How wonderful it was to be together in person on Sunday! I’m so grateful to all in our community who made the day possible. There were, of course, a number of glitches throughout the morning, which many of you watching via livestream experienced as serious impediments to worship. I am sorry! And I am grateful for the understanding and graciousness you’ve expressed as we make our initial attempts in a new space with new technology. Be on the lookout tomorrow for another Special Update from me with more details about our Sunday services at Gray’s Event Center. As of this writing, there are still several seats available for this Sunday’s gathering, so go to our pre-registration page by the end of the day Thursday to sign up.
I’m going to cheat a little bit this week in my teaching on prayerwalking, and simply copy-and-paste this wisdom directly from Waymakers’ prayer guide:
Prayerwalking is praying near the people you are praying for, in the places where they live or work. Prayerwalking isn’t really about walking around. It’s praying with your eyes and heart wide open so you can take notice of what God may be wanting to do in their lives. You can pray quietly with your eyes open without people necessarily knowing that you are praying for them. Be on the scene without making one.
You don’t have to have an official “prayer request” to start praying creatively. Try praying in these three ways:
1. Thank your way into God’s story. How has God provided, protected or guided them? We’re told to offer “thanksgiving on behalf of all people” (1 Timothy 2:1). When you think about it, it’s not hard to do. What you’re doing is “noticing” what God may be doing. Such “noticing” makes it easier to pray and easier to see what part God may give you in what’s coming next.
2. Notice what they may be facing. What fears, pain or ambitions are driving them? What relationships or disappointments have paralyzed them? What turmoil or crisis may be overwhelming them? Pray accordingly.
3. Pray with scripture. Read Scripture aloud. God breathed it and loves to bless it. Express God’s thoughts in your own words. Carry Scripture with you. Use a small Bible, or note cards. Choose a particular verse or theme as a base for your prayers throughout one day’s prayerwalk.
The theme we’re following for September 20, the third week of prayerwalking, is praying that our neighbors would receive of the Grace of Christ (Ephesians 2:1-10).
Remember to consider the questions at the end of our Prayer Guide . I encourage you to share your answers to these questions and other experiences on the next Zoom Fellowship (every Sunday at 11:30 am — see below for details.) I’ve been receiving calls, texts, and emails from Immanuel family members sharing their experiences and insights, and it’s so encouraging!
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