All-Church Prayer
Special Congregational Prayer
"It is written," he said to them, "My house will be a house of prayer." (Luke 19:46)
From time to time, the need arises for special times of prayer involving the whole congregation. Sometimes this is conducted as part of regular worship services. At other times, special services may be scheduled in advance and announced in the Bulletin and on Sunday morning. On occasion, as in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks, prayer sessions will be arranged on short notice. Please come and be a part of the concert of prayer as we bring our petitions before the Lord.
Half-Days of Prayer
Extended Times of Prayer
But 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
These extended times of prayer may be alone or with other believers. Periodically we offer half-days of prayer which involve structured times in groups with leaders providing guidance on prayer topics followed by extended times alone with God and His Word. These prayer times will be announced in the Weekly Bulletin.
Many individuals benefit by periodic personal half-days of prayer, times spent apart from distractions and alone with the Lord. Our Month of Prayer Guide provides resources to help you with your own personal day. An example of a schedule for a half-day of prayer is given in this article at Bible.org.
Prayer/Fasting Retreat
Reflective Prayer Time Alone or With Small Groups
So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer. Ezra 8:23
Prayer retreats, with or without fasting, are similar to half-days of prayer but often are of longer duration and involve going to a place of sanctuary. There are several excellent prayer retreat locations within a short driving distance of Denver or you may have your own favorite "sanctuary." Periodically, we provide the opportunity for small groups to go to one of these retreats for a half-day, day or overnight. These retreats are announced in the Weekly Bulletin.
Perhaps you would like to have your own personal retreat or would like to consider periodic fasting as part of your prayer life. Our Month of Prayer Guide provides resources to help you with your own personal retreat and has a specific section on fasting.
Prayer for Healing
Prayer for the Sick and Afflicted
Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. James 5:14
We offer several opportunities for prayer for healing. When there are urgent needs, the prayer chain is available by phone or e-mail. At the conclusion of each Worship Service, the Prayer Chapel Team is available to pray with you.
Periodically, a special prayer service for healing is held, often on a Sunday evening. During this service, there are opportunities for a person to be prayed for publicly by the elders and congregation or by a pastor or elder privately or in a small group. A healing prayer service will be held on November 7 at 6:00 pm in the Worship Center.
You may also request that the elders pray for you at any time in accordance with James 5:14. Please contact the church office if you desire elder prayer.
In November 2004, Pastor Nelson prepared a discussion of healing: "Expectant and Accepting -- The Ministry of Healing." You may read it online or download it to your computer.
Prayer for the World
Prayer for the Lost Around the World
Periodically, we offer opportunities for our congregation to pray for the spiritually lost of our world. For example, prayers for world evangelization were offered by the congregation on Sunday evening October 3. The evening included phone contacts with our missionaries abroad to help us define prayer needs
If you would like to pray individually for the lost of the world, this excellent Internet resource provides information on unreached people around the world.
If you are interested in participating in any of these prayer ministries or have any questions, please call Christy Irving at the church office (303.986.1527, ext. 291), send her an e-mail at cirving@sgc.org, or send us a message from this website.
