(Neighborhood Church owns the building that Watershed holds its Thursday gatherings in. We'd like them to be more than a space-provider. We'd like to have a partnership in ministry. So if you are part of Watershed, or support Watershed, please join me in praying for Neighborhood Church.)
Father God,
You moved Maranatha Bible Church out of the building that Watershed meets in, and you moved Neighborhood Church in. Neighborhood Church has chosen to continue to support Watershed like Maranatha did, and I thank you for providing for us.
God, I pray that you will help Neighborhood Church to truly become a church for the neighborhood. They are new to the area, and still meeting neighbors. Help them to show Christ-like love to the people in the area so that they become a trusted, central part of the community. Please give them the willingness to continue reaching out, and give the community the willingness to accept the love that the members of Neighborhood Church are showing.
I pray that as this body of believers loves their neighbors, you would draw people to yourself, enlarging your kingdom and your Church.
And if there are ways that Watershed can help Neighborhood Church in reaching or serving its neighbors, whether directly or indirectly, please make that apparent. Please allow Watershed to be a blessing to Neighborhood Church, not a burden.
God, I pray that you would bless this neighborhood through Neighborhood Church, and I pray that you would receive the credit, the praise, and the glory for the blessings provided.
Amen.
Showing posts with label Prayer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Prayer. Show all posts
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Monday, August 10, 2009
Prayer for Community
(If you consider yourself part of Watershed, please join me in praying this prayer.)
Heavenly Father,
You have called your followers to a spirit of unity. I pray that within Watershed, we would follow your leading toward a spirit of unity among the entire community. Help us to go beyond hanging out with the people that we know well. Give us the boldness to step away from our comfortable groups and meet those we don't know.
Many of us will need your help with that, Lord. When we see people every Thursday, we can get used to knowing that they are around, and comfortable with not knowing who they are. Break that sense of comfort. Make each of us uncomfortable with people being un-met and not brought into our community.
I pray that you will make Watershed one community, with one purpose: to go deeper with you and with each other. Let our unity and the depth of our authentic relationships with each other be evident and attractive to those outside the community, also, so that they want to join this community.
Thank you for the community you have already created within Watershed. Please continue to strengthen and refine it, so that this community will bring you glory.
Amen.
Heavenly Father,
You have called your followers to a spirit of unity. I pray that within Watershed, we would follow your leading toward a spirit of unity among the entire community. Help us to go beyond hanging out with the people that we know well. Give us the boldness to step away from our comfortable groups and meet those we don't know.
Many of us will need your help with that, Lord. When we see people every Thursday, we can get used to knowing that they are around, and comfortable with not knowing who they are. Break that sense of comfort. Make each of us uncomfortable with people being un-met and not brought into our community.
I pray that you will make Watershed one community, with one purpose: to go deeper with you and with each other. Let our unity and the depth of our authentic relationships with each other be evident and attractive to those outside the community, also, so that they want to join this community.
Thank you for the community you have already created within Watershed. Please continue to strengthen and refine it, so that this community will bring you glory.
Amen.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Prayer for a Spirit of Prayer
(Watershedders and Watershed supporters, please join me in praying this prayer.)
Father God,
Watershed depends entirely upon you. There is nothing of eternal value that we can accomplish without you, and there is nothing that we can do on our own to please you. This isn't just true of us as individuals. It's true of us as a group and as a ministry.
I ask that you would teach us to depend on you, and as you do give to us a spirit of prayer. Help us to pray, not just to ask for things, but to express our dependence, and to worship you, to marvel at your glory, and to seek your wisdom and guidance. You have told us that your Spirit will intercede for us when we do not know what to pray for. Let each of us be open to the promptings of your spirit, and also know when to wait on the Spirit's intercession.
Lord, I don't ask this just for us as individuals. I also ask that the group of people that meet before our Thursday gatherings, our "prayer team" would collectively be able to perceive the things they should pray for. I pray that you would raise up people to work in prayer for Watershed, Watershed members, and for our city. I ask that you would bring at least two more workers to join the prayer team and help the ministry of Watershed to stay connected to the source of everything we can accomplish.
