways.

Mark takes the trouble to tell us his name, Bartimaeus, while many other people who met Jesus are just called “a man in the crowd” or “a woman subject to bleeding.”

We are also told that Bartimaeus followed Jesus after being healed, and this event happens only a short time before Jesus goes to Jerusalem to die on the cross.

Jesus told Bartimaeus that his faith had healed him. Bartimaeus believed not in himself but in Jesus’ power to heal. When he saw Jesus, he called him “Jesus, Son of David,” a royal title. And when Bartimaeus went to Jesus, he threw his cloak aside. Bartimaeus was willing to toss aside perhaps the only thing he owned in order to seek Jesus. And when Jesus asked what he wanted, he simply said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”

No matter who we are, we can approach Jesus with the same kind of simple faith. We can trust that Jesus will heal us and save us by his power alone, and we can follow him.

Prayer:

Jesus, help us trust in your power to heal. Give us faith like Bartimaeus. Help us to believe, and guide us to give up everything every day to follow you. Amen.

II. God-centered Worship (10min) Scripture then responding

Psalm 103 CSB

Of David. 1 My soul, bless the Lord, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 2 My soul, bless the Lord, and do not forget all his benefits. 3 He forgives all your iniquity; he heals all your diseases. 4 He redeems your life from the Pit; he crowns you with faithful love and compassion. 5 He satisfies you with good things; your youth is renewed like the eagle. 6 The Lord executes acts of righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. 7 He revealed his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel. 8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love. 9 He will not always accuse us or be angry forever. 10 He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve or repaid us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his faithful love toward those who fear him. 12 As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. 13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him. 14 For he knows what we are made of, remembering that we are dust. 15 As for man, his days are like grass— he blooms like a flower of the field; 16 when the wind passes over it, it vanishes, and its place is no longer known. 17 But from eternity to eternity the Lord’s faithful love is toward those who fear him, and his righteousness toward the grandchildren 18 of those who keep his covenant, who remember to observe his precepts. 19 The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all. 20 Bless the Lord, all his angels of great strength, who do his word, obedient to his command. 21 Bless the Lord, all his armies, his servants who do his will. 22 Bless the Lord, all his works in all the places where he rules. My soul, bless the Lord!

III. Responding to the Word (10-15min)

A. This is not the time to pray by making requests

B. Responses can be expressions of surrender, brokenness, confession, wailing, and singing depending on the scripture passage.

C. Ideas:

1. “I love You Jesus, because _________.”

2. “God, You’ve rescued me from _____________.”

IV. Spirit-led Intercession (15-30min)

A. Transition from worship to intercession

1 John 5:14–15 CSB

14 This is the confidence we have before him: If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears whatever we ask, we know that we have what we have asked of him.

B. We are asking for help for our prayers to be more kingdom-minded

C. Praying for:

1. God’s people

2. Communities

3. Churches

4. Revival

5. Spiritual awakening throughout our nation

6. Spiritual awakening throughout the world

V. Closing in Faith and Agreement (5min)

Psalm 105:1–5 CSB

1 Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; proclaim his deeds among the peoples. 2 Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell about all his wondrous works! 3 Boast in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. 4 Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. 5 Remember the wondrous works he has done, his wonders, and the judgments he has pronounced,

Thank God for:

1. Always hearing and always caring

2. This time to focus on talking with Him

3. Knowing everything in our hearts better than we do, even if we struggle to express everything we think or feel

4. Ask God to care for each person who came

5. Pray for any requests that were missed during the prayer time

6. Ask God to be with anyone who was unable to make it

7. Thank God He always knows what’s best for us, and ask that His will be done