Praying for NextGen Leaders
“We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 1:3 NIV).
NextGen leaders promote a holistic vision for the next generation’s spiritual growth from infancy to college. They partner with families and other ministries in the local church to ensure that there is a unified strategy for reaching, developing, and deploying the next generation into the harvest. Our constant prayer support, therefore, adds another layer of defense against Satan’s attack on their lives, family, and ministry; increases the effectiveness of their work; and blesses and strengthens the local church.
Prayer Directives
As we join together to strengthen and encourage our NextGen leaders,
- Pray that the Holy Spirit would be poured our daily in the life of each NextGen leader (Ephesians 5:18).
- Pray for vision and the leading of the Holy Spirit in NextGen ministries’ across our network (Habakkuk 2:2).
- Pray that NextGen leaders would be thoroughly equipped and fully resourced to win, disciple, and develop students (2 Timothy 3:16, 17; 2 Timothy 4:2, 5).
- Pray that NextGen leaders would cultivate a personal ministry of intercession and compassion for students (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18; Matthew 9:36).
- Pray that NextGen leaders would be positive role models and mentors (1 Corinthians 11:1; 2 Timothy 2:22).
- Pray for collaboration, communication, and synergy among NextGen leaders, ministry teams and lead pastors.
- Pray that NextGen leaders would pursue partnerships within their local communities (e.g., schools, sports, youth shelters, detention centers, etc.) to strengthen families and spread the Gospel (Matthew 28:19, 20).
Additional Prayer Resources
Web:
- Focus on the Family – http://www.focusonthefamily.com
- World Network of Prayer – prayingyouth.com
- How to Pray for Our Leaders (Billy Graham Association) – http://www.grbc.info/How%20to%20Pray.pdf
Print:
- Praying Circles around Your Children by Mark Batterson
- Blessing Your Children by Jack Hayford
Download this prayer guide as a bulletin insert here. Let us know you are praying with us by using #COGOPprays on social media to share your requests, inspirations, and praise reports.
Praying for the Church
As the Church of God of Prophecy approaches a significant milestone, the 100th International Assembly, we will focus this month’s prayers on giving thanks to God for the heritage of this movement, share the present needs of our local congregations, and seek His divine direction for the future of our local and corporate bodies. Join with us this month in remembering the past, celebrating our present, and anticipating our future through prayer.
Prayer Directives
- Give thanks to Father for your personal salvation and journey of faith.
- Praise the Father for the influence of your local church on your life. With thanksgiving, recall individuals who impacted your faith walk and celebrate the gifts of God in their lives.
- Thank the Father for the ministry of the Church of God of Prophecy. Thank Him for the obedience of the early church fathers and mothers who sought his purposes and sacrificed so that his plan could be accomplished.
- Give thanks for the global vision of the church, her impact in 135 nations of the world, and for her historical inclusiveness across racial and gender lines.
- Praise God for the present work of your local church. Thank Him for His faithfulness to your church and ask for opportunities to make a greater impact in your community.
- Confess to Him any areas of difficulty, discord, or division in your church. Ask the Holy Spirit to bring unity, direction, and help to these situations.
- Pray for the leaders of your local church including your pastor, ministry leaders, deacons/deaconesses, teachers, youth/children’s workers, church committees, etc.
- Ask the Father to give your pastor and congregation an unobstructed vision.
- Pray that the Father would let genuine faith, hope, and love arise in your congregation so that those in your community could see and be drawn to Him.
- Ask the Father to lead your church into the plenteous harvest fields that are all around your congregation.
Download this prayer guide as a bulletin insert here. Let us know you are praying with us by using #COGOPprays on social media to share your requests, inspirations, and praise reports.
Praying for New Believers
Although the Father has given us many discipleship tools for connecting with and maturing in Him, the most powerful method for any believer is prayer. One way we can support a new believer is by praying for them regularly and intentionally as they conform to the image of Christ.
