They...were constantly united in prayer. (Acts 1:14)
9/23 Pray with me: Father, thank you that you are our Father. You know more. You know best. We trust you. Help us to trust you like a child trusts his or her Father. You are Father. You are our Father.
Father, we bring you every burden. Jesus said, “Come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” We come now. We bring you our stress. We bring you our hurt. We bring you any and everything that overwhelms us. We bring it to Jesus. Give us Sholom (wholeness/peace).
Father, here is where we lay it down, every burden, every crown. This is our surrender. This is our surrender. Here is where we lay it down every lie and every doubt. This is our surrender. This is our surrender. We will make room for you to do whatever you want to do. (https://youtu.be/d87ttnH6bhQ)
Father, continue the work that you have started in us. Allow us to be humble and yielded. May we live by the Holy Spirit. May we be growing as Christ wants us to. We don’t want to stay spiritual babies. We want to be ready for solid spiritual food. Help us not to follow the ways of the world: jealousy and arguing. Help us to be healthy. Even when our circumstances are hard. Even when people around us are responding and reacting in unhealthy ways. Help us to be humble so you can do your sanctifying work in our lives. So that the gospel can be displayed in our attitudes and actions toward one another.
Father, thank you for first loving us. Thank you for forgiving us. As far as it depends upon us, help us to live at peace with one another. Help us not to think of ourselves as better than anyone else. Help us to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to get angry. Help us to deal with the log in our eye (our sin) before we try to help others with their speck. Help us to show respect to those we disagree with. Help us to be more interested in being in right relationship with one another than being right. Help us to admit when we are wrong and seek forgiveness from God and one another.
Father, show what outreach you are leading us toward. Give us unity. Give us clarity. Lead us to action. Raise up leadership from within Westside for whatever you are calling us to. Lead us to outreach that fulfills our calling to reach the nations that you are gathering in Greensboro. We pray that we would be able to help immigrants and refugees. We want to serve their physical and spiritual needs. Give us the boldness to follow your path even when it puts us outside our comfort zone.
Father, In what way might you be leading us to partner with Pastor Prince, El Shaddai and MGM? In what ways might this partnership be part of fulfilling our calling to reach the nations? If part of your plan is for El Shaddai to share our building then allow all the parts to fall into place.
Father, we also lift up Pastor Gil and Renova. You are leading them. They are an important church in our city. What are you calling them to next? Are you calling them to change their service time to accommodate El Shaddai sharing our space? If so, make that clear.
Father, we love you. Knowing the Father and knowing the Son is eternal life.
8/23
Pray with me: Father, you have called us/Westside to be a local expression of your manifold (many colored) wisdom. Fill us with the Holy Spirit’s power and give us the faith and boldness to live out our calling to reach the nations gathered in Greensboro and beyond.
Father, be our first love. Where we've grown cold, allow us to see how far we’ve fallen and to do the things we did at first (Revelation 2). We want to know you and not just about you. Make that a growing reality for every Westsider.
Father, give us unity as a church family. Help us to work through any differences we have. Protect us from any gossip and unforgiveness. Help us to look not to our own interests but to look to serve the interests of others. Give us the mind of Christ who being in very nature God did not consider equality with God something to be held onto (Philippians 2).
Father, give us compassion for our neighbor, fellow students, work colleagues, and friends. Help us to look for ways to be a blessing everyday wherever we are. Ultimately, we want all those you have placed us amongst to know your forgiveness and your love. Give us boldness to invite these people into our homes and lives.
Father, I pray that you would do important things in our lives when we gather on Sunday for our worship service and for Sunday School. Do eternal things in all our lives. Bring renewal, comfort, conviction for sin, encouragement, and devotion through these gatherings. Use the prayers, worship, sermon, and conversations that happen before and after the service to draw us to yourself and to one another. Use the Sunday School teachers in the lives of our children and youth. May our children and youth know you are real and that you love them.
Father, break down all cultural and socioeconomic barriers in our midst. Show us our prejudices and allow us to repent and be renewed in our way of thinking. Give us boldness to build relationships across cultures even though it is hard. Holy Spirit, give us power and wisdom. Allow the incarnation of Jesus, the Son of God, becoming a man to give us inspiration and boldness. Allow us to show Greensboro the power of the gospel to draw a diverse group of people together and to make them family. Allow this witness to many to faith.
Father, strengthen our marriages. Allow husbands to love you first and their wives like Christ loved the Church. Allow wives to respect and honor their husbands like they do Christ (Ephesians 5). Help our children and youth to honor their parents. Allow our families to be another witness of the gospel--a picture of the gospel. Bring healing to any and all relational brokeness in our families. Give husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, children humility to be quick to admit when we are wrong and to seek forgiveness. And make us all quick to forgive one another.
