“’And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will be its glory within.’” Zechariah 2:5 (NIV)
This past weekend over 1000 students and leaders from student ministries around Athens gathered at Athens Church for The Mix. Though things were quite different this year, thanks to COVID, it was actually an amazingly catalytic event. We had prayer going on ONSITE and OFFSITE. Thank you everyone who participated. I believe one of the primary reasons The Mix was so successful was because of the prayer. One key verse we prayed throughout the time was Zechariah 2:5, crying out for God to be a fire wall on the outside while releasing His glory on the inside. He answered our prayer!!! Please continue to pray as the students return to their youth groups, homes and quasi normal life in this new era!
Here are some ways you can pray with and for others this month….
Worship Pastors Prayer
Wednesday, March 3 / 9:30 to 10:30am
Athens Church – 10 Huntington Road, Athens 30606
Worship Pastors from around Athens meet up to pray together on the first Wednesday of each month. Please pray as those wo lead worship ministries in Athens. While you’re at it ask God to increase the depth and anointing of worship in every church in our city. Ask God to teach us deeper into His presence. Ask Him for an open heaven over every location where worship is regularly happening in our city!
Pastors “Contending for Revival” Prayer Gathering
Thursdays, March 4, 11, 18 and 25 / 10:30 to 11:30am
The Light – 174 Henderson Ext, Athens 30605
Pastors from around Athens are invited to join in a weekly prayer time as we contend for revival in our city, state and nation. On the last Thursday of the month we open it up for all pastors and key leadership in churches to join us as well. Please be praying for your pastor to catch the fire of the Holy Spirit and a passion to see revival released right here in our city!
Campus Ministry Directors Prayer
Thursdays March 4 & 18 / 3 to 4:30pm
Wesley Chapel (loft)
Every other Thursday, those who lead campus / college ministries come together to pray for each other and for reaching and discipling the thousands of college students in Athens. College students are so hungry for connecting and for truth. Ask God to release a powerful move of the Holy Spirit on every college campus and upon every college aged person in our city.
Athens Prayer Walk
Saturday, March 6 / 10am to noon
The Arch – Corner of College Avenue and East Broad Street
Please join us on the first Saturday of the month, as we hit the pavement, crying out to God for a powerful movement here at UGA. Followers of Christ from all around Athens are encouraged meet at The Arch before we prayerfully wander around campus and/or downtown Athens. Onsite prayer really does matter! We are pressing into God for revival on this campus, across our city and beyond! These prayer walks are always unique and quite a blessing to those who join us! Please come if you’re able!
Athens Intercessors Community
Monday, March 8 / 7 to 9pm
APN Prayer Center
This very important time for intercessors from across Athens to come together, in person, to hear what God has been saying to each of us, and get a sense of where we are heading as we press into this new era. We will be praying into the Altar of Fire and The Mix! If you’re one of the intercessors, please join us!
Pastors Prayer
Wednesday, March 10 / 9 to 10am
Phoenix Community – 660 W. Broad St., Athens
On the second Wednesday of each month Senior pastors from around our city come together to pray for and with each other! Use this as an opportunity to pray for the pastors in our city, starting with your own! Pray that God would give them supernatural stamina, divine insights and wisdom from above, along with extraordinary creativity and Holy Spirit boldness, as they lead their congregations through this long challenging, unprecedented, and hostile season. Ask God to empower them to lead well, and for each church to be an instrument of life and help to the Athens community in such a time as this. Pray that God would protect, even expand the unity among pastors in our city in 2021. In the midst of the tremendous weight that is currently on them, ask God to abundantly bless, extravagantly refresh, greatly encourage, divinely protect and supernaturally provide for your pastor, their marriage and their family. Ask God to meet each of these lead shepherds in Athens right where they are, and give them all that it takes to stay intimately connected to God and run strongly throughout this battle. Cry out for the authority of the word of God would increase in each pulpit and for each pastor to know an increase in anointing in their preaching! And cry out for God to use our pastors as a powerful godly voice in our city and nation, that they would not be silenced!