Each church should be filled with individuals maturing in their relationship with the Lord and experiencing spiritual growth. As the church is faithful to pray for and train new believers in Christian love and service, she will be better equipped to fulfill the Great Commission given to us by our Lord.
Throughout this month, we will be praying for new believers—that the Father would provide opportunities for us to lead others to Him, as well as for recently saved believers already acclimating into our church families.
Prayer Directives
- Give praise to God the Father and to Jesus Christ who is Savior and Redeemer and came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 15:1-31, 19:9-10, John 14:6).
- Give thanks to God for the Gospel of Christ which is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe (Romans 1:16).
- Recount your testimony of salvation, thanking God for his salvation and deliverance (Psalm 40:1-3).
- Call out the name of any new believer that you may know, asking that the assurance of salvation would be known and felt by them (Ephesians 1:13-14, Romans 8:14-16).
- Pray that the Holy Spirit will teach them how to pray (Romans 8:26-27)
- Pray that the Holy Spirit will guide them as they read the Bible, helping them to understand the truth of God’s Word and how to apply it to their life (John 16:13).
- Pray for the development and evidence of the fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in their lives (Galatians 5:22-23).
- Pray that they will be guided into the ministry to which God is specifically calling them, and that the Holy Spirit will give them new Spirit-empowered abilities or capacities for this ministry (1 Corinthians 12:4-31, Romans 12:4-8, Ephesians 3:16).
- Pray that the Holy Spirit will convict them of sin throughout their life, shaping their conscience to recognize sin, and motivate and empower them to change (John 16:8).
- Pray that they will receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit and be empowered to witness (Matthew 3:11; Luke 24:49–53; Acts 1:4–8).
Download this prayer guide as a bulletin insert here. Let us know you are praying with us by using #COGOPprays on social media to share your requests, inspirations, and praise reports.
Praying for Emerging Leaders
Throughout history we see that in every generation God has been faithful to bring revival to His people and spiritual awakening to entire nations. In almost every one of these cases, these movements of the Spirit were evidenced most strongly among young people.
Many young Christian leaders sense another awakening stirring among young people and there are encouraging signs of revival as God’s Spirit moves in fresh ways among them. It is quite possible that we stand on the cusp of the greatest revival and awakening in all of history. Do you desire to see a dynamic demonstration of the Holy Spirit’s power in our generation and in the lives of young people in your life?
If we truly desire to see this mighty move arise among our students and emerging leaders, we should seek the Father, through prayer on their behalf. Throughout this month, we will unite our prayers to pray specifically for the students in our lives—covering each area of their life in specific ways. We invite you to call out the specific names of the young people in your life as you pray through the directives below.
Prayer Directives
- Thank the Father for His loving care of young leaders in your life and for the plans He has for them. Ask Him to give them a divine passion and passion for living (Jeremiah 29:11, Psalm 139:13–16, 2 Corinthians 5:20, Jeremiah 1:5, John 14:13, Romans 8:28, 29).
- Pray for wisdom in their choosing of friends and that God will bring people into their lives who will point them to Christ and encourage them as fully-devoted disciples (1 Corinthians 15:33, Hebrews 10:25, 1 Thessalonians 5:11, 1 Samuel 16:7).
- Ask the Father to transform the mind of your student so that they are renewed and He is honored through their speech, love, faith, and purity (1 Timothy 4:12, Romans 12:1, 2, Psalm 24:4).
- Ask the Father to birth a hunger for righteousness in the relationships of your student and that they would recognize the lies of the enemy. Ask God to strengthen them to enable them to flee sexual immorality and remain pure until married (John 8:32, 1 Peter 1:5, Hebrews 13:4, 1 Corinthians 6:18, 1 John 4:4, James 1:12–14).
- Ask God to grant an anointing of extraordinary power of the Holy Spirit in the life of your student so that he/she will be a great witness for Christ (Acts 1:8, Luke 4:18, 19, 1 Peter 3:15, Matthew 28:19, 20, Galatians 5:24).
