“I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. This is a pretty strong statement! The Apostle Paul is “urging” Timothy to teach people to pray, and not just pray, but pray for “all people” including those in authority. To urge means to insist on, exert driving or impelling force, to assert with earnestness, to persuade, to impel… I think you get my point! Paul is calling us to pray for folks we don’t know, and perhaps, don’t even like! As we press into 2020, please pray for “all people”, which includes your President (whether you like him or not!). This is going to be an intense year, but we the church need to lead the way in grace, honor, love and unity. Instead of cursing and tearing down people you don’t like, pray for them. In fact, praying for all people requires us to step out of our comfort zone and community to include others not like us, and perhaps don’t even like us! Paul requires this because our prayers make a difference! Here are some great opportunities to start the year off strong by joining with others in praying for “all people” in our city. We have some special opportunities to literally pray for every student at UGA and thousands of Middle & High School students coming to The Mix. Prayer Walking at UGA In January, we will continue our prayer walking at UGA on the FIRST Saturday. Join us as we cry out for God to completely and powerfully do His will in Athens in 2020. Every prayer walk is awesomely beautiful, and always uniquely 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 like most of us somewhere in-between, you are so welcome to join us as we walk, talk and pray for an open heaven over UGA, across Athens, and beyond. The Mix 2020 Prayer Watch (team signups open) Pastors Prayer The unity that God has established in Athens is a beautiful thing. On the second Wednesday of each month we meet up to share our lives and pray with and for each other. Please use this opportunity to pray for the pastors in our city! Pray that God would guard and deepen the unity He has already established in Athens. Please pray for your pastor. Ask God to abundantly bless, refresh, encourage, protect and provide for your pastor, their marriage and their family. Ask God to meet each of these pastors of Athens right where they are, and give them all that it takes to stay connected to God and run strongly in this new year. Ask God to prepare all these leaders for what He is about to do in our city! Student Pastors Prayer Normally we meet on the first Thursday of the month, but for this month we moved it to the second. We will dive right into praying for each other, for the Middle & High School ministries/campuses across Athens, as well as The Mix (for more details on The Mix see below). Please join us in praying for all those who minister to the youth of our city, starting with the ones at your church! New Year New Heart – 20/20 Vision Registration is still open for the 7th annual prayer conference, New Year – New Heart! This year’s conference theme is 20/20 Vision and will be exploring together Ephesians 1:18, “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened…” Athens Intercessors Community Though this is not a closed group, it is definitely not for everyone! It is specifically for those who are intercessors in Athens (whether veteran or new at it), to come together, connect, network, get equipped and pray for and with each other. This is a very strategic monthly calling together of intercessors from across Athens to hear what God is saying and showing them, and to pray for each other. Watchmen are taking their place on the walls, and our unity is vitally important as we move into 2020. If you’re interested in being a part of it, please let me know. Groups Pastors Prayer On the third Wednesday of each month many of those who lead the small groups ministries at their church in our city come together to share life and pray for each other. Groups provide the best context for community and life to happen. Please pray for those who lead the groups ministries in our city. Pray for the groups’ leaders to lead well. Pray for people in the groups to be willing to share their lives and be open to grow. Pray that the groups ministries in Athens would be healthy and strong! Pray that God would raise up more group leaders for this next season. Ask God to protect and expand this vital ministry in our city. Ask Him for His open heaven over every group that meets in Jesus’ Name in Athens! Executive Pastors Prayer The leaders who “run” churches are usually hidden doing their work behind the scenes. Every month on the third Thursday come together from across Athens to share and pray for and with each other each. Please pray for the executive / administrative pastor (or those who do that role) in your church and the others who carry this load in the churches across our city. This is such a vital ministry! Ask for an open heaven over their lives! Pray that God would give them wisdom from above and supernatural joy as they keep the systems operating smoothly and effectively (or set up new