Lennox Ebenezer had the first of our regularly scheduled “First Sunday” prayer meetings last week, and I thought I’d share what this prayer meeting looked like.
This time of prayer is something that the Elders and I have been praying for and discussing for a while now, so it was such an encouragement to see it finally come together. We didn’t have a particular agenda, or one key item to pray over. Instead, we wanted to call the church together to come before God in a dedicated time of prayer, giving God all glory and seeking His grace and favor for the Church, our Community, and the World around us.
Here is a brief overview of what our service looked like:
We opened the prayer meeting singing “Holy God We Praise Thy Name.” I selected this hymn not just because it is familiar and easy to sing, but mostly because it is full of Biblical imagery, Trinitarian, and worshipful. The final phrase of the hymn even leads us into a time of prayer, saying, “And, adoring, bend the knee while we own the mystery” (of God being Three in One).
Following our opening Hymn I read Psalm 85:6–7: “Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? Show us your steadfast love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation.” I offered a brief devotion on this passage, identifying some of the areas where we might seek God’s reviving work (personal godliness, sound doctrine, domestic religion, etc.), and emphasizing that God’s revival comes as He reveals His steadfast love in Christ, granting His salvation.
After sining “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” we entered into a time of sharing and prayer. I arranged our prayers into 3 Categories: Giving Praise to God for Who God Is, Seeking God’s Provision for the Church; and Intercessions for the Community and World around us.
What was wonderful about our gathering is that we spent time as a church sharing things for which we can give thanks to God, and sharing those concerns that weigh heavy upon us. While not everyone prayed outwardly, everyone shared their praises and concerns, and everyone joined to humbly seek the Lord.
Giving Praise To God
Our first portion of prayer was simply to give praise to God for all that He is. I asked those gathered to name the attributes or works of God for which they could give their thanks, and pictured you see their response. We are thankful that our God is:
Infinite, Good, Righteous, Unchanging, Divine, Just, Patient, Sovereign, Holy, Merciful, Loving, Accessible, Providential, Forgiving, Omnipotent, Omniscient, our Creator and Sustainer.
Praying for the Church
Next, we spent a good amount of time praying for the life of our congregation as well as the Church throughout the world.
Some of the concerns that we prayed for were:
- A faithfulness and renewed piety in the Church.
- A priority of faith in personal lives and family.
- For growth, seeing more people come to the Church, as well as renewed spiritual hunger for God’s Word.
- For renewed love and care for one another.
- For a greater interest in mission and a witness to the community.
- For the Pastor, Elders, Deacons, and ministries of Lennox Ebenezer.
Prayer for the Community and World
Finally, we concluded our evening of prayer offering up supplications and intercessions for our Community and World.
In this time we prayed for:
- Those in government, that they may lead with justice.
- Those in the media, that they may report the truth.
- For the Immorality of our Current Culture, for the Lost, especially as the Sturgis Rally was taking place.
- For our Schools, the Administrators, Educators, Staff, and Students of our local schools.
- For our environment and climate, that we would be good stewards of God’s creation.
This was, as the hymn sings, “A sweet hour of prayer.” My prayer is that this is the first of many, and that one day we will look back and see how God began a mighty work at Ebenezer when His people sought His favor in prayer. I invite you to continue to pray for all that we listed at our meeting, and to join us on the first Sunday of September as we gather once again to pray.
SDG
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