- Ask the Father to give your student help to view money as a resource for Kingdom purposes. Ask that they be granted contentment whether in possession of plenty or poor (Philippians 4:19, Matthew 6:24, Ecclesiastes 5:10, Hebrews 13:5; 1 Timothy 6:10).
- Pray that your student would submit to Christ as well as those in authority over them. Ask for an extra measure of grace to love, respect, and honor their parents, teachers, spiritual leaders, and government officials (Ephesians 6:2, 3; Hebrews 13:17, Mark 12:17).
- Ask God to nurture the soil of the heart of your student so that they have greater sensitivity to the things of the Spirit and grow in their knowledge of His ways (Luke 2:52, Galatians 2:20, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 3:16).
- Ask for a knowledge of the truth of God and spiritual eyes to see so that the enemy would not be able to deceive them (1 Timothy 3:9, 2 Corinthians 2:11, John 17:17, Ephesians 6:14).
- Pray to the Father that He would fill your student with the hope of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and protect his/her mind and heart from hopelessness (Galatians 6:9, Ephesians 6:13, Philippians 4:8, 2 Timothy 2:13, Hebrews 10:23, 1 Peter 5:8, 9).
Download this prayer guide as a bulletin insert here. Let us know you are praying with us by using #COGOPprays on social media to share your requests, inspirations, and praise reports.
Praying for Lost Loved Ones
No matter how impossible the situation may seem, God can do amazing things when we invite Him into the needs of our family. Although the needs change with the various seasons of a family’s life, the most critical prayer we can pray is for the salvation of a lost loved one.
As we pray, we should remember that God “wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth,” and our desire to see our loved ones saved cannot compare to His (1 Timothy 2:4). We must remember that we are not praying to an unwilling God, but a God who stands ready to save and redeem.
This month we will unite our prayers to pray for our lost loved ones, asking the Father to give us opportunities to share the Gospel with them, and praying for Him to soften the hearts of our family members. There is great power when two or more gather in Christ’s name and pray for His will to be done (Matthew 18:20).
As we pray for our loved ones, God will ready our hearts to do His will and give us the assurance that He can change hearts. We must not give up praying for our unsaved family members. We are engaged in a spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:12–20), and one of our greatest weapons is prayer. God can do the impossible, and He can change even the hardest of hearts.
Prayer Directives
- Give praise to God the Father and to Jesus Christ who is Savior and Redeemer who came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 15:1–31; 19:9, 10; John 14:6).
- Give thanks to God for the Gospel of Christ which is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe (Romans 1:16).
- Recount your testimony of salvation, thanking God for His salvation and deliverance (Psalm 40:1–3).
- Call out the names of your lost loved ones, asking for the Holy Spirit to draw them and help them understand their need for the Savior (Jeremiah 24:7, Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23).
- Pray for their eyes to be opened to the truth of God’s love and salvation (Acts 26:18; 2 Corinthians 3:16, Ephesians 3:18, 19).
- Pray with repentance of your own sin and the sins of generations before you that may have influenced your loved ones in their choices (Daniel 9:20).
- Name any oppression or addiction present in the lives of your loved ones and intercede that they be set free (Isaiah 58:6).
- Pray for an opportunity and boldness of the Spirit to share the life-changing Gospel (Acts 4:31).
- Pray that nothing would distract or hinder the moments of confession, repentance, and salvation of your loved ones (Ephesians 1:18–21; 2 Timothy 2:24–26).
- Praise God for the assurance that it is God’s desire to save your loved ones (Luke 19:10; Romans 10:1; 1 Timothy 2:4).
Download this prayer guide here. Let us know you are praying with us by using #COGOPprays on social media to share your requests, inspirations, and praise reports.
Unreached People of the World
The mission organization Joshua Project reports that there are presently 16,842 identified people groups in the world. Of these, it is believed that some 6,989 groups, or 41 percent of these groups, are unreached with the Gospel message.