Father, raise up new leaders at Westside. I especially ask you to raise up new Elders who are called, gifted and excited to serve Westside in this role. Raise up leaders who love you most and have a love for cross cultural ministry.
Father, we are seeking clarity and wisdom in the area of outreach. Direct us. Give us unity. Give us the willingness to follow you no matter where it might lead. Help us to make room in our lives for this coming ministry. Help us to be willing to engage in redemptive relationships that pull us out of our comfort zones. Heal us of a mindset that wants to be your hands and feet if it fits into our schedule. Thank you for calling us and equipping us. We are blessed to be a blessing.
Father, thank you for loving us so much and for blessing our church. You are so faithful.
7/23 Father, thank you for building your church--here and around the world. Thank you, Jesus, that we are your body. You are our head. Lead us. Your Kingdom come and your will be done in each of our lives.
Father, help us to make room for you. We surrender our own plans. We want to know you and not just about you. Help us to prioritize daily time in your Word and in prayer. Allow our love for you to be our first love. Where our love has grown cold, help us to do whatever it takes to restore the passion. You are so worthy. You are the most worthy. You are worthy of our deepest desires.
Father, protect us from the attacks of the enemy who would want to confuse, discourage, fill us with doubt, keep us stuck in sin, and make us disunited. Jesus, you are the way, the truth, and the life. May we stand firm in you and in your mighty power. Let us draw upon the power that comes through the helmet of salvation, the shield of faith, the breastplate of righteousness, the footwear of the gospel of peace, the sword of God’s Word, and the power of prayer. You are stronger than the enemy. He is defeated. You won the war with your death and resurrection. We believe. Help our unbelief.
Father, help us to live as sojourners in this land. Help us to find our main identity as citizens of heaven. Free us from looking first to earthly security. Free us from the idol of materialism. Help us to seek to bless the city we live in. Help us to see the city through your eyes. Help us to reject self preservation. Help us to move beyond love for our neighbor that is only words.
Father, are you leading us to seek the wellbeing of our city by doing weekly ESL classes? If this is part of your plan, raise up from within Westside people to help with leadership and teaching and to pray for this ministry. Also, if this is part of your plan, begin to prepare the hearts of those we would be serving through these ESL classes. Father, give us ministry that extends outside the walls of our building--relational ministry that is helpful and also that leads to opportunities to share the gospel with Muslim, Budhists, atheists, etc.
Father, allow Westsiders to connect with one another in deep, meaningful relationships--the kind of relationships that result in spiritual maturing. Help us to have the desire and the trusting willingness to connect across cultures. May we be known for our supernatural love for one another.
Father, raise up new Elders at Westside. Elders who are full of character. Elders who are learning to love you with all their heart. Elders who reflect the diversity of Westside. Father, anoint, empower, and give unity to all our Elders, Deacons, Deaconesses, Church Council members, and all those who serve as worship leaders and Sunday School teachers.
Father, we lift up our upcoming VBS to you. Help with all the preparation. Draw all the kids and helpers who you want to be a part of this ministry. We ask that your presence would fill every aspect of this ministry. Allow our children and helpers to experience you as real. Use this ministry to bring people to faith and to disciple people.
Father, help us to make disciples who make disciples from all the nations--for your glory.
6/23 Father, Thank you for Westside Chapel. Thank you that you have brought this group of people together for such a time as this.
Father, thank you for setting us free from the power of sin. Thank you for making us new creations. Thank you that the old is past away. Thank you that we now have access to a relationship with you because of the sacrifice of Jesus. Help us to take full advantage of this beautiful relationship.
Father, thank you for the Holy Spirit. Thank you that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer. We ask that every day you fill us afresh with the Holy Spirit’s power. Give us power to love you more fully. Give us power to love each other more than we love ourselves. Give us power to share our faith with others.
Father, guard our love for you. When you are not our first love, may we think about how far we have fallen, turn away from our sins, and do the things we did at first. (Revelation 2:4-5). When we allow unbiblical doctrine/beliefs and impurity to live in our minds and hearts, give us discernment and grace to realign our minds and hearts with the Truth we find in your Word (Revelation 2:14-16, 20). When we are more interested in looking spiritual than being spiritual--when we care more about what others think than we care about what you think, reconnect us with a genuine relationship with you through your Word (Revelation 3:1-3). When we grow lukewarm in our commitment to you because of prosperity and wealth, help us to turn away from the sin of materialism that we might enjoy the greater treasure of relationship with you (Revelation 3:15-17, 19). You are worthy. You are worth it.
