Thy Kingdom Come. The Archbishops Call for Great Wave of Prayer for Evangelism leading up to Pentecost. Sunday 8 -Sunday 15 May 2016

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1 Thy Kingdom Come The Archbishops Call for Great Wave of Prayer for Evangelism leading up to Pentecost Sunday 8 -Sunday 15 May 2016

The Archbishops of Canterbury and York are inviting churches to pray for the evangelisation of the nation during the week before Pentecost INTRODUCTION Words of invitation from the Archbishops of

2 The Archbishops of Canterbury and York are inviting churches to pray for the evangelisation of the nation during the week before Pentecost INTRODUCTION Words of invitation from the Archbishops of Canterbury, Justin Welby and the Archbishop of York John Sentamu: We long to see a great wave of prayer across our land, throughout the Church of England and many other Churches. Our hope is - for all Christians to deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ - for all of us to have confidence to share the Gospel - for all to respond to the call of Jesus Christ to follow Him as disciples, to live out the Gospel and to seek God s Kingdom from day to day At the heart of our prayers will be the words that Jesus Christ himself taught us - Thy kingdom come, thy will be done. It is impossible to overstate the lifetransforming power of the Lord s Prayer When we pray it with sincerity and with joy, there is no imagining the new ways in which God can use us to his glory.

3 How will you prioritize praying this week? Where will you pray? Who will you prioritize prayer for? Use this space to note down your plans. OPPORTUNITIES TO PRAY

4 PRAYING FOR FIVE FRIENDS Praying for others to know Jesus is one of the most powerful things we can do; persistent prayer for others brings transformation to their lives. Consistently praying for others takes discipline, and there are many ways that we can build up habits that will help us to pray for our friends and family. Choose five people you would regularly like to pray for and write their names down onto a list. If you re not sure who to pray for, ask God to guide you as you choose. Once you have settled on 5 names, commit to praying for them regularly. Using the BLESS acrostic can help us to focus on all of the felt needs of those we praying for: Body health, protection, energy Labour employment/ unemployment, retirement, adequate income Emotional inner peace, joy, wisdom, insight, patience Social healthy relationships between spouses, parents, children, friends Spiritual repentance, salvation, obedience, faith

5 Loving Father, Send your Holy Spirit so I can share your love, life and message with: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) Reveal Jesus to them, that they might know, follow and love him, For Your Glory Amen Use this space to write any helpful notes: MY LIST OF FIVE FRIENDS

6 PRAYERS FOR YOUR USE Loving Lord, Please work in me so I can share your love, life and message with Reveal your love to them, that they might know, follow and witness to you, For Your Glory Amen Loving Father, Send your Holy Spirit so I can share your love, life and message with Reveal Jesus to them, that they might know, follow and love him, For Your Glory Amen You build your church through the power of your Spirit. By the same Spirit enable me to witness to your love, beauty and grace. That they may come to the fellowship of the faithful For Your Glory Amen Lord, I pray that you will lead to you. Thank you that you love them and I pray that you would break into their life and show them your love, grace and peace. For Your Glory Amen

7 We encourage you to look for opportunities to offer to pray for people when appropriate. How? When someone shares with you a need i.e. illness, worry, job opportunity, driving test, house move etc. (it could be the need of a family member or friend), tell them you believe in prayer and say something like this: if you don t mind I ll pray for you about that? If they respond positively say something like would you like to pray with you now, you don t have to do anything and we can keep our eyes open. If they say no then assure them that s fine and you ll pray on your own. If they say yes then pray with your eyes open and keep your prayer short and simple. For example: Lord, please give Jane peace as she takes her driving test and enable her to do her best. Lord, please help Tom as he supports his parents with their illness. Lord, please come and heal Clare of her sore throat. Which ever way you pray thank the person PRAYING WITH OTHERS

8 PRACTICE YOUR TESTIMONY Return home and tell how much God has done for you. Luke 8:39 Sharing your story can help family, friends, and people you meet understand how they too can follow Jesus. Write down a few points under each heading. Then practise telling your story in two or three minutes: Your life before you met Jesus (if you grew up with faith then talk about that.) How you met Jesus How you life has changed

