 |
Lighthouses of Prayer:
Mountain Springs Church Prayer Walking |
Download the complete file - click here
Talking To God about Our Neighbors Before We Talk To Our Neighbors about God!
A simple friendly way to touch the lives of family friends and neighbors by praying:
5 BLESSINGS for 5 NEIGHBORS for 5 MINUTES for 5 DAYS for 5 WEEKS
B: Body (health, protection, strength)
L: Labor (work, income, security)
E: Emotional (joy, hope, peace)
S: Social (love, marriage, family, friends)
S: Spiritual (salvation, faith, grace)
A Lighthouse of Prayer in its simplest form is a “household” of one or more believers praying specifically for the felt needs and the salvation of lost people within their “Perimeter of Faith,” which can be their neighborhood, workplace and/or classroom:
· Members of families walking and praying for their neighborhoods.
· School teachers, administrators or students walking and praying for a school or district.
· Marketplace workers walking and praying for their office or entire company.
· Joggers and bicyclists praying for their entire routes.
· Intercessors walking and praying for specific areas as the Lord gives them insight.
Lighthouses of Prayer is the massive mobilization of as many individual people and families as possible who have assumed the burden for reaching their “perimeter of faith” within the city through the development of a life-style of daily prayer. The objective is to mobilize a massive army of prayer warriors on behalf of each community, at the grass roots level, praying for their neighbors or a specific section of the city they are called by the Lord to Prayer Walk.
As we walk and pray, we follow the Luke 10: 1-9 pattern:
After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also,and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. 2 Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. 3 Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves. 4 Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road. 5 But whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you. 7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house. 8 Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. 9 And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’
1. Speak Peace….give blessing and the love of God
2. Remain in the House….establish a relationship and fellowship
3. Heal the Sick…discover and pray for the felt needs
4. Proclaim the Kingdom of God…invite them to join the Body and receive Christ
Your Lighthouse of Prayer is you and/or your family praying for their neighbors as you Prayer Walk through their neighborhoods.
How do You Begin?
- Ask God to give you His heart of compassion for your neighbors.
- Decide which people you will pray for in your neighborhood, classroom, or workplace.
- Commit to pray for them regularly. (Daily if possible)
- Pray prayers of peace and blessing.
- Be alert for opportunities to let them know you are praying.
- Ask for specific prayer requests (felt needs).
- As God works in your heart and neighborhood, share encouraging testimonies with your pastor and other Lighthouses of Prayer.
Your Lighthouse of Prayer is not a program. It's simply a process of praying daily for people around you who have not yet begun a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Remember that the timing of each of the following phases can range from a relatively short period of time to several years. Each relationship will be unique and will develop differently. The most important thing is to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Phase 1: Establish a "Perimeter of Faith" and "Speak Peace" (Luke 10:5)
A “Perimeter of Faith” is a territory you'll commit to praying over daily. Ask the Lord for the number of people or homes that He would like you and your family (Your Lighthouse of Prayer) to influence for His Kingdom, and then ask Him for the faith to do it.
Your Lighthouse of Prayer should then walk around your “Perimeter of Faith” to set it apart and then daily, or as often as possible, pray the Lordship of Jesus Christ, peace and blessing as the Holy Spirit leads over each dwelling or workplace. (Note: if you can’t walk around your “Perimeter of Faith”, then drive around or park/sit where you can observe your “Perimeter of Faith”)
Your “Perimeter of Faith” should be big enough to stretch you, but small enough to allow you to track the progress of your relationships. Your perimeter should also consist of people with whom you have, or can potentially have, contact. It is not necessary at the outset to know everyone in your perimeter - but through dedicated prayer God may begin a relationship that doesn't currently exist.
Once you establish your “Perimeter of Faith”, the next step is to "speak peace." - to start praying for blessing. The goal is simply to establish a lifestyle of praying for those around you, and to ask God to bless them and to be working in their lives.
Start by saying yes to God. Pray a commitment prayer like this: "God, I know that my neighbors matter very much to You and that You have commanded me to make 'requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving' for them. So, out of obedience to You and out of love for my neighbors, I commit myself to ask for Your blessings for them. I do this, with Your help, to the best of my ability. In Jesus Name, Amen.”
Phase 2: Bridge Building (Luke 10:7)
The second phase involves establishing relationships with the people for whom you're praying.
FIRST, your neighbors matter to God. They are precious sons and daughters whom He loves. God grieves over those who are apart from Him and wants them to return "home." Prayer will move them toward the Father, and heaven will rejoice when they come home (Luke 15:7, 11-24).
SECOND, God commands that "requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone." "Everyone" includes your neighbors whom God wants "to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim. 2:1, 4).
THIRD, as you bless others, you too will be blessed.
Phase 3: Pray for felt needs (Luke 10:9)
Now that you've been praying and developing relationships, look for specific needs that are expressed in the context of your relationships and pray for those things.
Make yourself available to God, and He will lead you into ministries of caring and sharing. You'll have a threefold impact. By praying, you'll release God's grace into people's lives. By caring, you'll build bridges of love to them. By sharing the gospel, you'll help people come to know Jesus Christ and be saved.
The most direct way to connect with your neighbors is simply to ask them for prayer requests. Most people today are pleased to be asked. Prayer-walking your neighborhood or workplace will get you out to pray "on-site with insight."
Always pray with a clean heart. The prayers of the righteous are "powerful and effective" (James 5:16). Pray with compassion. Be like Christ, who was moved with compassion toward the needy (Matthew 9:36). Pray with persistence. God listens to those who pray earnestly (Acts 12:5; James 5:17).
Phase 4: Proclamation (Luke 10:9)
As the people in your “Perimeter of Faith” become aware of the presence, the love, and the power of God, be ready for opportunities to share the good news of Jesus Christ. Expect the Holy Spirit to give you increased numbers of divine appointments and creative ways to share the Gospel and the Kingdom of God with the people in your “Perimeter of Faith”.
Take advantage of key events taking place at MSC by inviting neighbors from inside your “Perimeter of Faith” to attend. For Example:
· Easter Sunday Services
· Thanksgiving Services
· Christmas Services
· Praise Concerts
· Harvest Festival
· National Day of Prayer
· Vacation Bible School
· Celebration Services
· Life Group Events
· Your “Perimeter of Faith” Family Church plant
Important Advice to Remember:
- Most people recognize the value of prayer and will be grateful for one who will pray for them.
- Speak to them from the confidence of experience. You serve a supernatural God and He is able to resolve seemingly impossible problems. Give personal examples.
- Don’t overstay your welcome. Be sensitive so a positive contact is made.
- Be warm, courteous and friendly. Do not argue or debate. 2 Tim 2:24-26 (Amplified) And the servant of the Lord must not be quarrelsome (fighting and contending). Instead, he must be kindly to everyone and mild-tempered [preserving the bond of peace]; he must be a skilled and suitable teacher, patient and forbearing and willing to suffer wrong. 25He must correct his opponents with courtesy and gentleness, in the hope that God may grant that they will repent and come to know the Truth [that they will perceive and recognize and become accurately acquainted with and acknowledge it], 26And that they may come to their senses [and] escape out of the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him, [henceforth] to do His [God's] will.
- Don’t provide a foothold for the devil. Never get into a private talk with a person of the opposite gender.
- Your Lighthouse of Prayer is to provide prayer, not counseling, for your neighbor. That’s our Pastors job.
Mountain Springs Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado - Senior Pastor Steve Holt - Experience the Adventure of An Authentic Relationship with Jesus Christ.
|
Email This Page