“We now (in the prayer and the ministry of the word) will steadfastly continue.”
Acts 6 Interlinear Translation (emphasis added)
God has sovereignly ordained the corporate praying of a church, such that His mighty workings increase exponentially, and His purposes are accelerated powerfully when we pray together.
Consider this quote from Charles Spurgeon:
“Prayer meetings were the arteries of the early church. Through them, life-sustaining power was derived. The condition of the church may be very accurately gauged by its prayer meetings. So is the prayer meeting a grace-o-meter, and from it, we may judge of the amount of divine working among a people. If God is near a church, it must pray. And if He is not there, one of dying first tokens of His absence will be a slothfulness in prayer!”
This February, we are praying for God to do amazing things in and through Bara Church, our communities, nation and the world.
Here are some ways you can be praying for Bara Church:
1. That we would have unity amid diversity—loving those with whom we have nothing in common but the gospel.
2. That a culture of discipling would form in which making disciples is viewed as an ordinary part of the Christian life.
3. That faithful staff would use Scripture to train members to do the work of ministry.
4. That a hunger for studying the gospel would form among members so that they can guide and guard one another in it.
5. That transparent, meaningful relationships would become normal and remaining anonymous strange.
6. The preaching of God’s Word—that it would be biblically careful and Holy Spirit imbued.
7. That staff would remain above reproach, kept from temptation, complacency, idols, and worldliness.
8. That the church’s songs would teach members to biblically confess, lament, and praise.
9. That the church’s prayers would be infused with biblical ambitions, honesty, and humility.
10. That adult members would work to disciple teenagers and not just leave it to programming.
11. That the church’s primary teachers grow in dedication to God’s Word even when no one’s watching.
12. That it would grow in being distinct from the world in love and holiness, even as it engages outsiders.
13. That members would share the gospel this week—and see more conversions!
14. That members would be prepared for persecution, remembering to love, not curse, their persecutors.
15. That hopes for political change would be outstretched by the hope of heaven.
16. That giving would be faithful, as well as joyful, consistent, and sacrificial.
17. That more members would use their careers to take the gospel to places it’s never been.
18. That members would be good and do good in their workplaces this week.
Here are some ways you can pray for your family:
10 Scriptures to Pray Over Your Family
https://inspired-motherhood.com/scriptures-to-pray-over-your-family/
A Prayer for Protection:
The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17 NIV
Prayer: Thank you Lord that you are always watching over us. How amazing that you are rejoicing over us with singing right now. You are the mighty warrior who saves. May we rest in your love this day.
A Prayer for Peace:
‘May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.’ Numbers 6:24-26 NLT
Prayer: Lord we thank you that you are the God of peace. We thank you that even when the earth is trembling we can be still and know you are God. Nothing can seperate us from You. We praise you for your protection and favor. As we sit in your presence and focus our hearts and minds on you, give us your perfect peace. We trust that no matter what, you will guide us, protect us and be gracious toward us. Amen.
For Compassion:
And become useful and helpful and kind to one another, tenderhearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another [readily and freely], as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:32 AMPC
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father we thank you for your everlasting love. We thank you that because of your love we are able to love others. We pray that you would help us to be kind to one another, showing each other mercy, forgiveness and understanding. Help us to share the love you’ve so generously shared with us. As a family may we treat each other with compassion. Show us any areas where our hearts need to change or repent. May we so freely offer forgiveness to our family and friends as you so freely forgive us. Amen.
For Harmony:
Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Colossians 3:13-14 NIV
Prayer: Lord our hearts desire is to live in harmony and unity with each other. Bind your love to our hearts so we can live in perfect unity together. Teach us to care for our family members and forgive others for their mistakes.
For Wisdom:
Don’t turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you. Love her, and she will guard you. Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment. Proverbs 4:6-7 NLT
Prayer: Dear God, we thank you that if we ask for wisdom you freely give it to us. We need your insight. For your ways are higher than our ways and your thoughts are higher than our thoughts. You see things we don’t. Stir our family’s hearts to earnestly chase after wisdom. Help our family to develop good judgment. Guide our steps and provide us with direction in all areas of our lives. Amen.
