Twenty-seven Days of Prayer
Team Renew invites you to join this Call to Prayer for General Conference 2019 provided by the Wesleyan Covenant Association of the Texas Annual Conference.
The following is from the Call to Prayer.
John Wesley said, “I continue to dream and pray about a revival of holiness in our day that moves forth in mission and creates authentic community in which each person can be unleashed through the empowerment of the Spirit to fulfill God’s creational intentions.”
General Conference is fast approaching, demanding the United Methodist Church to make decisions that will define our future as a denomination. (Renew and) the Texas Conference members of the WCA, want to urge all our members to be in prayer each day of February leading up to and immediately following General Conference.
To make that happen, we are equipping you with a daily scripture and a prayer.
You will find that these prayers have been written around nine themes:
Word/Truth
Faithfulness/Obedience
Wisdom/Spirit
Mission of the Church
Healing of Brokenness
Discipleship
Lordship/Humility
True Unity
Delegates/Bishops
Praying for twenty-seven days (through General Conference and the following day), we will pray each theme three times.
Please make this a part of your regular daily prayer time.
Thank you for your commitment to Christ and our beloved church as we pray our way forward.
Leaning into God’s future for us,
February 1
Scripture
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” (John 17.20-23)
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we join with your Son in his prayer for true unity among all who believe in him. But keep us from the temptation to embrace a unity of expedience that sacrifices the truth revealed in your Word. By your grace, make us one Father: one in the faith once for all delivered to the saints; one in purpose to go into all the world and make disciples; one holiness of heart and life. Through your Son Jesus Christ, who prayed for us, and who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit in perfect unity, one God, world without end. Amen.
Pray for:
Delegates who have not secured visas
February 2
Scripture
“To the Jews who had believed Him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free…[and] if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8.31-32, 36)
Prayer
Dear Lord, forgive us for making Truth an endangered species in your world today. For all too often we have given into our own desires, believing that truth is whatever we want it or need it to be, not what You have proclaimed that it actually is. Release us from our relativism, and remind us that Truth is inextricably tied Your teachings, and freedom is forever found only in You. Set us free, thus, O Son of God, to be Your disciples now and in these days ahead, Amen.
Pray :
The weather in St. Louis will not prevent or delay flights or delay those traveling by car.
February 3
Scripture
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)
Prayer
Loving Father of heaven, thank you for adopting us as your beloved children. Forgive us when we make the mistake of thinking we love people more than you do and trust the ways of the world more than the ways of heaven. Please give us humble hearts and teachable spirits as we learn to faithfully follow you. Amen.
Pray for:
Your Bishop
Lay and Clergy Delegates
February 4
Scripture
“Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.” (Acts 6.3)
Prayer
Father God, we ask that our brothers and sisters who are delegates to our denomination’s General Conference be filled with Spirit-led wisdom that takes the posture of humility and obedience. Father, in the midst of our constant prayers for them, continue to guide each of us as we seek to do Your work and spread the Gospel to all Creation. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Pray for:
Your Bishop
Lay and Clergy Delegates
February 5
Scripture
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
Prayer
Lord, help us to ever keep in mind the privilege and purpose of being a part of your Church. May we always seek to tell of your redeeming love and to grow in love as your disciples with our neighbors near and far. Thank you for always being with us. Amen.
Pray for:
Your Bishop
Lay and Clergy Delegates
February 6
Scripture
“If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9
Prayer
Father God, we ask that you would help us as a denomination boldly recover our confession of Jesus as Lord for the sake of those who are far from Him. May we do so with gentleness and respect and also out of a deep love for you and a profound gratitude for the good news. Amen.
Pray for:
Your Bishop
Lay and Clergy Delegates
February 7
Scripture
“Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations,” (Deuteronomy 7:9)
Prayer
Lord, we ask in the name of Jesus that the United Methodist Church would know that the LORD our God is God. We ask that we would not just be hearers of the word, but doers. May we remain faithful to the teachings of Scripture, holding fast to the promise that the Lord our God is faithful to complete the good work He has started in each one of us. We praise you and thank you that you have always been faithful, and will remain faithful into eternity.
Pray for:
Your Bishop
Lay and Clergy Delegates
February 8
Scripture
“Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for[f]those who make peace.”(James 3:13-18)
Prayer
Father, as we cry out for General Conference, we pray that our delegates and bishops would seek you with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength as you lead them. Echo down through eternity the true wisdom that is from above, not like the worldly noise that is empty of your Word. We lift before your throne of grace all those who will be gathering in St. Louis. Give them safe travel and a desire to journey where you lead. May your Spirit stir among them, preparing them, giving them courage and power to remain faithful to the Word. Amen.
Pray for:
Your Bishop
Lay and Clergy Delegates
February 9
Scripture
“When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and rescues them from all their troubles.The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord rescues them from them all.”(Psalm 34:17-19)
Prayer
Jesus, we confess that through the turmoil in the United Methodist Church many feel discombobulated, disillusioned, or disconnected. Lord, send down your Spirit to quiet our noisy hearts and minds so we might hear your voice and find peace. Expose what requires repentance. Reveal what requires repair. Show us what can be replanted. We need healing and we need transformation. Through the cross, you, Jesus, are our only healer. Come visit every hurting heart. In your compassionate name we pray. Amen.
