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There are many ways to integrate the Prayer
for Peace in the Middle East Prayer Guide into your church's activities.
Here are a number of ideas . . .
Click these links to read about how you can organize
. . .
The 14 Day Daily
Prayer Vigil for Church Groups
The 14 Day Daily Prayer
Vigil for Individuals
The 14 Weeks of Prayer
Emphasis for Churches
The Praying
for Peace in the Middle East Prayer Service
The 14 Day Daily
Prayer Vigil for Church Groups
The Praying for Peace in the Middle East Prayer Guide is
designed to guide churches through a two week period of intercessory prayer.
A theme and suggested applications are provided for each day's prayer session.
Here are some suggestions to make your church's prayer vigil a meaningful
experience:
 | Include the prayer guide in your worship bulletin for
two weeks (the Sunday before the vigil begins and the Sunday it starts).
Also, if you have a newsletter, print the themes and daily schedule in the
issue preceding the vigil's start. Clearly state that people can
participate according to their schedule (they are not obligated to attend
every session in order to participate). |
| Select a time and place for people to gather on a
consistent basis for corporate prayer. For example, FBC Lincoln met each
day at noon in the pastor's office. Pick a room which encourages people
to sit close together so that everyone can hear. You can also add some
flexibility into the schedule. For example, Day 7 - A Day of Reflection
- can be done without meeting together since it is a Sabbath experience.
On days when the prayer meeting might conflict with other significant events,
see if you can integrate it into that event. |
| The leader/convener of the daily prayer time should be
prepared to welcome those who attend and to get the prayer time started.
At First Baptist Church Lincoln, we used variations of the following basic prayer session
agenda:
 | Welcome and introductions (for newcomers). |
| Reading of the day's theme and paragraph (from the
prayer guide). |
| Discussion of current events related to the day's
theme. Go to the day's background page on this web site (see links
above). |
| Reading of the theme Scripture and discussion of how
it relates to the theme. |
| Conversational prayer based on the theme. At
FBC Lincoln, we encouraged participants to actively listen to the prayers of
others and to build on those prayers. We also encouraged people to
take 3 turns apiece rather than praying a single lengthy prayer.
Conversational prayer thrives on the give and take that occurs between
participants and God. |
| Looking forward to the next day's theme. |
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| In general, the above agenda takes between 45-60
minutes. People should not concern themselves with artificially trying
to fill a certain amount of time (a full hour, for example). As Jesus
says, God does not answer our prayers based on their length. Sincerity
and honesty count more than the number of words! |
| Participants should be reminded that the Prayer Guide
is not a negotiating tool. The point of gathering together is to pray,
not to debate. People should be encouraged to pray according to their
conscience while being respectful and sensitive to one another's perspective.
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The 14 Day Daily Prayer Vigil for
Individuals
The Praying for Peace in the Middle East Prayer Guide is
also designed to guide individuals through a two week period of intercessory
prayer. A theme and suggested applications are provided for each day's
prayer session. Here are some suggestions to make your church's prayer
vigil a meaningful experience:
| Each person should set aside a consistent time to enter
into daily prayer, consistent with his/her natural prayer rhythm. Pick a
quiet place to pray so that you will be able to focus without unnecessary
interruptions or distractions. |
| Concentrate on one theme per day. Go to the day's
background page on this web site (see links above). |
| Read and meditate on the theme's Scripture in
preparation for your personal prayer time. |
| Pray about the issues and concerns raised by the day's
theme. Put your heart and soul into the prayers! |
| How long should you pray? People should not
concern themselves with artificially trying to fill a certain amount of time
(a full hour, for example). As Jesus says, God does not answer our
prayers based on their length. Sincerity and honesty count more than the
number of words! That said, 15-30 minutes for the
Scripture reading and prayer time is probably a good range for most people.
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| Let the day's theme to journey with you throughout the
day. Spontaneous prayers for peace as the day progresses will promote
the growth of a peacemaking attitude in your soul. |
| If you have a prayer partner relationship, why not
integrate the prayer guide concerns into your times together? |
The 14 Weeks of Prayer Emphasis for Churches
Most churches maintain a prayer concerns list which serves
as the basis for Sunday service prayers. The Praying for Peace in the
Middle East Prayer Guide can be used as source material for your list.
Here's how to organize this emphasis:
| In your church newsletter, write a paragraph
introducing the reasons for including the prayer themes in your corporate
weekly prayers. Invite individuals in the church to incorporate the
themes into their personal prayer times. |
| Each week, include the text for one day's theme in your
worship bulletin. |
| Make sure that the person leading the prayer time is
prepared to offer a specific prayer in response to the theme. |
| When the 14 weeks are over, write an article marking
the completion of the prayer emphasis. Encourage people to continue
praying for peace in the Middle East. |
The Praying
for Peace in the Middle East Prayer Service
Perhaps your church or prayer group would prefer to
sponsor or host a prayer service. This could be a Sunday morning or
evening worship service, or a prayer meeting. Responsive Readings #1 and
#2 have been created for you to either insert into your service.
Responsive Reading #3 can serve as the outline for a prayer meeting.
Click here to read . . .
Responsive Reading #1: A Comprehensive
Response to the 14 Themes
Responsive Reading #2: A Shorter
Response to the 14 Themes
Responsive Reading #3: A Guide for a Prayer
Meeting
To find the readings in Spanish, please go to
the
American Baptist National Ministries web site by clicking here.
Do you have a creative idea to share about how to use the
Praying for Peace in the Middle East Guide? E-mail Lee Spitzer at
LBS@spiritualjourneypress.com!
This page was created on March 26, 2002.
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Spiritual
Journey Press
