Praying Daily with My Church Family
I want to share a prayer tool we use at Muddy Creek Baptist. It’s a prayer guide that encourages daily prayer. And more specifically it helps us daily pray together. For instance, on the third day of the month all of us are praying for our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the world. We are focused in a spirit of prayer with a spirit of unity bringing petitions and thanksgivings to our heavenly Father who is the One who hears prayer (Psalm 65:2). Simple, right? And beautiful at the same time.
This booklet contains 31 prayers for each day of the month. (Click to see the Table of Contents.) Muddy Creek Baptist Church began using this on January 1, 2021. The Sunday before, a group of us met after the morning worship service and made a covenant together to daily pray for loved ones who were spiritually lost or spiritually asleep. There’s a section in the back of the booklet–“Prayers for Salvation & Renewal of the Faith.” We wrote names down, prayed together for these loved ones and friends, and committed to fervently pray each day. We also decided to come together again this summer to hear testimonies of what the God of Prayer has done. Of course we have shared testimonies along the way. All of us rejoice together over what our God has done and continues to do, and we continue to persevere with one another in prayer.
Ephesians 6:18 emphasizes “perseverance” in prayer. This characteristic in prayer cannot be over stated. The Greek word used in this text is “proskarteresis.” It simply means to persevere; endure; and persist. I love what The Theological Dictionary of the Testament says about this word and how it is used in this verse of scripture.
Perseverance in prayer and intercession is part of the spiritual warfare. Prayer, which has its roots deep in the life and power of God, knits the church together with a firm bond. It is not just a pious discipline but serious work which demands persistence.
We are baptized into one Spirit and called to be knitted together with a firm bond. Unified, biblical prayer does this. Whether it’s spouses praying together, families, friends, a Bible study group, or, as history has shown, when a nation humbles itself to seek the Lord together through fervent, sincere prayer, mercies abound. It has been said, “Prayers arising from my needs are preparations for future mercies.” How true; how true.
When a local church prays together, the benefits and blessings, and I can confidently say–the power of prayer, is multiplied. This is unified prayer. Think of Acts 4:23-31. Peter and John had been arrested. Acts 4:23-24 says that immediately upon their release these men went to their church family and lifted their voices “together to God” in prayer. I love it! They didn’t go home and sulk and have a pity party. They didn’t go to the grocery store and buy a carton of ice cream and sank into their sofa cushions mumbling, “Woe is me.” (I actually don’t say that when I eat ice cream, but maybe someone does. I prefer little to no talking when I have ice cream in my hands.) Peter and John went to their church family and prayed about what had happened and what they wanted the Lord to do. Notice below what they requested God to do. And God answered their prayer.
Acts 4:29–30 (ESV) — 29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
And God answered their prayer. The Sovereign Lord did exactly what they (as a church) prayed.
Other accounts are in Acts 1:14 and Acts 1:24, which says “they prayed”; and Acts 2:1: “they were all with one accord.” “They” believers unified together in a matter lifting up prayers to the Lord. They were unified in the same purpose and the same faith and they prayed together.
Another significant passage is Acts 12:5. Peter had been arrested by Herod, who had just murdered James, the brother of John, with the sword (Acts 12:2). Herod was planning on doing the same to Peter. When Peter was in prison awaiting the sword, the church had gathered together to pray for him. This wasn’t the three minute prayer where one person prays and the others listen and then say “Amen” in unison together at the end. This was a different situation that demanded a different type of prayer meeting. A group from The First Church of Jerusalem “were gathered together praying.” They were praying “earnestly” for Peter. Acts 12:12 tells us that upon his miraculous release, Peter ran straight to his church family. They were still going at it. He interrupted their earnest, unified prayer meeting on his behalf.
The last reference is from from Acts 2:42. It is a description of the believers in this first church. We are told that these believers in Jesus Christ “continued steadfastly” (NASB) in four expressions of unified faith as a church body of believers. That forth expression of the church is that they devoted themselves to “the prayers.” The scripture texts literally says, “the prayers.” Some translations leave “the” out before the word “prayer.” This actually changes the description of how these Jewish believers prayed. Okay, I’m going to stop and leave that sitting there lest I extend this post beyond its purpose. I encourage additional study on the culture of prayer at that time, and throughout Church history.
I offer this prayer guide as a free download. I have a .pdf version and a MS Word version. The Word version allows editing to insert your local church’s name on the cover and in a few of the prayers. This makes it more personal, and it does make a difference in unifying your local church body. If you download and use this, please send me an email. I’d like to hear how other churches are using this. Just imagine for a moment. Christians, whole churches, praying in unison each day across this country, and even beyond. Just imagine the incense of united prayer rising into the heavens in the name of our Christ.