Prayer Focus
(Pray in the Spirit often through your hour)
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication
with gratitude, let your needs be made known to God. And the peace of God which
passes all understanding shall guard you hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brethren, whatever is honorable, whatever is true, whatever is just,
whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is virtuous, if there be any
excellence and if anything be worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these.
Do everything you have learned from me and the God of peace shall be with you"
-- Philippians 4:6-9
Prayer Watch Focus (rev B –
3/23/2009)
(The following prayers can be prayed aloud as
part of each prayer watch. You may want to begin by reciting psalms of praise.
Here is a short list: Psalms 8, 19, 33, 96, 100,
103, 104, 111, 113, 135, 138, 149)
Beginning
Prayer
Father God,
I receive this hour as a gift from you. Please bless those who have prayed
before me and hold them in your heart. I undertake this watch as a solemn responsibility
on behalf of all my brothers and sisters in the City of the Lord. I will
endeavor to be faithful to fulfill the purpose of the watch and to be sensitive
to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Dear Holy Spirit, fill me with your Living Water.
Lead me and use me to be a source of Living Water for my community family. I
desire to be receptive and committed to you personally. You are our founder.
Continue to establish your culture and your personality in City of the Lord.
Help us to grow deeper in love with the Most Holy Trinity and with each other
in true covenant love. I ask you to keep me alert and mindful, and I ask you to
hear our prayers as a community. It is our desire to live our lives fully under
the Lordship, the protection and the provision of Jesus. We want to live fully,
totally and radically for Jesus, and to further the coming of his kingdom.
Forgive us for all the ways that we fall short of this commitment. We ask you
to remove any barriers that would hinder our prayers or our warfare.
A Binding Prayer for
Protection
In the name of Jesus Christ, by the power of His cross and
blood, I bind the spirits, powers and forces of the earth, the underground, the
air, the water, the fire, the netherworld and the satanic forces of nature. I
pray specifically against the strongholds of confusion and control.
I rebuke any curses, hexes or spells sent against us and
send them directly to Jesus for Him to deal with as He will. Lord, I ask You to
bless our enemies by sending Your Holy Spirit to lead them to repentance.
I bind all interplay, interaction and communication of evil
spirits. I claim the protection of the shed blood of Jesus Christ over City of
the Lord. Thank You for Your protection, Lord. Amen.
COTL Covenant and Agreements (Adapted for use in this prayer focus)
We believe that God has called us together, as a people,
under the Lordship of His Son, Jesus Christ, to live a life together in the
power of the Holy Spirit, in Christian community.
We believe that what we are doing together is not simply a
matter of our own desires, but of God’s call to a covenant relationship with
Him. He is offering to be our God and He
is asking that we be a people set apart for Him and for His purposes in the
world.
We believe that God wishes to form in us the life of heaven,
to be a visible manifestation in the world of that City whose builder and maker
is God. We recognize that this endeavor
will require the offering of our whole selves to God that the way we live might
not continue to be shaped by this world, but be transformed by the renewal of
our minds in God’s truth.
Therefore, while acknowledging our primary commitment to our
Church, to marriage, or the single state for the sake of the kingdom, we choose
to place our lives under the reign of the Lord Jesus, to love and serve our God
and one another with our whole lives and to follow His plan wherever it may
lead us, as members of the CITY OF THE LORD.
1. Lord Jesus, strengthen
our resolve to love, support, serve and honor one another, as brothers and
sisters in Christ.
2. Lord Jesus, strengthen
our resolve to conduct our relationships with one another in the “fruit of the
Holy Spirit”, according to God’s Word: eager to build one another up in the
Lord, quick to forgive and ask forgiveness, to exhort and admonish one another,
respectful, upbuilding, and loyal in our speech.
3. Lord Jesus, strengthen
our resolve to handle personal difficulties and disagreements in the way
prescribed by the Community.
4. Lord Jesus, strengthen
our resolve to set aside a significant amount of time each day for personal prayer
and for reading Scripture as God’s revealed Word.
5. Lord Jesus, strengthen
our resolve to be faithful in our commitments to Community gatherings and
activities, and to service in the Community, in the Church and in outreach.
6. Lord Jesus, strengthen
our resolve to contribute regularly and faithfully to the financial support of
the Community by contributing at least 50% of my tithe to the Community.
7. Lord Jesus, strengthen
our resolve to respect and commit ourselves to the way of life established
among us, especially as set forth by the Covenant.
8. Lord Jesus, strengthen
our resolve to receive gratefully the appropriate guidance of those in the
Community who are designated to exercise pastoral care for us as individuals and
as a members of groups; especially when major changes in lifestyle, vocation or
commitments are involved.
9. Lord Jesus, strengthen
our resolve to recognize and honor the pastoral guidance of the Coordinators
and elected Leaders over our life together and to commit ourselves in a special
way to support their office, to encourage them, and to pray for them. (Pray now for the leaders.)