Father, knit our hearts together as a congregation. Thank you that we are a family. Help us to live more deeply into this calling to love one another as a display of your manifold (many colored) wisdom. Give us eyes to see each other like you see us. Give us self discipline to show each other hospitality. Who do you want me to invite into my home this month?
Father, give us your heart for Greensboro. Let us increase in love for every man, woman and child. Lead us to the poor, the widow, and the immigrant. Let us seize every opportunity you place in front of us to share your love. Let us seize every opportunity to be quick to listen and slow to speak. Let us seize every opportunity to share our testimony of your grace in our lives. Use us individually in our neighborhoods, work places, and schools to share the gospel. Holy Spirit draw people to yourself. Use us as a church to be a place that you entrust with new believers.
Father, give us ideas for local outreach. We pray for our VBS this summer. Make it effective at discipling young hearts. We give you all the details and ask for Kingdom fruit.
Father, anoint and work through D, L, G, E, J, L and R as they teach our pre-school and elementary Sunday School classes. Also work through K and H this summer as they teach our Middle and High Schoolers. Also be with Pastor Kipp as he gathers the college and career age adults during the Sunday School hour this summer. Work in the lives of our young people. Allow their faith to come alive.
5/23
Father, thank you for the cross and the empty tomb. Thank you that we have been forgiven and have been restored to have a relationship with you. Thank you that we now have relationship with you in this life and then face to face in the next life.
Father, thank you for Westside Chapel. Thank you that we get to be family. Help us to grow deeper as family. Thank you for using the Tables of 8 groups to draw us deeper into relationship with one another. Help us to become family across cultural boundaries.
Father, deepen our love for you. May we value our relationship with you above all else. You are our greatest gift. Give us discipline to spend time daily in prayer and in your Word and in worship. Use blessing and hardship to purify our faith and deepen our trust in you.
Father, search our hearts. If we have any unconfessed sin or if we love anything more than you, show us so that we can repent.
Father, help us to admit when we are wrong and to be quick to seek forgiveness from one another. You have forgiven us much, help to be quick to forgive one another.
Father, may we be wise in our use of screens. Give us discipline and wisdom. For anyone who has allowed themselves to view inappropriate images or videos, let them come to you for forgiveness--then give them the humility and guts to find a trusted believer to hold them accountable. Break the power of sin in our lives. Allow us to take up the full armor of God in relation to the evil schemes of Satan.
Father, allow our homes to be places of peace/shalom. Help husbands to lead out spiritually and to love their wives and children as they love themselves. Help wives to show their husbands respect. Help children and youth to honor and obey their parents. Let our singles and widows know the sweet presence of God.
Father, I pray that we practice hospitality this month. Help us to practice cross cultural hospitality. Don’t let procrastination or fear keep us back from welcoming people into our homes. Use these get-togethers to grow us deeper as a church. Let us also welcome non-believers into our homes. Use these times as a way of drawing people toward you. Help us to be good listeners and fill us with compassion toward others.
Father, you so loved the world that you sent Jesus to die for us. Fill us with compassion for the non-believers that we live, work and go to school with. Give us opportunities to share our faith. Give us eyes to see the opportunities you are opening up for us. Give us boldness. Let us take your request to make disciples seriously. Let us sacrifice our comfort for this cause. For all Westsiders who have isolated themselves from meaningful relationships with non-believers, give them creative ways this month for them to turn this around.
Father, raise up Westsiders who can/will give their time to lead us into outreach.
Father, do what you do. Thank you in advance. You are so good.
4/23 Father, help Westside to love you with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind and with all our strength (Mark 12:30).
Father, you have placed all things under Christ’s leadership. You appointed Jesus to be the leader over everything for the church. We are Christ’s body and are filled by Christ (Ephesians 1:22). Lead Westside. We pray for your Kingdom leadership in every service, every activity, every get together, and in every family’s and every individual’s life.
Father, allow us to be and to become a display of the manifold [many colored] wisdom of God in Greensboro and the Triad for your glory (Ephesians 3:10). May Greensboro and the Triad know we are your disciples because we love each other so well (John 13:35). What can I do today to love well? What can we do as a church?
Father, help us to put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, may we long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it we may grow up into salvation--because we have tasted that the Lord is good (1 Peter 1:1-3).