Matthew 24:14, tells us that the “Gospel (message) of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
As we look with anticipation to the glorious return of our Lord, we as His people should also pray for and seek ways to send the whole Gospel to the whole world. As we participate in this last days harvesting endeavor, we await the fulfillment of Revelation 7:9, ” I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb.”
Join with us in praying for the unreached people groups of our world, as well as for efforts underway to take the life-giving message of the Gospel to its nations, tribes, people, and languages.
Prayer Directives
- Thank the Father for His ability and readiness to give, guide, and respond in response to our prayers (Matthew 7:7, 8).
- Thank the Father for pastors, ministers, teachers, and missionaries who are at work right now mobilizing resources to share the Gospel with unreached people groups (1 Thessalonians 1:2, 3; Ephesians 4:11, 12; Matthew 9:37, 38).
- Pray for revival in the Church that will cleanse, empower, and send believers out to reach the lost (Matthew 28:19, 20; 2 Corinthians 5:18–20).
- Pray for men, women, boys, and girls to respond to the call of God (Luke 10:2).
- Pray for an outpouring of God’s Spirit on unreached people groups bringing conviction of sin (Joel 2:28, 29).
- Pray for biblical dreams and visions and revelations of Jesus that will draw lost people to Him (Joel 2:28, 29).
- Pray for ongoing, powerful signs and wonders of healing, deliverance, and miracles that will draw individuals to the Gospel message (Mark 16:17–20; Romans 15:18, 19; Hebrews 2:4).
- Pray for mission expansions and church planting efforts into nations and villages previously unreached with the Gospel (Matthew 16:18; 28:19, 20)
- Pray that as new believers are born into the kingdom they will be biblically discipled and will mature in their faith (Matthew 28:19, 20).
- Pray for the translation, printing, and distribution of God’s Word into all languages, as well as Christian radio and television ministries entering into new markets (Matthew 24:14).
Download this prayer guide here. Let us know you are praying with us by using #COGOPprays on social media to share your requests, inspirations, and praise reports.
Houses of Prayer
Pastor Jim Cymbala of the Brooklyn Tabernacle church tells a story of a challenge he gave his congregation in earlier days of his ministry. He told his then small congregation that if they called upon the Lord faithfully in prayer, He had promised in His word to answer, to bring the unsaved to Himself, and to pour out His Spirit among them. But if they did not call upon the Lord, He had promised them nothing.
He continued to challenge his congregation when he said, “No matter what I preach or what we claim to believe in our heads, the future will depend upon our times in prayer. Prayer will be the engine that drives the church.”
In Matthew 21, Jesus gave an identifying mark to his church when he said, “It is written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer’” (Matthew 21:13, NIV).
While the church may be correct in her teachings, led by charismatic pastors, and inspirational in its worship, without prayer it will be anemic, having no power. The health of any church, locally or corporately, can be gauged by its commitment to the discipline of prayer.
Join with us in praying that the Church of God of Prophecy, as a movement and in our local churches, would be known as a Houses of Prayer, evidenced by a commitment to passionate, persistent, prevailing prayer.
Prayer Directives
- Thank the Father for his ability and readiness to give, guide, and respond in response to our prayers (Matthew 7:7-8).
- Confess for yourself or your church any lack of devotion to prayer. Ask God to help your church and its leaders be devoted to or “diligently occupied with” prayer (Colossians 4:2, Acts 1:14, Acts 2:42, Acts 6:4).
Ask God to help your church family pray as the needs arise, spontaneously, and to cover everything in prayer (Ephesians 6:8). - Ask God to make you alert to needs in your church family and to “keep on praying continually” for all members of your church family (Ephesians 6:8).
- Ask the Father to help you and your church to pray as Jesus urged you to pray—continually asking, seeking, and knocking (Matthew 7:7-8).
- Pray for power and wisdom to know the “greater things” the Father wants you and your church to do for Him (John 14:12-14).
- Ask the Father to help you see beyond just personal needs and to focus on Kingdom concerns (John 14:12-14).
