INTRODUCTION:
Pastor Ben and I have encouraged each other for several years. We’ve prayed together and shared challenges. We’ve celebrated the stories of redemption in each of our churches and rejoiced over individual members. As pastors, we truly share the same values, beliefs, gospel-centered vision, the desire to make disciples, and to equip them for ministry, service, missions, and leadership.
We trust that God will make us stronger working together as one church. A merger like this is not an act of desperation. Instead, we want to act in response to godly inspiration. We have prayed for the Holy Spirit to bring together compatible leadership strengths, to unify two congregations as one church family, and to rebuild us to further the Great Commission.
We invite you to pray with us in a 21 Days of Prayer plan. We are seeking God’s directional wisdom and asking the Holy Spirit to lead the process. As we prepare our hearts for a possible merger and future ministry together, we hope God will also do a work in each of us. Each day follows a pattern that should grow our prayer lives with a short scripture reading, followed by a directed prayer time for each day, with four separate nudges: Praise, Repentance, Asks (requests), and Yielding prayer. May God’s Will be done this, as it is properly done in Heaven.
Be blessed,
Pastor Ben & Chad Pumpelly
September 21
Day 1–Pray for Spiritual Maturity (Luke 2:52 & Proverbs 3:5-7)
We see four areas of spiritual growth in Jesus’ early life: wisdom, stature, favor with God, and favor with people. As we prepare to start a new chapter by doing church together, pray that we will dedicate ourselves to walk in the ways of our Lord. As you pray:
- Praise God for the work he is doing in each of us to nurture our faith, build us up, and cause us to grow in his grace. Celebrate his plans to mature our faith.
- Repent from futile attempts at self-improvement and success strategies that are far more self-reliant. Depend on godly inspiration and turn to him for wisdom.
- Ask for biblical wisdom, maturity, healthy lives, God’s favor, and healthy relationships. Pray for peace and the nurturing of new relationships–pray that we find favor with one another, with people in our community, and with those in our own neighborhoods.
- Yield all our ways to the way of Christ, so we may mature as Christ-followers. Pray that we yield to the Lord and accept his direction, making every effort to find favor with God.
Personal Reflection:
September 22
Day 2–Become a Prayer Warrior (Luke 18:1-8 & Matthew 7:7-11)
Persistence in prayer is the focus of Jesus’ parable. Pray that we have great spiritual stamina like the woman seeking justice and that we would persistently seek God. As you pray:
- Praise God, who is our Heavenly Father, who knows how to provide what is best for us, who welcomes us again and again, and whom we can fully trust with our future.
- Repent from mistrust and doubt, from anxiety and worry, from trying to secure things on our own. Pray that our faith in God and our willingness to trust his plan would not waver.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to strengthen our souls, so that we would not become weary or give up. Pray for the power of persistence in our faithful living, both as we walk the walk and as we consistently fall on our knees before him in prayer and petition.
- Yield to the Lord. Seek his will in prayer. Pray that his kingdom spreads and his will be done–here in Hilliard, in our church, and among our people–as is in heaven.
Personal Reflection:
September 23
Day 3–Pray for Humility and Confidence (John 1:19-28, 3:30 & Luke 18:9-14)
John the Baptist has a beautiful blend of confidence and humility. One reason for this is his strong sense of identity. He knows that he is a prophet called by God. The second reason is that he has a strong sense of purpose to point people to Jesus. As you pray:
- Praise God that he fully knows us and fully loves us. Thank him for exalting the humble, for valuing each of us as his very own, and for entrusting us with his purposes.
- Repent from your preconceptions of self that hinder your faith. If you struggle with insecurity, pray that God will embolden your faith. If you struggle with pride, confess it and pray that God will free you from any arrogance.
- Ask that the perfect blend of boldness and humility would develop in our own Christian character, by knowing our true identity and worth in Christ and by discovering our gospel-centered purpose.
- Yield to the Lord’s purpose for your life and let the Lord define your value. He has counted you worthy of his death and called you as his own for a good purpose.
Personal Reflection:
September 24
Day 4–Finding Deeper Friendship with God (Psalm 25:14)
There is a spiritual connection between fear and friendship that characterizes our relationship with the Lord. This special relationship requires reverence, demonstrated in obedience and intimacy with God. The depth of our devotion is expressed in sacrificial love. So as you pray,
- Praise our God, who chooses to be with his people as both father and friend. Thank him for making good promises, being real in our lives, and keeping his covenant with us.