Pray for:
Your Bishop
Lay and Clergy Delegates
February 10
Scripture
“I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought” (1 Corinthians 1.10)
Prayer
Lord, in the midst of divisions and false doctrines, help your people called Methodist seek genuine unity around the truth revealed through your Word. End our divisions and battles that weaken our witness and sap our energy from your mission to make disciples for the transformation of the world. Unite us in one heart, one mind, and one thought. Renew in us the fire and passion of your Holy Spirit to spread scriptural holiness across our land. Amen.
Pray for:
Your Bishop
Lay and Clergy Delegates
February 11
Scripture
“We thank God continually because, when you received the Word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the Word of God which is indeed at work in you who believe.” (2 Thessalonians 2.13)
Prayer
Dear Lord of the Living Word, we thank You that You did not leave us alone in this world without a witness to Your ways. We joyfully proclaim that the scriptures are indeed not the invention of any individual, or even the sum of all human wisdom, but that they are the very words of life which have come from You. We submit ourselves to their authority and pray that Your Word may indeed be at work inside of each of us, all to the praise and glory of Your name, Amen.
Pray for:
Your Bishop
Lay and Clergy Delegates
February 12
Scripture
“The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” (John 10:2-3)
Prayer
Beloved Jesus, thank you for loving us so much that you laid down your life like a good shepherd to protect the sheep of your flock. You, the Word of God in the flesh, call each of us by name to come and follow you. You disciple us with lovingkindness as you call us to love both God and neighbor, even when it may be costly, sacrificial. Give us to the strength and vision to love like you. In your holy name, Amen.
Pray for:
Your Bishop
Lay and Clergy Delegates
February 13
Scripture
“Wisdom’s instruction is to fear the Lord, and humility comes before honor.” (Proverbs 15:33)
Prayer
Lord God, we love you and seek to glorify you in all that we do. We come humbly before you in these days of turmoil in our denomination, yearning for the wisdom that only comes from setting aside our human desires and obeying your Word. We seek this for your glory only Lord. Let your will be done. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Pray for:
Your Bishop
Lay and Clergy Delegates
February 14
Scripture
“But what about you? he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” (Matthew 16:15-18)
Prayer
Thank you, Lord, for the gift of your Church. Help us to understand more and more the astounding salvation you offer us all and the unimaginable price you paid to be our Messiah. May we never lose sight that this is the only foundation of the Church. Help us to have the courage to build on this foundation a Church that carries your truth and love to places that are filled with despair, knowing that nothing can overcome your power of love. Amen
Pray for:
Your Bishop
Lay and Clergy Delegates
February 15
Scripture
“So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say?” Luke 6:46
Prayer
Lord Jesus, we have seen obedience and the call to discipleship as an option in being your people, and we have wondered why we are so powerless. Grant us true repentance as a people who once burned with zeal for you and your ways. May we once again become serious about spreading scriptural holiness across the land and turning from our own sinful ways in obedience to your words. Amen.
Pray for:
Your Bishop
Lay and Clergy Delegates
February 16
Scripture
“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you do know Him, for He abides with you and will be in you.”(John 14.15-17)
Prayer
Jesus, we come humbly before you in a posture of praise and gratitude that you have given us an Advocate, the Holy Spirit, who is with us to guide us, to empower us and abide in us throughout our lives. God, we pray that we would be overflowing with the love of Christ, such that we would be faithful to keep your commandments. May our obedience come from an overflow of a transformed heart, that loves You above all else. Amen.
Pray for:
Your Bishop
Lay and Clergy Delegates
February 17
Scripture
“It’s important that a church leader, responsible for the affairs in God’s house, be looked up to—not pushy, not short-tempered, not a drunk, not a bully, not money-hungry. He must welcome people, be helpful, wise, fair, reverent, have a good grip on himself, and have a good grip on the Message, knowing how to use the truth to either spur people on in knowledge or stop them in their tracks if they oppose it. For there are a lot of rebels out there, full of loose, confusing, and deceiving talk. Those who were brought up religious and ought to know better are the worst. They’ve got to be shut up. They’re disrupting entire families with their teaching … Everything is clean to the clean-minded; nothing is clean to dirty-minded unbelievers. They leave their dirty fingerprints on every thought and act. They say they know God, but their actions speak louder than their words…”(Titus 1:9-16)
Prayer
Father, as we pray for the delegates and bishops of General Conference remind us that you have raised up these leaders—some we agree with, some we do not. All belong to you, all are loved by you. As we cry out on their behalf, we pray that none will be pushy, short-tempered, or bullying; that all will be honoring, patient, and kind. We pray that they would be gripped by the message of the Gospel, using their position in leadership to spur the United Methodist Church on in the full knowledge of your truth and stand of against all that is opposed to that truth. Amen.