ones) for Kingdom growth in Athens. Pray that God would increase His presence and favor in their lives and homes. Pray that God would give them what they need to be prepared for what’s coming next. Kids Pastors Prayer Those to lead the children’s ministries in churches across Athens come together each month to connect, share resources, and pray together. Please pray for these important volunteers and staff members who invest in our children, starting with those at your church! PrayUGA Over a three week period, we will be praying for the 38,000 students at UGA, three times! We are looking for 1000 people who would be willing to be assigned approximately 38 names (depending on how many people sign up to pray), and would pray for 8 different students for five days a week for 10 to 15 minutes for three weeks. A prayer guide will be included. Please be praying that the word of this prayer opportunity would get out across our city to praying people and God would raise up the 1000 pray-ers. Would you be willing to be one of the 1000 praying folks needed for this crazy amazing opportunity? Just think about what God is going to do because of it! Signups begin on January 6 for the January 20 start date. More details coming very soon!!! Prayer for the Middle East & Israel This is a monthly opportunity to join in with others, praying together for important issues in the Middle East. There are often reports from missionaries who are there in the Middle East that helps direct laser focused prayer. Please join us as we press into God on behalf of this precious region of the world. If you cannot physically be at this gathering, please take time on this day to pray for the Middle East. Pastors Racial Unity Gatherings Every two months Senior Pastors from across Athens come together to discuss and pray into racial issues that affect us in Athens. It has been life changing. Please pray that God would protect and expand what He has begun in us. Pray that He would continue to tear down every wall that divides us in Athens and to increase the level of unity even more. Pray that God would grant us even a greater grace to honor and love one another as we press in with each other and look for practical ways to walk it out in Athens. 40 Days of Prayer for The Mix For 30 days prior to and during, then 10 days following The Mix we will be saturating this awesome gathering with prayer. Each day a different prayer text will be sent out with a specific focus to be praying for regarding The Mix. These will also be posted on the APN Facebook page. Please join our army of praying people covering this year’s amazing student gathering. To sign up to receive these directly to your phone will be coming out next month. Ongoing and inspirational… Campus Prayer This weekly gathering is for UGA students and others from various local churches and campus ministries, who interested in joining together to pray for Awakening at UGA. Come for as little as you’re able or for the whole time (we understand jobs and classes). Campus Ministries Directors Prayer This weekly gathering is for those who lead Campus Ministries at UGA to come together to share life and ministry, to dive to the Word together and to pray for and with each other. Please pray for those who lead these ministries at UGA. Thursday Prayer Calls All are invited to join a weekly prayer call for the purpose of praying Athens College of Ministry forward. Thank you for contending with ACM for the full realization of our vision! Athens Daily Prayer Texts These Daily Prayer Texts are delivered to cell phones across Athens and beyond Every morning at 8am,. They are also posted each day at noon on the APN Facebook page. If you would like to receive these DPT each day, please text @athenspray to 81010. This is an amazing and simple way to start your day and to stand in unified, focused prayer with others from across our city for our city! Coming up… The Mix 2020 We will be providing the prayer coverage over The Mix 2020. This year is going to be epic! Each student ministry coming is asked to sign up for a ONE HOUR slot to pray for the thousands of Middle School and High School students from Athens that will be a part of this crazy amazing gathering. We’ll be looking for prayer assistants who would commit to a THREE HOUR slot. And anyone who wants to pray for the students can come at any time during those 36 hours! Definitely mark your calendar and plan to join us whether as a Prayer Assistant, or a part of one of the teams grabbing a ONE HOUR slot or simply coming for as much as you can! Please be praying for this important gathering NOW. If you are interested in being a Prayer Assistant, please let me know. If you’d like to sign up your church for a ONE HOUR slot (you’ll be responsible for facilitating it with your congregation so be sure to connect with the Student Pastor at your church) please go to The Mix 2020 – Prayer Sign Up sheet at https://www.slottr.com/sheets/18248373 (opens January 5). Pastors Racial Unity Gatherings For more (and up to date) stuff… Bless you heaps!!! |
