Upper Room Prayer Guide

February 9, 2020

Whilst we are unable to worship together in a physical building this Sunday, we can be united in prayer to God who transcends space and time. That God would give us full access to his throne of grace is nothing short of miraculous. Let us then grab hold of this gift of communion with God, that is prayer, with confidence that His Kingdom will come, His purposes will be accomplished through us here on earth.

The Nations’ Upper Room Weekly Prayer Guide is a tool designed to center our lives around prayer. While the prayer guide can be used on its own for personal prayer, the guide works best in a small group setting. Weekly prayer theme coupled with prayer points calls for intercessory prayer. Put your spiritual armor on, God’s people! Praying scripture, another component included in the prayer guide, is an active way of communicating with God with the words He has already spoken to us. God continues to speak into our lives as we allow His Word to work in us and shape us into the very people He desires us to be. As we allow His words to permeate our thoughts, emotions, imaginations, faith is birthed.

May we always walk by faith.

Praying Scripture

“Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you. He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.” Psalm 55:22

“For You delivered me from death, even my feet from stumbling, to walk before God in the light of life.” Psalm 56:13

Tips on How to Pray Scripture

• READ the verses slowly, listening with the ear of the heart.
• REFLECT on the words, attentive to which word or phrase speaks most to you.
• RESPOND to the word or phrase that spoke to you, chewing it over and over in your heart, offering it up in prayer.
• REST in God, and listen for how God speaks through these verses.

Quiet your heart before the Lord. Allow his words to refresh your body, soul and spirit. Talk to God about the burdens you are carrying. His Word tells us to cast our burden on him. Like a fisherman who casts their net out for a catch, we are to “throw off”, “let go of”, our burdens to the Lord. How easy or difficult is it to cast your burdens to the Lord? Talk to God about this. What has the Lord done, what has He promised to do? You can pray silently, out loud or even write out your prayers. God is faithful to hear the cries of your heart.

Prayer is a powerful weapon to counter the evil forces of this world. The nation has been on edge since the coronavirus outbreak. It has affected our ability to gather together for a Sunday service. Perhaps you are gripped by fear and uncertainty. Take some time to pray. Some prayer points to consider:

• For fear of the virus to be replaced by the fear of God
• For people to be moved by compassion and not judgment towards any particular group of people
• For protection over the believers in China and for God’s kingdom to prevail in the midst of this crisis

What else were you led to pray? How do you think God would want His people to respond to this crisis?

Intercessory Prayer

This is an act of praying on behalf of others. We are all intercessors and we need all intercessors.

In the next five weeks we will use the “5 Finger Prayer” to guide us into praying for people from all walks of life. Check back each week for each finger reveal of the prayer points. This week our focus is on the thumb.

• Thumb: The finger closest to you – Pray for those closest to you – spouse, children, extended families. Pray also for your spiritual family.
• Index Finger: The finger that points the way – Feb.12,15
• Middle Finger: The tallest finger – Feb.19, 22
• Ring Finger: The weakest finger – Feb.26, 29
• Pinky: The smallest finger – Mar.4,7

Prayer Points for Family Relationships

Pray for your family. Pray for the unity, love, and forgiveness of God to permeate any difficult circumstances. Pray for salvation for any unsaved family members. Pray for homes to be full of the presence of God.

Pray for Joe & Julie Mason, our spiritual family in the Himalayas. Joe has been trekking through the remote villages this past week. Pray for strength, divine appointments, health and safety, boldness. Pray for Julie as she stays behind to build relationships with her Nepali co-workers.

Pray for your church family. For us to be a healthy body, full of love, and power for the advancement of God’s kingdom here and beyond.

Prayer Groups are available every Wednesday and Saturday at various locations throughout the year. You can join anytime! Fill out a prayer group inquiry form and we will get back to you with more information of what groups are available near you. If you are interested in hosting a prayer group, we would love to hear from you, too. Be blessed.