Summer 2021: Emphasis on Prayer

 
 

SUMMER EMPHASIS ON PRAYER

During each portion of the church year, we focus our energies intentionally toward one emphasis, one aspect of the Christian life in which we want to develop.

Here are some of our past emphases:

  • Fall 2019: “Flourishing on the margins” – developing an exile mentality

  • Winter/Spring 2020: “Body life in the local church” – clarifying and recommitting to membership, service, biblical leadership structures, and engagement in church life

  • Fall 2020: “Witnessing to the unifying work of Christ” – pursuing unity in a contentious season

  • Winter/Spring 2021: “Relating to culture” – understanding how culture is shaping us and how we can shape culture

This summer (June-August), our emphasis will be on prayer. Below find five reasons why we’re emphasizing prayer and five ways in which we’re emphasizing prayer.

Why Are We Emphasizing Prayer?

1) As we’ve studied the cultures in each of our towns, we’ve found a common tendency toward doing/performing/achieving. While living in a place that places such high value on independence, it takes intentional effort to cultivate a sense of dependence on God.

2) Our church and the North Shore need reviving. Historically, while there is no way to guarantee revival, virtually every major revival in church history has been preceded by an uncommon commitment to prayer.

3) One of the “marks of a disciple” we have identified in scripture is that a disciple prays faithfully (Lk. 18:1; Eph. 6:18; Col. 4:2; 1 Thess. 5:17). In other words, growth in commitment to prayer is evidence that one’s profession of faith may indeed be valid.

4) Our phones have become all-consuming in many of our lives, shortening our attention spans and filling our down time with formative inputs. As such, we’re losing our ability to experience awe and wonder about the deep things of God. Through setting aside distractions to prioritize prayer, we can fight to regain what we’ve lost.

5) In our My Suburb Project, we’ve identified individuals in our towns whom we love who need Jesus. We can’t soften their hearts on our own, even with the best strategies in the world. It’s time to devote ourselves to praying that God will do what only He can do and draw them to Himself.

In What Ways Will We Emphasize Prayer?

1) We’re clearing the church calendar. As much as possible, we’re resisting adding any events to the church calendar that do not have a significant prayer component, in order to help us shift our emphasis from “doing” to “praying.”

2) We’re prayerwalking our towns. An action step coming out of the My Suburb Project is that North Sub residents of each town are going to prayerwalk 2-3 times this summer in their respective suburbs. Contact your My Suburb leader for details about your prayerwalks.

3) We’re prioritizing prayer in our meetings. Life Group Leaders are being asked to prioritize prayer in their meetings this summer. Staff meetings are going to feature an extra emphasis on prayer. Elder meetings are going to start with extended prayer instead of saving prayer for the end. All ministry leaders are being asked to do this in their meetings this summer.

4) We’re praying more in worship services. We’re bringing back prayer partners, and we are building in more opportunities for corporate prayer in our liturgy. We are planning several open mic opportunities for prayer in our summer worship services (so come each week expecting not just to receive, but to contribute).

5) I’m inviting you to join me in taking a break from social media and putting our phones in the drawer for significant portions of each day. When we forget our phones at home, our initial panic is often quickly followed by a sense of relief (“this is nice to be free”). I’m going to be intentional about staying off social media and physically removing my phone from me for long parts of each day, as I find I’m most able to hear from the Lord when the “noise” is minimized. Would you consider doing the same?

Action Steps

In the days to come, you’ll learn more about how our summer sermon series fits into this prayer emphasis, you’ll learn about the various prayer ministries of our church, and you’ll be invited into various opportunities to pray together.

Would you prayerfully consider with me what concrete steps you might take to emphasize prayer in your personal life this summer, in your family’s life this summer, and in our church family this summer? What activities can you put on hold for three months in order to free up time for prayer? What structures can you put in place to make sure the time doesn’t get filled with other things?