Open with a time of Thanksgiving and Praise, above all ask God to guide you through the Holy Spirit in this time of Thanksgiving and Praise. Psalms 100:4, “Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him; bless His name.”
- Praise and worship God for who He is
- Praise God for His many names and what they mean:
- Almighty—Genesis 17:1; Father of Lights—James 1:17; Fortress—2 Samuel 22:2; I AM—Exodus 3:14; Jehovah (El Shaddai)—Exodus 6:3; Judge—Genesis 18:25; Our Strength—Exodus 15:2; Lord of lords—Deuteronomy 10:17; Wonderful Counselor—Isaiah 9:6; Our Healer—Jeremiah 17:14; Prince of Peace—Isaiah 9:6; Alpha and Omega—Revelation 1:8
Spend time in Repentance and Confession, above all ask God to guide you through the Holy Spirit in this time of Repentance and Confession. Psalms 66:18, “If I regard wickedness (sin) in my heart, the Lord will not hear.”
- Confess sins of Attitude and Thought, 2 Corinthians 10:5 commands us to, “take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” Ask yourself the following questions: Are there unclean or lustful thoughts, thoughts that are consumed with earthly pursuits, thoughts of anger and bitterness, unloving thoughts, thoughts of fear and doubt, attitudes of pride and prejudice, attitudes of Lukewarmness toward God, etc…
- Confess sins of Speech, Matthew 12:36, “But I say unto you, that EVERY idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the Day of Judgment.” Ask yourself the following questions: Do you use coarse or profane words, gossip, slander, unkind or unloving words to or about others, do you use speech that is overly critical, do you speak words that are exaggerations or untruths, do you speak when you should be quiet, etc…
- Confess sins of Relationships, Matthew 5:23-24, “If you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” Ask yourself the following questions: Can you think of people you may have hurt or offended in some manner? Are you bitter or holding grudges against people who have offended you? Are you involved in any improper relationships? Do you neglect regular fellowship and meaningful service through your church? Are your family relationships consistent with God’s Word?
- Confess sins of Commission and Transgressions, 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Ask yourself the following questions: Are you involved in adultery, fornication, stealing or dishonesty, assaulting someone, going to sinful places, watching adult rated movies, destructive habits like smoking-drinking-overeating-eating unhealthy foods; reading unclean literature, putting recreation or material things ahead of God, idolatry, financial dishonesty, cheating employers, etc…
- Confess sins of omission, James 4:17, “Therefore to him who knows the right thing to do, and yet does not do it, to him it is a sin.” Ask yourself the following questions: Are you neglecting daily Bible reading and prayer time alone with God, failing to be a daily witness, failure to tithe, neglecting regular worship, refusing to use your spiritual gifts to honor God, etc…
Spend time in Personal Petition, above all ask God to guide you through the Holy Spirit through this time of Personal Petition. Psalms 37:4, “Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart
- Pray through character words that are found in Scripture
- As you pray through these character, reflect on ways that they can be applied to your daily life, examples would be: the anointing, power and filling of the Holy Spirit; genuine humility and brokenness; Spiritual zeal and diligence; wisdom and discernment; immovability; steadfastness; spiritual soberness; a spiritual passion and fervency for the things of God; a spirit of true worship; purity and motives; a quickened mind; a spirit of revelations and understanding; boldness and spiritual authority; spiritual protection from sin, self, satan, and the world
Spend time in Intercession for others, above all ask God to guide you through the Holy Spirit through this time of Intercession. Ezekiel 22:30, “And I sought for a man among them, that should make a hedge, and stand in the gap before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found none.”
- Pray for your pastor, youth pastor, Sunday School teacher, deacons, children’s ministry workers, etc…
- Pray for revival and growth in our church
- Specific ways to pray for your spiritual leaders:
- Pray Colossians 1:9-11; Philippians 1:9-11
- Lord pour out your Spirit on _______________ and grant him:
- An overwhelming sense of Your presence
- Power and conviction of sin
- A deep spiritual zeal and love for You
- The anointing, power and filling of the Spirit
- Clear discernment of Your will
- Deep purity and holiness
- A wall of protection from Satan’s influence
- Abundant fulfillment of his personal and family needs
- Pure relationships and protect his marriage
- Fruitfulness in his ministry
- Pure motives
- Specific ways to pray for your church
- Pray for a powerful move of God’s Spirit to bring deep conviction, repentance, and a mighty release of God’s power.
- Pray for powerful anointing and direction upon our pastor and all teachers and church leaders. (Name them)
- Pray for deep love among members.
- Pray that strife and disunity will be subdued
- Pray that Satan be completely bound from all the members and activities of the church
- Pray for a strong wall of protection to surround the church and its members
- Pray that the church will clearly receive God’s direction in all decisions and ministries
- Pray that the church clearly discerns God’s vision for that particular congregation
- Pray for a spirit of zeal in all ministries and initiatives
- Pray for blessing and abundance of resources to do God’s work
- Pray for God to raise up many laborers for His work
- Pray for a powerful spirit of worship, prayer and holiness to permeate the church
- Take a church directory and pray over every person
- If no directory is available, ask our pastor for a list of members to pray over
Spend time in Meditation, above all ask God to guide you through the Holy Spirit through this time of Meditation. Psalms 1:1-3, “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers.”
- Read God’s Word Daily at this point and as you read, ask God to speak to your heart
- When you have completed your daily time of prayer and Bible reading, write down in a journal key ideas and thoughts and impressions
- Fill your life with the Word of God. The more you pray and read, the more He will speak to you and transform your life
- When you pray, be sensitive to God’s specific impressions through which He leads you to focus on various issues of concern. Know that God is speaking to you as you pray and read and listen.