Jesus instructed the disciples to stay in Jerusalem and wait on the

By joining with others in corporate prayer or in prayer rooms, we

9 Jesus instructed the disciples to stay in Jerusalem and wait on the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4). By joining with others in corporate prayer or in prayer rooms, we are following in the footsteps of the disciples. Many churches will run prayer rooms. Perhaps you could consider visiting one of these and using the resources available for prayer. Where and when can you join with others in prayer? MY PRAYER ROOM VISIT

10 PRAYER WALKS Prayer walking is as simple as it sounds - praying as you walk. When we prayer walk we are stepping into our authority as God s children to bless people and places in Jesus name. This simple task is a great way to bring transformation to your local community by asking God to break in. GET PRAYER WALKING The core of prayer walking is conversing with God; ask Him to show you what He sees; to know His heart for your community. As you prayer walk, be aware of your surroundings: what you see, smell, hear and touch. But also be aware of what God is saying to you as you move around your community; if any Bible verses pop into your head or if you have any pictures, visions or words of knowledge. Turn these natural and supernatural senses into prayer. The point of prayer walking isn t about being seen praying; it s about seeing and praying. You can pray quietly together or in silence if it makes you feel more comfortable. However, don t be afraid to speak out prayers if you feel compelled to. When and with whom will you prayer walk? Visit for further guidance and help

11 Use this space to write down your specific plans for prayer walking. MY PRAYER WALK PLAN

12 SMALL GROUP PLANS These pages are for you to note down how your individual small group will take part in the wave of prayer. Why not visit the Thy Kingdom Come website or The Prayer Course produced by 24/7? Journey through the Lord s Prayer with six short videos and a handy cheat sheet for each session, all designed to fuel discussion and deepen the prayer life of your group. Is this something you could connect with and use to deepen your life of prayer together?

13 SMALL GROUP PLANS

14 DAILY DEVOTIONALS Sunday 8 May Reading: John 2:1-10 Pray for your 5 friends Lord s Prayer Focus: Our Father in Heaven: Praise God that He know you like a good Father knows His children Monday 9 May Reading: John 4:46-54 Pray for your 5 friends Lord s Prayer Focus: Hallowed be your name Spend time glorifying God Tuesday 10 May Reading: John 5:1-9 Pray for your 5 friends Lord s Prayer Focus: Your Kingdom come, your will be done Pray for God s Kingdom to come in our city Wednesday 11 May Reading: John 6:1-13 Pray for your 5 friends Lord s Prayer Focus: On earth as it is in Heaven Pray for the part of the earth you inhabit.

15 Thursday 12 May Reading: John 6:16-21 Saturday 14 May Reading: John 11:32-44 Pray for your 5 friends Lord s Prayer Focus: Give us this day our daily bread Pray for the needs of the city Friday 13 May Reading: John 9:1-11 Pray for your 5 friends Lord s Prayer Focus: Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us Spend time in confession and forgiveness Pray for your 5 friends Lord s Prayer Focus: For your is the Kingdom, the power and the glory Spend time declaring these truths Sunday 15 May Reading: Acts 2:1-41 Pray for your 5 friends Lord s Prayer Focus: Forever and ever. Amen Spend time worshipping God DAILY DEVOTIONALS

16 We encourage people and churches everywhere to use the following prayer during Thy Kingdom Come week of prayer: Dear Lord Help us as we love you Help us as we love one another Give us confidence to tell others about Jesus Let us demonstrate your love to the world Amen Thy Kingdom Come Prayer Week 8 th 15 th May 2016 Visit the website for more inspiration and information:

WHAT S THE STORY SO FAR?

WHAT S THE STORY SO FAR? FOR THE LAST 3 YEARS BETWEEN ASCENSION AND PENTECOST, MILLIONS OF CHRISTIANS ACROSS THE WORLD HAVE UNITED IN PRAYER FOR OTHERS TO COME TO FAITH IN CHRIST. THIS MOVEMENT IS CALLED