For Encouragement:
My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:26 (NKJV)
Prayer: Lord we thank you for your steadfastness. You never fail. You are our strength in our time of need. God we give you our worries, burdens and cares this day. Thank you that we do not have to fear for you are always right beside us. Encourage our hearts today. Remind us of your lovingkindness. In. Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
For Perseverance:
I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. Psalms 16:8 NLT
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you that you are always right beside us. We praise you, for you never leave us and you hold our right hand. We pray in the good times and in the bad that your praise would continually be on our lips. Though the earth may shake and the rain may come, we will not be shaken because you are always with us. Remind each member of our family today in a special way that you are at our right hand.
For a Disciplined Life:
For the time being no discipline brings joy, but seems sad and painful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness [right standing with God and a lifestyle and attitude that seeks conformity to God’s will and purpose]. Hebrews 12:11 AMP
Prayer: God we thank you for the teachable moments. We pray as a family that we would seek wisdom and live a disciplined life. Guard our hearts from temptation and help us to live out your will and purposes for our lives.
For Confident Hope:
I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 NLT
Prayer: Lord, we rejoice today because you never change. You are the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. We thank you that your Holy Spirit is filling our family right now with unspeakable joy and peace that passes all understanding. Not peace or joy from this world but from YOU. As we put our trust in you, overflow in us so we may be filled with confident hope.
For Kindness:
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefits those who listen. Ephesians 4:29 NIV
Prayer: God help us to speak life to each other this day. May we be kind to our family and use words to build each other up. May we have a listening hear and respond to each other with compassionate hearts.
Here are some ways you can be praying for those who help those who are hurting, first responders and healthcare workers on the front lines:
We are to help hurting people. We are to pray for hurting people. We are to pray for those who are helping the hurting. We raise the roof for the hurting on the side of the road. We raise the roof for the helpers that cross the road. We intercede for others because Jesus interceded for us. We can raise the roof for those helping the hurting by praying for their protection, provision and perseverance.
When tragedy strikes, we all look for help. We believe the vast majority of the U.S. population appreciates and honors those trained to provide crisis-situation help—protection, medical care, or rescue. Yet we also witness our authorities under attack. Growing misunderstandings and distrust can severely affect our first responders. In a day of global unrest and terrorism it is important that we pray for our police, fire, medical response teams and healthcare workers.
Here are ten ways to bless and cover our first responders and healthcare workers in prayer. Each point includes Scriptures and a prayer. We encourage you to develop your own prayers based on both the verses and the written prayers.
1. Give thanks to the Lord for those who often put their lives on the line for others.
Peter 4:11: “If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.”
Colossians 1:3: “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you.”
Father, we are so blessed to have men and women who work diligently for our safety and well-being, even when their jobs are difficult and often thankless. Help us remember to thank You for their sacrifices and service to our community. May we touch heaven with prayers of gratitude whenever we see or personally encounter first responders. Give them the strength that You provide so that as they serve, You will be honored.
2. Pray for spiritual salvation for first responders and healthcare workers, and a faith in Christ to sustain them in the face of danger.
1 Timothy 2:1–4: “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”
Psalm 27:1: “The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?”
Lord Jesus, we pray for first responders everywhere who have not yet made You their Lord and Savior. Please put Your people in their paths, so that they might learn to seek You first and honor You. It’s so important to have godly men and women in these positions of influence for the sake of Your Kingdom. We also pray that You will intervene in the lives of those who once knew You well but have fallen away from You due to the pressures of their jobs. Reignite their hearts with passion for all that You are, Lord Jesus! Stir people all over our nation to pray fervently that our first responders will be salt and light in dark places and beacons of hope to the hopeless. Help them to minister in a very difficult occupation so that they might be change agents for the sake of Your name!
3. Pray for their protection and safety because many first responders and healthcare workers are in situations of significant danger.
Isaiah 54:17: “No weapon forged against you will prevail.”
Psalm 91:1–4, 14–16: “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’ Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
“‘Because he loves me,’ says the Lord, ‘I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.’”
Gracious God, first responders have such dangerous jobs! Help them to dwell in Your shadow. May You always be their refuge in difficult situations. May they trust in You completely, moment by moment. Show them Your power when they find themselves in unsafe situations or when they face people who threaten to harm them. Keep them safe for the glory of Your name!
