“I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.” Job 42:5-6
Growing up in Indiana, I followed the basketball career of a famous fellow Hoosier named Larry Bird. From his high school days in French Lick to four years at Indiana State University to a stellar career in the NBA with the Boston Celtics, I knew all there was to know about Larry Bird. While I was in seminary at SWBTS in Ft. Worth, Texas, I had the privilege of going to Dallas to watch the Celtics play the Mavericks. I invited a seminary friend to accompany me. On the way to Dallas, I spewed fact after fact about Larry to my friend. I told my friend my intentions were to walk up behind the Celtic bench, before the game, to have a chat with Larry. During the pre-game warm up, I noticed Larry was not on the floor. It was announced he would not play, nor was he there, because he was nursing an injury. All my dreams of chatting with Larry were gone! My friend deflated my prideful ego when he said to me, “Phil, you would have looked foolish trying to talk with someone famous whom you did not know and who did not know you!” That was a reality check: I didn’t really know Larry Bird!
In Job1:1, Job is described as blameless a man of complete integrity who feared God and stayed away from evil. Job was known for what he did not do he did not mess with sin! I found it interesting that after his calamity had run its course, his ego was deflated. Job had a reality check. He said, “I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes.”
One of the reasons why God allows us to experience difficulties, from time to time, is to show us that we are not who we think we are. We can get so wrapped up in ourselves that we consider ourselves to be somewhat “spiritual” when in reality we are not “all that and a bag of chips!”
Thank you for the role you play in the Watchman on the Wall Prayer Ministry. I am blessed to call you a fellow prayer warrior; however, as a word of caution, don’t let being a “prayer warrior” go to your head. If by chance it does, God will humble you so you can understand in a fresh new way that it is not about you but it’s all about HIM. Together, let’s keep praying and persevering!
I am . . .
Standing in the Gap,
Ezekiel 22:30
PERSONAL REVIVAL
“Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.”
Ephesians 6:11
Are your prayers desperate? If not, why not?
Are you standing firm or steadily slipping farther and farther away from God?
Are you satisfied with your situation or hungry for more of God?
· Are your prayers desperate? If not, why not?
· Are you standing firm or steadily slipping farther and farther away from God?
· Are you satisfied with your situation or hungry for more of God?
· Are you willing to give your time, blood, sweat, and tears to see God move in your life, your family, and your church?
· Are you willing to stand firm in prayer no matter what you see happen around you and believe God will move?
CHURCH REVIVAL
“Stand firm therefore…” Ephesians 6:14a
· Cry out for God to raise up a body of men and women here at GFBC who will grab hold of God in prayer and not let go until He moves in power.
· Do not believe the lies of the enemy. Our battle is not defensive but offensive. Pray in the Spirit against the forces of wickedness who have mesmerized the people of GFBC. Stand in their place and cry out for God to awaken His Bride. Pull down the demonic lies and strategies of arrogance, deception, lying, apathy, confusion, and all the forms of ungodliness that deny the power of God. Don’t wait on someone else to pray for you—you pray!
PRAY FOR OUR WORSHIP SERVICES
“Having girded your loins with truth…” Ephesians 6:14b
· Cry out for brokenness and repentance. Ask the Father to pour out His Spirit in such a powerful way that sin once again becomes repugnant to the people of God.
· Pray for Pastor Kevin. Ask the Father to fill him with His Spirit.
· Cry out for a genuine move of God in our worship services. A move where His presence is so strong and heavy that we fall before Him in confession and repentance.
PRAY FOR OUR MINISTRIES
“Having put on the breastplate of righteousness…” Ephesians 6:14c
· Pray for the move to the new campus (8/8)
· Pray for Promotion Sunday (8/8).
· Pray for those who will be baptized (8/8 and 8/11).
· Pray for the new adjustments for preschool and children ministries at both campuses.
· Pray for the new school year (8/11).
· Pray for the 5th graders who will connect to the student ministry (8/8)
· Pray for the new teachers and leaders within the student ministry. May they connect with the students and help the students connect with God.
· Pray for the outgoing summer interns that the Holy Spirit will continue to use them as they go back to their respective universities.
· Pray for the continual moving of God upon the hearts of our students and those who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
· Pray for Awesome August…Raise the Prayer (8/4), Robert Smith preaching (8/11), David Dykes preaching (8/18), and Steve Gaines preaching (8/25).
· Pray for the Gardendale football team as they worship with us (8/22).
· Pray for Deacon’s Meeting (8/29).
· Pray for the Jimmie Hale Mission Team (8/24).
· Pray for the Legacy Golf Tour Awards Night.
· Pray for Upward Soccer.