- Pray that your church will pray faithfully and powerfully for your city, community, nation, and leaders (1 Timothy 2:1, 2).
- Pray for your pastor and ministry leaders (Romans 15:30).
- Ask God that the “heart’s desire” of your church would be to pray for the unsaved and that He would give your church practical opportunities to reach out to your community (Romans 10:1, 1 Timothy 2:1, 3, 4).
Download this prayer guide by clicking here. Let us know you are praying with us by using #COGOPprays on social media to share your requests, inspirations, and praise reports.
Praying to Surrender to God’s Will
“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it’” (Matthew 16:24-25).
By its nature, the act of surrender is difficult. To our human minds, surrender can be processed as defeat or loss of control. Jesus made it plain to his disciples that a life in service to Him would involve a denial of self.
To live the very best life that God has planned for us (Romans 8:28), we must be willing to “wave the flag of surrender.” This process only starts when one accepts Christ as Savior and continues in the daily life of the believer.
The surrendered life will not be one that is problem free and perfect. Rather, the surrendered life is one willing to follow Christ through every problem, pain, or circumstance necessary so that His purpose is accomplished and glory revealed.
Prayer Directives
- Praise the Lord because the earth is His, along with everything in it, the world and all who dwell here. Ask Him to impress this truth on your heart, and to help you live accordingly (Psalm 24:1).
- Ask God for His mercy to help you to present your body as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship (Romans 12:1).
- Acknowledge that your life is not your own, confess to the Lord any area where you have attempted to direct your steps apart from Him. Invite Him to be the Master of all areas of your life Jeremiah 10:23).
- Ask God for daily grace to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Jesus (Luke 9:23-24).
- Ask the Lord to forgive you of seasons where you have pursued your own plans. Give any present decisions or situations to Him and trust that His purposes will prevail (Proverbs 19:21).
- Express to God your desire to humble yourself under His mighty hand. Admit areas where you might not fully be trusting in Him and commit them to Him so that when the time is right, He will exalt you (I Peter 5:6).
- Embrace the truth that you are not your own, for you were bought with a price. Share with God your desire to glorify Him in your body, mind, and soul (I Corinthians 6:20).
Download this prayer guide as a bulletin insert here. Let us know you are praying with us by using #COGOPprays on social media to share your requests, inspirations, and praise reports.
Praying for Your Local Church
“Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near” (Hebrews 10:24, 25 NIV).
Throughout the New Testament, we find Scripture emphasizing the importance of local gatherings, or assemblies, of the people of God. It is in a local body that we find intimacy, commitment, accountability, and instruction that encourages “acts of love and good works” among fellow believers.
God has called and ordained the local church to be a place where His people grow spiritually, hear the Word of God, receive biblical teaching, and are called into obedience (1 Timothy 4:13).
The enemy would seek to undermine the ministry of the local church and disconnect believers from her protection and nurture. Throughout the month of July, we will unite to pray for our local congregations so that they may be useful to the Lord and make an impact in the lives of our congregations.