- Repent of taking God for granted, for failing to recognize the awesome gift of our salvation and a real relationship with the King of Heaven.
- Ask that we might receive directional wisdom; that we would know him well, know his power, understand his plans, and see the reality of his covenant promises. Pray that as we honor the Lord with reverent fear that he would reveal himself to us.
- Yield our anxieties, need for control, and mistrust as we acknowledge God’s restorative eternal love. Pray that we may grow in trusting him and put our full hope in him.
Personal Reflection:
September 25
Day 5–Pray for Spiritual Revelation (Ephesians 1:15-23)
This passage gives us confidence in our eternal hope and in the redemptive power of God. We see the eternal power of God working in the death and resurrection of Jesus. We see Jesus, our advocate and mediator, exalted to heaven’s throne and made the head of the church.
- Praise God Almighty. Meditate on the eternal, immeasurable, and redemptive power of God and worship. Thank him that the same power that has exalted Jesus works in us.
- Repent of any refusal to do your part or fulfill your role for God’s glory as part of the church body. Respond in accordance with Christ’s directives.
- Ask for spiritual insight. Pray that the eyes of our hearts might be open that we will personally and truly know God better. Intercede for fellow Christ-followers, both for your brothers and sister at church and for the global church, to experience spiritual revelation.
- Yield to the power and plan that God has designed for you as an individual member of the body and to your God-given role as a functional part of the body of Christ.
Personal Reflection:
September 26
Day 6–Pray that We Walk in a Worthy Way (Ephesians 2:1-10)
God is a planning and proactive God. He has a purpose for our lives. He literally created us for such a purpose and he designed important God-glorifying things for us to do with our lives.
- Praise the Redeemer, our personal Savior and Lord, who lifts us up from the deadness of our old sinful past and breathes new life into us. Thank him for making us thrive.
- Repent of any tansgressions and tresspasses that lead us into disobedience and away from the paths of righteousness. Repent of following our own wants and desires.
- Ask that we may walk by faith as we discover God’s great plan prepared in advance for our lives and pray that we put his purpose and plan for us into living action.
- Yield to the path God designed for you to walk in. Since we have been created and redeemed in Christ for such good God-oriented works, do what you are designed to do.
Personal Reflection:
September 27
Day 7–Pray for Christian Unity among Diverse Believers (John 17:20-26).
Jesus concludes his intercession for his future followers with a plea for the unity of future generations of Christians. Jesus actually prayed for us. He specifically prayed that we may be united in love just as the persons of the Trinity are intimately and eternally unified in love. With trinitarian unity as our model, let us pray for unity in the church in the following ways:
- Praise the Father, praise the Son, praise the Spirit, three-in-one. Adore the Holy Trinity as the God of genuine and perfect unity. Worship the Lord, the Lord who is one.
- Repent of divisions caused by cultural and circumstantial differences. Pray for the removal of all cliques or factions in our church. Confess any personal divisiveness or disunity with others. Lay aside suspicion and skepticism of your brothers and sisters in Christ.
- Ask that we, the church, be one in spirit and purpose. Pray for enduring unity among the faithful, both in our local congregation and among the churches throughout the world.
- Yield to one another, considering others as more important than yourselves. Pray for the strength to outdo one another in love, hospitality, generosity, mutual trust, and welcome.
Personal Reflection:
September 28
Day 8–Pray to Prioritize our Identity in Christ (Ephesians 2:11-22)
Most people have many components to our personal identity. We have socio-ethnic and cultural identities, career identities, and other in-group identities that shape our sense of self. But,once we are redeemed, our primary identity must be found primarily in Christ alone. As you pray that the body of Christ is one, pray in these ways:
- Praise God for including both those who were near (the Jews) and those of us who were far off (all other nations) in his plan for redemption. Thank him for fitting us together into a new family.
- Repent of any exclusive attitudes or relational barriers we might unwittingly have, and pray for the demolition of any hostility, animosity, or division among believers.
- Ask that we experience unity in Christ. Pray that we will celebrate the diversity of ethno-linguistic backgrounds within the unity of the Christian worshiping community.
- Yield all your other identities found in culture, career, race, socio-economic and educational background, achievements, and/or talents for your new identity in Christ.
