Money, like any topic, is an issue that needs to be addressed in the church. Jesus talked more about money than anything else in the Bible. If you are leading an offering prayer in your congregation, read through these seven different short prayers you can pray to God before you take up the offering.
Table of contents
The Cheerful Giver
Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7)
Father in Heaven,
We thank You today for Your blessings that you bestow upon us all. Father, I pray for our congregation today. Lord, may we all give with gladness and sincerity. Father, no one ever gives a present to someone with reluctance and we should never give You what already belongs to You with reluctance either. Bless these tithes and offerings this day. We love You, Father! Amen
Watch What I Will Do!
Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. (Malachi 3:10)
O Lord,
We thank You for Your steadfast love and mercy on us. Father, we believe that every word in the Bible was breathed out by You (2 Tim 3:16), and we believe Your promise that You will bless us when we are obedient to Your Word. And so, without hesitation, we gladly give to You what is Yours. Bless these tithes and offerings, Father. We love You, Lord! Amen
You Reap What You Sow
One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. (Proverbs 11:24)
Heavenly Father,
We thank You for bringing us all to Your house safely today and we are so blessed by Your presence here today. Thank You for Your love and mercy on us, Father. Father, we believe in the Book of Proverbs and I pray that everyone here will look into their hearts and act in obedience to Your Word. May we give not to become richer, though, may we give because we simply love You! Accept these tithes and offerings today. We love You, Lord! Amen
Obey
Honor the Lord with your wealth. (Proverbs 3:9a)
Father,
We praise Your Almighty Name! You have blessed our nation with immense wealth and opportunity. Lord, You have commanded us to honor You with our wealth, and I pray that You will be honored greatly this day as we give to You what is already Yours. Bless these cheerful givers and bless the tithes and offerings that they give. We love You! Amen
His Eyes See Your Intentions
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:21)
O Lord,
There are some of us here today that didn’t want to come here. There are some of us today that will give to the offering with bitter hearts. Father, I pray You will soften the hearts of those who are worried about giving You their money instead of spending it on themselves. Father, I pray that You will bless all who give today and show them Your love in a mighty way because of their obedience. Bless these tithes and offerings, Father. We love You! Amen
The Tithe Belongs To The Lord
Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the Lord’s; it is holy to the Lord. (Leviticus 27:30)
Father,
We come to Your throne with humble hearts as we are so thankful for the blessings You give us daily. Lord, We believe in the Book of Leviticus. Father, I pray that as we give You our offerings and tithes this morning that we all will think about the fact that the tithe is Yours. It belongs to You. May we never withhold what is Yours. Please accept these offerings and tithes with gladness, Lord. We Love You! Amen
Love Is Essential
If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:3)
Dear Lord,
We thank You for another chance for us to meet together in Your house to worship You. Father, we believe in the Book of 1 Corinthians and I pray that all offerings given today are out of love. We experience Your blessings every day and Your blessings are always given to us freely and with ultimate love. Father, You loved us all of the way to the cross! May we love You enough to give You what is already Yours. Bless these tithes and offerings today. We love you! Amen
Conclusion
Giving back to God is commanded, and is something that should be done with joy and cheerfulness. As you approach your next church service, consider tithing if you don’t already. You will be amazed at how God makes everything work out. May God continue to bless you as you live a life worthy of the calling!
Take a look at another interesting article from our archives:
10 Prayers for Thanksgiving Or Praise
“Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”
Would you like to get the daily question in your FB messenger? Just click the button below to get started.
Share this post
: | | | |
www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com
Many offertory prayers include an invitation to the offering. Whether you are rejoicing in the resurrection of the Lord or giving support to your local church, here is a look at some great prayers for tithes and offerings.
Prayer #1 – Give with Gladness and Sincerity
Father in Heaven, We thank You today for Your blessings that you bestow upon us all. Father, I pray for our congregation today. Lord, may we all give with gladness and sincerity.
