“True prayer is measured by weight, not by length. A single groan before God may have more fullness of prayer in it than a fine oration of great length.” – C.H. Spurgeon
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New Year’s Prayer. Pray for a renewal of your walk with God. Pray that, through Christ in you, the coming year would be one of spiritual growth and vitality.
“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. … Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands. – Psalm 90: 12, 17
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Pray for our leaders in Washington D.C. as they deliberate and decide on financial matters of immense importance. The so-called “financial cliff” only serves to underscore the serious need for serious thinking on these issues – and serious praying by citizens who take seriously their responsibility to pray for those in authority.
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Pray for pro-life ministries across the nation – especially during the month of January when the leaders often have a huge increase in speaking opportunities due to emphasis of “Sanctity of Human Life Sunday” (January 20). Pray that truth and grace are spoken and received and that more people awaken to the reality of Psalm 139:13 – “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.”
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Pray for the Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) ministry taking place on the campus of Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado, led by Ryan Hugh:
“Ryan and Amy both attended New Mexico State University, joined RUF as students, and earned degrees in Business. After discerning a call to the ministry, Ryan attended Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis and then he and Amy headed West to continue their service in God’s Kingdom through RUF. They served at the University of Washington from 2006-2012 and are now serving at Colorado State.”
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This week, pray for persecuted Christians in Mauritania:
Using the “watchlist” produced by opendoorsusa.org, we will pray for persecuted Christians in a specific nation each week. Teachers/parents, consider this a great way to introduce geography into the weekly lessons. Show students where the nation is, then pray for Christians in that place.
Here is an excerpt from the report on Mauritannia:
Mauritania, very proud to be officially a pure Muslim country, does not include any provisions for religious freedom in its constitution, and its laws prohibit conversion to Christian faith. The sentence for apostasy is death.
In Mauritania, it is extremely difficult to be a Christian. Pressure on Muslim Background Believers from family and tribe members and leaders of local mosques, is very high. There is some freedom for expat churches, but even for expats residing in the country it is complicated. It remains completely impossible for Mauritanian Christians to register their churches, so they must meet in secret. Source: Page 21 of (PDF)
Also pray for the plight of Christians in Syria
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We will also pray for Christians across America by lifting them up by state. Additionally, we will pray each week for our fellow Presbyterians. So, in 2012, we will pray together by name for Christians in 50 nations, Christians in all 50 states and all the presbyteries of the Presbyterian Church (USA), Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC), Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) and the emerging new Reformed body, The Fellowship of Presbyterians (these will be added as they are formed). You are encouraged to add specific pastors, lay leaders, congregations, missionaries, new church developments and other ministries to the list by posting a comment to the blog. (Please do not publicly post the names of missionaries serving in contexts where exposing their identity would cause them harm or bring harm to those they serve in Christ’s name.) Let us kneel before the Father and ask His will be done.
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Prayer for the nation – focusing on the state of Wyoming – full of mountainous beauty and splendor and short on population (c. 570,000 residents). Pray that this state, known for its rich natural resources and productive mining operations, would have Christians who mine the Word of God for its treasure…and develop deep spiritual resources from which to draw on in bold Christian living.
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Prayers for the PCUSA: Pray for the presbyteries of the Lincoln Trails: Blackhawk, Chicago, Great Rivers, Midwest Hanmi, Ohio Valley, Southeastern Illinois, Wabash Valley, Whitewater Valley
Prayers for Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC): the Mid-Atlantic (Howard Shockley, stated clerk).
Prayers for the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA): the churches of the Savannah River Presbytery
Prayers for The Fellowship of Presbyterians.