What would you like the church to take to the Lord in prayer?
If you’ve ever been to one of our prayer gatherings, for the most part the requests are directed by the elder leading the meeting. Beginning in October, we plan to devote a portion of the meeting to praying for your requests. Specifically, we want to pray for requests submitted by PBF members pertaining to PBF members and ministry. Since we have a limited amount of time, we will be seeking requests that are…
Submitted online: We've prepared a submission page that can be reached through the membership app and via this link. (It cannot be found on the website itself. You’ll need to go through the app or type in the web address [providencebiblefellowship.com/prayer] directly.)
Why do we prefer online submissions? First, it saves time in the prayer gathering itself. We can go directly to praying without taking time to solicit requests. Second, online submissions help us to prioritize requests that are...
Local: We want to focus specifically on requests directly related PBF members and/or ministry, as opposed to non-members and outside ministries. By reserving this time for local requests, we are not saying that non-local requests are unworthy of prayer. We’re simply trying to maintain a specific focus during this prayer time.
Examples of non-local requests:
- “My uncle in Columbus is out of work. Please pray that he can find a job quickly.” (This is non-local because it does not pertain to a PBF member.)
- “Our sister church in Mason is sending a team to minister in Peru in late October. Please pray for safe travel and effective ministry.” (This is non-local because it does not pertain to a PBF ministry. We do regularly pray for sister churches and may cover such a request in that portion of the prayer gathering.)
Examples of local requests:
- “I have a rocky relationship with my cousin. Please pray not only that we would reconcile, but that God would help me to grow in patience and love as I pursue that reconciliation.” (This is local because a PBF is requesting help for a personal issue.)
- “The children’s ministry is short on workers. Please pray that the Lord would raise up servants and grant endurance to those already serving.” (This is local because it pertains to a PBF ministry.)
- “My cubicle-mate at work is a Muslim. We have had numerous conversations about religion, and I recently shared the gospel with him. Please pray that God would move him to trust in Christ, and that I would be bold and winsome in following up with him." (This is local in that a PBF member is seeking prayer for a personal evangelistic endeavor.)
Concise: Ideally, requests will provide information that is necessary, clear, and brief. Concise requests will help us in several ways. First, they allow us to make the best use of our time so that we spend more time praying than we spend talking about what we’re going to pray. Second, they give us enough pertinent information so that we can pray with specificity. Third, they leave us with no doubt as to what we should ask of the Lord.
Examples of non-concise requests:
- “I’m really struggling recently. Please pray for me.” (This is non-concise in that—while it is brief—it does not provide the necessary information to pray with specificity. With what are you struggling? What specifically would you like the church to ask of God?)
- “I am having a difficult time trusting the Lord with my health issue. Just had a visit with my specialist…(had to wait TWO MONTHS to see him because he was having health problems of his own. Anyway, he’s better now and was able to squeeze me in.) He’s afraid there is no quick fix for the problem, but wants to do some more testing. That also could take a while since the VA is backed up. I’m really anxious.” (This is non-concise in that it contains a bit of unnecessary information, and it only implies a request, not making explicit what the church should ask of the Lord.)
Examples of concise requests:
- “I’m really struggling with a lack of contentment, particularly in my job. Please pray that I would delight in God above all and that He would grant me wisdom to know whether I should seek another job or view my current job as an occasion for growth.” (This is concise. We know what the issue is and exactly what the requester would have us ask of God.)
- “I am having trouble trusting the Lord with a long-standing health issue. I likely need more medical testing which is causing me to be anxious. Please pray that I would rest in the Lord, trust in His timing, and endure this problem until it is resolved.”
Biblically-informed: We want to prioritize those kinds of requests that seem to be prioritized in the Word: our sanctification, other’s salvation, and God’s glorification. In other words, biblically-informed requests major as much on why as on what. Charles Spurgeon encouraged his parishioners to “...pray in this fashion, ‘Lord, do not take the least notice of any petition of mine if I ask for anything that is not for Thy glory and for my own and others’ good!’”
Examples of non-biblically-informed requests:
- “I’ve been jogging for years, but haven’t seen much progress since the early days. I now have a goal to improve my mile-time to under 8 minutes. Please pray that I’ll do what is necessary to meet that goal.” (While “bodily training is of some value” (1 Tim 4:8), this request seems to have no higher purpose than personal achievement.)
- “My four-year-old son is really wearing me out with all the whining. Please pray that he stops.” (This is a totally understandable issue, however, it also has no reference to a kingdom-minded purpose.)
Examples of biblically-informed requests:
- “I have been convicted lately about how poorly I have stewarded my body in recent years and how this might negatively impact my ability to serve the Lord. Therefore, I have decided to start jogging. Please pray that I will grow in self-discipline, that I would exercise as unto the Lord, and that the Lord would improve my health as a means of increasing my ability to serve Him.”
- “My four-year-old son is in a particularly defiant season. I am frequently impatient in response. Please pray that I would grow in patience, that I would be diligent to raise my son in the discipline and instruction of the Lord, and that my interactions with him would contribute to his knowledge of God and eventual conversion."
So consider: What would you like to request the church to ask of the Lord? You can begin submitting those requests today for the next prayer gathering.
Comments