Personal Reflection:
September 29
Day 9–Prayer for Such a Time as This (Esther 4:1-17 & Ephesians 2:10)
Other than her royal beauty, Esther was an ordinary lady. As queen, however, she was in an extraordinary position. God planned all this for the provision and salvation of his people. God is in the business of using ordinary people with unshakable faith for God-sized work. Meditate on Mordecai’s question; how has God positioned you for such a time as this?
- Praise the All-powerful, All-knowing, Almighty, and Sovereign Lord. Thank God for using ordinary people in his strategy to advance his kingdom and redeem his world.
- Repent of any fear or anxiety that prevents you from living out your God-planned purpose. Repent of failing to act or take a stand when God has positioned you for faithful action.
- Ask for unshakable faith in the face of fear or from the unforeseen issues that may result from your faith in action. Pray for wisdom to see God’s purpose in our lives.
- Yield to the Word of God, the spiritual advice of other believers who align that advice with scripture, and to the pastoral encouragement of your leaders.
Personal Reflection:
September 30
Day 10–Pray for the Next Generation (Luke 18:15-17)
The disciples tried to honor Jesus by keeping trouble-making kids out of his hair. Jesus had a different plan for these children–to welcome and bless them. In ignorance, the well-meaning disciples got in the way of Jesus’ mission. As you pray:
- Praise the Lord for his attention to the things we overlook and his loving heart for the smallest and least significant of people by our societal standards.
- Repent of any misguided efforts we have made. Pray that, in ignorance, we do not become barriers for the gospel or prevent the next generation from coming to Jesus.
- Ask that we would be attuned to God’s mission in all ways. Pray that we see people as Jesus sees them, and that we are open to being redirected. Pray that Jesus draws the next generation to himself, that the Spirit convicts their hearts, and they might know God.
- Yield our preferences. Pray for the power to surrender “the way we have always done things,” to hold loosely to our cultural expectations of what church “must” be, and put even our treasured traditions and previously successful programs at the foot of the cross, so that we follow Jesus himself, and not our traditions of Jesus.
Personal Reflection:
October 1
Day 11–Pray for Comfort during the Challenges of Change (John 16:16-22).
In his farewell address to his disciples, Jesus attends to His followers’ experiences of grief and anguish. He assures them that pain will be turned to joy. Jesus specifically asked that their joy, and ours by application, may be made complete. Often when major changes occur, a kind of grief sets in with the loss of traditions, of predictability, of a sense of control. As we pray about a healthy merger of churches, programs, and ministries, there may be some grief-like experiences. So in prayer:
- Praise the God who really cares. Thank him for guarding our hearts and emotions.
- Repent of any dismissive or insensitive attitudes, for not taking into account the feelings of others, or for any resentment in which you blame God for how things have turned out.
- Ask the Lord to hold your heart. Bring your concerns and sorrows to him. Present every troubling need, knowing that God turns trouble into peace and sorrow into joy. Request comfort for others, for anyone grieving change, or anyone experiencing a sense of loss.
- Yield your attitude and point of view. Align yourself with Christ by choosing compassion and empathy. Reject self-pity or the dismissal of others who struggle in different ways.
Personal Reflection:
October 2
Day 12–Pray for the Servant Leaders of our Church (Ephesians 4:1-16)
As we grow together in Christian maturity, we aim to have unity in the Spirit. While diverse in background, we want a unity that is worthy of our high calling in Jesus Christ. We each bring our individual spiritual gifts for Christian service. We consider our pastors and leaders, who have the God-given responsibility to equip and organize our members for ministry and mission.
- Praise the Lord for creating the church as a unified body. Thank him for providing gifted people necessary at every level for a church on mission. Thank him for the gift of godly leadership and the provision of pastors with a strong gospel-centered sense of calling.
- Repent of complacency or a refusal to use your God-given gifts to further the mission of the church. Repent for not finding value in the contributions, efforts, and gifts of others.
- Ask for patience and tolerance as we bear with one another. Intercede especially for pastors and other church leaders. Pray that God directs their passions and thinking.
- Yield to church leadership, as you pray for a willingness to contribute your talents for the advantage of the church. Pray for a desire to grow, learn, and be equipped for serving.
Personal Reflection:
October 3
Day 13–Be Slow to Anger and Quick to Forgive (James 1:19-21 & Ephesians 4:25-32)
To cultivate a character of godly steadiness in our lives, we also need to do some weeding. James says we must get rid of any trace of wickedness. Paul says we must become forgiving and tender-hearted. So as you pray for an attitude adjustment to put away bitterness, resentment, rage, gossip, and malice, seek also an opportunity to rightly reconcile with others.
