Archive for July, 2013

5 Summer-Time Prayer Action Steps by Phil Miglioratti

family prayer

It’s a good thing for families to pray together. That includes the children. Below are suggestions for corporate prayer activites for your individual family and the church family.

untitled5 Summer-Time Prayer Action Steps

1. Family Table ~ Ask every family to take at least one family meal each week to pray for their neighbors (who live nearby, people they work with, fellow students …) AND to keep a log of the names and the needs the Lord leads them to pray for. During a Sunday morning service in August, ask families to come prepared to share their prayers and God’s responses.

2. Church Picnic ~ before the festivities begin, ask every family to form a circle and to pray (facing inward) for the Church and then to pray (now facing outward (for the community)

3. Weeknight Prayer Meeting ~ take the prayer time outside (if some cannot handle the walk or the heat, they may stay inside and pray) and use this as a template: Ask everyone to pray with their eyes open, looking at (and praying for):
1. God’s creation, then
2. the church facilities, then
3. north (is there a school north of the building?)
4. south (business district?)
5. east (hospital?
6. west (homes?)

4. Secret Saint ~ You’ve heard of Secret Santa? (you receive a gift but do not know who it is from) How about asking everyone in the congregation to become an in-secret intercessor? Assign everyone (include youth and older children) someone to pray for on a Sunday morning (a reverse offering; everyone picks a name as a basket is passed) then the following Sunday simply ask for testimonies of what is was like to pray once-a-day- for their person or anyone sensed a special blessing from the Lord because someone was praying for them.

5. Pastoral Prayer ~ recruit someone to “pinch hit” for the pastor over the summer; encourage them to pray from their deepest passion

Phil Miglioratti
Phil is a prayer warrior and prayer leader. A former Pastor ,he states:
As the Lord led me to step down from pastoring a congregation, he gave me a new mission statement: Connecting people to God through corporate prayer … prayer that leads to community transformation. He continues to use the people of God to both supply the resources for me to continue on this path and provide opportunities for ministry.

Phil has written many articles on prayer and facilitating group prayer. Having served as a teacher, leader and facilitator on prayer in various arenas, currently he is a Church Prayer Leaders Network, Facilitator and Pray! Network Coordinator/Administrator. He serves on the National Prayer Committee and is the Illinois Baptist State Association, Prayer and Vision Consultant. Phil is a Prayer Ministries Coordinator for 100 congregations.
(www.PrayerLeader.com (http://www.PrayerLeader.com) &
www.PrayingPastor.com (http://www.PrayingPastor.com))

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Narrowing the Gaps – Connection! ( Pray Continually)(Devotions for Every Day Life)

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Narrowing the Gaps

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18).

I am on a journey to narrow the gaps of unawareness of Christ’s Presence within me so that this verse can take root in my spirit and grow to fullness. If it is God’s will for me to rejoice always, pray without ceasing and give thanks in the midst of all of my circumstances, then I need a complete transformation of my heart, mind and will! I have sensed God urging me to make my life a prayer…to live in such a way that a spirit of prayerfulness rooted in worship and gratefulness invades every moment.

–Adapted from the blog, Prayer as Every Day Life by Kim Butts

http://www.prayerconnect.net/Blogs/Prayer-as-Everyday-Life

Father, I long to be aware of Your perfect Presence each and every minute in my day…from the most exciting times to the most mundane moments. May every place I walk, every relationship I engage in and every thought in my head be holy for Your sake because You have ordained my steps, given me grace to love others, and taken my every thought captive. As I seek You in the midst of every day life, may I rejoice always and give thanks in every circumstance so that You are continually glorified.

Prayer Points
Praise God as the one worthy of the worship of our entire lives (Rom. 12:1-2). Give thanks for God’s mercy shown to you personally. Confess times of conforming to the pattern of this world. Commit yourself to the continual renewing of your mind. Ask God to be true to his promise that you will be able to test and approve what is his will.

Pray that each of God’s people will be reminded of the different gifts he or she possesses, according to the grace of God (12:6). Ask that they be further equipped through worship to use those gifts for God’s kingdom (12:7ff.).

–Prayer Points taken from Patterns for Prayer by Alvin VanderGriend

Connection (Devotions for Everyday Life) © 2013 is published by Harvest Prayer Ministries. Subscribe free at connection.harvestprayer.com

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