“When Jesus heard this, He was amazed.”
Luke 7:9 (NLT)
Did you get that? Jesus was amazed! The context of this was the centurion’s faith. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus comments on how important one’s faith is. In this specific incident, His response is “amazing!” Please grab hold of the significance of this. We can “amaze” Jesus by our faith!!! Our faith really matters. Jesus even comments a bit later about praying and not giving up, and that this type of prayer requires faith, to which God responds to (Luke 18). Praying by faith is different than simply reciting a prayer. Faith implies belief that God is going to answer you. The prayer of faith is powerful and effective. The prayer of faith moves mountains. And more importantly, the prayer of faith moves God!
May God increase your faith to believe Him for what you are asking for and give you the endurance to not give up until the answer comes! Yes, may the Lord release amazing prayer through your faith in Him to answer with awesome deeds!
Here are some opportunities to amaze God by praying big things in faith for Him to do awesomely in Athens and beyond!
Student Pastors Prayer
Thursday, April 4 / 9 to 10am
Tuckston UMC – 4175 Lexington Rd, Athens, GA 30605
Every month, usually on the first Thursday, Student Pastors from around our city meet up to connect and pray together. Please continue to pray for a powerful movement of God to sweep across all the Middle School and High School campuses in Athens. Pray for the effectiveness and fruitfulness of every student ministry in our city. Ask God for more students to be drawn in, and that He’d rise up and prepare more leaders. Cry out to Him for revival in each church’s student ministry in Athens. And please ask God to increase your faith to believe in Him for an awakening (lost kids coming to Christ) on all the campuses across our city!
Pastors Prayer
Wednesday, April 10 / 9 to 10am
The Light – 174 Henderson Ext., Athens 30606
This monthly opportunity for SENIOR PASTORS is an amazing expression of unity as these leaders come together in humility and prayerfully share the journey. Please take time to pray for your pastor from wherever you are at while we are meeting. Ask God to refresh, encourage, protect and provide for your pastor, their marriage and their family. Pray that God would guard and deepen the amazing and beautiful unity He has established in Athens among pastors. Ask God to meet them right where they are, and give them all it takes to run strongly throughout this year!
Prayer Walking at UGA
Saturday, April 13 / 10am to just before noon
UGA Arch – Corner of Broad Street and College Ave
Whether it is cold, wet, dry, sunny, gloomy, windy or still, on the second Saturday of the month, we will hit the pavement praying for God to do His will, completely and powerfully, in Athens. Please come and join in with other folks from across Athens, if you are able, and focus faith filled prayer on the campus and on our city. Every prayer walk is pretty awesome, truly unique, and amazing!!! We meet up at the UGA Arch and go from there. Whether you have never been on a prayer walk before, or you’re a veteran intercessor, or somewhere in-between, you are welcome to join us as we walk, talk and pray for revival at UGA, across Athens, and beyond.
Groups Pastors Prayer
Wednesday, April 17 / 9:30 to 10:30am
Cornerstone – 4680 Lexington, Athens, GA 30606
The bottom line – we are not meant to do life alone. Groups provide accountability, belonging and community. Life is way better connected and that’s exactly what the groups ministries are all about in Athens. Groups are a vital component for establishing and growing in a relationship with Jesus Christ. These ministries are a key part of our advancing the Kingdom of God in our city. Ask God to draw more people into these life-bringing groups. Ask Him to give tremendous grace to each group leader in our city. Ask God to rise up more strong leaders in Athens so we can start more new healthy groups. And please pray for the those who lead the groups ministries in Athens, starting with your own church!
Executive Pastors Prayer
Thursday, April 18 / 9 to 10am
Athens Church – 10 Huntington Road, Athens, GA 30606
Those amazing leaders who “run” the churches in Athens come together each month to share and pray for each other. Please pray for your executive/administrative pastor and the others who carry this load in the churches in Athens. Pray that God would give them wisdom and joy as they keep the systems operating smoothly and effectively for Kingdom growth in our city. Pray that God would increase His presence in their lives and homes.
Ongoing and inspirational…
Athens Daily Prayer Texts
Ongoing
All across Athens area
Every morning at 8am (ET) Daily Prayer Texts are sent to cell phones across Athens and beyond. If you’re not getting these yet please sign up. You will be standing in unity with others across our city, and have the same prayer focus every day! To receive the DPT just text @athenspray to 81010 and you’ll start getting them right away.
Campus Prayer
Monday, April 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29 / 12 to 1pm
UGA Tate Center – Room 480
We meet every Monday, and it is always amazing, ALWAYS!!! This is an opportunity for UGA students (and others) to come together on campus from various campus ministries and local churches to pray for each other, for revival at UGA and for God to do amazing among us! Please join us during this lunch hour prayer, even if you can’t be there on time (i.e. have to arrive late or leave early for class or work).
Campus Ministers Prayer
Thursdays, April 4, 11, 18 & 25 / 3 to 4:30pm
Campus View Church – 1360 South Lumpkin, Athens 30605
Every Thursday during the school year those who lead campus ministries at UGA meet up to connect, journey together and pray for each other and the campus. Please pray for the various campus ministries (i.e. Wesley, CRU, RUF, Team United, Grace Athens, BCM, etc.) and their leaders, especially that they would finish the semester string and be positions for an amazing start in August. Pray that God would unite us even more and build an even deeper and wider level of unity across the campus.
Coming up…
National Day of Prayer Breakfast
Thursday, May 2 / 7 to 8:30am
The Classic Center
For more information on this great opportunity to be a part of the National Day of Prayer activities in Athens, or to grab a seat/table at the breakfast, go to https://acmin.org/national-day-of-prayer/
Pastors Racial Unity Gathering
Thursday, May 23 / 10am to noon
Redeemer Presbyterian Church – 165 Pulaski St, Athens, GA 30601
Walls are coming down and obstacles that divide us are being removed as black and white pastors from Athens continue to come together to pray and dialog around sensitive racial issues. God is doing amazing things in our city through this group that has been doing this over the past several years. And it is definitely changing the atmosphere in our city. Authentic relationships amongst the spiritual gatekeepers of our city are growing. Please continue to pray for God’s momentum and healing as we press in together. Pray that the ground of racial unity that has already been taken would be occupied and that more territory would be taken. Pray that God would give us His strategies to lead us into a reconciled, unified and transformed Athens!
For more (and up to date) stuff…
There are more prayer things happening in Athens than listed here. Some of the above activities may change, and there are other prayer opportunities that come up in addition to things listed above… you can get the latest happenings at www.facebook.com/groups/1423907481169281/
Bless you heaps!!!
Steve