- Praise the God of Peace and Reconciliation. Thank him for implanting the truth of his word in our hearts and graciously transforming our lives and our relationships.
- Repent of all long-held grudges, bitterness, or resentment. Ask God to reveal any residual unforgiveness in you. Confess any sin of withholding grace to those who have sinned against you.
- Ask God to forgive your own transgressions and to empower you to forgive those who have wronged you, sinned against you, and even those who really hurt you.
- Yield to God’s standard of mercy and forgiveness. Do not grieve the Spirit, whose redemptive power is at work in you, but yield to God’s will that we show sacrificial grace.
Personal Reflection:
October 4
Day 14–Pray for for the Strength to Let Go (Matthew 6:33 & Luke 18:18-30)
The rich young ruler was a moral and upright person by all measurable standards, but he treasured his wealth above even following Jesus. You may not be tight-fisted with your finances, but most people have something in life that competes with our full surrender and obedience to the Lord. What do you love the most? What would be the hardest thing for you to let go of? Is it your personal security, your sense of control, a professional title, your good reputation, your family, your home, your work, or anything else? As you pray:
- Praise God, since he makes possible what is humanly impossible. He alone can save us and fix our brokenness. Rejoice that all things are possible for God.
- Repent of our functional idols and those things we value above obedience. .
- Ask for a priority check. Since all things are possible with God, pray that he will give you the strength to let go, accept change, and prioritizes his kingdom above everything else.
- Yield control to God. Let him direct your priorities, possessions, and plans. Pray that he might accomplish something in you that you cannot do by your own effort.
Personal Reflection:
October 5
Day 15–Glorify God in Bearing Fruit (John 15:1-11 & 16:23-33).
Jesus pictures a life-giving connection where He is the vine and we are His branches. The power of his life flows directly through us. Without Jesus in our life, we will dry up and wither away, without being productive. Jesus urges us to pray, and promises that we will receive whatever we need to glorify God in our Christian life if we remain in him. Pray in these ways:
- Praise Jesus, who abides in us and calls us friends. Thank him for his personal presence and being at work in our lives, nurturing our faith like a vine feeds its branches.
- Repent of any way that we have neglected being properly connected to Christ or any pattern of being absent in our daily walk with him, letting our relationship grow cold.
- Ask that he will nurture us and make us productive for Him. Pray that we remain rightly united with him, filled with His goodness, empowered for service, thriving with fruitful relationships, and vibrant with abundant life. Pray that he weeds out wickedness and shapes us for good service.
- Yield to the pruning work of the Father. Ask that he remove any unhealthy thing and anything that is still dead in us.
Personal Reflection:
October 6
Day 16–Pray for the Lost (John 10:16).
Jesus is always thinking about the lost sheep. His mission agenda is clear: Bring in the outcast so that he or she may learn His voice Make the outsider, the person who was formerly far off, become an insider who is near to his heart. Jesus’ family is designed to grow by adoption, again and again, one redeemed life at a time. As you pray for the lost, pray in these ways:
- Praise God, who seeks and saves the lost. Adore the one God, who does not wish that any person would perish, but that all people would repent and be redeemed.
- Repent from any time you treated the lost as unwanted outsiders or outcasts. Confess any sins related to excluding non-believers or failing to invite sinners to meet Jesus.
- Ask for the salvation of any family members, friends, neighbors, or coworkers who don’t know Jesus. Pray for all the lostness of the world, for every unreached people group without an evangelical witness among them and everyone without hope in Christ.
- Yield yourself to God’s redemptive mission. Pray that God might open real life opportunities for you to share your faith story with those who need to hear.
Personal Reflection:
October 7
Day 17–Pray that We Become a Sending Church (John 1:35-42 & Matthew 28:18-20).
John the Baptist selected disciples and mobilized them for ministry. He nurtured them to maturity and then moved them forward, sending them to be with Jesus. Pray that we would make disciples for Jesus like this, nurturing them to spiritual maturity and sending them onward with Jesus in gospel-focused mission.
- Praise the God, who draws peoples from every nation, language, ethnicity, and culture. Thank God for his desire to redeem all peoples in steadfast love and great grace.