4. Pray for wisdom and discernment as they face every crisis. Pray for increased skill and effectiveness in their daily tasks of coming to the aid of others.
2 Chronicles 20:12: “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”
Psalm 5:8: “Lead me, Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies—make your way straight before me.”
Lord, every day first responders have to make difficult and complicated decisions. Help them to choose wisely and well in every situation. Give them clarity and help them to stay calm and collected in the most tense moments they face. Help them call out to You whenever they don’t know what to do. May they always keep their eyes fixed upon You.
5. Pray for courage and strength as they enter harm’s way.
Joshua 1:9: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Zechariah 4:6: “‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.”
Father, every shift first responders’ work requires them to be prepared and ready for whatever comes. Give them the ability to stand strong. Fill them with courage. Help them to be aware of Your presence and see their need for You in every challenging situation.
6. Pray for vigilance as they keep watch. Ask God to give them confidence in their abilities to help others.
Psalm 130:5–6: “I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.”
Mark 14:38: “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Father, as our first responders watch over us and respond to the needs in our community, please keep them alert and always ready. Keep them sharp, confident, and prepared in every way. May they place their hope in Your Word and wait upon You.
7. Pray for emotional protection for first responders and healthcare workers, that the Father would guard their hearts, especially in the face of criticism or anger from others.
Galatians 6:9–10: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”
Philippians 4:5–7: “Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Father, please keep our first responders emotionally strong but spiritually tender when they are confronted by the evil and brokenness around them. Give them Your peace as they deal with the pain and suffering of others—and at times experience injustice. May they have compassion for those whose lives are broken and may they demonstrate kindness to them. Help them to recognize that when others express hate and anger toward them, they can find their security in You.
8. Pray that the words and deeds of every believing first responder and healthcare worker will reflect the life of Jesus Christ in every situation.
Psalm 141:3: “Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips.”
Psalm 19:14: “May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”
Father, give words and actions to Your people who serve their community as first responders. Even in the most intense situations, we ask that they will look to You to show them how to react and what to say. May they bring honor to You and be godly examples to their unbelieving coworkers and to others with whom they interact on a daily basis.
9. Pray for peace for the first responders’ and healthcare workers’ family members who are aware of the dangers their loved ones face. Ask God to guard their marriage and family relationships.
Ephesians 5:31–33: “‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ . . . each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.”
Isaiah 26:3: “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.”
Lord God, the families of first responders experience so much stress and fear. As a result many marriages among first responders are broken and the divorce rate is high. Bring Your peace to their families, Lord. Help these men and women to keep their eyes fixed upon You so that they might love their spouses as You have instructed, and so that they might train up their children in godly ways. Help them to find quality and quantity time with their families.
10. Pray they will feel supported and loved by their communities.
1 Peter 5:6–7: “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”
Romans 13:7: “Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.”
Lord God Almighty, help us to show our first responders how much they are appreciated. May these brave men and women know that their God and their community supports them and cares for them! Give us ways to demonstrate our gratitude and thankfulness for their difficult sacrifices every day.
11. Pray for our missionaries.
Bara Church is honored to get to partner with some amazing people and organizations who serve so many people. Click here to see all our partners and how you can pray for them.
Adding Action to Your Prayers
There are other specific ways that you can express support for first responders and healthcare workers:
Establish a Shield-A-Badge prayer team for first responders in your church or community. This program is designed to pray strategically for police officers (shield-a-badge.org).
Check out what the city of Omaha is doing through their First Responders Foundation. Their mission is to enhance public safety and build community appreciation and respect for first responders by providing resources (firstrespondersomaha.org/foundation).
Find practical ways to show your appreciation to first responders and their families. This Pinterest board is filled with great ideas (pinterest.com/erinw27/first-responder-appreciation).
Write cards of thanks to local hospitals.
Buy food for a floor of a hospital.
Here are some ways you can be praying for those who are currently hurting*:
1) Pray Biblically. Often it is tempting to just pray for what we think is best, regardless of the potential consequences. We need to make sure that we are in the Bible and reminding ourselves of the voice and heart of God, aligning our heart and desires with His.
