Newsletter & Prayer Directive 10-30-07
Greetings from City Worship Centre! Pastors Joe and Becky asked Kari and I to prepare the prayer directive this week. So here goes…
First of all, remember that this Sunday is the end of Daylight Savings Time for 2007. You will ‘fall back’ one hour, which means one glorious extra hour of sleep (or prayer if you are particularly spiritual 
Before you go to bed (say at 9:00pm) set your clock back one hour (say to 8:00pm). Of course, you could do it like the government and wait until 2:00am to set your clock back to 1:00am 
Don’t get to church too early.
We have been going through a tremendous revival of prayer, study of the Word and genuine fellowship at the church. One of the areas God has spoken concerning is “Keeping God’s Word in Our Mouths.” Growing up as a Christian, I used to hear people say, “Put the Word on it.” In other words, if you have a problem, put God’s Word on it. God’s Word has promises, comforts and direction for every circumstance you will ever encounter. That is why God gave us His Word. It is a chest full of treasure. To activate that treasure in our lives, we must simply speak it!
With that in mind, I have felt impressed to pray God’s word over the future. There are many circumstances in our world today, and in many of our personal lives that would allow the enemy to say to us, “You have no future.” But! God’s word is clear, we do have a future in Christ.
Romans 8:16-20 states, “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirsheirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. From Suffering to Glory. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope;”
Our future in Christ is the glory of God. We will be glorified with Him. We are to be joint heirs with Him. Only now do we groan (but in hope) for that revelation.
I would like to invite you to pray over the future. To start with, pray,
“Father, thank you for the gift of Your Holy Spirit who witnesses with my spirit that I am a child of God, and as such, I am a joint heir with Christ Jesus. I will be glorified with Him at the revealing of the Sons of God.”
You may not feel like what you just prayed, but if you pray it enough, YOU WILL!
Some other future areas we may pray for are:
1) Ourselves
Jeremiah 29:11 states, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
Pray, “Lord I thank you that your thoughts toward me are thoughts of peace and not evil, to give me a hope and a future. Surely you are bringing peace to my life. Your thoughts toward me are for peace in my personal life, peace in my family life, peace in my church…”
Psalms 91:16 states, “With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.”
Pray, “Lord I thank you that you will SATISFY me with LONG LIFE, and show me your SALVATION. I will fear no evil because no plague will come near my dwelling and no terror will come to me.”
Psalms 103:5 states, “Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
Pray, “Lord I thank you that you continually satisfy my mouth with good things, so that my youth is renewed like the eagle. Thank you for a healthy future.”
Phil. 1:6 states, “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;”
Pray, “Lord thank you for finishing the good thing that you have started in me, and thank you for starting it!”
Pray the aforementioned scriptures over your family, pastors and church as well.
2) Your spouse (or even other peoples’ spouses–like your Pastors’!)
Prov. 18:11 states, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD.”
Pray, “Father, thank you for my excellent wife (husband), in giving her (him) to me, you have surely shown me your favor. SHE (HE) IS A GOOD THING!”. Declare the goodness of your spouse according to the Word, and watch as God honors His Word in your marriage.
Prov. 19:14 states, “Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the LORD.”
Pray, “Father, thank you for the prudent spouse you have given me.”
Eccl. 12:4 states, “And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.”
Pray, “Thank you father, that You, I and my spouse are a cord that cannot be torn apart. Thank you for a strong, healthy marriage in Jesus’ name.”
3) Your children (or even other peoples’ children)
Proverbs 11:21 states, “Though they join forces, the wicked will not go unpunished; But the posterity of the righteous will be delivered.”
Pray, “Father I thank you that my children will be delivered from all of the afflictions, temptations, deceptions and circumstances of this world that would harm them in Jesus name! My children are delivered according to Proverbs 11:21.”
Psalms 112:2 states, “His descendants will be mighty on earth; The generation of the upright will be blessed.”
Pray, “Father, surely my descendants will be mighty and blessed. Thank you for Your covenant with me and my children in Jesus’ name.”
4) Your Church
Matt. 16:18 states, “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”
Pray, “Thank you Lord that the very gates of hell will not prevail against your church. Only victory awaits Your church in the future. Just as you began a good work in me, you have begun a good work in the church, and will complete it!”
Eph. 5:27 states, “…that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.”
Pray with me, “Father, we thank you that you are preparing your church and City Worship Centre in particular to be a church without spot or wrinkle, without blemish, that we should be holy. We thank you for your continuous work in our church.”
Finally, remember to pray for Pastor’s Joe and Becky as they travel to Thailand with Pastor (Doctor) Laohaprosit from Seattle Washington. This is a worship/missions trip that has been in the making for a long time. We believe the scripture that says, “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” and, “Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land.” (Is 52:7 and Prov. 25:25)
Pray, “Father, we thank you that Joe and Becky are bringing the good news of your salvation to Thailand this week. We thank you that they will be blessed and will refresh the souls of those who hear them. Furthermore, just as Jesus proclaimed good news to the captives, Joe and Becky will do also in His name. We ask you to honor your Word and deliver, heal, set free and bless the church in Thailand on this trip in Jesus’ name.”
Join us as we pray and meditate on these things, and be sure to join all of us in prayer Wednesday at 6:30pm at City Worship Centre.
We pray for you all, Pastors Jay and Kari Crisman