“Behold, I am standing at the door, knocking. If your heart is open to hear My voice and you open the door within, I will come in to you and you will feast with Me.”
Revelation 3:20 (TPT)
This has been an unprecedented season. In the midst of all the challenges, Jesus has been calling out to His bride. Those who have ears have been hearing and responding, inviting Jesus into a deeper more intimate relationship. Others have not heard the knocking because of the distractions of this season. The imagery of this passage of Jesus knocking on the door of our heart is not an evangelistic call to accept Him as you Savior. This was written to the body of believers of Laodicea. In Jesus’ day, when a man wanted to marry a woman, he and his father would go to the bride-to-be’s house and knock on the door. If she opened it up all the way and accepts the cup he is offering her, she would be communicating that she would be his bride (adapted from notes in TPT). It is said that before Jesus comes for His bride He will come to His bride (Jeremiah Johnson). That is exactly what is happening in this season. The good news, it is not too late to respond. Tell Him right now that you want to be His bride, that you will open the door of your heart and allow Him to take you deeper and prepare you for the wedding feast of the Lamb (Revelation 19). Please pray that for your pastor and church (as well as the other churches in Athens), specifically, that they would have ears to hear His voice and the knocking, and have the faith and passion to open the door for Him to come in deeper than ever before!
This month as we continue to engage in an epic battle, please don’t let up. Let the Lord stir prayer in you like never before. If you ask the Holy Spirit to help you pray, He will (Romans 8:26-27)! Here are some ways you can pray with and for others this month….
Praying toward the Elections
Through November 3
Everywhere
We have been praying together, since September 25 for the election. Each day at 7am a different prayer missile has been posted on the APN Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/groups/1423907481169281. These have been used as a launch pad to saturate prayer during this most important election of our lifetime, every day, together!!! The whole prayer guide will be available at the APN website – https://athensprayernetwork.com/praying-toward-the-elections/. Please continue to pray up to and through election day!!! Be watching for more focused prayer post-election!
Student Pastors Prayer
Thursday, November 5 / 9 to 10am
Cornerstone – 4680 Lexington Road, Athens 30605
Student Pastors (Middle School and High School) from around Athens will meet up and pray together on the first Thursday of November. We invite those who are not student pastors to join us from wherever you are and pray that God would stir a great spiritual hungry in the students across our city! 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.
UGA Campus Ministry Directors Prayer
Thursday, November 5 &19 / 3 to 4:30pm
Wesley (Loft in Chapel) – 1196 S Lumpkin St., Athens
Those who lead the various campus or college ministries are invited to pray together for each other and for a powerful move of God across the campus. Join us in prayer from wherever you are to ask God for this coming move across UGA. And, ask God to strengthen and refresh all those who are ministering and/or trying to reach college students in Athens in the midst of these ‘socially distant’ and virtual days we are currently living in!
Athens Prayer Walk
Saturday, November 7 / 10am to noon
The Arch – Corner of College Avenue and East Broad Street
Please join us if you’re able, on the first Saturday of the month, as we pound the pavement, crying out for a move of God here at UGA. Christ followers from around Athens are invited meet at The Arch before prayerfully wandering around campus and/or downtown Athens.
Athens Intercessors Community
Monday, November 9 / 7 to 9pm
APN Prayer Center
We will be gathering, in person, as the Athens Intercessors Community in the APN Prayer Center. We catch up with what God has been saying to us and get a sense of where we are heading as we press into the post-election season. If you’re one of the intercessors, please join us!
Pastors Prayer
Wednesday, November 11 / 9 to 10am
Athens Church – 10 Huntington Dr., Athens 30606
Senior pastors from around Athens come together each month to pray for and with each other! If you’re able, please join us and pray from wherever you are to pray for the pastors in our city, starting with your own! Pray that God would give them divine insights and wisdom from above, extraordinary creativity and Holy Spirit boldness as they lead their congregations through this 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. Pray that God would guard and even expand the unity among pastors in our city. In the midst of all the 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. And ask God to use our pastors as a powerful godly voice in our city and nation, during such a time as this!
Executive Pastors Prayer
Thursday, November 12 / 9 to 10am
Living Hope (Chapel) – 2150 Lexington Road, Athens 30605
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 an environment they have never been in 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 into the post-election season.
Groups Pastors Prayer
Wednesday, November 18 / 9:30 to 10:30am
Cornerstone – 4680 Lexington Road, Athens 30605
Join us in praying for those who lead Groups and Discipleship 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 group leaders to lead their groups well in these new formats. Pray that God would raise up more group leaders, especially for the next season. 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. Ask God to prepare the church in Athens for the coming harvest! And ask Him for heaven to come down upon every group that meets in Jesus’ powerful Name in Athens!
Pastors Racial Unity
Thursday, November 19 / 10am to noon
The Light – 174 Henderson Ext, Athens 30605
This has been a tough season, a time of testing of our racial relationship amongst the pastors in Athens. Ephesians 4:3 (NIV) says we are to “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” This is such a critical time to maintain this unity! This gathering of black and white pastors is absolutely “essential” for our city in our day! Please fervently pray for the relationships between the black and white pastors in our city as we choose to walk by a different beat than that of the world. Pray for us as we gather for this time of sharing, discussion and prayer (and food)!
Campus Prayer
Mondays / 1 to 2pm
Currently via Zoom
ONGOING AND INSPIRATIONAL…
Georgia Prayer Line
Wednesdays / 8am
Dial 425-436-6325 – when prompted enter access code 423231#
Please try to log in at 7:55am 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 (ET) Daily Prayer Texts are delivered to cell phones across Athens and beyond. They are also posted each day at noon on the APN Facebook page. If you would like to receive these DPT’s, please text @athenspray to 81010. This is a simple 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 much 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 now including many of these posts on the APN blog, which is found on our website – https://athensprayernetwork.com/blog/#watch.
Bless you heaps!!!
Steve