2) Pray for comfort. God has promised us that for those who are in Christ, He has given them the Holy Spirit, and in John 14:26, Jesus called the Holy Spirit “the Comforter.” As Christians, the very presence of God goes with us wherever we go. We can pray that our friends would feel that closeness and be comforted by it.
2 Corinthians 1:3-5 is also a beautiful testament of the comfort that God gives. It says:
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ.”
Lets pray also that God would show us how we can best be a comforter, in tune with His mercy and His unfailing love.
3) Pray for wisdom, for them and for you. Pray that your friend will have the wisdom they need to navigate their situation and to make some hard choices. Pray for the wisdom you need to know when and how to best help and support them. God says in Psalm 32:8, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.” We can trust Him to give all of the wisdom and direction needed for any situation.
4) Pray for a heart that seeks after God’s. Pray that as your friend works through problems or suffers through illness that they will always have a heart aligned with God’s. We can pray that they will see the opportunities for growth, that they will see the chances to share love with others through this, that they would be constantly reminded of God’s goodness and strength through it all.
5) Pray for God’s will. As hard as it is, we have to leave our friends in God’s hands. We just don’t know the big picture, and sometimes God allows to happen exactly what we would ask Him to avoid. In Isaiah 55:8, God says, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways…” In all of our prayers, we have to always come back to asking God that His will would be done and that He would help every person involved to see it as something that God can use for His greater purposes.
*The above information was found at http://www.lifealongtheway.org/2017/01/17/pray-someone-hurting/
Here are some ways you can be praying for the lost:
Why Pray for the Lost?
1. The Heart of God - “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:17). 1 Timothy 2:3-4 tells us even more about God’s heart: “This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” And 2 Peter 3:9 plainly declares that “God is patient, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
2. The Sacrifice of Jesus - Second, we should pray for the lost because of Christ’s sacrifice. Christ came for the lost. “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost” (Luke 19:10). And he died to provide a way of salvation for the whole human race. “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men” (I Timothy 2:5-6).
3. The Examples in the Bible - Romans 10:1 “Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.”
4. The Condition of the Lost - Fourth, we should pray for the lost because of their condition. The New Testament in many places reveals to us how hopeless and helpless the lost are without Christ. They are …
Blind: “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (II Corinthians 4:4).
Captive to Satan: We should pray that unbelievers might “escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will” (II Timothy 2:26).
Condemned: “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son” (John 3:18).
Dead: “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins” (Ephesians 2:1).
Bound for hell: “Whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him” (John 3:36b).
Helpless: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him” (John 6:44).
Hopeless: “Without hope and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12).
Without Understanding: “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned” (I Corinthians 2:14).
How Should We Pray for the Lost?
1.) For Christians to Speak to the Lost (Seed)
1. Pray for Workers. Matthew 9:37-38, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
2. Pray for Boldness. Ephesians 6:19-20. “Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.”
3. Pray for Opportunities. “And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains” (Colossians 4:3).
4. Pray for Clarity. Colossians 4:4 “Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.”
2. For the Lost to Listen (Soil)
Here’s a simple acrostic based on the word HEART to help us remember how to pray for those who don’t know Christ. First, we should pray for:
H Receptive Hearts. Proverbs 21:1 reminds us that “the king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.”
E Spiritual Eyes might be opened. Jesus said, I am sending you “to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me” (Acts 26:18)
A God’s Attitude toward sin. John 16:8 tells us that this conviction is the unique work of the Holy Spirit. “When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment.”
R Released to trust Christ. When Jesus spoke at the synagogue in Nazareth (Luke 4:16-30), he announced his ministry by quoting Isaiah 61:1. This verse tells us why Christ came to the earth: “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.”
T A life Transformed by the gospel. II Corinthians 5:17 reminds us that “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.”
Here are some practical suggestions to get you going:
1. Make a list of lost people you know and begin to pray for them.
2. Pray with others for the lost.
3. As God begins to answer your prayers, write down those answers as they come.
4. Be ready to be part of the answer to your own prayers.
5. Trust in God’s timing.
Luke 18:1-8 - 1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought.3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’
4 “For some time he refused. But finally, he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”
6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”