Concert of Prayer

Connecting with God, Each Other, and
Our Purpose in His Kingdom

Presenter (2-4 minutes)

Welcome/prayer

Opening Worship

Opening song (4 minutes)

Offering (4 minutes)

(Optional) Explanation ofthe Concert of Prayer(3 minutes)

Presenter:This service will be a bit out of the ordinary, as we celebrate a concert of prayer. Concerts of prayer can involve a variety of elements, including Scripture readings, songs, testimonies, poetry, and, of course, prayer. As an interactive worship service, we will all have opportunity to share in unison Scripture readings, songs, and prayers. Various people, pastors and laypeople alike, can lead segments of the concert.

This concert of prayer focuses on the three-fold mission of the Church: Connecting with God in Worship, Connecting with One Another in Fellowship, and Connecting with Our Purpose in God’s Kingdom through Ministry. As these are kept in focus through sincere and passionate prayer, we will, with God’s help and guidance, see great things accomplished through our ministry in the months and years ahead.

Connecting with God [ppt](3 minutes)

Presenter:First and foremost, our mission is to connect with God. Let’s join with the Psalmist in sharing his declaration of praise and worship in Psalm 100. We will read in unison, alternating between the men and women, concluding with all in unison.

Connecting with God inWorship [ppt]

  • [Invite congregation to stand]
  • UnisonCongregational reading(alternate women/men): Psalm 100:1-4, NIV[ppt]
  • [Women] “Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORDwith gladness; come before him with joyful songs.
  • [Men] Know that the LORDis God. It is he who made us, and we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
  • [Women] Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
  • [Unison] For the LORDis good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

Worship Leader:

  • Congregational song (suggested): [ppt]Here I Am to Worship (3minutes)
  • Congregational song (suggested): [ppt]How Great Is Our God(3minutes)
  • [Congregation seated]

Connecting with God on Behalf of Needs [ppt] (5min)

Presenter:As we connect with God in worship and praise, we’re invited to enter His presence with bold confidence—the assurance found in following a loving God, full of mercy and compassion.

There are many needs among us. Later we will have opportunity to pray for one another here in the congregation; at this time, however, let’s remember those not able to be with us due to illness and those who are experiencing financial hardship, troubled relationships, challenging decisions, and sorrow over great loss.

  • Prayer for needs
  • Segue to testimonies about connecting with God in difficult times

Connecting with God in Difficult Times[ppt](6-8 minutes)

Presenter:One great joy of serving God is that we know His love, grace, and promises are real. Many of us can testify to how God has delivered us in difficult times. There are clear testimonies within our church family and ministries of God’s intervention in the lives of people who have faced difficult times and have seen God act on their behalf.

  • Testimonies:
  • (Consider highlighting God’s intervention in the lives of people in the congregation, as well as placing focus on lives changed through particular ministries within the church.)

As we rejoice in God’s goodness, let’s affirmtwo powerful declarations of Scripture aboutHis wonderful care for us.

  • Unison Reading: [ppt] (1 minute)
  • 2 Samuel 22:7 [Men] “In my distress I called to the Lord; I called out to my God. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came to his ears.” (NIV)
  • Psalm 145:18 [Women] “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” (NIV)

Worship Leader: Congregational Song (suggested)[congregation stand]: In the Presence of Jehovah (3minutes)

Connecting with Each Other [ppt]

Presenter: (3 minutes) Prayer has a profound impact on how we relate to and interact with each other as believers. People who do not know Christ as Savior can be powerfully touched through our prayers as well.

  • In a world where many are reluctant to allow others inside their space, prayer can provide a unique open door for relationship building, emotional and relational healing, and even salvation to take place.
  • [ppt] Prayer is a unique, God-given connector that forms bonds and brings about life-transforming change in peoples’lives for time and eternity.
  • A simple “May I pray with you?” can provide a powerful opportunity for Spirit-led ministry. Praying for someone opens the door for the Holy Spirit to implant a word, thought, or impression that touches the heart of someone’s need and experience.
  • Whereas a piece of Christian literature might be set aside or thrown away, the memory of what was shared in prayer can remain for a very long time.
  • Use prayer regularly as a means to minister God’s love to friends, neighbors, and strangers alike.

“Pray one for another” James 5:16 (KJV).[ppt]

Presenter: Scripture clearly instructs us to pray for one another in the body of Christ as well. All of us within the church family need the support of others through prayer. The following poem captures the beauty of this privilege and duty.

  • Poem: I Prayed for You Today [ppt] (2minutes)

Even though I wasn’t sure

Exactly what to say,

I talked to God and spoke your name.

I prayed for you today.

I asked the Lord to give you strength,

To calm you from your stress,

To free you from the things you fear

And bathe your mind with rest.

I asked the Lord to help you

In the uphill days to come.

I asked our precious, loving God

To complete what He’s begun.

He whispered in the quiet

And He filled my heart with peace.

He said that you are deeply loved,

And that His love will never cease.

  • Connecting to God and one another through prayer and fellowship was a key to spiritual health and growth in the Early Church. (2 minutes)
  • [ppt] Acts 2:41-43,46,47: “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles…. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”

Connecting with Our Purpose in God’s Kingdom[ppt]

Presenter: (4 minutes) Prayer connects us with God, with each other, and with our purpose in His kingdom. Ephesians 2:10 states this purpose well. Let’s read this personalized version in unison.

  • [ppt] Unison Reading, “[I am] God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for [me] to do.” (NIV)

Each of us has a distinct purpose to fulfill in this life. Within our church there are many opportunities to serve:[note various ministries within the church]. May we always be ready to devote the work of our hands, hearts, and minds tofollow God’s leading.

  • Paul requested prayer for his ministry. He knew how vital prayer was to connecting him to the purpose God intended for him.
  • [ppt] Ephesians 6:19: “Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth,words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make knownthe mystery of the gospel.” (NIV)
  • [ppt] Colossians 4:3: “Pray for us…that God may open a door for our message.” (NIV)
  • These doors might be on the other side of the ocean or across the street. Our prayers for one another will help us honor God’s purposes in our lives individually and in our church corporately.
  • Paul prayed for others, that God’s purpose for their lives would be fulfilled. We too can pray this prayer on behalf of others—our pastoral and administrative staff, ministry volunteers, our U.S. & World missionaries, and any who are involved in lay or full-time ministry. Focus on those peopleas well as those who are nearby you in this service as we pray the following prayer of Paul in unison.
  • [ppt] Unison Reading/Prayer: 2 Thessalonians 1:11,12: “We constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (NIV)

Worship Leader: Congregational song (suggested): Lord, I Give You My Life (3min)

Pastor/Presenter: Please stand with me as we focus again in unison on the words of Psalm 90:17…

 [Congregation stand]

  • [ppt]Unison Reading, Psalm 90:17: “May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands.” (NIV)

Altar Response: Let’s join together at the altar for a time of prayer together. May we each make a personal commitment to fulfilling God’s purposes individually and as a unified body of believers. May we trust that God’s purposes will continue to be fulfilled as we move forward in Him throughout the coming year.

  • Worship Leader: Congregational song (suggested): Take My Life and Let It Be (3 minutes)

ClosingWord/Prayer

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