WEEK OF PRAYER PRAYER STATION GUIDE

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WELCOME! “The secret of all failure is our failure in secret prayer.” - The Kneeling Christian Welcome to the most important week of the year at Bethany Community Church; our Week of Prayer. We hope you will come each evening to join us for at least an hour in our sanctuary. During this week our sanctuary becomes the throne room of grace. We say that because Hebrews 4:16 says, “ Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. However, we hope you will not confine your praying to the sanctuary If you can’t make it every evening to join us in accessing the power of grace together pray with us wherever you are.. prayer is not our obligation, it is our privilege. God is going to do amazing things in response to believing prayer; always has, always does and always will. We are providing you with two tools to make this time more meaningful to you. The first tool is most of the prayers of Paul arranged topically. They are prepared for you as a daily reading plan. We encourage you not only to read those prayers but also pray them aloud. Praying scripture is powerful. The second tool is a guide to the 12 prayer stations. This guide will expand the meaning of each category of prayer and aim you in an intended direction. You can use this at home, in your office or some other chosen place of private prayer. Many have been pleasantly surprised to find they can actually pray an hour by merely spending five minutes at each station. These tools aren’t intended to confine you to only praying certain prayers but to assist you in expanding your spiritual vocabulary. Let the Holy Spirit lead you into the fullness of grace during these days. Don’t hesitate to speak to a pastoral staff member if you want personal prayer or ministry. We are here to serve you. Grace & Peace,

Pastor Phil McCutchen

INTRODUCTION The prayer station guide is here to assist you by clarifying the intention of each assigned place of prayer. This is only a guide and not intended to limit what you may feel the need to address before your heavenly Father in the place of intercession.

LET’S GET STARTED

1. Time for God’s love Ephesians 3:18 “How wide, how long, how high and how deep His love is.” You are now at the door of the throne room of God; the most awesome being in the universe. His power could crush us. What a relief to know that “God is love.” Before you go any further in the exercise think about his love. Think about the fact that God is for you. Think about the fact that He gave his one and only son for you. Meditate on his goodness. If the adversary has convinced you that God doesn’t love you; expose that thought for what it is, a lie. So as you praise, petition, intercede, inquire and confess; do it all with the clear understanding that you are God’s deeply treasured possession.

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2. Time to say thanks Psalms 50:23 “But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me.” You probably have a list of problems needing solutions ready to go; that’s okay but first enumerate as many blessings and reasons for gratefulness as you can. List the healthy ways your body is functioning, the good people in your life, the material blessings you enjoy, the comforts you are privileged too and the nice things that have happened to you recently. “Count your many blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.”

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3. Time to worship & adore Psalm 99:5 “Exalt the Lord our God! Bow before his feet, for He is holy.” Generally worship is seen as different than thanksgiving because it focuses more on who God is rather than what he does. Worship is so important and so good for the soul. Enumerate the character qualities of God such as faithfulness, patience, wisdom, justice, creativity, redemptive-ness, peacefulness, might, understanding and mercifulness. Speak these things out because your words control your thoughts and your thoughts will bring you into an awareness of God’s presence.

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4. Time to confess our sins 1 John 1:8-9 “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves ... If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins.” Sin means to miss the mark. How have you missed the mark in your thoughts, attitudes, motives, words and actions? Of all your ways, which ones do you need to face as dysfunctional and out of synch with the character of God? This point of prayer is where you simply stop justifying your failures and boldly admit where you need God’s help to get something right.

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5. Time to heal our ways Isaiah 57:18 “I have seen his ways, and will heal him; I will also lead him and restore.” God wants to heal the broken places in our lives. Ask God to help you discern where you need restoration and where your pain is causing you to go off the path. It’s also appropriate to pray for the pain and hurt in those you love. Pray that others will respond to the love of God in the areas in which their hearts have been fractured by life’s events.

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6. Time to forgive as we are forgiven Matthew 6:12 “Forgive our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.” It’s time to think about how others have wounded, hurt, annoyed and frustrated you. It’s also time to let it go. Let the following sentence end with a name and an offense; “God I forgive … “ Of course if others are near you, you may want to pray these words quietly or even silently. What is happening at this point in prayer is a powerful moment between you and God.

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7. Time to ask for things Matthew 7:7 “Ask and it shall be given to you.” God has created a world of good things and our God given creativity adds to the menu for our enjoyment. God delights in your desires, so don’t hesitate to ask with abandon. Certainly you should pray, “thy will be done,” but you might be surprised at how much blessing is within God’s good will for your life. Don’t hold back, God is generous and excited to prosper us.

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8. Time to petition & appeal Hebrews 5:7 “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions.” Biblically speaking, “petition” focuses on those things we will have to wait on God for. Unlike those “blessings” we hope for, “petitions” usually have to do with things we are pretty sure we know God wants to happen but there are human and demonic obstacles in the way. In offering petitions you are reminding God that your faith is still focused on those good outcomes that you have surrendered to Him.

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9. Time to surrender all Matthew 16:24 “Whoever comes after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.” This is the time and place in prayer when we put everything in God’s hands. At this time express to God the complete trust you have in him for your life, your problems, your dreams, your prayers and the lives of others. If you’re struggling with this one, be honest and ask God to help you know the freedom of complete surrender to the one who loves you most.

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10. Time to intercede & stand in the gap 1 Timothy 2:1 “Pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf.” God uses prayer to help bond us to others by helping us to know how we should be concerned for them. When we try to bear one another’s burdens in prayer it properly positions us to be less self absorbed and unselfish. List the people you know, the challenges they face and ask God to help them overcome.

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11. Time to consider eternity Ecclesiastes 3:11 “He has planted eternity in the human heart.” All that God wants to accomplish for us, in us and through us will not take place in this life. Thinking about living forever in a world with no pain and suffering and ask God to show you how eternity can impact the present. Ask God to show you the priorities that a “forever person” embraces and strengthen you for those kinds of pursuits. Pray that you and everyone you know will be prepared for eternity and the world to come.

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12. Time to set goals Proverbs 21:5 “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance.” Now what goals, plans and actions steps have this session of prayer made clear to you? Are there people you need to contact; lifestyle changes you need to make; new disciplines you need to embrace; new dreams you get to dream or new tranquility you can enjoy? Have a conversation with your heavenly father right now about the future. Thank him for all the power that will be unleashed because of these moments spent in “the throne room of grace.”

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