Father, no one ever gives a present to someone with reluctance and we should never give You what already belongs to You with reluctance either. Bless these tithes and offerings this day. We love You, Father!
Amen
Prayer #2 – Bless these Tithes and Offerings
O Lord, We thank You for Your steadfast love and mercy on us. Father, we believe that every word in the Bible was breathed out by You (2 Tim 3:16), and we believe Your promise that You will bless us when we are obedient to Your Word.
And so, without hesitation, we gladly give to You what is Yours. Bless these tithes and offerings, Father. We love You, Lord!
Amen
Prayer #3 – Give Because We Love You
We thank You for bringing us all to Your house safely today and we are so blessed by Your presence here today. Thank You for Your love and mercy on us, Father. Father, we believe in the Book of Proverbs and I pray that everyone here will look into their hearts and act in obedience to Your Word.
May we give not to become richer, though, may we give because we simply love You! Accept these tithes and offerings today. We love You, Lord!
Amen
Prayer #4 – We Honor You with Our Wealth
We praise Your Almighty Name! You have blessed our nation with immense wealth and opportunity. Lord, You have commanded us to honor You with our wealth, and I pray that You will be honored greatly this day as we give to You what is already Yours. Bless these cheerful givers and bless the tithes and offerings that they give. We love You!
Amen
Prayer #5 – Giving in Obedience
O Lord, There are some of us here today that didn’t want to come here. There are some of us today that will give to the offering with bitter hearts. Father, I pray You will soften the hearts of those who are worried about giving You their money instead of spending it on themselves.
Father, I pray that You will bless all who give today and show them Your love in a mighty way because of their obedience. Bless these tithes and offerings, Father. We love You!
Amen
Prayer #6 – The Tithe is Yours
Father, We come to Your throne with humble hearts as we are so thankful for the blessings You give us daily. Lord, We believe in the Book of Leviticus. Father, I pray that as we give
You our offerings and tithes this morning that we all will think about the fact that the tithe is Yours. It belongs to You. May we never withhold what is Yours. Please accept these offerings and tithes with gladness, Lord. We Love You!
Amen
Prayer #7 – We Give You What is Already Yours
Dear Lord, We thank You for another chance for us to meet together in Your house to worship You. Father, we believe in the Book of 1 Corinthians and I pray that all offerings given today are out of love.
We experience Your blessings every day and Your blessings are always given to us freely and with ultimate love. Father, You loved us all of the way to the cross! May we love You enough to give You what is already Yours. Bless these tithes and offerings today. We love you!
Amen
Prayer #8 – Take It and Use It for Your Kingdom
Lord, we thank for Your faithfulness. Thank you that we can always trust in You. You are an abundant God and out of Your great mercy you have given us so much.
We give you this offering today. With it we worship You and give our whole selves to You. Please now take it and use it for Your kingdom and Your glory. Extend and multiple its reach and influence we pray. May it be a great blessing to many.
We ask all this in the powerful name of Jesus.
Amen.
Prayer #9 – Sanctify Every Beat of My Heart
O my God ! I offer Thee all my actions of this day for the intentions and for the glory of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I desire to sanctify every beat of my heart, my every thought, my simplest works, by uniting them to Its infinite merits ; and I wish to make reparation for my sins by casting them into the furnace of Its Merciful Love.
O my God! I ask thee for myself and for those whom I hold dear, the grace to fulfill perfectly Thy Holy Will, to accept for love of Thee the joys and sorrows of this passing life, so that we may one day be united together in Heaven for all Eternity.
Amen.
Prayer #10 – Thank You for Meeting My Financial Needs
Heavenly Father, thank you for your many blessings and I thank you that as I give tithes and offerings, I am believing the Lord for:
Jobs and better jobs, raises and bonuses, benefits, sales and commissions, favorable settlements, estates and inheritances, interest and income, rebates and returns, discounts and dividends, checks in the mail, gifts and surprises, finding money, bills decreased and bills paid off, blessings and increase.