10. Lord Jesus, strengthen
the resolve of each person to be held to this Covenant and these Agreements, and
to hold one another to them.
We approach the making of this Covenant with seriousness and
sober judgment, fully informed of the responsibilities one assumes in doing so,
and of the principles on which our life is based. Covenant members have taken this step freely,
without reservation, in personal response to the call of God, and in
faith. We understand that making the
Covenant does not necessarily imply for everyone a life-long commitment to this
Community. Changing circumstances in an
individual’s life may affect continued active involvement in our life. However, such a change is not merely a
personal decision, but would be undertaken only with serious prayer and
pastoral guidance.
We recognize at the very heart of what we are doing the call
to holiness, and in Christian community, a means God has chosen for our
sanctification. We wholeheartedly ask
the Lord to use our life together as an instrument of change in every area of
our lives so that we might be a holy people, fit for service, reflecting the
character of the holy God who dwells in our midst.
Lord, in living this Covenant, we confess our weakness and
sinfulness, and our constant need for the grace and power of the Holy Spirit to
live the life and call we have been given.
We wish to present our bodies as a spiritual sacrifice to God, placing
our whole lives, our resources, and our future in His hands and at His
disposal.
I regard with reverence and with awe the way You are
sovereignly at work among us and stand prepared to follow the unfolding plan of
God for us as a people wherever it may lead and whatever the consequences in
the days ahead.
In Your presence, Lord, I renew my resolve to bind myself to
this Community in true covenant love and service, to its Covenant and
Agreements, and to the Plan and Purpose for which You have called us together. I
am resolved to live for You, and for Your people, as a member of the City of
the Lord.
The Community Prayer
"Rise up in splendor! Your light has come; the
glory of the Lord shines upon you… They shall call you "City of the
Lord"… And the Lord shall be your light forever; Your God shall be your
glory." -- Isaiah 60
Merciful God and Father,
I come into your presence as a member of City of the
Lord. I thank you for calling us
together under the lordship of Jesus Christ to be a sign in the world of that
City whose builder and maker is God.
I pray for a fresh outpouring of your Holy Spirit on City of
the Lord this day--that through the power of the Holy Spirit we will grow in
gratitude and love for you and for each other, in faithfulness to our Covenant
and Agreements, and in generosity of prayer and service.
I ask you to bless City of the Lord in all its locations,
and to safeguard the unity of the body. May your mercy and protection be upon each of
my brothers and sisters today, especially those for whom I now pray:
...for families and marriages; engaged couples, singles,
single parents, and widowed;
...for all our children, teenagers, and students;
...for couples who wish to conceive, and for pregnant women
and their children in the womb;
...for those who are sick or suffering, especially with
long-term illness;
...for the Branch
Leaders, members of the Council, their families and households;
...for all pastoral leaders, heads of ministries and
outreaches;
...for the work of Youth Arise North America and
...for our priests and religious,
the Sisterhood, and our brothers and sisters pursuing vocations;
...for those serving on mission or away from the body;
...for those undergoing temptation, doubt, or confusion;
...for our faithful departed and the next member who will
die;
...and for the member of City of the Lord most in need of
your mercy and our prayers this day.
Through Jesus, who is our Lord. Amen.
Prayer
for Leadership
Father, you have instituted
leadership and authority as a means for guiding, protecting and providing for
us. Lord, we ask for grace for our Council, Branch Leaders, support group heads,
ministry heads, and the spouses and families of all whom you have called to
lead City of the Lord. I ask you to bless all staff members and administrators.
I ask you to bless husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, and all who are in roles
of family leadership. I ask you to bless our church and governmental leaders.
Lord, strengthen us as a people to follow the leadership which you have placed
over us, and to support it wholeheartedly through encouragement, correction,
prayer and openness.
Prayer
for Protection and Good Health
Lord Jesus, I ask for your
protecting hand to be over all our people. I pray that you will keep us from
serious illness, and that you will adjust our lifestyles where needed so that
we can be strong and healthy as we build your kingdom. I ask that you protect
us from any form of calamity or accident, and that you help us be prudent,
careful and attentive in all our undertakings. I ask you to protect all our
homes, cars and possessions from thievery or vandalism, and to protect all our
people from any acts of violence. I ask you, Lord, to bring peace to each of
our cities, neighborhoods and homes. Protect us when traveling and protect and
sustain all those who are living apart from our branches.
Jesus, I bring into your Presence
all of my brothers and sisters who are suffering from physical or emotional
illnesses (Pause here to name them). Just as you healed the paralytic, Lord, please heal all of these loved
ones. I place my confidence in your tremendous love. Lord,
I ask that you protect us from all the designs of the enemy to hurt or hinder
us. I pray specifically against the spirits of… (name them).
