Prayer Matters
a publication of the Prayer Ministry of Riverchase United Methodist Church
Matters about prayer because prayer matters
May 2007
Purpose: to claim and sustain Riverchase United Methodist Church as a "house of prayer for all people" (Isaiah 56:7) and to encourage one another in prayer
May’s Scripture Focus:
I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone … for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 1 Timothy 2:1-2
May’s Prayer Focus: Praying for our Nation
Praise Worthy
Our Lord is definitely worthy of our praise and so often we fail to praise Him or fail to praise Him enough. Today let's praise Him for His sovereignty.
PSALM 8
O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!
From the lips of children and infants You have ordained praise
because of Your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.
When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which You have set in place,
What is man that You are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?
You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You made him ruler over the works of Your hands;
You put everything under his feet:
All flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field,
The birds of the air, and the fish of the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.
O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!
God Answers
We ask many things of God through prayer, and He faithfully answers our prayers. If you have an answered prayer to share, please submit it to Sandyshock@aol.com. Sometimes seeing how God has answered the prayers of others gives us confidence and encouragement in our prayers.
Here are some of the prayers God has answered recently.
A few months ago our church was asked to pray for a shooting victim. The doctors had told his family that he probably would not live through the day. Well, he made it through that day, and a couple of weeks ago was moved to rehab. His parents are giving total credit to the prayers offered on his behalf. Thank You!
A church member has seen God answer her prayers for her nephew regarding college. There was going to be no money to send him to school; however, God has provided a way. This young man has received a full scholarship to the college of his choice where his tuition, room and books are paid for. God is good!
Another church member is a two time cancer survivor who was recently diagnosed with cancer for a third time. People around the nation began praying for her. She went back to the doctor to do another scan to determine the course of treatment. The doctor was completely shocked to see that the tumor was gone. It is a miracle!
Help Me to Pray: What we learned
Our last Help Me to Pray session was a prayer walk around the church campus. We practiced praying different types of prayers in different places. These prayers can really be given anywhere, and you might want to think of incorporating them into your personal prayer time. Here are a few suggestions:
· Praise Prayers: Praise God for different aspects of Him such as His providence, sovereignty, grace, mercy, love, forgiveness, etc.
· Prayers of Confession: Silently come before the Lord. Let Him show you areas in your life that need confessing so that your heart might be free and clear to hear His voice guiding you.
· Prayers through Song: What song is in your heart that reminds you of God or tells His story? Sing, in a prayerful manner, as many lines as you remember.
· Praying Scripture: Find your favorite scripture. Meditate upon it, and “pray it back to God” by lifting up the thoughts expressed in it. Try one of these: Isaiah 41:10, Jeremiah 29:11, Lamentations 3:25, Zephaniah 3:17, Luke 10:41, Matthew 11:28-30, John 14:26, Philippians 4:6-7, Romans 15:13. Psalms are also perfect scriptures for prayer. Read and meditate on a Psalm, then rephrase it’s message back to God as a prayer of thanksgiving.
· Imagination in prayer: Jesus said that He is our “Shepherd” and we are the “sheep of His pasture”. He knows us by name and we need to follow His voice. Close your eyes and imagine Him leading you…follow Him to wherever He leads you in prayer. Try this with any of the other many images or names of God.
· Praying with Confidence: Let us remember to approach the throne of grace with confidence now as we pray and every time we pray with the assurance that God hears us, loves us, and is working out everything according to His will. So go ahead and thank him too!
Prayers Needed for Annual Conference
Annual Conference will take place June 1st & 2nd at Clearbranch UMC. Here are some things to pray for during Annual Conference:
Ø Pray for those who will be ordained on Friday at 7:30pm
Ø Pray for the discussion and decisions made at the Clergy Executive Session on Friday at 10am
Ø Pray for the election of delegates to General conference which takes place next year. Seven clergy and seven lay people will be chosen for this important task.
Ø Pray for those pastors who will be moving to new churches on June 10th
Ø Pray for those who will be commissioned at the commissioning Service on June 24th.
Pray-Up Events
Would you like to pray for our church but don’t know where to begin? Here are some things to include in your prayers.
May 21: RDS Graduation
June 1-2: Annual Conference at Clearbranch UMC
June 3: Summer Youth Kick-off event
June 5: Polling place for state elections (pray the vote)
June 7: Farmers’ Market begins Thursdays at RUMC
June 10: Blood Drive and Youth Sunday in SDL
June 11-15: Vacation Bible School
Camp with Jack Hinnen at Sumatanga
June 14-15: DISCIPLE Leadership Training
June 25-29 – Middle school mission trip to Louisiana
June 28-July 7: Russian Mission Trip to Sudislavl Orphanage
A Prayer For You and A Prayer that Can Be Used By You Each Day
By Jim Savage
“Gracious God, in this season and month of “The American Home”, we pray for all homes of every shape and size. We pray for homes of one person living there and for homes that house dozens of children who have no other place to live.
As we reflect on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, we pray that you will grant great wisdom, courage, strength and the guidance of the Holy Spirit to all moms and dads in our land. For those who are not moms and dads but desire to be, we pray that you will open the right doors for them. For those who are abusive to those they live with, I pray that you will convict them of this sin deep in their hearts. May all types of abuse stop all across our nation, and may every person in every home seek a true relationship with Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Grant to every parent, grandparent, aunts, uncles, and the children a sense of your presence and guiding love.
Grant every home your peace, that all of us might live in peace with one another and with our Savior, Jesus Christ. We pray that trust these things in the names of Christ. Amen.”
