Note: We are aware of the potential for snow Sat. and Sun. Sat. at noon we will make a decision if we will open the doors or be Zoom only. If we do open, choose wisely and safety first!

This is the Day of Fasting and Prayer called by our bishop for us to cry out to God for revival of our denomination, churches and people. Pray that we would become a dynamic movement of God led by pastors and laity with a burning passion for God and a missionary zeal for the lost. Pray for revival in Emmaus as well and through our ministries. (While you're fasting and praying ask God to reveal your part and somethings He'd like you to work on as you seek more of Him and growth in Him.)

Good morning. As you fast and pray, as you empty yourself and cry out for a movement of God in and through you and our church, be still, turn off the noise, listen, receive and worship. We are all called to pray and for some of us that is our purpose God has sent us to St. Matts. Thank you prayer warriors and servants of the Lord! Check out Charles Stanley and the Upper Room devos below and pray through them and the Harvest Prayer Blog on praying for revival today.

Pray expectantly with thanksgiving. God is on the move, hearing our prayers and preparing to ignite the revival fires! He is also preparing you for such a time as this to be His vessels of revival! PTL! Amen! can't wait to see what God has for us today and beyond!

Harvest Prayer:

January 3 - Praying for Revival (Day 3): He Can Do It Again

Sometimes prayer doesn’t just precede a revival. Sometimes prayer is the revival. It seemed to be a normal Tuesday in February 1970, when students at Asbury College in Kentucky filed into Hughes Auditorium at 10:00 a.m. for their regular, required chapel service. Some, however, sensed the presence of the Spirit upon entering—almost as if the room was being transformed into holy ground. The school’s academic dean was in charge of the service that day. He decided not to preach, but instead gave his testimony and then invited the students to come and share what God was doing in their lives. One student came, followed by another and then another. The 50-minute chapel service lasted 185 hours non-stop, 24 hours a day. It was not planned in advance. There was no predominant leader. No one wanted to leave. Students were weeping, publicly confessing their sins, praying in small groups, seeking out and asking forgiveness from others they had wronged. Some sang quietly in small groups. Everyone was polite and orderly. Arms raised. Knees bowed. Face down. Hearts broken. It is never too late to ask the God who longs to redeem to do the seemingly impossible. What God has done in the past, He can do again. This is the hope we have for our nations, cities, friends, and loved ones. Lord Jesus, would You continue to send more movements of confession and repentance across campuses in our nation today? Many school campuses and churches are beginning to come to life right now – especially after you brought another season of spiritual awakening to Asbury University and many other colleges again more than fifty years after You visited in 1970! You ARE doing it again, Father! Give my heart a renewed hope that no matter how dire or dark it appears, You have no limits about how You might break through in revival again! God who redeems, keep doing the impossible in me, my family and in the next generations! Pr a y e r Po i n t s: • Praise God that He is the same faithful God today as He is of the past. • Praise Jesus that He continues to intercede for you, your church, and our nation. Pray that He inspires even greater prayer in you. • Pray for a movement of confession and repentance across campuses in our nation today. Ask God to do it again! • Pray for renewed hope in your own heart that no matter how dire or dark it appears, God has no limits in how He might break through in revival. • Ask the God who redeems to do the impossible in your family and the next generation.

Charles Stanley:

 

The Upper Room: Sense of Purpose

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NRSVUE)

I didn’t intend to retire, but I lost my job at 64. Then we moved because my husband changed jobs. Shortly after our relocation, I was able to take two extended trips to be with a family member in crisis and later to welcome my new grandson. These would not have been possible had I started a new job. But I missed the sense of purpose and the structure that my profession had provided, and I wasn’t sure how to fill my days. I realized that I could keep mourning what I had lost or choose to actively nurture a new sense of purpose for my life.

We choose each day how to live out our discipleship. I do not believe there are days when nothing important happens. Paul reminds us in 1 Thessalonians of God’s will for our lives: We are to rejoice always, pray constantly, and give thanks in all circumstances. But such simple directives are impossible to follow when we focus on what is wrong rather than what is right.

I now choose to begin and end my day in prayerful reflection, paying attention to the goodness of God that surrounds me. I review the day with gratitude — even the parts that were difficult — and deliberately name the joys. When I choose to rejoice, pray, and give thanks, I can see beyond my circumstances, and my heart is oriented toward God’s purpose.

TODAY'S PRAYER

O God, we pray that our words and actions will reflect gratitude for your presence and provision on this day. In Jesus’ name. Amen.