WEEK ONE

o DAY ONE (SUNDAY, OCTOBER 18):

MEDITATION:   "Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?"- Psalm 85:6

PR:  We praise you, Father, for the gift of prayer;  for the blessing of being able to talk to you at any time and to be confident that you hear, you care, and  you are willing and able to answer our petitions. We especially give thanks for the mediation of Jesus, our High Priest, who speaks before your throne on our behalf.

SG:  Father, we boldly ask in the name of Jesus that you bless us in the next 40 Days with a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline.   Through our High Priest we claim your promise to draw near to us as we draw near to You.  We ask that you revive our tired and weak faith and grant us a deeper sense of Your presence in our lives in the days ahead.

MN:   Revive us again;  fill each heart with your love; may each soul be rekindled with fire from above.  Revive us, O God, that we might serve you joyfully, not grudgingly.

o DAY TWO (MONDAY, OCTOBER 19)

MEDITATION:  "When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." - Matthew 6:6

CF:   Father, we confess that we are too often too busy;  that we have cluttered our lives with trivial things and neglected eternal realities;  that we so easily become weighed down with the cares and troubles of this world and neglect our relationship with you.

SG:  Dear God, in these 40 Days of Prayer, we come before you to claim the blessings you have promised.  We ask that you give us the peace that comes from trusting you;  the power that comes from your Spirit in us;  and the joy that accompanies our salvation.    

MN:  Ask God to bless the outreach of our Growth Groups; to give all our group leaders wisdom and insight as they direct our discussions;  to lead us to someone today who is seeking the Lord;  to give us the wisdom and courage to invite them to share in the fellowship of our group as we consider the message of the miracles of Jesus.

 o DAY THREE (TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20)

MEDITATION:   "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me" - Psalm 51:10

CF:  Father, as we examine our hearts we recognize we are not always as gracious and patient with our loved ones as You have been with us.  Help us to reflect the grace we have received from you in a relationship with a loved one today. Give us a forgiving spirit, Lord, so that we might be forgiven by you.

PR:  Today we praise God for the increase of our women's ministries, both in numbers of participants, in outreach, and in spiritual growth.  We thank the Lord for our three Ladies' Bible classes that are meeting this fall.  We ask that God continue to bless these good groups and the work they do.  We pray that the classes will continue to grow, to serve, and to be a blessing to their members.  Ask for a spirit of wisdom for Jane Reynolds and Susan Turbeville as they lead these classes.

 IN:  Father, we pray today for those in our church family who have not been steadfast in their faith but who are falling back into the world.  Revive the flame of faith in hearts that have grown cold.  Grant repentance to those who have fallen away.  Give us the opportunity to speak a word of love and exhortation to the backsliders among us, and bring the erring to their senses.

o DAY FOUR (WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21)

MEDITATION:   "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land"- 2 Chronicles 7:14

SG:   Father, we pray that you would humble us, so that we might be purged of sin and filled with your Spirit.  Forgive us when we are full of ourselves, and enable us to empty ourselves so that we might be prepared to receive your blessings.  Help us, Lord, to seek your face during this prayer campaign, and give us revival in our hearts.

 IN:  We pray for revival in our land.  Father, we grieve over the wickedness that has become so commonplace in America.  We pray that you would heal our nation of its pride, greed, immorality, and faithlessness.  We humbly confess that we have not been as strong in our influence as we should, and we ask that you begin this revival in us, so that we might truly be salt and light in our society. 

 MN:  Ask God's blessings on our Recovery Ministry.  Pray for all those who are seeking the assistance, support, and power to overcome addictions.  We thank the Lord today for Scott Barnette, Rick Cook, and all the many College Avenue members who are working with this ministry.

 o DAY FIVE (THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22)

MEDITATION:  "Restore to me the joy of your salvation"  - Psalm 51:12

IN:  Our shepherds ask that we pray today for the families of our congregation, and especially those families that are experiencing difficulties. Ask God to revive a spirit of kindness and caring in troubled marriages and to bring healing and peace and reconciliation where there is conflict. Ask God to bless parents as they seek to raise their children, that they might exercise a healthy authority balanced by love. Pray especially today for those children who are growing up in homes that are broken by discord or divorce.

MN:  Ask God to bless each of our elders as they lead and shepherd this church. Pray today, by name, for Mike Arnold,  Bret Garrett, David Hogg, Mike Meadows, David Ponder, and Allen White.

 SG:   Father, we confess that we are often inattentive to Your leading in our lives;  that we can be blind to needs of even those close to us, and often grumble about the service that we do render in your name. Help us to be greater servants;  to be cheerful givers; to be willing workers in your kingdom.   Prevent us from falling in love with the pleasures and possessions of the world and neglecting our own spiritual growth or the opportunity to serve others.

o DAY SIX (FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23)

MEDITATION: "Devote yourselves to pray, being watchful and thankful" - Colossians 4:2

PR:  Father, we praise you today for our jobs. We thank you for the opportunity to work, to make an honest living, and to provide for our families. We recognize that in these difficult times there are many who are not so blessed. We thank you for the opportunity to be useful and productive, and ask that you give us opportunities to be witnesses in our workplace.

IN:  Some in our church family are looking for employment.  Pray specifically today that they will find the work they need.

IN:  Pray today for Wes and Ariel Woodell as they work with their team to revive and rebuild the Lake Merced church in San Francisco. Ask God to give them strength and wisdom; to give their team a spirit of unity and love; and to open doors for their ministry.

o DAY SEVEN (SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24)

MEDITATION:  "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.  Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.  Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees"-  Isaiah 6:3

SG:   Father, when we go through tough times and difficult situations, help us to stay strong so that we might receive the blessing you promise to those who remain faithful.  When our arms grow feeble and our knees grow weak, revive our faith!

IN:  We pray today specifically for the nurses at the Medical Center and for the attendants in the nursing homes here in El Dorado and Union County. Bless the sometimes difficult work they do in ministering to the ill and infirm. Guide their hands that they might bring healing to those who are hurting.

MN:  We intercede on behalf of our new fall Bible classes. Ask God's blessings on all the teachers as they prepare themselves to share the riches of God's Word with their classes tomorrow. We pray especially that our children's classes will continue to grow, and that even more young people will be blessed by this ministry.