· Pray for the men’s and ladies fall softball league.
PRAY FOR OUR PASTORAL STAFF
“Having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace…” Ephesians 6:15
· Intercede for your staff. Stand in their place and cry out for God’s protection and favor in their personal lives, their families, and their ministries.
Kevin Hamm
De Allen
Keenan Braden
Bill Casaday
Tammy Conner
Mike Cornelius
Phil Cronin
Howard Everhart
Leslie Everhart
Scott Green
Jamin Grubbs
Mark Harrison
Phil Jones
Sheila Keedy
Ronnie Legg
Roy McNiel
Allen Oakley
Mark Ramsey
Ryan Taylor
Leon Zalenski
FULFILLING GOD’S VISION FOR GFBC
“In addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one. . ." Ephesians 6:16
PRAY FOR THE CHOIR/ORCHESTRA
“And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God…” Ephesians 6:17
· Pray for Roy, Howard, and Leslie as they lead our worship warriors.
· Ask God to pour the songs of heaven into the instruments of our orchestra and the mouths of our choir.
· Ask the Father to add those to the worship ministry who love to worship Jesus with all that is within them. Ps. 35:10
· Pray for the addition of sopranos, altos, tenors, and basses who have a passion for worship and people.
· Pray for the continual anointing of the Holy Spirit upon the worship ministry that is found in Is. 61:1
· Pray for unity, perseverance, patience, and a spirit of broken desperation among our worship warriors.
PRAY FOR OUR CHILDREN/STUDENTS
“With all prayer and petition, pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on alert with all perseverance and
petition for all the saints.” Ephesians 6:18
· Pray for our children as they return to school for the 2010/11 year.
· Pray for our Kindergarten/Daycare faculty, parents, and students.
· Pray for our parents to be godly role models.
NATIONAL REVIVAL
“Answer me, O LORD, answer me, so that these people will know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you are turning
their hearts back again.” I Kings 18:37
- Cry out for God to send revival to the United States. Stand in the gap and build up the spiritual wall around our country.
- Ask God to bring a fresh spirit of unity to our elected leaders who lead our nation on the local, state, and national levels.
- Pray for President Obama. Ask the Lord to give him wisdom and direction, as he leads our nation.
- Pray for the leaders who make up the U.S. Congress. Pray that these men and women will be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
- Pray for the safety and protection of our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Cry for God’s hand to shield them from all danger, both physical and spiritual. Ask the Father to provide every need their families have. Ask the Father to bind the ancient wicked territorial spirits of that region and bring many people to Christ.
- Pray for our judicial system. Ask the Father to appoint godly men and women as judges on our courts. Pray for righteous.
GLOBAL AWAKENING
“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations, and then the end shall come.”
Matthew 24:14
- Pray for the people of Ireland, United Kingdom, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Ask God to raise up a new generation of preachers and prophets to carry forth the Word of God to these nations.
- Pray for the Berber and Zekara unreached people groups of Morocco. Pray they will find faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
- Pray for the peace of Jerusalem in the midst of the Middle East conflict.
- Pray for the inhabitants and volunteers in Haiti. May many in this devastated land turn to Jesus Christ.
- Pray for the faithful evangelical pastors and churches in countries where persecution is a daily event.
- Ask God to raise up prophets and preachers to declare the Word no matter what or who threatens them.
- Pray for those who will be martyred for Christ this month. Pray for their families and their churches.
PRAY FOR OUR SOUTHERN BAPTIST MISSIONARIES
“And pray on my behalf, that utterances may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador. . ." Ephesians 6:19:20
- Pray for the power and protection of God as our missionaries serve at home and abroad.
- Pray specifically by name for Bobby, Tammy, Nathan, Anna, and Samuel. Pray that Acts 18:6 would be realized in their ministry as they share the gospel.
- Pray specifically for Jim and Viola Palmer as they minister to the Miskito people of Nicaragua’s Atlantic Coast. Pray Colossians 1:28-29 for them.
PRAY FOR THE BRIDE OF CHRIST - HIS CHURCH
“Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” Revelation 19:7
- Ask God to refine and purify His church here in America.
- Ask God to raise up men who will preach the Word of God with boldness.
- Pray for unity and repentance in churches that are experiencing the attack of the devil.
- Ask God to bring unity among the various denominations that preach the whole gospel of Jesus Christ. Pray that cities will be evangelized through this unity of purpose.
- Ask God to raise up churches that are willing and prepared to suffer persecution for the name of Christ.
· Pray for spiritual covering over the north and south campuses.
· Pray for the members of GFBC to be faithful stewards of their time, ministries, and money.
· Pray for the sale of the south campus.