Father, let us come near to God with a sincere heart. Let us come near boldly because of our faith. Our hearts have been sprinkled. Our minds have been cleansed from a sense of guilt. Our bodies have been washed with pure water. Let us hold firmly to the hope we claim to have. The God who promised is faithful. Let us consider how we can stir up one another to love. Let us help one another to do good works. And let us not give up meeting together. Some are in the habit of doing this. Instead, let us encourage one another with words of hope. Let us do this even more as we see Christ’s return approaching (Hebrews 10:22-25).
Father, help Westside wives to follow the lead of their husbands as the Church follows the Lord. Help wives to respect their husbands (Ephesians 5:22,33). Help Westside Husbands, to sacrificially love their wives just as Christ loved the church. Help husbands to love their wives just like they love their own bodies (Ephesians 5:28). For Westside adult singles and widows who like Paul have either a temporary or life-long calling to singleness, help them to fear not, but to know you are with them and you are their God; strengthen them, help them, and uphold them with your righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10). Help Westside children and youth to obey their parents the way the Lord wants, because this is the right thing to do (Ephesians 6:1).
Father, help us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves in both word and deed (Mark 12:31, Colosians 3:17). What can I do today to love my neighbor well? What can we do as a church?
Father, with God’s power working in us, God can do much, much more than anything we can ask or think of. To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time, forever and ever. Amen (Ephesians 3:20,21).
2/23
Father, thank you that you are the head of the Church. We are your body. You are our leader. Lord, thank you that you have equipped us with the Holy Spirit. Thank you for that power. Thank you for being you.
Father, thank you for Westside. Thank you for the people. Thank you for the giftings. Thank you for the challenges. Thank you for the opportunities.
Father, bring us deeper--deeper in our relationship with you--deeper in our love and obedience--deeper in our love for each other--deeper in our willingness to serve one another--deeper in our love for the world around us--deeper in our willingness to build relationships that lead to people coming to salvation. Lord, bring us deeper.
Father, thank you for our leadership team(s) at Westside. Thank you for the gift mix. Bless our Elders, Deacons, Deaconesses, Sunday School teachers, and worship team. Bless us with unity. Bless us with resolve. Allow us to serve our church as if we were serving you.
Father, raise up new leadership to help us pursue our purpose as a church. Lord, raise up more biblically qualified leaders (1 Timothy 3, Titus 1). Lord, show us how to better nurture/disciple new leaders.
Father, thank you for your financial provision for our church through the generosity of your people. Provide for all our needs. Show us how to best steward our finances. We want to live a blessed to be a blessing legacy.
Father, be at work in the lives of our kids and youth. Help our parents to shepherd their children’s hearts toward you. Bless our children and youth leaders--anoint their ministries. Raise up new leadership to help fill in the gaps. Raise up youth leaders who can take this amazing group of kids to the next level.
Father, how do we encourage deep, meaningful relationships at Westside? Small groups have worked minimally, but I see the need for more consistency as an ingredient in our efforts to care for one another. How do we press into the gift of relationships we have with one another? How do we do it across cultures? Give us wisdom and ideas and unction to follow you. Father, I pray your blessing on our upcoming Tables of 8. Use these connections to draw us deeper to you and each other.
Father, how do we minister to our community? What replaces FEED? How do we show our community that we care? How do we care? Lead us to the least of these. Lead us to those places where you are already at work that we might co-labor with you.
Father, give us your heart for the lost. Lord, prepare us for the receiving of new believers at Westside. Lord, make us a community that you can entrust with new believers to be nurtured and disciples. Lord, make us expectant and intentional today as we engage with our neighbors, work colleagues, classmates, families, and friends. Help us to live out the gospel in the way we love one you, one another and our community. Use us to reach the nations both in Greensboro and beyond.
Father, as we look ahead to 2023, lead us. Protect us from the attacks of the enemy. May the things that are important to you become more important to us. Help us to put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, may we long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it we may grow up into salvation--because we have tasted that the Lord is good. (1 Peter 1:1-3)
12/22
Use the following prayers to guide your prayers for Westside today: Lord, thank you that you are the head of the Church. We are your body. You are our leader. Lord, thank you that you have equipped us with the Holy Spirit. Thank you for that power. Thank you for being you.
Lord, thank you for Westside. Thank you for the people. Thank you for the giftings. Thank you for the challenges. Thank you for the opportunities.
Lord, bring us deeper--deeper in our relationship with you--deeper in our love and obedience--deeper in our love for each other--deeper in our willingness to serve one another--deeper in our love for the world around us--deeper in our willingness to build relationships that lead to people coming to salvation. Lord, bring us deeper.
Lord, thank you for our leadership team(s) at Westside. Thank you for the gift mix. Bless this team. Bless us with unity. Bless us with resolve. Allow us to serve our church as if we were serving you--because we know that is what we are doing.
