For the next ten days I’ll be sharing with you specific prayer points that will guide us all throughout this valley as we pray together. This is a united effort involving several churches in our valley.
I want to personally thank Gil Olsen, Pastor of the Bible Fellowship Church, who worked on the 10-day prayer guide. I’m simply passing it on to you. Now…let’s pray!
The main thrust of our prayers will be in three areas. First, that there will be UNITY in the Body of Christ. Our Lord prayed that we would be one as He and the Father are One (John 16:21). Second, that believers would gain greater maturity in Christ. The church is meant by God to equip us for good works in Jesus so that we might all come to unity through growing more and more into Christlikeness (Ephesians 4:11-16). Third, that the church might be getting ready for the Second Coming of our LORD. Worship is a wonderful way to do this and also evangelizing. Our Lord Jesus Christ said, “The gospel must be preached to every nation and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14). So our prayer targets each day will be 1.) For Ourselves to grow in Christ and in unity toward one another. 2.) For our San Jacinto Valley because there are many lost here that need to hear the gospel and be saved and our like-minded churches need to continue to work together to help all believers be “salt & light” here for Christ. 3.) For our Nation as the Evangelical Church desperately needs revival. 4.) For our world which needs to have greater peace. But only through Christ will that peace come for He is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6-7). We need to pray that the Great Commission will be fulfilled in our life time (Matthew 28:18-20).
Day One:
Prayer for Ourselves: (1 John 5:13) 13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. (The Holy Bible: New International Version. (1984). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.)
As you start your 10 Day journey of prayer, you must begin with the certainty of your own salvation. The first sin to overcome is doubt about your salvation. Indeed, you cannot be pleasing to God with such doubts in your heart. You can make no spiritual progress until you’re absolutely certain of your relationship to Christ. If you are unsure about this then 1.) Confess your sins to the LORD (Romans 6:23), 2.) By faith receive the Lord Jesus Christ’s death on the cross as payment for your sins (John 1:12; 1Peter 3:18) and 3.) Believe in you heart and confess with your mouth (be thankful to God) that Christ died for you sins, was buried and resurrected and you will be saved the Bible says in Romans 10:9-10.
Prayer for our SJ Valley: (Matthew 5:13-16) “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Pray for unity of the Spirit between churches and the desire to work together so that the lost will be saved and Christians would be “salt & light” here.
Prayer for our Nation: (2 Chronicles 7:14) 14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. Pray that believers all over America would join together in repentance and truly seek the face of God. Pray that the church would be revived and as Christian starting getting right with each other that he world would know we are Christians by our love for one another.
Prayer for our World: (Matthew 24:14) 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. –Jesus Pray that the gospel will be spread throughout the nations of the world and that “The Prince of Peace” would rule in the hearts of men and women, boys and girls!
Important Footnote: Tonight begins Rosh Hashanah which is the New Year celebration of Jewish people all over the earth. It is the Feast of Trumpets and starts 10 Days of Repentance that lead up to Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement). Though these two Holidays for the Jewish Peoples are not Christian Holidays, we have chosen what Israelites call “The High and Holy Holidays” for our “10 Days of Prayer & Fasting” because of their prophetic nature. That is, in His first coming Christ fulfilled the first four Jewish Feasts (for instance The Passover when He died on the Cross for our sins and Pentecost when the Holy Spirit kicked off the Church Age ten days after Jesus Ascension into Heaven), but in His Second Coming He will fulfill the last three Jewish Feasts. Therefore, these “10 Days of Prayer & Fasting” are perfect timing for praying for the Second Coming of our Lord and Savior!
The evening of October 4th begins Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, and that is why we end our ten days of praying then and will celebrate in our “Church in the Park” on Sunday evening October 5th.