Thank you Lord for meeting my financial needs that I may have more than enough to give into the kingdom of God and promote the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Raise your hand and say, “It’s true, it’s for me, and I’m a giver. God has given to me and I am not limited by the world’s economy. Heaven’s economy is mine.”
Thank you Lord for your many blessings. They come in from every direction and I bless the name of the Lord Jesus who made it possible for me to return to what God intended me to be; full of authority through His name and very blessed.
Thank you Lord, in Jesus’ name.
Amen
Bible Verses to Open your Prayer on Tithes and Offerings
GEN. 14:19–20
And he blessed him and said,
“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
Possessor of heaven and earth;
and blessed be God Most High,
who has delivered your enemies into your hand!”
And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
LEV. 27:30–34
Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the Lord’s; it is holy to the Lord. If a man wishes to redeem some of his tithe, he shall add a fifth to it. And every tithe of herds and flocks, every tenth animal of all that pass under the herdsman’s staff, shall be holy to the Lord. One shall not differentiate between good or bad, neither shall he make a substitute for it; and if he does substitute for it, then both it and the substitute shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.”
DEUT. 12:5–6
But you shall seek the place that the Lord your God will choose out of all your tribes to put his name and make his habitation there. There you shall go, and there you shall bring your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present, your vow offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock.
2 CHRON. 31:4–5
And he commanded the people who lived in Jerusalem to give the portion due to the priests and the Levites, that they might give themselves to the Law of the Lord. As soon as the command was spread abroad, the people of Israel gave in abundance the firstfruits of grain, wine, oil, honey, and of all the produce of the field. And they brought in abundantly the tithe of everything.
MARK 12:41–44
And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
Here is a look at the truth about tithing according to the scripture Malachi 3:10. Presented by Grace Bible Church.
About the Author of this Blog Post Crystal Ayres has served as our editor-in-chief for the last five years. She is a proud veteran, wife and mother. The goal of ConnectUs is to publish compelling content that addresses some of the biggest issues the world faces. If you would like to reach out to contact Crystal, then go here to
send her a message
.
connectusfund.org
By Sandra Higley
1. Pastor – Lord, I lift up my pastor to You. Thank You for his servant’s heart. Keep him from losing heart when ministry gets tough. Help him prove faithful with the things you have entrusted to him. Teach him Your ways so that he knows You and finds favor with You as He leads us. Keep him open and honest before You and help him to represent the truth plainly. (2 Cor. 4:1; 1 Cor. 4:1-3; Ex. 33:13)
2. Elders – Lord, I lift up my elders (church board) to You. Help us respect and honor them as they direct the affairs of our church. May they wholeheartedly give their attention to prayer and ministry of the Word. Keep them above reproach, devoted to their families, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable and able to teach. May they be gentle and honest as they deal with people. (1 Tim. 5:17; Acts 6:4; 1 Tim. 3:1-2; Titus 1:7)
3. Deacons – Lord, I lift up my deacons to You. May they walk worthy of respect with sincere hearts. Keep them from indulgence and greed. Help them keep hold of truth. May they keep short accounts with You so that their conscience is clear. Bless their households with peace and respect. Fill them with Your Spirit and let them operate in wisdom as they carry out their responsibilities. (1 Tim. 3:8-9, 12; Acts 6:3)
_________________________________
Download a Free PDF of This Guide