Prayer Directives
- Pray that your church would minister faithfully and proclaim the Gospel. (Matt. 28:19, 20)
- Pray for your pastor as he/she shepherds the congregation. Pray that they have a servant’s heart, remain faithful to the call of God, learn of the Father’s ways, and preach truth plainly, honestly, and boldly. (2 Cor. 4:1; 1 Cor. 4:1-3)
- Pray for the adults in your congregation. Pray that they fulfill every purpose God has for them by engaging in acts of service and walking with the Father daily. (Eph. 4:1; 2 Thes. 1:11)
- Pray for the youth and children of the congregation. Pray that God’s purposes for their lives would also be fulfilled, that their ways pure, that they would declare His deeds, and that they would flee evil desires. (Matt. 18:3, 4; Prov. 20:11; 2 Tim. 2:22)
- Pray for those involved in music and worship ministries. Pray that their praise would defeat the enemy, that they would be the true worshipers who worship in spirit and in truth. (Jn. 4:23, 24)
- Pray for teachers engaged in local church ministry. Pray that they rightly divide the word of truth and teach with wisdom. Pray for illumination of God’s Word to share the deep things of God with courage. (2 Tim. 2:15; Col. 1:28)
- Pray that your church would be a house of prayer, with a prayer ministry that is powerful and effective. (Mk. 11:17; 1 Tim. 2:1; Jas. 5:16)
- Pray for revival in your local congregation. Ask that your church family be united with singleness of heart and action so that all will fear the Lord and follow His ways. (Ps. 85:6)
- Pray that the Holy Spirit would reveal any way that your church is grieving, quenching, or resisting Him. (Eph. 4:30; 2 Cor. 3:17; Ro. 8:6)
- Ask the Father to help your church understand the various gifts placed within it and how they work. Ask that these gifts would be used to serve others in love. (1 Cor. 12:4-7; 1 Pet. 4:10; 2 Tim. 1:6)
- Pray that your church would love one another as a body and that the Father would give a spirit of unity. (1 Pet. 1:22; Ro. 15:5-7; Col. 3:14)
- Pray that the members of your church would financially sow generously into your church without reluctance or compulsion. (2 Cor. 9:6-11; Mal. 3:10)
Download this prayer guide as a bulletin insert here. Let us know you are praying with us by using #COGOPprays on social media to share your requests, inspirations, and praise reports.
Praying for Your Pastor
“I have one request, dear friends: Pray for me. Pray strenuously with and for me—to God the Father, through the power of our Master Jesus, through the love of the Spirit—that I will be delivered from the lions’ den of unbelievers in Judea.” Romans 15:30
The words of Paul in this entire passage are so descriptive regarding the heart of a pastor. He is out pioneering churches, sharing the gospel with those who have never heard the good news, taking up offerings for the poor, and explaining to the church why he has not visited them as quickly as they had hoped he would.
Those who are truly called to pastor never stop serving, giving, and searching out the needs around them. They fight persecution from those who are unsaved, and even from those whom they have served. Ephesians 6:18-20 calls us to pray at all times, to stay alert, and petition the Father on behalf of all the saints, and then there is a call for prayer by Paul himself for himself. This was a prayer that he would have boldness as he proclaims the gospel. It is an obvious request to make supplication for those who declare truth around the world.
Prayer Directives
Here are some ways you can cover your local pastor in prayer:
- Pray for wisdom (James 1:5)
- Pray for strength and courage (1 Chronicles 28:20)
- Pray for confidence and perseverance (Hebrews 10:35)
- Pray for patience in difficult times (Romans 12:12)
- Pray for their hope to remain (Psalm 42:11)
- Pray for his study time to be productive (2 Timothy 2:15)
- Pray for evidence of God’s presence in his ministry (2 Corinthians 2:9)
- Pray for faithfulness to complete his work (Matthew 25:21)
- Pray for him to have the mind of Christ in all things (1 Corinthians 2:16)
- Pray for anointing (Luke 4:18a)
Additional Prayer Resources
Web:
- Praying for Your Pastor Challenge – https://www.reviveourhearts.com
- How To Pray for Your Pastor Or Your Spiritual Leader – http://myfaithfamily.com
- The Six Best Things You Can Do For Your Pastor – strategicrenewal.com
Print:
- Praying with Smith Wigglesworth: Faith-Filled, Scriptural Prayers for Fervent Prayer Warriors, Smith Wigglesworth (Charisma Media, ISBN 9780884194446)
- Praying for Your Pastor: How Your Prayer Support Is Their Life Support, Eddie Byun (InterVarsity Press, ISBN-13: 978-0830844661)
- The Ministry of Intercession, Andrew Murray (ISBN-13: 978-1622453399)
Download this prayer guide as a bulletin insert here. Let us know you are praying with us by using #COGOPprays on social media to share your requests, inspirations, and praise reports.