Jesus Centered Weekends Prayer

Today’s prayer request is Jesus-focused weekend services.

As Christ-centered prayer requests and resources are shared throughout this week, here is an article to help you understand what Christ-centered means - https://www.paultripp.com/wednesdays-word/posts/what-is-a-christ-centered-life

Hebrews 10:23 - 25 reads

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.  And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

The meeting together is connected with stirring one another up to love and good works 
AND
holding fast the confession of our hope, which is found in Jesus Christ.

Here are two helpful reviews of The Compelling Community, which serves as a great reminder that community in our church must be Gospel-focused, not demographics-focused.

• www.challies.com/book-reviews/the-compelling-community/ 
• www.thegospelcoalition.org/reviews/the-compelling-community/

In praying for this weekend's service, here some quotes to consider.  After the quotes are some prayer requests.

Preaching 

"Your church needs more than the Sunday morning sermon.  Nurturing the community requires saturating your people in God's word."  (87) 

In a Word-saturated congregation, a sermon doesn't stop when it reaches the ears of your people.  Instead, it continues its ministry through them day after day, all through the week."  (96)

"Teach your congregation their responsibility for the preaching they hear.  Specifically, they have responsibility in three areas.

1. Responsibility for what preaching they support.
2. Responsibility to change.
3. Responsibility to help each other change."  (96-97)

Prayer

"Pray for our witness of unity in diversity." (111)

"Pray that we would see relationships in the local church as part of what it means to be a Christian." (111)

"Pray that we would understand the need to make our relationships at church transparent, to be willing to tell embarrassing things about ourselves adn to ask awkward questions when needed." (111)

"Pray that we would think it important to encourage each other with Scripture."  (111)

"Pray that we would see part of being a Christian as being a provider, and not a consumer."  (111)

 General Community

 “Community is the togetherness and commitment we experience that transcends all natural bonds—because of our commonality in Jesus Christ” (13)  

"Scripture teaches that the community that matters is the community built by God. We may cultivate it, feed it, protect it, and use it. But we dare not pretend to create it. When in our hubris we set out to 'build community,' we risk subverting God’s plans for our churches—and I’m afraid this is something we do all the time." (14)

Some more specific things to pray each Sunday.

Pray for the person preaching that morning.  Pray that he would clearly deliver the truth of the Bible.  

Pray for those who will hear the sermon and be part of the service.   Pray that they would live out the truth of God's Word everyday. 

Pray for you.  "Walk into church praying about where you should sit. Yes, it is that simple. And it has that much significance."  How to Walk Into Church 

For more Theology Matters prayer resources click HERE