4. Adults – Lord, I lift up the adults in my congregation to You. May we live worthy of Your call on our lives. As we respond to that call, fulfill every purpose, every faith-filled act of service by Your power. May we be clothed in righteousness with hearts that sing for joy and delight greatly in You. We want to walk with You, Jesus, dressed in white, adorned with jewels. (Eph. 4:1; 2 Thes. 1:11; Ps. 132:9; Isa. 61:10; Rev. 3:4)
5. Children/Youth – Lord, I lift up the children and youth in my congregation to You. May the little ones remain humble examples of what we adults need to become in the kingdom. Let their conduct always be pure and right with reputations that show that they remember You, Creator God. Teach them to declare Your marvelous deeds. May they flee evil desires and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace. (Matt. 18:3-4; Prov. 20:11; Eccl. 12:1; Ps. 71:17; 2 Tim. 2:22)
6. Seniors – Lord, I lift up the senior members of our congregation. Thank You for every gray hair attained by righteous living. We are blessed by their example and ability to train us. Help us to be humbly submissive as we benefit from their wisdom and understanding. Help them receive the strength and power You’ve promised to the weary and weak. May they put their hope in You and be renewed in the process. (Prov. 16:31; Titus 2:4; 1 Pet. 5:5; Job 12:12; Isa. 40:29, 31)
7. Lost Among Us – Lord, I lift up the lost members of our congregation. Let the gospel be presented to them not only through the sermon but also with power, the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. Teach us to make the most of every opportunity to share Your salvation. Help us to be the fragrance of Christ to them. We stand against the enemy and his attempts to keep them blinded to Your truth. (1 Thes. 1:5; Col. 4:5; 2 Cor. 2:15; 2 Cor. 4:4)
8. Worship Leaders – Lord, I lift up our worship leaders. Appoint people to this position who understand the splendor of Your holiness and praise You out of that understanding. Help them lead us faithfully in thanks for Your enduring love. Use their praise to defeat the enemy. May they be the true worshipers You are looking for who worship in spirit and in truth. Let them glory only in You, Jesus, so that they put no confidence in their own flesh. (2 Chron. 20:21-22; Jn. 4:23-24; Phil. 3:3)
9. Speakers/Teachers – Lord, I lift up the speakers and teachers in our church. May everyone who holds that position—pastors, Sunday school teachers, small group leaders, guest speakers—rightly divide Your word of truth. Let them admonish and teach with wisdom. Reveal the mysteries of Your word to them and encourage them to speak those mysteries courageously and fearlessly. Let them speak with a spirit of faith that springs from their relationship with You. (2 Tim. 2:15; Col. 1:28; Dan. 2:47; Phil. 1:14; 2 Cor. 4:13)
10. Women’s Ministry – Lord, I lift up our Women’s Ministry. Encourage our older women to train the younger in family issues. Teach our women to be virtuous—women with gentle and quiet spirits who put their hope in You. Let this ministry produce women who feel Your passion for them and who choose to spend time at Your feet. Train them to contend for the gospel side by side with the men. (Titus 2:4, 5; Prov. 31:10; 1 Pet. 3:4, 5; Ps. 45:11; Lk. 10:38-42; Phil. 4:3)
11. Men’s Ministry – Lord, I lift up our Men’s Ministry to You. Use this ministry to build our men in their faith. Teach them to be in right relationship to You and each other, to love their wives sacrificially and to instruct their children with patience. Encourage them to hold each other accountable as they carry each other’s burdens. May they speak the truth in love to each other even when it’s hard. (Jude 1:20; Titus 2:2; 1 Tim. 5:1; Eph. 5:25, 6:4; Gal. 6:2; Eph. 4:15; Prov. 27:6)
12. Youth Workers – Lord, I lift up our Youth Workers. Let these young men and women set an example in their speech, life, love, faith and purity. Cause them to be strong, alive-in-the-Word overcomers. Help them to have discernment as they deal with the young people in our church. Help them to notice any youth who lack judgment so they can teach them to value Your life-giving principles. Pour out Your Spirit on them. (1 Tim. 4:12; 1 Jn. 2:14; Prov. 3:21, 7:7, 7:2; Joel 2:28).