- Repent for being silent, especially when you have failed to recognize witnessing opportunities and you failed to speak. Repent from the habitual storing up of Bible knowledge for yourself without using it to develop others and equip them in the faith.
- Ask for opportunities to share the faith, to encourage believers, and to disciple others. Ask for wisdom as you speak truth in kindness and as you express God’s love.
- Yield to the Great Commision Task to make disciples of all peoples. Pray for the opportunity to invest in the lives of others and in their spiritual development.
Personal Reflection:
October 8
Day 18–Pray for a Christ-like Sense of Timing and Purpose (Read John 7:1-31)
Jesus has both a strong sense of purpose and of timing. Every good plan is properly aligned with the mission to be completed. Every good plan is also properly executed with appropriate and well-timed steps. Pray that we live on mission as a people sent by God, with the wisdom to follow His plan with patience and purpose. As you pray:
- Praise God who has a strategic plan for the redemption of the world, who always shows up on time, and who sends his servants with purpose, each on his appointed mission.
- Repent of impatience with God’s perfect timing, or for dragging your feet when your number is called, or for doubting God’s specific purpose for your part in his mission.
- Ask that we each live on purpose, as a people sent by God on mission. Pray for the wisdom of godly perspective, recognizing our unique role for gospel advancement.
- Yield to God’s perfect timing, preparing yourself for action as the day and the hour approaches, preparing yourself for your God appointed task, effort, and witness.
Personal Reflection:
October 9
Day 19–Forfeit my Agenda (Matthew 16:13-25)
Simon had it all figured out and he got a little spiritually arrogant. In fact, he took it on himself to redirect Jesus when he couldn’t make sense of the mission. We can never be smarter than God, outplan him, or come up with some better alternate strategy. His agenda is supreme, even when we can’t wrap our heads around what he wants to accomplish. As you pray:
- Praise the All-wise God for having a plan to redeem, even at great personal cost. Thank him for making that plan known to us who are called according to his purpose.
- Repent of setting your mind on human interests and not God’s agenda and for putting what you want ahead of what God wants. Repent of shortsighted strategies.
- Ask for God to transform your life by the renewing of your mind. Ask God to give you a godly perspective and an inspired worldview. Ask for God’s will to be done in all things.
- Yield your life and lose yourself for Christ’s sake and for the sake of the gospel. Forfeit your agenda in order to seef the advancement of God’s redemptive plan.
Personal Reflection:
October 10
Day 20–Be Comforted by the Holy Spirit (John 15:18-27)
As we truly live life in Christ, we should expect disapproval, rejection, animosity, and even opposition. Jesus experienced it from those who needed him the most. The battle is hard and it is spiritual, so God sent us his Holy Spirit. Pray for the Spirit to comfort and advocate for us, providing the gracious words we need for every conflict and confrontation. As you pray:
- Praise the Holy Spirit, who is ever-present, who knows the deep things of God and who searches our souls, too. Praise the one who intercedes with groans too deep for words.
- Repent from seeking approval from people or avoiding the natural opposition that comes with spiritual boldness, and stop relying on your own strength in times of conflict.
- Ask for comfort and encouragement. Ask the Holy Spirit to be an active, advocating presence in your life. Ask to be empowered for every spiritual challenge ahead.
- Yield your pride and be available to God. Trust the Spirit to advocate for you and lead you through any conflict, season of struggle, spiritual challenge, or personal difficulty.
Personal Reflection:
October 11
Day 21–Be Compelled by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:5 & Matthew 4:1-11)
In our fallen and sinful nature we are compelled by sinful desires. However, once we are saved, we are compelled by the Holy Spirit and we can respond in a redeemed way. The way we respond to life’s stressors reveals who has more control over us: our sinful nature or God’s Spirit. Jesus was driven by the Spirit and grounded in scripture, and he proved resistant to Satan’s schemes. We must also choose who we will follow. Pray for spiritual guidance in these ways:
- Praise the Holy Spirit, who leads God’s people. Thank him for the very personal way that he comes into our lives to empower, convict, encourage, and drive our spiritual lives.
- Repent of any attempt to please the sinful nature or live out the desires of the flesh.
- Ask for the Spirit to lead you in paths of righteousness. Pray that God will deliver you from any temptation you may face.
- Yield to the direction of the Holy Spirit. Walk in his wonderful ways and bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-25).
Personal Reflection: