Earlier this month on the Sovereign Grace Church Development website, Mickey Connolly reminded pastors and church leaders that preaching and praying must go together for effective evangelism. In his book Prayer, John Bunyan said “You can do more than pray after you have prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed.” Scripture encourages and guides us in how to pray for opportunities, specific people, boldness and courage, the power of the spirit, a greater heart for the lost, more laborers, and clarity in presenting the gospel.
On behalf of the Leadership Team of Sovereign Grace Churches, I want to communicate our deep sorrow for the effects of sin that have been magnified by the events of the past few weeks. The evidence of injustice, suffering, and fragmentation within our communities breaks our hearts.
We are humbled by our inability to remedy the evils of this fallen world. Yet we are hopeful, knowing that Jesus Christ has the power to rescue sinners, transform hearts, heal the deepest of wounds, and reconcile the bitterest of enemies.
Over the past few weeks we have thought it appropriate that our local churches, in their varied nations, communities and circumstances, speak to these recent issues, and we’ve been encouraged by the compassionate and wise response of our pastors. However, we desire to express our dependence on Jesus Christ together by calling for a Day of Prayer on Wednesday, July 1, 2020.
The prayer requests below reflect not only the burdens on all of our hearts, but also the promises and faithfulness of God revealed in his Word. It is to Him that we pray in faith asking for His divine help.
Pray that God would comfort those who have lost loved ones, who are saddened and wearied by injustices, and who are experiencing deep sorrow for the effects of sin that have been magnified recently in our culture. As a family of churches, we “weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15b) and pray knowing that God draws near to the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18).
Pray that God would give us wisdom and discernment as we look beyond political, economic, or social factors to the biblical issues of the human heart underlying the brokenness in our world (Mark 7:21-23). Pray that our responses to current events would be humble, patient, compassionate, and biblically informed.
Pray that God would deepen our conviction that every man and woman is made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27) and that we would value everyone—including those different from us—and treat everyone with compassion, kindness, and generosity that is in keeping with the intrinsic dignity and value that is theirs as an image bearer of God (James 3:9).
Pray that God would give us grace to walk humbly with Him, asking the Spirit to show us any sinful ways in our own hearts (Mark 7:21-23), seeking forgiveness that is ours in Christ. (Ephesians 1:7) Pray that we might also forgive others extending to them the grace that we ourselves have received (Ephesians 4:32).
Pray that our righteous and just God would work in any unjust or oppressive situation in our communities to establish justice. Pray for all those in authority, that they may govern and lead righteously, wisely, and compassionately (1 Timothy 2:1-2). Ask God to give us as His people opportunities to reflect his character—and so to “do justice, love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God” (Micah 6:8) all for His glory because “all his ways are justice” (Deuteronomy 32:4).
Pray that our churches would display the power of the gospel that not only reconciles sinners to God but also unites diverse, formerly estranged people into “one new man”—a new humanity united in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:11-16).
Pray that God would grant unity and peace where there is disharmony and strife in our churches and communities, making us “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3) for the display of his glory.
Pray for the Holy Spirit to motivate and empower our declaration of the gospel as the only hope of reconciliation with God, and with each other. Ask God for specific opportunities to adorn the gospel with the good works He has prepared for us (Ephesians 2:10), sharing the gospel, and demonstrating His love to those in our lives and communities.
Pray that God would deepen our trust in His sovereign rule and reign over all (Psalm 33:11, Isaiah 37:26), even when we don’t see and understand all that He is doing, believing that He is working all things for His good purposes and for His glory (Romans 8:28).
As a Leadership Team, we thank God for the pastors and members in Sovereign Grace churches throughout the world for their devotion to Jesus Christ, who alone has the power to unite people from every tongue, tribe and nation through his saving work on the cross—and all for His glory alone.
Mark Prater is the Executive Director for Sovereign Grace and serves as an elder at Covenant Fellowship Church. He and his wife, Jill, have three married daughters and a growing number of grandchildren.
The Bible is sufficient for all of life, at all times, even in the midst of a global pandemic. God is good to tell us what to do in tribulation, like the COVID-19 pandemic we are all walking through together. God tells us in Romans 12 to “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer” (Rom. 12:12, ESV).
Being constant in prayer sounds like a good thing to do right now. Therefore, I’m asking the members and pastors of Sovereign Grace Churches to devote this Friday, April 3 to a Day of Prayer for Healthcare Professionals who are serving during the COVID-19 pandemic. These men and women are on the front lines, at the risk of their own health, to care for those who are sick. We, as a family of churches, thank God for them and the many sacrifices they are making. Here are a few ways you can join me in praying for the health care workers serving around the globe:
Ask God to protect them from contracting the COVID-19 virus as they care for the sick.
Ask God to strengthen them for the long hours they are working in hospitals and clinics.
Ask God to comfort them when they need to spend time separated from family and friends.
Ask God to provide the equipment, medicine, and supplies they need to care for those infected with the COVID-19 virus.
Ask God to encourage them especially during difficult and challenging days.
Ask God to use Christian health care workers to communicate the love of Christ to patients and co-workers looking for opportunities to share the hope of the gospel.
Thanks for being constant in prayer.
Mark Prater is the Executive Director for Sovereign Grace and serves as an elder at Covenant Fellowship Church. He and his wife, Jill, have three married daughters and a growing number of grandchildren.
One of the ways that Scripture calls us to respond to trouble, like the COVID-19 pandemic, is to pray knowing that God will answer our prayers. David writes in Psalm 20, “May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you! May he send you help from the sanctuary and give you support from Zion.” (Psalm 20:1-2) God is eager to send his help when we ask him for it in prayer. Therefore, I’m asking that the members and pastors of Sovereign Grace Churches devote this Friday, March 20 as a Day of Prayer to pray for the COVID-19 pandemic. Here is a list of items you can pray for:
Ask God to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus throughout our world.
Ask God to protect those who are “high-risk” from contracting the COVID-19 virus.
Ask God to heal those who are sick, especially those who test positive for COVID-19.
Ask God to provide for the members of our churches especially those who may be negatively impacted financially.
Ask God to give the pastors of Sovereign Grace churches wisdom as they make daily and weekly decisions related to church schedule, pastoral care, etc.
Ask God to give wisdom and strength to our President/Prime Minister, Congress/Parliament, State, and Local Government leaders as they make decisions for our respective nations, states and locales.
Ask God to give us opportunities to share the hope we have in the gospel with unbelievers who are hopeless and fearful.
Ask the Prince of Peace to give us peace as we walk through this pandemic together trusting in His sovereign rule and reign.
Thanks for praying!
Mark Prater is the Executive Director for Sovereign Grace and serves as an elder at Covenant Fellowship Church. He and his wife, Jill, have three married daughters and a growing number of grandchildren.
Each month, Sovereign Grace sends out an Emerging Nations email that details some of the opportunities before us in nations outside of the United States. It is a wonderful expression of global partnership in the gospel–though thousands of miles from each other, we serve the same God! And regardless of where we find ourselves in the world, we can be praying for one another. You can find the latest prayer requests from our Emerging Nations team here.
If you would like to sign-up to receive that newsletter, click here.
As we step into 2019, I have one prayer and desire for Sovereign Grace Churches. My prayer is that God would give the members and pastors of Sovereign Grace churches opportunities to share the gospel with the lost and that He would help us to share the good news of Jesus Christ with clarity and boldness. That prayer request is similar to the way that Paul asked the Ephesians to pray for him;
…praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak (Ephesians 6:18-20).
Paul could have asked the Ephesians to pray for him in many different ways, but he chose one; boldness to proclaim the gospel. Paul’s single, focused desire was to boldly proclaim the gospel to people who did not know Christ as their Lord and Savior. In the midst of our busy lives that are filled with constant distractions, may that be our single desire as a family of churches.
J.I. Packer in his book Evangelism & The Sovereignty Of God writes this: “We shall ask eagerly, and pray earnestly to be shown, just how much it is in our power to do to spread the knowledge of Christ among men; and once we see what the possibilities are, we shall give ourselves wholeheartedly to the task” (p. 79). In other words, to have a wholehearted desire to boldly share the gospel with the lost, we must see the possibilities that are all around us. Pray then, that God would show you the possibilities, and that He would give you gospel opportunities in your neighborhood, workplace, gym, and on your college campus during 2019. Be convinced that God Himself wants to use you to spread the knowledge of Christ to those who desperately need to hear it. And if you’re like me, who can get tongue-tied when sharing the gospel, pray Paul’s prayer, “that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel” (Ephesians 6:19) believing that God will powerfully help you.
Sovereign Grace is a small family of churches who exist to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world for the glory of God. A year from now as we close 2019, may we look back and say that we were faithful to that task. More importantly, may God use our efforts to save many more men and women from different nations, ethnicities, and languages who will one day join us around the throne singing “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb” (Revelation 7:10).
Mark Prater is the Executive Director for Sovereign Grace and serves as an elder at Covenant Fellowship Church. He and his wife, Jill, have three married daughters and a growing number of grandchildren.