WEEK 316-22 SEPTEMBER
Day 1 – Spiritual Health and Life
Pray for the spiritual health and life of God’s church.
- In the busyness of our lives God would help each of us to make it a priority each day to set aside time to spend with Him.
- For each member of our church family at whatever stage of life, that as God does new things in our church we would each be open the new things God wants to do in each us through his Holy Spirit.
Day 2 – Ministry and Leadership
- For Ps David and Michelle for protection and refreshment during their leave.
- That God would raise up people to serve across ministry areas where there is a need for more people resources such as: Connecting and Caring, Worship, Children’s and Families, Support Services, Outreach including new initiatives at Mordialloc, Spiritual Growth including Prayer Team and Small Groups, Youth and Young Adults
Day 3 – Church Family Life
- For families and individuals who are new, that they would feel welcomed and supported.
- For refreshment for those who will have school holidays next week and for protection for those traveling.
Day 4 – Community & Outreach
Pray for those we partner with as a church in outreach – Sports Chaplaincy, The Widows Project, the ministry amongst indigenous Australians, and the people of Noble Park Karen Baptist Church.
- The Noble Park Karen Baptist Church as they celebrate their 10th anniversary and that our links with them would be mutually enriching.
- The Widows Project in Bangladesh, that widows in need would be supported through this project.
- The ministry amongst indigenous Australians, as we seek to partner with them in God’s work.
Day 5 – Small Group Life
Pray for:
- The small groups across church life to be safe and supportive places for people through their journey of life and faith.
- New small groups forming and the linking of people into groups that are a good fit for them.
Day 6 – Future Vision and Kingdom Growth
Pray for:
- Those who we have connections with as a church through our various ministries, that they would take ‘next steps’ in God’s purposes for them.
- The ‘coming together’ of the key elements of God’s future purposes for us as the ‘Towards 2025’ Revisioning Group continues to be attentive to this.
Day 7 – An invitation to participate in prayer in a different way
Praying Scripture
This week you are invited to reflect on scripture and use God’s word to inspire and embolden your
prayers.
Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you as you read and reflect on a verse(s) of scripture and then use the words you have read in your prayers. Use the words to declare your praise and thanks to God, to claim his promises and to intercede for yourself and for others whom you care to name. In your own words, express your thoughts and feelings to God, taking ONE verse at a time.
Here is an example of how you might use Psalm 23 in this way:
Verse 1. ‘The Lord is my Shepherd, I have all that I need.’ NLT
1) The Lord: Lord, you are my Lord. I praise you! You are above all powers and authorities. I worship You. You are worthy of all praise. You are Lord of Lords and King of Kings. I bow before you and I magnify your Name for You alone are worthy. There is no god like You. . . (and anything else you may like to express to God.)
2) my shepherd: Dear Jesus, you are my Shepherd. You are the Lamb of God who took away my sins. You found me when I was lost. Your love is amazing! You paid a great price for me by your own blood on the cross many years ago. Thank you, Jesus. You are the good Shepherd. I thank you for carrying me on your shoulders when I am wounded, weak and weary. You are my strength when I am weak.
Jesus my Shepherd, you love me dearly. And not only me, but you love (…name those whom you wish to pray for in their needs and those who do not know the Lord). Jesus, tender Shepherd, show your loving kindness to ( names ) who do not know you. Help them to hear Your voice calling them so that they too can respond to your call and follow You.
3) I have all that I need: Thank you, Jesus, for knowing and supplying all my needs day by day. This is your promise and I believe your word. I stand on your promises. You have never let me down. Out of your riches in glory you bless me beyond measure. You know my needs better than I know myself. And I do have all that I need, and more! (You could mention the needs of others, or your own specific ones).
Verse 2. ‘He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside the still waters’. NIV
What comes to your mind when you reflect on these words? Continue in prayer – reading and reflecting on the verses as the Holy Spirit leads you and as time allows.
WEEK 29-15 SEPTEMBER
Day 1 – Spiritual Health and Life
Pray for the spiritual health and life of God’s church.
- For each one of us, that in the busyness and challenges of life, we would know God’s peace and grace and keep ‘in step’ with the Spirit.
- That in the midst of the spiritual battle and the devil’s schemes we, God’s people, would put on the full ‘armour of God’ (Ephesians 6).
Day 2 – Ministry and Leadership
Give thanks to God and pray for our pastors and leadership team, for God’s continuing grace, wisdom, strength, provision and protection as they lead and serve us:
- Worship (Pastor David along with Amy Cordle, Matt Hannan, Christie Whatley, Will Farrer), Spiritual Growth (Ps David, Christine Maier, Gary Stone, David Barber), Outreach (Ps Andy, Paul Dennis, Jill Hannan and Lizzy Hess), Children’s and Families (Michelle Sterrey and team), Youth and Young Adults (Ps Andy and team), Connecting and Caring (ministry leader role currently vacant), and Support Services (Jane Braham along with Brian Capon, Frank Braham and team).
Day 3 – Church Family Life
Pray for those in the church family, including some leaders in key areas, who face significant health challenges:
- The ongoing ‘coming together’ and relationship building as God’s people across the Mordialloc and Beaumaris sites i.e. common vision, heart, unity, etc.
- That the inter-generational focuses across church family life, including Generational Links, would bring people across the ages together under God.
Day 4 – Community & Outreach
Pray for those we partner with as a church in outreach – Sports Chaplaincy, The Widows Project, the ministry amongst indigenous Australians, and the people of Noble Park Karen Baptist Church.
- For ‘Safe Steps’ who run our local women’s and children’s shelter and generous giving to the collection and that it would be a blessing to those who receive it.
