2023 is HERE!!! For the last few years we have begun the same way; in prayer, and we are doing so again to start off this new year. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, “Rejoice always, PRAY without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
Let’s start off this new year pursuing the will of God together and seeking Him and allowing His presence to guide and shape the people we are becoming.
Daily Prayer
Below will be a list of things to pray about, but we want to encourage you, our Church family, to commit every day at 12:15 to prayer. Set your alarms on your phones or your watches and at 12:15 we invite our whole Community family to engage with God, seeking Him.
12:15 PM Prayer Posts
Things to Pray About
Pray for those who have lost loved ones this year
God, give those who are grieving:
An eternal hope in Jesus that no pain, sickness, or suffering in this life can ever take away.
Comfort and peace that only comes from You.
Strength to carry on.
A community of friends & family who provide laughter, care, and love.
Pray for the Sick & Vulnerable
God, give those who are sick and vulnerable:
An eternal hope in Jesus that no pain, sickness, or suffering in this life can ever take away.
The peace that only You can give during trying times.
An ability to trust in your will, no matter what that looks like.
A fast recovery and full healing.
A community of friends & family who provide laughter, care, and love.
Pray for Government Officials
God, give our government leaders:
The heart of Jesus to lead like a servant.
Wisdom to discern what is right, just, and best.
Words that bring clarity and confidence rather than confusion and fear.
The peace that only You can give during trying times.
Safety as they run toward the problems rather than away.
A sense of purpose and joy in their public service.
Here is a list of some of our leaders you can pray for by name:
President Joe Biden
Florida Governor: Ron DeSantis
Tamarac Mayor: Michelle Gomez
Pray for Healthcare Professionals and First Responders
God, give our healthcare workers:
Wisdom and strength as their endurance are tested.
Faith that will triumph over fears of the unknown.
Courage to run towards when others are running from.
Peace that only comes from You in the midst of chaos.
Safety as they serve and protect.
Words of comfort and compassion to offer every patient they see.
Grace for their coworkers who are also feeling overwhelmed.
The love of Jesus unleashed in every hospital and doctor’s office and firehouse and police station.
Protection for their families.
Pray for Our Church
Pray God would empower us with His love, and we would unleash it every day, to everyone, everywhere.
Pray that our influence and reach would increase so that more men, women, and children could hear the hope of Jesus.
Pray for the launch of our Pompano Beach campus.
Pray for boldness to speak the truth in every situation.
Pray for our witness that people would see Jesus through our love.
Pray for open eyes and hearts to see the opportunities around us to share the love of Jesus.
Fasting
Another opportunity to draw closer to God is by fasting during the 21 days. Biblical fasting is voluntarily giving up something that is part of your daily routine in order to draw closer to God. You REPLACE the time you would have spent on what you’re fasting from with God. All through Scripture, God’s people fasted and prayed when they wanted to draw near to God, hear from Him, and seek answers to prayers.
Fasting has always been most closely associated with food. Some will choose to give up food entirely for a certain period of time. Some may choose just one meal per day, not going out to eat at all, or a single food item. Maybe coffee is your morning routine and for 21 days you choose to give that up. You can fast from anything that is part of your daily routine—TV, social media, games, etc. What’s important is that it’s something that will remind you multiple times each day to spend time with God. You don’t just eliminate something, you replace it with Bible reading and prayer.
Send an email to mystory@communitycc.com to share your 21 Days of Prayer experience. Share how spending time in prayer and His Word has impacted you.
Extended Prayer Experience
Devote at least 1 hour to prayer. Don’t think you can pray for an entire hour? Don’t worry. Here are some suggestions to help you not only pray for 1 hour but make it a powerful prayer experience.
Things to Remember
Prayer is a conversation with God. You don’t need fancy words.
A good conversation involves speaking and listening. So often our prayers are one-sided, just us doing the talking. Don’t be afraid to spend some purposeful time listening.
Find a spot that isn’t full of distractions (TV, smartphones, tablets, etc) so you can stay focused on God.
Things to Do
P.R.A.Y. (based on Matthew 6:9-13)
- Praise: Acknowledge how great God is.
- Repent: Confess and turn away from any sin.
- Ask: God’s Kingdom come. His will be done.
- Yield: Be quiet and listen.
Read & Journal Scripture
Highlight and underline. Don’t just blow through it. Meditate on it.
Write out different verses in a journal. Write a prayer after each Scripture.
Approach Scripture with the S.O.A.P. method
- Scripture: The passages that you choose to read and write down.
- Observation: How is this verse or passage speaking to me?
- Application: How should I change in light of the truth in this verse?
- Prayer: Write out a prayer in response to this passage of Scripture.
What Scripture do I read?
- Pick your favorite Scriptures
- Scripture suggestions from the Psalms:
- Psalm 1
- Psalm 23
- Psalm 40
- Psalm 118
- Psalm 150
Prayer Walk Your Neighborhood
Pray for the neighbors you know as you walk by their homes
- Check-in on them
- See if you can pray for them
Pray for the neighbors you don’t know as you walk by their homes
- Opportunities to get to know them
- Opportunities to invite them to church
- Opportunities to share your story with them
B.L.E.S.S. prayer for your neighborhood
- Body: pray for the physical well-being of the people in your neighborhood.
- Labor: pray for the jobs/work of the people in your neighborhood
- Emotional: pray for the emotional well-being of the people in your neighborhood.
- Social: pray for the relationships of the people in your neighborhood.
- Spiritual: pray for the spiritual lives of the people in your neighborhood.
Fast
Throughout Scripture, you can find a lot of people partner prayer and fasting together as they sought God and His will.
Fasting is a way we eliminate the noise and distractions of the world around us and focus more completely on hearing God’s voice.
Consider fasting from food 24 hours before your prayer experience. Try fasting from dinner to dinner. After dinner on any evening, you seek out God with some Scripture and prayer before bed. Then during breakfast and lunch the next day, forgo solid food, and read Scripture and pray during those mealtimes. Do your hour-long prayer experience at the end of this fast, and then celebrate your prayer experience with a meal at the end.