Student Pastors Prayer
Thursday, March 11 / 9 to 10am
Watkinsville First Baptist – 1610 Simonton Bridge Rd, Watkinsville, GA 30677
Coming out of The Mix weekend, this month the Student Pastors from around Athens meet up to pray together on the second Thursday (usually we meet on the first Thursday). Please join us from wherever you are and pray that God would stir a great spiritual hunger in the students across our city in 2021! Ask God to pour out grace, wisdom and creativity upon all those who minister to the young people of our city, starting with the ones at your church. Pray that God would protect each of these Students Pastors, their families, their teams (whether staff or volunteers). Please pray that every student in our city would be drawn to God in this unprecedented moment in history and that they would become the catalyst for revival on their campuses, in our city and beyond. Ask God to protect, nourish and grow every seed that was planted at The Mix!
Groups Pastors Prayer
Wednesday, March 17 / 9:30 to 10:30am
Cornerstone – 4680 Lexington Road, Athens 30605
Join us in praying for those who lead Groups ministries across Athens. People are desperate for authentic community and groups provide it! There are virtual groups, in person groups and hybrid groups, operating in our city. Pray that God would continue to lead the Groups Pastors in our city to create even more new and effective ways to stay connected and to connect new people. Pray that God would grant them wisdom and creativity. Pray for the groups’ leaders to lead their groups well in these new formats. Pray that God would raise up more group leaders for this new era. Ask God to gently remove those who should not be leading groups any more. Ask God to protect and expand this vital ministry in our city. And ask Him for heaven to come down upon every group that meets in Jesus’ powerful Name in Athens!
Executive Pastors Prayer
Thursday, March 18 / 9 to 10am
Athens Church – 10 Huntington Road, Athens 30606
On the third Thursday of each month, those who “run” churches in Athens come together to share and pray with and for one each other. Pray for these hidden heroes who make huge decisions in a climate they have never been before. 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. They need wisdom, creativity, boldness and faith. This is a very important ministry at such a crucial time as this! Pray that God would give them supernatural joy and grace as they keep the systems operating and create 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 as the Church emerges in this new era.
Altar of Fire
Thursday, March 18, 2021 / 7 to 9pm
St James UMC – 111 West Lake Drive, Athens 30605
In March we will be continuing our monthly, citywide gathering for intercessors and worshippers. This gathering is not for the light-hearted, but for those who want to jump into the fire of God, with a wholehearted surrender to Jesus. This is an amazing time of worship, high praise, prayer and surrender. If you’re interested in giving it all to Jesus in a corporate setting with others who are desperate for God, this is for you!!! Please mark your calendar and plan to join us.
ONGOING & INSPIRATIONAL…
Give Him 15
Daily Everywhere
If you are not already seeing the daily videos or reading the daily post, I would highly recommend it. This will continue till it’s over! Get the GiveHim15 App at the App store or go to https://www.givehim15.com/
Georgia Prayer Line
Wednesdays / 7:45am
Dial 425-436-6325 – when prompted enter access code 423231#
Please try to log in at 7:40am to announce your city and county. If you miss the live call you can still hear it by dialing 425-436-6309 (same access code).
Athens Daily Prayer Texts
Ongoing
All across Athens area
Every morning at 8am these Daily Prayer Texts are delivered to cell phones across Athens and beyond. And they are also posted each day at noon on the APN Facebook page. If you would like to receive these DPT’s each day on your phone, please text @athenspray to 81010. This is a simple and awesome way to start your day and to stand in unified focused prayer with others from across our city for our city!
FOR MORE STUFF…
Every day we post something on the APN Facebook page. Usually (and especially recently) it is more than once. These posts include prayer opportunities, prayer points, prayer inspirations and the Daily Prayer Text. It is definitely worth checking daily to help stay connected with what God is doing and to see how people are praying in our city! We are also now including many of these posts on the APN blog on our website – https://athensprayernetwork.com/blog/#watch.
Standing, believing and crying out together in this crucial moment in history…
Steve