We know that as individuals or as a ministry we depend on you. We depend on you even for the spirit to pray to you and express our dependency and our love. And so I trust you to provide.
Amen.
Father God,
Watershed depends entirely upon you. There is nothing of eternal value that we can accomplish without you, and there is nothing that we can do on our own to please you. This isn't just true of us as individuals. It's true of us as a group and as a ministry.
I ask that you would teach us to depend on you, and as you do give to us a spirit of prayer. Help us to pray, not just to ask for things, but to express our dependence, and to worship you, to marvel at your glory, and to seek your wisdom and guidance. You have told us that your Spirit will intercede for us when we do not know what to pray for. Let each of us be open to the promptings of your spirit, and also know when to wait on the Spirit's intercession.
Lord, I don't ask this just for us as individuals. I also ask that the group of people that meet before our Thursday gatherings, our "prayer team" would collectively be able to perceive the things they should pray for. I pray that you would raise up people to work in prayer for Watershed, Watershed members, and for our city. I ask that you would bring at least two more workers to join the prayer team and help the ministry of Watershed to stay connected to the source of everything we can accomplish.
We know that as individuals or as a ministry we depend on you. We depend on you even for the spirit to pray to you and express our dependency and our love. And so I trust you to provide.
Amen.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Prayer for Watershed Getting In Over Its Head
(This is a prayer that I am praying. Watershedders and Watershed supporters, please join in praying.)
Father God,
Since the beginning of Watershed, you have encouraged us to go "deeper" in the river of Christ. As we go deeper, we give up more control to you. On the riverbank, we can still turn away. But as we enter the river by putting our faith in Christ, each of us is called deeper and deeper, ankle-deep to knee-deep to waist-deep until finally we are swimming in the river that is over our head. And swimming in a wide, deep river means giving up control to the river. As we deepen our relationship with Jesus, we give up control of our lives to you.
For Watershed "old-timers", this is a familiar picture. We know that each of us is being called deeper into the river.
But Lord, you aren't just calling individuals. You are calling all people who are part of Watershed step deeper into the river. As we individually move deeper, we form a movement, a current, moving from the riverbank toward the middle of the river. We encourage others to join us on our journey deeper into Christ.
So God, I pray for more than individuals going deeper. I pray that the ministry of Watershed will be surrendered to you. Help us not to seek the safety of a lifeguard and safety ropes. Help the Watershed movement be in over its head, to trust You. Take the ministry wherever you want, and use it however you want, as we are carried along by the river of Jesus Christ.
Father God,
Since the beginning of Watershed, you have encouraged us to go "deeper" in the river of Christ. As we go deeper, we give up more control to you. On the riverbank, we can still turn away. But as we enter the river by putting our faith in Christ, each of us is called deeper and deeper, ankle-deep to knee-deep to waist-deep until finally we are swimming in the river that is over our head. And swimming in a wide, deep river means giving up control to the river. As we deepen our relationship with Jesus, we give up control of our lives to you.
For Watershed "old-timers", this is a familiar picture. We know that each of us is being called deeper into the river.
But Lord, you aren't just calling individuals. You are calling all people who are part of Watershed step deeper into the river. As we individually move deeper, we form a movement, a current, moving from the riverbank toward the middle of the river. We encourage others to join us on our journey deeper into Christ.
So God, I pray for more than individuals going deeper. I pray that the ministry of Watershed will be surrendered to you. Help us not to seek the safety of a lifeguard and safety ropes. Help the Watershed movement be in over its head, to trust You. Take the ministry wherever you want, and use it however you want, as we are carried along by the river of Jesus Christ.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
A Prayer for Young Adults in Cedar Rapids
(This is a prayer that I ask Watershedders and Watershed supporters to join me in praying.)
Heavenly Father God,
Cedar Rapids is yours, just like every other place on this earth and in this universe. You have filled it with people, all created in your image, but not all of whom acknowledge you. Your love for all people and your desire to be glorified should not be a secret, but there are those who have not heart. And many who have heard do not understand.
