Wednesday Night Prayer March 20, 2024

Old Gate (Jeshanah Gate)

Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah repaired the Old Gate. They built it with beams and installed its doors, bolts, and bars. Nehemiah 3:6 (HCSB)

This gate represents ancient ways and truth. Focusing on this gate challenges us to focus on returning to our First Love or going deeper in the things of God. The prophet Jeremiah admonished the people of God, “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Jeremiah 6:16). We are called to minister to the Lord, be in unity with one another, study and obey His Word, fast, pray, build community, and minister the Gospel like never before. We are praying for God to take us back to the simplicity of the Gospel, that we will return to our First Love with a new fervency. Revelations 2: 2-5 (HCSB) I know your works, your labor, and your endurance, and that you cannot tolerate evil. You have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and you have found them to be liars. 3 You also possess endurance and have tolerated [many things] because of My name and have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you: you have abandoned the love [you had] at first. 5 Remember then how far you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place-unless you repent.

1^st Prayer Point: We want our devotion to the Lord to be our number one priority. 

• Lord, birth a new desire in us to seek your face.

1 Chronicles 16: 8-11(HCSB) Give thanks to the Lord; call on His name; proclaim His deeds among the peoples. 9 Sing to Him; sing praise to Him; tell about all His wonderful works! 10 Honor His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. 11 Search for the Lord and for His strength; seek His face always.

James 4:8 (HCSB) Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, double-minded people!

• Pray that our ministry to others would be an overflow of ministering to Him.

John 7:37-38 (HCSB) On the last and most important day of the festival, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, he should come to Me and drink! 38 The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him.”

• Lord, help us to set aside more time to worship you. Draw us closer to you, Lord. We desire a deeper intimacy with you.

Psalms 42 (HCSB) As a deer longs for streams of water, so I long for You, God. 2 I thirst for God, the living God. When can I come and appear before God?

2^nd Prayer Point: We want The Crossing Church to be known as a house of prayer.

• Pray that we would have a new desire to pray consistently every day, with all kinds of prayers. 

1 Thessalonians 5:16-19 (HCSB) Rejoice always! 17 Pray constantly. 18 Give thanks in everything, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Don’t stifle the Spirit.

Ephesians 6:18 (HCSB) And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

• We want to pray like Jesus in Luke 3:21; that while we are praying, heaven will open and the Holy Spirit will descend upon us.

Luke 3:21-22 (HCSB) When all the people were baptized, Jesus also was baptized. As He was praying, heaven opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in a physical appearance like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: You are My beloved Son. I take delight in You!

• Lord, teach us to pray with a new fervency and tenacity. 

Luke 6:12 (HCSB) During those days He went out to the mountain to pray and spent all night in prayer to God.

• We want to be a people who will seek you in prayer for guidance and direction every day. 

Genesis 24:42-45 (HCSB) Then you will be free from my oath if you go to  my family and they do not give [her] to you-you will be free from my oath.’ 42 “Today when I came to the spring, I prayed: Lord, God of my master Abraham, if only You will make my journey successful! 43 I am standing here at a spring. Let the virgin who comes out to draw water, and I  say to her: Please let me drink a little water from your jug, 44 and who responds to me, ‘Drink, and I’ll draw water for your camels also’-let her be the woman the Lord has appointed for my master’s son. 45 “Before I had finished praying in my heart, there was Rebekah coming with her jug on her shoulder, and she went down to the spring and drew water. So I said to her: Please let me have a drink.

Hebrews 4:16 (HCSB) Therefore let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us at the proper time.

• Lord, build our faith as we pray. Let us be a people that know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you hear our prayers and that you are faithful to answer. 

Mark 11:24 (HCSB) Therefore, I tell you, all the things you pray and ask for-believe that you have received them, and you will have them.

3^rd Prayer Point: We want to make fasting and reading His Word a regular part of our lives.

• Pray for the discipline and desire to fast on a regular basis.
• Pray that we would be compelled to learn more about fasting and its importance in our lives. 

Isaiah 58:6-11 (HCSB) Isn’t the fast I choose: To break the chains of wickedness, to untie the ropes of the yoke, to set the oppressed free, and to tear off every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, to bring  the poor and homeless into your house, to clothe the naked when you see him, and to not ignore your own flesh [and blood]? 8 Then your light will appear like the dawn, and your recovery will come quickly. Your  righteousness will go before you, and the Lord’s glory will be your rear guard. 9 At that time, when you call, the Lord will answer; when you cry out, He will say: Here I am. If you get rid of the yoke from those around you, the finger-pointing and malicious speaking, 10 and if you offer  yourself to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted one, then your light will shine in the darkness, and your night will be like noonday. 11 The Lord will always lead you, satisfy you in a parched land, and strengthen your bones. You will be like a watered garden and like a spring whose waters never run dry.

• Pray that we as a church would be drawn to fast and pray more for our families, communities, state, nation, and Israel. (Joel 2:12-32, Esther 4:16)
• Pray for a deeper devotion to His Word.
• Pray for new insight and revelation from His Word.
• Pray that nothing else in our life would be able to take the place of spending time in His Word.

Psalms 119:97-98 (HCSB) How I love Your teaching! It is my meditation all day long. 98 Your command makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is always with me.

• Pray that we will live our life according to the precepts of His Word, that we would receive revelation from reading and hearing the Word and apply it to every situation we encounter.

Psalms 119:129-133 (HCSB) Your decrees are wonderful; therefore I obey them. 130 The revelation of Your words brings light and gives understanding to the inexperienced. 131 I pant with open mouth because I long for Your commands. 132 Turn to me and be gracious to me, as is   [Your] practice toward those who love Your name. 133 Make my steps  steady through Your promise; don’t let sin dominate me.

4^th Prayer Point: We are praying for our Spiritual Elders (Those men and women faithfully serving the Lord for 25+ years.) and our Senior Citizens.

• Pray for blessings and encouragement to overtake these leaders in our faith.
• Pray for a new boldness to reach out and pour into younger believers.
• Pray for a fresh baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire. 

Luke 3:16 (HCSB) John answered them all, “I baptize you with water, but One is coming who is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to untie the strap of His sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

• Pray for divine encounters with the Lord, that the giftings of the Holy Spirit will be manifested daily in their life. 

1 Corinthians 12:7-10 (HCSB) A manifestation of the Spirit is given to each person to produce what is beneficial: 8 to one is given a message of wisdom through the Spirit, to another, a message of knowledge by the same  Spirit, 9 to another, faith by the same Spirit, to another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another, the performing of miracles, to another,  prophecy, to another, distinguishing between spirits, to another, different kinds of languages, to another, interpretation of languages. 

• Pray that the younger generations will look to spiritual elders with respect and honor; and that they will seek them for Godly council.

1 Peter 5:5 (HCSB) Likewise, you younger men, be subject to the elders. And all of you clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because  God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

• Pray that there be unity among the younger and older generations, that we all will build community with one another and work together to bring His Kingdom from heaven to earth.