“Great and marvelous are Your deeds, Lord God Almighty.” Revelation 15:3a (NIV)
As we began the New Year several weeks ago, I sensed the Lord ask me if I would do anything different if revival in Athens depended upon me? I think that is a question that we all have to ask, because we really don’t know how important our role actually is! What if, YOUR fervent, enduring, big faith prayer was exactly what God was waiting for to release His coming move in our city? Would you pray differently, more intensely, more frequently, more audaciously? The bottom-line is, God wants to do great and marvelous things among us! But too often we are not asking these of Him, or we are not asking Him enough, or we don’t actually believe what we’re asking for. Are you asking God to do great and marvelous things in your life, in your family, your church and our city? Amp it up! Ask God to give you the faith to ask for the big things He wants to do in your world! Ask God to pour out revival power in our city!!! Ask Him and keep asking Him to do the great and marvelous things He wants to do here in Athens Georgia!!! And by the way, thanks for praying!!! It really does make a difference!
Here are some opportunities to pray with others this month. May you see God do great and marvelous things in your midst!!!
Please note, this month there will not be a Citywide Prayer Leaders Gathering.
Student Pastors Prayer
Thursday, February 1 / 9 to 10am
Tuckston UMC – 4175 Lexington Road, Athens GA 30606
Back into our monthly rhythm with Student Pastors from around Athens meeting up to pray together on the first Thursday of each month. Please join as we continue to pray for a fresh move of His Spirit on all the Middle School and High School campuses in Athens. Pray that the various ministries would have greater favor on each of the campuses across Athens. Pray that unity would continue to gain momentum between student ministries (and student pastors). Pray that God would rise up more student leaders in preparation of the coming harvest! AND please be crying out for God to bring everything together for TheMix18 that’s coming up later this month. See below for more details on joining the prayer covering for this great and marvelous gathering.
Worship Pastors Prayer
Wednesday, February 7 / 9 to 10am
Beech Haven Baptist – 2390 W. Broad Street, Athens, GA 30605
On the first Wednesday of each month worship pastors from around Athens meet up to pray for and with each other and for the worship ministries across our region. Regularly these worship leaders will bring a song to share that they have recently written. Please join us in praying from wherever you are, asking God to release greater anointing upon the worship leaders in your church and across our city. Ask God for new songs, new intensity, new passion and even miracles in the context of worship in the churches across our city. Ask Him for a greater grace to worship Him in our city!
Prayer Walking at UGA
Saturday, February 10 / 10am to just before noon
UGA Arch – Corner of Broad Street and College Ave
Rain or shine, heat or cold (and it will probably be a bit chilly), we hit the ground praying. We meet up at the UGA Arch and go from there. This is a monthly opportunity (usually the second Saturday) to join in with other prayer warriors from across our city to focus prayer on the campus and our city. These are always pretty amazing and unique times of prayer!!! You are most welcome to join us as we walk, talk and pray for revival at UGA, across Athens, and beyond.
Pastors Prayer
Wednesday, February 14 / 9 to 10am
St. James UMC – 111 West Lake Drive, Athens 30606
Senior Pastors are the spiritual gatekeepers of our city. And they carry a huge responsibility on their shoulders! Monthly we come together on the second Wednesday as Senior Pastors from around Athens to encourage and pray for and with each other. God is pouring out an amazing and unique grace for unity in Athens. Pray that God would protect the unity that He has already established and that this unity would continue to deepen and grow wider. Pray that the world would begin to take note of this unity and respond by acknowledging that Jesus is exactly who He said He was (John 17:20-23). Be praying that your pastor would be drawn into this network if he is not already involved. Also pray that more intercessors would rise up to pray for the pastors across our city. Pray for even more intense prayer for your pastor. Ask God to meet with them and refresh, renew them exactly where they need it. Pray that God would fan into burning hot flame their first love for Him. Pray for their protection in the battle, please include their marriages and families. Ask God to increase their strength, and give them encouragement and stamina. As Ephesians 1:17 says, ask that God would give them wisdom and revelation that they would know Him better and that they would live, lead and minister from that place of intimacy with Jesus (John 15:1-8). And ask God for a greater measure of joy, peace, rest, power and faith to be released over them and their ministry (Romans 15:3)!