Lord, there are over twenty thousand young adults in the Cedar Rapids area. You know all of them. You know how many of them have given their lives to you, and how many still live as your enemies. You love each one of them, passionately. For those that know you, you want them to love you more deeply and with more reckless abandon. For those that live as your enemies, you want them to set aside their hostility, open themselves to your love, and find in you salvation and true life.
I don't know how many of the young adults in Cedar Rapids know you, Lord. If fully three-quarters of them know you, there is still a harvest of over five thousand people. Please send out workers into that harvest field to gather in that harvest. Raise up the workers that are needed and equip them with whatever they need, and let your people rejoice as they hear about the work that is being done in your name. Help us to rejoice for every person that puts their faith in you, for every person that comes closer to you, and Lord, give us cause to rejoice continuously because we keep hearing of people, especially the young adults of Cedar Rapids, that have come to you.
Heavenly Father God,
Cedar Rapids is yours, just like every other place on this earth and in this universe. You have filled it with people, all created in your image, but not all of whom acknowledge you. Your love for all people and your desire to be glorified should not be a secret, but there are those who have not heart. And many who have heard do not understand.
Lord, there are over twenty thousand young adults in the Cedar Rapids area. You know all of them. You know how many of them have given their lives to you, and how many still live as your enemies. You love each one of them, passionately. For those that know you, you want them to love you more deeply and with more reckless abandon. For those that live as your enemies, you want them to set aside their hostility, open themselves to your love, and find in you salvation and true life.
I don't know how many of the young adults in Cedar Rapids know you, Lord. If fully three-quarters of them know you, there is still a harvest of over five thousand people. Please send out workers into that harvest field to gather in that harvest. Raise up the workers that are needed and equip them with whatever they need, and let your people rejoice as they hear about the work that is being done in your name. Help us to rejoice for every person that puts their faith in you, for every person that comes closer to you, and Lord, give us cause to rejoice continuously because we keep hearing of people, especially the young adults of Cedar Rapids, that have come to you.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
The Harvest is Plenty
It's time for a pop quiz!
What did Jesus say after he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plenty but the workers are few"?
With Healing the Heartland approaching fast, we see a harvest that really is plenty. There are many thousands of people in Cedar Rapids that do not know Christ, and many of them will participate in at least one of the Healing the Heartland events.
Compared to the number of non-Christians, the workers really are few, whether the workers are Christians or volunteers at one of the events.
Hmm. Wasn't that what Jesus said? Something about volunteering or stepping up?
Nope.
Even though I strongly suggest reading Joe's earlier post and signing up as a volunteer, that's not what I'm going to ask you to do.
Healing the Heartland is going to be a great chance for all of us to share Christ's love with this city. There is an enormous harvest available, but the workers are few. That's why I'm going to make a serious request of everyone that reads this. I want you to do what Jesus commanded in Matthew 9:37-38.
I want you to "ask the Lord of the harvest...to send out workers into his harvest field." Please pray daily, for the next ten days, that God will send out workers into the harvest field of Cedar Rapids.
And if you're willing to pray, please post a comment to let us know you're doing so.
What did Jesus say after he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plenty but the workers are few"?
With Healing the Heartland approaching fast, we see a harvest that really is plenty. There are many thousands of people in Cedar Rapids that do not know Christ, and many of them will participate in at least one of the Healing the Heartland events.
Compared to the number of non-Christians, the workers really are few, whether the workers are Christians or volunteers at one of the events.
Hmm. Wasn't that what Jesus said? Something about volunteering or stepping up?
Nope.
Even though I strongly suggest reading Joe's earlier post and signing up as a volunteer, that's not what I'm going to ask you to do.
Healing the Heartland is going to be a great chance for all of us to share Christ's love with this city. There is an enormous harvest available, but the workers are few. That's why I'm going to make a serious request of everyone that reads this. I want you to do what Jesus commanded in Matthew 9:37-38.
I want you to "ask the Lord of the harvest...to send out workers into his harvest field." Please pray daily, for the next ten days, that God will send out workers into the harvest field of Cedar Rapids.
And if you're willing to pray, please post a comment to let us know you're doing so.
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