13. Behind-the-Scenes Workers – Lord, I lift up the people who work behind the scenes at our church. Thank You for every nursery worker, parking lot attendant, office volunteer, building janitor, etc. who have devoted themselves to the service of the saints. Bless them for the obedience and generosity they have displayed—may You receive praise as a result! Keep them in an attitude of humility that comes from wisdom and wholehearted service to You rather than to be noticed by others. (1 Cor. 16:15; 2 Cor. 9:12-13; Jas. 3:13; Eph. 6:7)
14. Children’s Ministries – Lord, I lift up our children’s ministries to You. Create an atmosphere here that encourages our children to find You. Let the teachers be careful to remind each child of the marvelous things You have done. Cause everything they learn about You to become a part of them forever. May they consistently choose life and blessing each day because of the training they receive in our church. Keep them walking in the truth. (Mk. 10:14; Dt. 4:9; 29:29; 30:19; Prov. 22:6; 3 Jn. 1:4)
15. Prayer Focus – Lord, I lift up the prayer focus in my church. Make us into a house of prayer. We desire to be clear-minded and self-controlled so that we can pray first, always, continually and thankfully. May everyone recognize that this is Your desire for all and not just a few. Use us to stand in the gap for others. Let there be prayer ministry among us that is powerful and effective. (Mk. 11:17; 1 Pet. 4:7; 1 Tim. 2:1; Eph. 6:18; 1 Thes. 5:17; Phil. 4:6; Ps. 32:6; Ezk. 22:30; Jas. 5:16)
16. Spiritual Level – Lord, I lift up the spiritual temperature of my church. Revive us! Refine us so that we burn hot for You. Give us singleness of heart and action so that we always fear You and follow Your precepts. Pour out a spirit of Josiah on us so that we turn to You heart, soul and strength. Open our minds to understand Your Word so that our hearts burn within us. (Ps. 85:6; Rev. 3:14-18; Jer. 32:39; Ps. 111:10; 2 Ki. 23:25; Lk. 24:45, 32)
17. Spirit-Led – Lord, I lift up the issue of our willingness to be led by Your Spirit. Holy Spirit, show us any way we are grieving, quenching or resisting You. Convict us and lead us to level ground. Help us keep in step with You as we live by You. Reign in us so that we experience Your freedom. Lead us into grace, life and peace. (Eph. 4:30; 1 Thes. 5:19; Acts 7:51; Jn. 16:8; Ps. 143:10; Gal. 5:25; 2 Cor. 3:17; Gal. 5:18; Ro. 8:6)
18. Spiritual Gifts – Lord, I lift up the use of spiritual gifts in our church. We eagerly desire spiritual gifts that You’ve given for our common good. Help us understand the various gifts and how they work. Teach us to use what we’ve received to serve others and faithfully administer Your grace—whatever form that takes. Help us exercise our gifts in love. Remind us to keep fanning into flame the gifts You’ve entrusted to us. (1 Cor. 14:1, 12:4-7; 1 Pet. 4:10; 2 Tim. 1:6)
19. Love/Unity – Lord, I lift up our love for one another as a body. Help us purify ourselves by obeying the truth so that our love for each other will be sincere, deep and from the heart. May our love for one another prove that we are Your disciples. Give us a spirit of unity so that we may glorify You with one heart and voice. Help us accept one another as we clothe ourselves in love. (1 Pet. 1:22; Jn. 13:34-35; Ro. 15:5-7; Col. 3:14)
20. Finances – Lord, I lift up our church finances. May we sow generously into our church without reluctance or compulsion. Make all grace abound so we have all we need for every good work You’ve assigned us. Make us rich in ways that result in generosity on our part so You will be praised. Keep reminding us of your promise to throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out blessing on all who bring the whole tithe into Your house. (2 Cor. 9:6-11; Mal. 3:10)
21. Outreach/Missions Projects – Lord, I lift up our outreach programs. Remind us to do good and share with others as a pleasing sacrifice to You. Keep us outwardly focused so we don’t become self-absorbed. Help us teach one another to be faithful ministers of Your Son. Enable us to meet people wherever they have a need. Help us minister faithfully as we proclaim the gospel so that the ones we reach might become an acceptable offering to You. (Heb. 13:16; Phil. 2:4; Col. 1:7; Jude 1:23)
22. Single Parents – Lord, I lift up the single parents in our church. May they know You as father to the fatherless and defender of widows! Let us be a real family to them when they are lonely. Show us ways to include them and minister grace to them. Stir up practical ideas in us that show Your love and care. Help them relax in Your grace and provision which is more than enough for every weakness and need. (Ps. 68:5-6, 25:16; Matt. 25:35-40; 2 Cor. 12:9; Phil. 4:19)