Executive Pastors Prayer
Thursday, February 15 / 9 to 10am
WFBC – 1610 Simonton Bridge Road, Watkinsville 30677
This is the monthly gathering of those who “run” the churches in our city. Please pray for these guys as they connect, pray together and share wisdom. Pray for God to pour out on them wisdom and grace to know Him better. Pray for their partnership with their senior pastor, for trust, grace and confidence would grow. Pray that they would have joy in doing what they get to do from behind the scenes! Pray that God would meet them and bless them and their families! Pray for the pastor who does this in your church!
Night of Healing Prayer
Thursday, February 15 / 7 to 8:30pm
St James UMC – 111 West Lake Drive, Athens 30606
This is an opportunity to receive prayer for healing. Come as you are. If you desire you can have individual prayer with two trained prayer ministers for whatever your needs and concerns with complete confidentiality.
Campus Prayer
Friday, February 16 / 8 to 9am
UGA Tate Center – Room 480
This campus ministry provides a context for students and others (i.e. faculty) from across UGA and various churches in Athens to come together on campus to pray for and with one another, and for revival on the campus. Right now, Campus Prayer is a monthly gathering. Please pass the word to all the UGA students that you know. And continue to pray for greater unity on the campus and ultimately revival across the campus and beyond.
Prayer for the Middle East
Wednesday, February 21 / noon to 1pm
Living Hope (House of Prayer) – 2150 Lexington Road, Athens 30605
This is the monthly gathering of focused prayer for the Middle East and Israel. There are usually updates from the Middle East, which lead to some very specific praying. Everyone is welcome to join in as we pray for Israel and the conflict in the Middle East. Please pray for the Kingdom of God to advance in Israel and across the Middle East!
The Mix 2018
Friday – Sunday, February 23 to 25, 2018
Athens Church – 10 Huntington Road, Athens 30606
The Mix is a weekend-long experience centered on worship, growth, and relationships. Over 2500 middle school and high school students from over 30 different churches in our city will converge for this amazing weekend together. We have services on Friday evening, Saturday morning, and Saturday night. Most churches facilitate and coordinate host homes where students will spend the night with youth leaders. At the host homes students will discuss life and how the weekend is impacting their relationship with God. Saturday afternoons are open for groups to spend it anyway that brings their group together. Often groups find ways to serve throughout the city, or spend time relaxing with their leaders, or even join other groups for fun activities! On Sunday morning youth groups attend their church’s normal worship service and share about the experience. This year we are saturating The Mix in prayer, lots of prayer, united and focused prayer. We believe this is going to be the most awesome Mix yet, because God faithfully answers prayer with awesome deeds (Psalm 65:5a – NLT)! For more info on The Mix check out http://www.themixathens.com/
Pre-Mix Prayer Assistant Briefing
Sunday, February 18 / 1:30 to 2pm
Athens Church – 10 Huntington Road, Athens 30606
During The Mix Prayer Watch (see below for details) there will be ‘prayer assistants’ present to help the teams with whatever they need to have a powerful and effective hour of prayer. These prayer assistants will take THREE HOUR slots and be the connection points for incoming teams. Please pray for these prayer assistants. And if you are one, please mark your calendar to be at this meeting (if you haven’t already marked it).
Pre-Mix Prayer Gathering
Sunday, February 18 / 2 to 2:30pm
Athens Church – 10 Huntington Road, Athens 30606
This year we are asking every leader that is coming to The Mix to participate in a prayer gathering prior to The Mix. The primary purpose of this gathering is simply to pray for (over) these leaders who will be spending prolonged time with the students at The Mix, and to pray for The Mix. So, please join us from wherever you are and pray for these vital warriors who will be in the trenches with the students during the weekend. Pray that God would prepare their hearts and bodies to be poured out for Him throughout the weekend.
Student Pastors Briefing and Prayer Gathering
Wednesday, February 21 / noon
Thursday, February 22 / 6pm
Athens Church – 10 Huntington Road, Athens 30606
Every group that is coming will be picking up their packages and getting last minute details for The Mix at these gatherings. And of course, we will be taking time at these meetings to pray together for The Mix.