- God’s grace, protection and healing for victims and perpetrators of domestic violence.
Day 5 – Small Group Life
Pray for:
- Each person who leads, facilitates, or hosts a small group.
- Each small group to be a place where people find community.
Day 6 – Future Vision and Kingdom Growth
Pray for:
- The ‘Towards 2025’ Revisioning Group as it continues to meet and discern key elements of God’s purposes and pathways for us as a church
- Planning for the ‘new missional focuses’ at the Mordialloc site for 2020 and for God to be preparing families to participate.
Day 7 – An invitation to participate in prayer in a different way
This week you are invited to try Meditating on God’s Word as a way of praying.
The Bible tells us in Joshua 1:8 ‘Do not let this book of the law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so you may be careful to do everything written in it.”
The first psalm in the Bible, Psalm 1, also indicates that as we meditate on God’s Word through prayerful reflection, our lives will be blessed – “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.”
Mediating on God’s Word is a spiritual discipline that involves thinking about a word or phrase or verse(s) from the bible in order to discover how its truth can be applied to our own lives. As such it requires a readiness to try it and if it feels right to persist. Start with one to two minutes and as you become more comfortable you can extend the time up to 20 minutes.
Whatever phrase or verse is on your heart, breathe it in as you focus on the words. Continue breathing in the words. You might like to sit upright in a chair, with your eyes open or closed, and read the words silently or out loud a few times.
Here are some suggestions for ways you might do this. Perhaps you might like to use Psalm 46, and in particular verses 1-3, as your focus.
- Picture it! Visualise the scene in your mind.
- Pronounce it! Say the verse aloud, each time emphasising a different word.
- Paraphrase it! Convey the meaning of the verse in your own words.
- Personalise it! Replace the pronouns or people in the verse with your own name.
- Pray it! Turn the verse into a prayer and say it back to God.
- Probe it! Ask some questions such as – is there a sin to confess, a promise to claim, an attitude to change, a command to obey, an example to follow, a prayer to pray, an error to avoid, a truth to believe, something to thank God for.When you are ready say ‘Thank you, God’ and ask him to show you how the truths can be applied to your life.
You might like to share with others any thoughts God has prompted you with. Feel free to discuss this further with the pastors or any of the prayer ministry team.
WEEK 12-8 SEPTEMBER
Day 1 – Spiritual Health and Life
Pray for the spiritual health and life of God’s church.
- Give thanks for the love of God our heavenly Father and pray for a deepening of our relationship with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
- Pray for our earthly fathers, especially any who are estranged from loved ones this Father’s Day.
Day 2 – Ministry and Leadership
Give thanks to God and pray for our pastors and leadership team, for God’s continuing grace, wisdom, strength, provision and protection as they lead and serve us:
- Pastors David, Michelle and Andy.
- Leadership team: Craig Redford, Greg Foliente, Gwen Austin and Paul Dennis.
Day 3 – Church Family Life
Pray for those in the church family, including some leaders in key areas, who face significant health challenges:
- Especially Michelle Sterrey, Rob Alabaster, Greg Foliente, Daryl Fairweather.
Day 4 – Community & Outreach
Pray for those we partner with as a church in outreach – Sports Chaplaincy, The Widows Project, the ministry amongst indigenous Australians, and the people of Noble Park Karen Baptist Church.
- Especially Perry and Karen Shaw as they settle into life in Australia after 29 years serving in Beirut and the Middle East.
- Sports Chaplains Andy Mitchell, Deb Redford, David Sterrey and John Latten and also Craig Redford and Margaret Sheldon as they wait for God’s opportunity.
Day 5 – Small Group Life
Pray for:
- Relationship building as people meet in small groups and the integration of new members.
- God’s leading to ‘next steps’ in spiritual formation and ministry and service.
Day 6 – Future Vision and Kingdom Growth
Pray for:
- the ‘new season’ of ministry and mission of the church moving towards 2025.
- the ‘Towards 2025’ re-visioning Task Group facilitated by Calvin Cordle, especially for wisdom as they work through the survey data after their retreat day yesterday.
Day 7 – An invitation to participate in prayer in a different way
LECTIO DIVINA
Lectio Divina is Latin for ‘Divine Reading’ or ‘Praying the Scriptures’. It is a quiet and contemplative way of coming to Scripture in which you allow the rhythm of Scripture to wash over you as you meditate on the passage.
THE PROCESS
1. Stop, relax, connect with God, and slowing down both your body and mind, through concentrating on your breathing.
2. Scripture Reading 1. Read slowly. Allow the words to wash over you. Don’t try to interpret it or understand it.
3. Scripture Reading 2. Read again slowly. This time listen for words or phrases that catch your attention. Let them stir up thoughts or ideas as they come.
4. Scripture Reading 3. Read the scripture again. This time notice your emotional response to what you have read, especially the words or phrases that caught your attention. E.g. anger, surprise, thankfulness, delight, awe.
5. Scripture Reading 4. As you read again continue to interact with the words and phrases that have caught your attention. What might God be saying to you through these verses? What resonates with you, which ones might you struggle with? Talk or sit with God with what has come. You may like to make a note of any questions, thoughts, inspirations that are emerging.
6. Let God hold you in quiet with what has emerged for you.
Ephesians 3:16-19 (GNT)
16 I ask God from the wealth of his glory to give you power through his Spirit to be strong in your inner selves, 17 and I pray that Christ will make his home in your hearts through faith. I pray that you may have your roots and foundation in love, 18 so that you, together with all God’s people, may have the power to understand how broad and long, how high and deep, is Christ’s love. 19 Yes, may you come to know his love—although it can never be fully known—and so be completely filled with the very nature of God.