“Faith, and hope, and patience and all the strong, beautiful, vital forces of piety are withered and dead in a prayerless life. The life of the individual believer, his personal salvation, and personal Christian graces have their being, bloom, and fruitage in prayer.” – E.M. Bounds

PRAY THAT OUR CHURCH WOULD BE A BODY GROWING IN MATURITY

Ephesians 4:11-16 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

PRAY THAT WE WOULD…

BE EQUIPPED – Pray for our leaders would be seen, not as those who should do everything, but those who equip everyone to do the work of ministry. Pray for our leaders to have wisdom in how best to equip others and pray for others to desire to be equipped.

BE UNITED – Pray for people to grow more and more in our knowledge and love of God – and that would produce a real, abiding unity in purpose and mindset.

BECOME MATURE – Pray that we would become more and more mature in every area of life, more and more like Christ.

BE STEADFAST – Pray that we will no compromise on God’s Word. Pray that, even in difficulty, we would stand firm on the truth we know. Pray for strength to stand firm for every believe in our church.

BUILD EACH OTHER UP – Pray that EVERYONE will take seriously the calling to be a part of building up the Body of Christ at OPBC. Pray for specific opportunities to encourage and build up someone THIS SUNDAY.

Summarized from 5 Things to Pray for Your Church by Rachel Jones (Good Book Company)