Pray for:
Your Bishop
Lay and Clergy Delegates
February 18
Scripture
“Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.”(Jeremiah 17:14)
Prayer
Heavenly father, we come before you today in need of hope. Deliver us from delusions of helplessness, weakness, and resignation. Remind us that we are the people of your Spirit with the promise of a beautiful future, the vision of a radiant life, and the covenant of never ending love. Help us to see again that your cross is the source of light for our darkness. And let us give you thanks in anticipation of what you will do in the United Methodist Church because we have seen what you have done. Thanks be to God! Amen.
Pray for:
Your Bishop
Lay and Clergy Delegates
February 19
Scripture
“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (Ephesians 4.1-6)
Prayer
Save us, O Lord, from a false unity in name only. Save us, O Lord, from a false unity that denies the one hope of salvation and transformation found in your Son, Jesus. Save us, O Lord, from a false unity that abandons the faith once for all delivered to the saints. Save us, O Lord, from pride that thinks we know better than what you have revealed to us in your Word. And keep us always in love with all people through power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.
Pray for:
Your Bishop
Lay and Clergy Delegates
February 20
Scripture
“Your Word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. I have taken an oath and confirmed it, that I will follow Your righteous laws…Your statues are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart. My heart is set on keeping Your decrees to the very end.” (Psalm 119:105-106, 111-112)
Prayer
O God, how grateful we are that on the journeys of our lives. You have illuminated a path for our feet in Your Word. So help us to order our steps and go wherever You might lead us, even to the very end. Let the Word of Christ dwell richly within us, so that the peace of Christ may rule in us and our hearts may find their joy in You. For all this we ask in the name of He who is the living Word of God, Amen.
Pray for:
Your Bishop
Lay and Clergy Delegates
February 21
Scripture
“Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.” (Hebrews 5:13-14)
Prayer
Holy Father of heaven, thank you for loving us as your children. Please forgive us when we insist on living in our childish ways rather than growing in maturity and costly love. We ask that by the power of your Holy Spirit we may grow to faithfully do your will on earth as it is done in heaven. In your holy name we pray, Amen.
Pray for:
Your Bishop
Lay and Clergy Delegates
February 22
Scripture
“The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord.” (Isaiah 11:2)
Prayer
Holy Spirit, come! Shine a light upon our feet, make a path for awakening. We confess as a denomination that we have been asleep. Forgive us for our slumbering. We are crying for awakening; we need an awakening of wisdom and of counsel and of might that You alone can provide, Lord. Holy Spirit, come! Amen.
Pray for:
Your Bishop
Lay and Clergy Delegates
February 23 (In Session)
Scripture
“Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.” (Acts 20:28)
Prayer
Lord, help us to diligently watch our walk of discipleship and to daily seek to grow in love and in knowledge of your Word. Would you help us to care for your church, ever mindful of the privilege to serve your sons and daughters. Thank you, Lord. Amen
February 24 (In Session)
Scripture
“Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11)
Prayer
Father God, one day every person alive and who has ever lived—the greats and the unknowns—will bow before you and acknowledge that Jesus is Lord. May we humbly begin each day bowing in the attitude of our hearts to His rightful sovereign rule over our lives. May it motivate us not to settle for anything less than a church that seeks to follow Him in ways that will declare His glory and love to a world in darkness. Amen.
February 25 (In Session)
Scripture
“And [Jesus] being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2.8)
Prayer
Father God, we are filled with awe and humility that the God-man, Jesus Christ, would take the form of a human and model for humanity what it looks like to be obedient, regardless of the consequences. Lord, I ask that the United Methodist Church would model the faithfulness and obedience modeled by Jesus, to those in the world who have not yet entered into relationship with Him. Amen.
February 26 (In Session)
Scripture
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”(Galatians 6:9)
Prayer
Father, once again we come before you to lift into your very presence the delegates and bishops of General Conference. We believe that you have raised them up for such a time as this. We pray that you would guard their hearts, knowing these are wearying days of sleeping in hotels, hours of meetings and debates, and the struggle of sharing the truth in love. Strengthen their bodies, refresh their minds, protect their hearts. We pray that our bishops will maintain order and our delegates will conference in love. Save them from distractions and disruptions, focusing only on your will to bring about the harvest you desire through the people called Methodists.
February 27
Scripture
“Don’t fear, because I am with you; don’t be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will surely help you; I will hold you with my righteous strong hand.”(Isaiah 41:10)
Prayer
Lord, General Conference is over. We invite you today to enter into the broken places within us. For weariness that encumbers, for wayward words that have cut, for bitterness that poisons, for regrets that burden, for pride that bloats, for reprisals that disfigure, for divisions that separate, good God deliver us. You still are God and you still claim us as your own. Heal, refresh, renew, sanctify. For by your miraculous grace you continue to send us out, following where you lead us. Let us be about our Father’s business. Amen.
Katy Kiser
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