Prayer Vigil
Thank you for praying!
Prayer is foundation for God’s people. For many years Oak Grove’s deacons have encouraged us to pray during these hours leading up to Easter. Thank you for taking the time to intercede. May you be encouraged as you spend time with the Lord.
Below are some ideas for how to pray over the course of an hour. If you divide the hour into 6 x 10 minute time slots, the time will fly by. Or you may want to spend more time on one than another. We have taken the model of the Lord’s Prayer as the framework for this guide. Feel free to pray as the Lord directs you, but here are some suggestions if you need ideas. Be sure to click on the little plus sign on the right side to expand each section.
1. Praise - "Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be Your Name"
- Praise God that He is love (I John 4:7-8), and that because of Jesus’ sacrifice you know what love looks like (John 3:16).
- Praise God that He is the same yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8), and that He is your solid Rock, your Fortress, your Rescuer, your Shield, your salvation’s strength, and your place of safety (Psalm 18:2).
- Praise the Lord for being the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable (Isaiah 40:28). His ways are higher than your ways, and His thoughts higher than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:9).
- Praise the God whose way is perfect. Praise Him that His Word proves true and that He is a shield for all those who take refuge in Him (Psalm 18:30).
- Praise God for His holiness. “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!” (Isaiah 6:3).
- Praise the Lord, who is like no other, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression. Praise Him for His mercy – He does not retain his anger forever, because He delights in steadfast love. Praise Him for His compassion and for His forgiveness. “He will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:18-19).Praise the Lord, “a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty.” (Exodus 34:6-7)
- Praise God, whose might is like no other, and whose faithfulness surrounds Him. Praise Him that righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne, and that steadfast love and faithfulness go before Him (Psalm 89:8,14).
- Praise God that with Him, nothing is impossible (Mark 10:27). “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You” (Jeremiah 32:17).
2. God's Agenda - "Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven"
Pray for God’s will to come about in a broken and hurting world:
- For the isolated
- For those asking, “God, are you there?”
- For the sick and infected
- For the frustrated
- For those who are overcome with fear
- For parents
- For the newly unemployed
- For the business owners
- For our healthcare workers
- For our church leaders
Pray for the government and all who are in leadership – presidents and governors, local leaders, that they might be sensitive to God’s kingdom agenda (1 Tim 2:1-2)
Pray for the church across the world as the primary agents of God’s kingdom that we might be faithful to our mission (Heb 12:1)
Pray for the continued spread of God’s kingdom through mission work and personal evangelism (Phil 1:27)
Pray for missionaries and church leaders as they handle new challenges in our changing world. (Gal 6:9)
Pray for justice and peace that reflect the presence of God’s kingdom – his reign (Jn 14:27)
Pray for people in your own circle of family and friends who need to welcome Jesus and his agenda into their lives (Jn 17:3)
Pray for those who are struggling with health or other personal issues – that God’s will would be done in the situation and that his kingdom would be advanced through it (James 5:13-14)
Pray for the second coming of Jesus (Rev 22:20)
3. Provision - "Give us today our daily bread"
- Ask God to provide those things that you need to get through the day – food, water, home, finances
- Ask God to provide for the needs you are aware of in those around you (family, friends, church, community)
- Ask God to provide spiritual bread – a Word from him that would encourage you for the day and infuse you with hope for the days to come
- “OUR daily bread” – pray for the basic needs of others – especially those who seem to be without – for those in our community and those abroad who are going hungry
- In asking give thanks for his provision
- In asking, be open to the fact that God might be calling you to help provide for the daily needs of others
- Scripture passages to incorporate into your prayers for provision: Phil 4:19; Matt 6:31-32; Ps 23:1; Ps 132:15; Prov 3:9-10
4. Forgiveness - "Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us"
- Examine your life and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal your own sinful attitudes and actions – seek God’s forgiveness
- Thank God for the forgiveness that is ours through the cross and the resurrection of Christ Jesus
- Repent of sins of comission (things you have done) and omission (things you haven’t done) – then set a new course and direction (James 4:17)
- Pray for those who have sinned against you – forgive them and ask God to forgive them – whether or not those people recognize their need for forgiveness
- Pray for the people who have made themselves enemies – either of you personally or your people and country
5. Protection - "Deliver us from the evil one, so that we may not be led into temptation"
- Ask God to get you and others through the tough times
- Pray for protection from all that is evil – whether it be spirits or attitudes or political powers
- Pray that your salvation would actually be made even more sure through the times of trial
- Pray for the safety of those in the hotspots (wars, earthquakes, famines, etc) around the world
- Ask God to protect the faith of those who are persecuted because of their faith in Christ
6. Doxology - "For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever."
While not a part of the original prayer in the New Testament this is a good way to conclude your prayer – with a word of praise that summarizes all that has been spoken
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If you are looking for a group that meets on a different night, or have an idea for a ministry we aren’t currently doing, let us know.