I acknowledge that you are sovereign over every area of our lives. Lord, I
trust in you.
Prayer
for Provision
Lord Jesus, I ask you to provide for
our physical and material needs, individually and as a people. I ask you to provide
well-paying, meaningful jobs for the unemployed and the underemployed in our
midst… (name them). I ask that you prosper all of our members who operate a
business and those who work in sales with many good customers, clients and
accounts. I ask you to bless the finances of the community and all of our
branches and outreaches. Lord, I ask you to rebuke the devourer for our sake
according to Your Word. Lord, teach us to be provident and resourceful, and
help us to live in Christian simplicity so that we may expend ourselves and our
resources in building your kingdom.
Lord, I ask you to look upon this
nation and the nations of the world in Your mercy. Bless those who bless you.
Prosper those who cooperate in good will. Subdue those who are enemies of your
love.
Prayer
for Generations
Lord Jesus, you are the author and
finisher of all life. You value us from the moment we are conceived until and beyond
the moment we die. Please guard and protect all pregnant mothers and unborn
children. Help us to be a people who respect and foster life and especially to
be a people who live under the law of love. Help us, Lord Jesus, to be willing
and able to have families and to raise children in a way pleasing to you. Give
us the fortitude to withstand the spirit of the age and the gentleness to help
each child come into their own unique and personal relationship with you. Help each
child as they grow towards maturity to make wise life decisions, especially
concerning school, career and vocation and protect them in the process of dating,
courtship, and marriage. For our single people called to marriage we ask that
you bring to our community men and women of virtue who can become worthy
spouses. Help those called to the priesthood or consecrated life to find the
right path for the fulfillment of their call. Help each of our singles to find
joy in loving and serving you. Strengthen our marriages. Help us to remain
fruitful and productive in our later years, living our lives for you. Help us
to be a haven for the elderly and a support for those who care for them. Lord Jesus
may we be a community for all ages. Help us to sustain our life as a people
through many generations.
Outreach
Prayer
Father, you have not created us for
ourselves; you have made us for yourself and for others. Help us as a people to
reach out of our life and be a blessing to many. Invigorate our outreach and
help us be fruitful in bringing people under the umbrella of your love. Help us
to evangelize the lost, to teach those in need of instruction, and to serve those
made needy by the circumstances of their lives. Keep us from all condescension.
Let us love others as you love them. Help us to be sources of healing for the
broken-hearted and light for a generation lost in darkness. Help us always to
incorporate new people into our life and to exhibit the warm heart of
hospitality. Lord, bless and gift all those who are specifically tasked by us
in the areas of music, outreach, evangelization, and social service, and help
all of us to be conduits of your saving love. Lord, pour out your Holy Spirit
on us again, today. Increase the operation of the Gifts of the Spirit in our
body. Make us receptive to the Person and the Culture of the Holy Spirit. Help
us to be people who are filled with the Spirit and led by the Spirit.
Communication
Prayer
Lord Jesus, you are the Word made
flesh. Your communication is perfectly clear. Lord, help our communications
with everyone be clear. Help us to be active listeners as well as clear
speakers and writers. Bless especially all official communications of our
community, those who receive them and those who prepare them.
Prayer
Against Terrorism
Father, I recognize that you are in
charge of everything that happens. I pray that you will bring our nation into
repentance and revival. I pray also for all those who suffer from violence brought
about by terrorists. Lord, protect our military men and women, police and fire
personnel and all those responsible for our safety. In the name of Your Son,
Jesus, I pray His most Precious Blood as protection over all believers around
the world who are persecuted for the Faith. Gracious Father, hear the prayers
of your people. Protect us, and those we love. Protect all people of good will.
Bring righteousness to our world. Convert the hearts of the oppressors. We pray
for your victory and your justice.
Scripture for protection -- Psalm 16:1-11, Psalm
33:12-22, Psalm 145:9-19, Matthew 6:25-34, Luke 12:6-8, Acts 17:24-28, Romans
8:28-38
Scripture for spiritual warfare – 2 Samuel:2-47, Psalm
17:1, 8-13, Psalm 18:2-4, Psalm 44:1-5, Psalm 55:1-8, Psalm 68:2-3, Psalm 91,
Isaiah 13:4-6, Isaiah 66:14-15, Luke 10:18-19
Saint Michael the
Saint
Michael the
our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God
rebuke him, we humbly pray. And do thou, O prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits who prowl
about the world seeking the ruin of souls.
“God indeed is my savior; I am confident and
unafraid. My strength and courage is the Lord, and He has been my
savior.” (Isaiah 12:2) Amen. Alleluia. Amen.”
Conclusion
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for this
hour we have spent together. I now hand the prayer watch over. Please bless the
person or persons who follow me. Give them the grace to remain faithful to
their commitment.