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CVR Into the Apostle Paul’s Prayer Life BRIDGING CULTURAL DIVIDES THROUGH PRAYER June 18-July 27, 2018 40-DAY JOURNEY PRAYERFEST 2018 40-Day Bro.indd 1 6/1/18 1:34 PM
CVR
Into the Apostle Paul’s
Prayer LifeB R I D G I N G C U LT U R A L D I V I D E S T H R O U G H P R AY E R
June 18-July 27, 2018
40-DAYJOURNEY
PRAYERFEST 2018 40-Day Bro.indd 1 6/1/18 1:34 PM
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BEHOLD, PAUL IS PRAYING… ACTS 9:11That’s the image God chose to impress on our minds the moment Paul became born again. His conversion drove him to his knees and led him to discover unique ways to bridge the cultural divide that all too often separated people from one another. What would happen if you spent the next 40 days learning the prayer habits of Paul? What would happen if you prayed some of his very prayers—just like he urged us to?
Paul prayed and recommended we pray, “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better (Ephesians 1:17) and that your love may abound more and more” (Philippians 1:9). You will learn: n How to have undeniable confidence in prayer to heal cultural divides.n How to pray about diversity from God’s eternal perspective.n How to value what God values and love what He loves. n How to cultivate a life of prayer and fasting that shapes generations.
Paul’s prayers left an indelible mark on the Church and culture of his day and so can your prayers for your generation.
Our King Cometh!
Pastor David Ireland
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WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT FROMPARTICIPATING IN THIS PRAYER JOURNEY?
1. Expect a richer, stronger prayer life that showcases answers to prayer.
2. Expect a closer relationship with God and a deeper understanding of the
ministry of reconciliation.
3. Expect a greater effectiveness in building stronger cross-cultural relationships.
4. Expect more open doors in your career and greater opportunities to influence
the broader society.
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WHAT SHOULD I DO OVER THE 40 DAYS?
Our Christ Church family will do the following:
1. Pray Daily. Set aside 30 minutes daily to seek God’s will for your life and our
church. The prayer wheel (see Page 7) may help you organize your times with
the Lord and bring your prayers into sharper focus.
2. Fast Twice a Week. Select two (2) days each week over the course of the
six-week journey to abstain from food for spiritual purposes. Make it a partial
fast—eating just one meal on the days you choose. During the other meal times,
pray and meditate on God’s word. Consult with your doctor first.
3. Read the Bible. The congregation will be reading through several New
Testament books written by Paul as outlined on Page 12. As you read these
powerful New Testament works, explore and model the role of prayer in
Paul’s life.
4. Read One Book on Growing Cross-Culturally. To fully understand Paul’s
prayers and prayer life as it relates to diversity, it’s good to study how he
challenged us to bridge cultural divides through prayer. Select one of the
books on the following page to read over the course of the 40-day Journey.
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BRIDGING CULTURAL DIVIDES THROUGH PRAYER
One in Christ Bridging Racial and Cultural Divides
Regnery Faith, March 2018
David D. Ireland Ph.D./150 pages/$15.00
Gracism The Art of Inclusion
IVP Publisher, March 2010
Dr. David A. Anderson/178 pages/$16.60
Choose one of the two books featured. Explore biblical responses to racial disharmony and
how to intentionally eliminate the gaps and move toward racial reconciliation.
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WHICH OF PAUL’S PRAYERS ARE WE PRAYING? 1. Spiritual Growth. “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my
prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the
gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began
a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
(Philippians 1:3–6)
2. God’s Will. “We have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with
the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we
pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord.” (Colossians 1:9-10)
3. Becoming a Reconciler. “May the God who gives endurance and encourage-
ment give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so
that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ.” (Romans 15:5-6)
4. Becoming a Soul Winner. “I pray that you may be active in sharing your
faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have
in Christ. Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you,
brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.” (Philemon 5–7)
HOW DO I PRAY FOR OTHERS & THE WORLD?Utilize the prayer wheel on the next page to establish a prayer shield around the people in your life, clarify your focus, and foster a half-hour minimum each day in prayer.