Lord, raise up new leadership to help us pursue our purpose as a church. Bless the Nominating Committee as they prayerfully discern new leadership for 2023. Lord, raise up more biblically qualified leaders. Lord, show us how to better nurture/disciple new leaders.
Lord, thank you for your financial provision for our church through the generosity of your people. As we look to 2023, guide us in putting together a new budget. We want to live a blessed to be a blessing legacy.
Lord, be at work in the lives of our kids and youth. Help our parents to shepherd their children’s hearts toward you. Bless our children and youth leaders--anoint their ministries. Raise up new leadership to help fill in the gaps. Raise up youth leaders who can take this amazing group of kids to the next level.
Lord, how do we encourage deep, meaningful relationships at Westside? Small groups have worked minimally, but I see the need for more consistency as an ingredient in our efforts to care for one another. How do we press into the gift of relationships we have with one another? How do we do it across cultures? Give us wisdom and ideas and unction to follow you.
Lord, how do we minister to our community? What replaces FEED? How do we show our community that we care? How do we care? Lead us to the least of these. Lead us to those places where you are already at work that we might co-labor with you.
Lord, give us your heart for the lost. Lord, prepare us for the receiving of new believers at Westside. Lord, make us a community that you can entrust with new believers to be nurtured and disciples. Lord, make us expectant and intentional today as we engage with our neighbors, work colleagues, classmates, families, and friends. Help us to live out the gospel in the way we love one you, one another and our community. Use us to reach the nations both in Greensboro and beyond.
Lord, as we look ahead to 2023, lead us. Protect us from the attacks of the enemy. May the things that are important to you become more important to us. Help us to put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, may we long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it we may grow up into salvation--because we have tasted that the Lord is good. (1 Peter 1:1-3)
9/22
Use the below prayers as a guide as you pray for Westside today.
Lord, thank you for Westside. Thank you for the unique group of ethnicities, socioeconomic backgrounds, personalities, and giftings you have brought together. Knit us together as one family.
Lord, help us to know what it means to abide in you. May our identity be first child of God and beloved. May we be quick to confess and repent of sin in our lives. May we grow in our awareness of and yieldedness to the presence of God. May we be willing to obey and experience the joy of following you into the uncomfortable and inconvenient. Help us to value and seek a heart that abides in you. Thank you that abiding is not a pipe dream but a real possibility for your followers.
Lord, raise up leaders at Westside who are in love with you and your bride the church. Raise up leaders who reflect the uniqueness of Westside. Show us ways to nurture leadership that has a heart for the nations.
Lord, show our children and youth that you are real. Show them that your love is real. Show them that your presence is real. Show them that you are worthy of them giving their lives to you and your good plan.
Lord, help parents to know your Father-heart and then to shepherd, discipline, and direct their children in your ways.
Lord, help our marriages. May they reflect the gospel. May Husbands be open to and growing in their Christ like sacrificial love for their wives. May wives be open to and growing in their respect for their husbands (Eph. 5:21-33).
Lord, help those struggling with spiritual stuckness to seek you until you are found. Bring personal and church wide revival to us. Soften our hearts.
Lord, allow us to be a display of your manifold (many colored) wisdom. Help us to show the world who you are through the way we sacrificially love each other--the way you love/loved us. What is something I/we can do today to sacrificially love a Westsider?
Lord, allow many people to come to you because of our witness and our willingness to go to the least reached. We want the people and nations you have gathered in Greensboro to meet you. Who is someone who doesn't yet know you that you want me to build a relationship with? What can I do today or this week to invest in relationships with non-believers? What is a ministry Westside can join or start to help reach those in need and those who need to know your truth and love?
Lord, show us how to bless and encourage and learn from other churches in Greensboro. Thank you for what you are doing through the Ekklesia pastor’s group and retreats. Thank you for what you are doing through the international churches we have relationship with. Bless these churches. Bless Renova, El Shaddai Vision Church, the Koho church, Grace Montagnard Church, and all the churches in Greensboro. Everything we pray for ourselves, we also pray for all churches that make up the body of Christ. What are ways that I/we can be a blessing to these churches?
Lord, help all those who are experiencing health issues, depression, and hopelessness. Bring healing. Bring hope. What is a way I/we can show them your love today?
Lord, stretch us and make us uncomfortable so that we must depend upon you. You are so worthy. You are so worth it. Your will be done. Your kingdom come as it is in heaven here at Westside and in Greensboro. What is one thing I/we can do that is outside of our comfort zone that causes us to flex our faith muscle today?