23. Help for the Hurting – Lord, I lift up those who are hurting right now. May they come to know You as El Roi, the God who sees them. For every situation of rejection, help them feel sonship. Bind up the brokenhearted! In every area of bondage, set the captives free; in every case of mourning, replace it with Your oil of gladness. Comfort them so that they will have a ministry of comfort to others. (Gen. 16:13; Ro. 8:15; Isa. 61:1-3; 2 Cor. 1:3-4)
24. Freedom from Besetting Sins – Lord, I lift up every one of us who struggle with sin issues. Keep us from the enemy’s scheme of condemnation. Grant us repentance so that we can escape the trap of the evil one. Thank You that sin was done away with on the cross and that we are no longer slaves to it. Help us to throw off everything that entangles—help us run the race with perseverance. (Ro. 8:1; 2 Tim. 2:25, 26; Ro. 6:6; Heb. 12:1)
25. Kingdom Focus/Priorities – Lord, I lift up our priorities as a congregation. Give us ears to hear what Your Spirit is saying to our church. Open our eyes to see things as You see them. Help us move beyond issues of immediate need to pursuing Kingdom issues. Bring us to a place where “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” is more than just words we say. (Rev. 3:22; 2 Ki. 6:17; Matt. 6:25, 33, 10)
26. Growth through Evangelism – Lord, I lift up our church growth to You. Add to our number daily through new converts. Birth spiritual children through us. Let our actions win people over without words. Use us as Your agents to rescue people from darkness and bring them into Your Son’s kingdom. We long to be worthy ambassadors in this ministry You have entrusted to us: that of proclaiming Your message of reconciliation to a lost world. (Acts 2:47; 1 Cor. 4:15; 1 Pet. 3:1-2; Col. 1:13; 2 Cor. 5:20)
27. Our Neighborhood – Lord, I lift up our community, especially the surrounding neighborhood. Let us love these people as we love ourselves. May our concern for their needs override other things that take our time and focus. Rebuild and restore areas that have been devastated. Renew our community—send Your peace and prosperity into this place where You’ve planted us. Bless each individual home and family. Build each house from the inside out; watch over our city. (Gal. 5:14; Prov. 3:28; Isa. 61:4; Jer. 29:7; Lk. 10:5-6; Ps. 127:1)
28. Connectivity with the Church in Our City – Lord, I lift up the Church in our city. Thank You for creating the body as one unit made up of many parts. Help us understand the value of each part as You have arranged them. We confess that we’ve minimized other parts. Forgive us, for we are all baptized by one Spirit into one body. Help us to work at being one: concerned about one another—suffering with and rejoicing with other congregations as appropriate. (1 Cor. 12:12-26)
29. Connectivity with the Church in Our Nation – Lord, I lift up the Church in our nation. We humbly unite and confess as one people—one Church called by Your name—that we have sinned. We’ve operated out of acquired wealth thinking we could do it on our own—but we are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. We seek Your face, O God! Thank You for hearing and forgiving us. We wait on You for the healing of our land! (2 Chron. 7:14; Rev. 3:17)
30. Connectivity with the Church around the World – Lord, I lift up the Church universal. Father, we claim the power of Your name over us so that we will be one, as You and Your Son are one. We want Your joy in full measure just as Your Son, Jesus, prayed for us. Help us live as though we are not of this world; sanctify us by Your word. May we be brought to complete unity so that the world will know the truth of the gospel. (Jn. 17:11-23)
31. Protection from the Enemy – Lord, I lift up our need for protection. Protect and deliver us from the evil one. Help us be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves as we deal with the wolves around us. Show us how to test every spirit to see if they are from You. Help us recognize the enemy’s disguises and schemes so that he won’t outwit us. (Jn. 17:15; Matt. 6:13, 10:14; 1 Jn. 4:1; 2 Cor. 11:14, 2:11)
–Written by Sandra Higley when she was the director of member relations for the Church Prayer Leaders Network. Sandra is currently the editor of Real Life Downloads from David C. Cook Publishers.