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3 0 - M I N U T E D A I L Y P R A Y E R W H E E LPASSIONSPray for that person in your heart to become increasingly passionate about loving God and loving others despite racial differences.
PEOPLEPray for God to bring healthy cross-race friendships into the individual’s life.
PURPOSEPray that
the person will discover ways
through prayer to authentically
serve the purpose of God and to serve others.
PROBLEMSPray that
God’s wisdom will promote
bridging racial and cultural
divides.
POSSESSIONSPray that possessions will not own the person but that opportunities would be sought out to share with others outside of their race.
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HOW TO STAY COMMITTED FOR THE ENTIRE 40-DAY JOURNEY?
1. Establish blocks of time in your calendar for completing the assigned scripture reading, prayer, personal reflection, and journaling.
2. Connect with a prayer partner at least once a week.
3. Attend or participate in times of prayer: midweek, Sunday mornings, Friday evenings and prayer calls: Monday mornings and Tuesday evenings.
4. Review the past weekend’s sermon ideas by reading your notes or listening to the sermon online.
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MY PROMISEBy God’s grace and strength, I promise to take this 40-day Journey to become a prayerful and active reconciler in my day. I will glean from Paul’s example and implement the principles associated with advocating for prayer and racial reconciliation.
my name
my prayer partner’s name
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
– Colossians 4:2
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Then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves!
— Philippians 2:2-3
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FRIDAY, JULY 27, 2018 | 9:00 A.M. – 3:00 P.M.
CHRIST CHURCH | WEST CAMPUS140 GREEN POND ROAD, ROCKAWAY, NJ 07866
www.prayerfest.net
40-Day prayer JoUrney witH tHe apostle paUl
JUne 18-JUly 27CUlminating witH
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/ChristChurchNJ @ChristChurchUSA @ChristChurchUSA @DrDavidIreland
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DAY DATE BIBLE BOOK* DONE DAY DATE BIBLE BOOK* DONE
1 6/18 Galatians 1 Foreword o2 6/19 Galatians 2 Intro o
3 6/20 Galatians 3 o4 6/21 Galatians 4 Chapter 1 o5 6/22 Galatians 5 o6 6/23 Galatians 6 o7 6/24 Ephesians 1 o8 6/25 Ephesians 2 Chapter 2 o
9 6/26 Ephesians 3 o10 6/27 Ephesians 4 o11 6/28 Ephesians 5 o12 6/29 Ephesians 6 Chapter 3 o13 6/30 Phil. 1:1-11 o14 7/1 Phil. 1:12-19 o15 7/2 Phil. 1:20-30 o16 7/3 Phil. 2:1-11 Chapter 4 o17 7/4 Phil. 2:12-18 o18 7/5 Phil. 2:19-30 o19 7/6 Phil. 3:1-14 o20 7/7 Phil. 3:15-21 Chapter 5 o
21 7/8 Phil. 4:1-9 o22 7/9 Phil. 4:10-23 o23 7/10 Col. 1:1-14 Chapter 6 o24 7/11 Col. 1:15-29 o25 7/12 Col. 2:1-15 o26 7/13 Col. 2:16-23 Chapter 7 o27 7/14 Col. 3:1-14 o28 7/15 Col. 3:15-25 o29 7/16 Col. 4:1-6 Chapter 8 o30 7/17 Col. 4:7-18 o31 7/18 1 Thess. 1 o32 7/19 1 Thess. 2 Chapter 9 o33 7/20 1 Thess. 3 o34 7/21 1 Thess. 4 o35 7/22 1 Thess. 5:1-11 o36 7/23 1 Thess. 5:12-28 Conclusion o37 7/24 2 Thess. 1 o38 7/25 2 Thess. 2 o39 7/26 2 Thess. 3:1-5 o40 7/27 2 Thess. 3:6-18 o
* = One in Christ by Dr. DaviD irelanD
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