WEEK OF PRAYER
January can set the tone for a new year, so as a church we want to begin 2021 in a rhythm of prayer. Over the next week, join us as we focus our hearts in prayer around the seven topics below.
In addition, would you fast on one of the days? For you this fast could be intentionally skipping one meal, or it could be having only liquids for a day. Ask the Lord to guide you. Christians through the centuries have discovered that making some small, yet meaningful sacrifice for a time can remove distractions and stir our hearts to a greater focus on prayer and dependence on the Lord.
We’re excited to see what God will do as we pray in faith and unity!
DAY 1
Call out to the Lord to give us His heart to bring about racial reconciliation. Ask Him to empower His Church to cultivate empathy and justice as we stand with those who have been marginalized and oppressed. Invite Him to show us the ways we have fallen short of His design for harmony among all people.
DAY 2
Our God the author of peace, wholeness and wellbeing. Ask Him to heal today. On behalf of those who are suffering from COVID or other physical difficulties, for those facing emotional distress and mental illness, call out to our merciful God.
DAY 3
Pray for our government. Ask God to give wisdom and courage to those who are tasked with leading our city, our county, our state and our nation. In a time of much division and animosity, move us toward greater understanding, deeper truth and a shared vision of common good.
DAY 4
Ask the Lord to draw more and more souls to a saving relationship with Christ. Give the Church, as God’s people, a passion to see friends, family members and neighbors come to know and trust Christ. Open our hearts to those who are far from God, that we would see their need. Ask the Holy Spirit to empower us to live and love in ways that invite others to consider the hope offered only in Christ.
DAY 5
Children and students growing up today face obstacles that previous generations never had to overcome. Seek the Lord on behalf of those who are experiencing isolation, anxiety and addiction, for those who feel hopeless. Ask the Holy Spirit to make Woodmen a place and a people of refuge and light for young people as they grow into leaders and disciples of Jesus. Ask our rescuing God to remind them that their story does not end with whatever trouble they face today.
DAY 6
Thank the Lord for creating all of humanity to bear His image. Within our church, our city and our nation, seek forgiveness for the ways we have failed to honor the beauty and dignity of life and give us a greater passion to treasure life. Ask our Father to stir a deeper awareness and value for the sanctity of life in every phase and stage, from the unborn through the elderly and infirm.
DAY 7
Pray for the global Church. For brothers and sisters who face persecution, for church leaders who are overwhelmed and under-resourced, for congregations meeting quietly in homes, for churches being planted in the midst of a pandemic, for every gathering that lifts up the name of Christ in every language, ask the Lord to pour out His Spirit, to unite hearts, to inhabit the praise of His people.