Note: This guide can be purchased in packs of 50 for your church. Click here for more information or to purchase.
(C) 2004, 2012, 2016 by Church Prayer Leaders Network. www.prayerleader,com. This guide can be photocopied or emailed freely as long as this statement and website is included on the bottom.
www.prayerleader.com
Have you ever been reading your Bible and noticed how Paul prays such rich, kingdom-saturated prayers for churches?
- For the church in Thessalonica: “To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power” (2 Thess. 1:11; see also 1 Thess. 1:9–13).
- For the church in Colossae: “We have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Col. 1:9–10).
- For the church in Ephesus: “I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him” (Eph. 1:16–17; see also 3:14–21).
- For the church in Rome (Rom. 15:14–33) and the church in Philippi (Phil. 1:9–11).
Of course, there’s far more where this came from. See Don Carson’s excellent book on the topic, Praying with Paul: A Call to Spiritual Reformation (Baker) , as well as TGC’s corresponding eight-session group study curriculum (LifeWay) .
Leading the Charge
It’s comparatively easy for you and me to pray for ourselves, our families, and our friends. But how can we learn how to pray more fervently and consistently for our local churches?
For one, we just need to start doing it—and encouraging others to do so.
To help with that, here are 18 things you can pray for your church. They aren’t as rich as Paul’s since I wanted to keep them simple and Twitter-length. (Also because I’m not inspired.) Still, perhaps you could print out this article and pray two or three of the points below per day for the next week—maybe in your quiet time, maybe at the family dinner table.
Also, consider copying and pasting your favorite prayers below into Twitter or Facebook, led by the phrase “Pray for your church: . . .” Don’t insert my Twitter handle or TGC’s. You don’t have enough room, and it’s not the point. The point is to use your social media platform to encourage others to pray for their church.
Who knows? One day in glory, perhaps we’ll see all the good accomplished from believers being more deliberate about praying for their churches.
What to Pray For
1. That we would have unity amid diversity—loving those with whom we have nothing in common but the gospel.
2. That a culture of discipling would form in which making disciples is viewed as an ordinary part of the Christian life.
3. That faithful elders would use Scripture to train members to do the work of ministry.
4. That a hunger for studying the gospel would form among members so that they can guide and guard one another in it.
5. That transparent, meaningful relationships would become normal and remaining anonymous strange.
6. The preaching of God’s Word—that it would be biblically careful and Holy Spirit imbued.
7. That elders would remain above reproach, kept from temptation, complacency, idols, and worldliness.
8. That the church’s songs would teach members to biblically confess, lament, and praise.
9. That the church’s prayers would be infused with biblical ambitions, honesty, and humility.
10. That adult members would work to disciple teenagers and not just leave it to programming.
11. That the church’s primary teachers grow in dedication to God’s Word even when no one’s watching.
12. That it would grow in being distinct from the world in love and holiness, even as it engages outsiders.
13. That members would share the gospel this week—and see more conversions!
14. That members would be prepared for persecution, remembering to love, not curse, their persecutors.
15. That hopes for political change would be outstretched by the hope of heaven.
16. That giving would be faithul, as well as joyful, consistent, and sacrificial.
17. That more members would use their careers to take the gospel to places it’s never been.
18. That members would be good and do good in their workplaces this week.
Can you think of something I didn’t include? Then pray it and share it! This is hardly the “official list” of the 18 most important things to pray. They’re simply what one guy thought of while sitting in his office chair.
The point is for all of us to start praying more intentionally for our churches, and to encourage others to do the same.
www.thegospelcoalition.org