The Mix Onsite Prayer Watch
Friday, February 23 noon to Saturday midnight
Athens Church – 10 Huntington Road, Athens 30606
We will be having onsite, non-stop worship/prayer going simultaneously during The Mix this year. Each church involved is asked to facilitate a ONE HOUR slot. Parents and folks from that church are encouraged to come and pray for their kids, as well as for The Mix in general. Our desire is that every single student attending The Mix will be prayed for by name! The prayer room is open for anybody from any church to come and pray at any time during the 36 hours of The Mix Prayer Watch, even if the slot is being led by a different church.
The Mix Offsite Prayer Watch
Friday, February 23 noon to Saturday midnight
ANYWHERE in the world!!!
For those who are unable to make it onsite to pray with the teams coming from various churches during the 36 hours of The Mix, there will be an offsite watch… meaning you can join us whether you are homebound in Athens, or live in California or even in Australia. In fact, you can participate from anywhere in the world! To sign up for a ONE HOUR slot, go to www.slottr.com/sheets/9598199 and simply follow the instructions to get you going. Sign-ups open on Friday February 9 at noon (ET). We will send out a confirmation email as well as a prayer guide.
Unity Prayer
Sunday, February 25 / 9:15 to 10:30pm
Classic City Church Ministry Center – 386 N. Milledge Avenue, Athens 30601
This is a monthly gathering of college students (only) lead by college students from across the campus ministries and various local churches coming together to pray. Please join them in praying for revival & awakening on the UGA campus.
Ongoing and inspirational…
Athens Daily Prayer Texts
Ongoing
All across Athens area
These Daily Prayer Texts are short messages sent to your cell phone every morning at 8am. Each text includes a brief bible verse and a focus for praying. To sign up all you need to do is text @athenspray to 81010 and you’ll start getting these inspirational, prayer focusing texts right away.
Campus Ministers Prayer
Mondays, February 5, 12, 19 & 26 / 1:30 to 2:45pm
Near UGA
Each Monday the directors of the various campus ministries at UGA meet up to pray and share life together. This gathering is vital in building unity and spiritual momentum on campus. Please pray for these leaders as they connect with one another and in humility journey together to reach UGA with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Pray that each of these key leaders would grow in intensity with passion, devotion, wisdom and grace! Please be praying that God would give us the grace to apply the book we are reading together (Why Revival Tarries by Leonard Ravenhill) in our lives and ministries. And pray that God would prepare each of us so that we are ready as He releases a new wave of His Spirit across the campus!
Encounter Gatherings
Starting back up February 1…
Thursdays / 6:30 to 8pm
Cornerstone (Athens Prayer Center) – 4680 Lexington Road, Athens 30605
These weekly gatherings are open to everyone who wants to meet with God and grow in their faith. The focus will be on Revival & Spiritual Awakening. These gatherings include some amazing teaching, deep worship and lots of prayer! Everyone from across the city is invited join in if you are able! Also, starting in February will be a six-week class on training for Deliverance. This will run from 5:30 to 6:30pm every Thursday night before the encounter gatherings. No sign ups required, just show up on February 1.
Coming up…
Pastors Racial Reconciliation Gathering
Thursday, March 29 / 10am to noon
Hill Chapel Baptist Church – 1692 W Hancock Avenue, Athens 30606
Over the past 18 months the senior pastors have been coming together, black and white, to discuss and pray into the racial issues we are facing in our city and across our nation. Up to now we have been doing this every three months for half days (4 hours). In March, we are tweaking this into greater frequency (every two months) but shorter in length (2 hours instead of 4). Lunch is no longer a scheduled part of the gathering, though pastors are invited to go out for lunch after our meeting. Continue to pray that God would tear down every wall that divides races in our city AND establish trust and love among His leaders and churches in Athens. This group has become a safe place to share honestly and pray deeply. For you non-senior pastors, please mark your calendar to be in prayer for this while we are meeting!
For more (and up to date) stuff…
Some of the above activities may change, and there are other prayer opportunities that come up in addition to things happening that were not listed above… you can get the latest happenings at www.facebook.com/groups/1423907481169281/
Bless you heaps!!!
Steve
