5/on/5: A Five Week Prayer Experience Leading Up to Easter
Purpose: To love others well through prayer by being present to God on their behalf.
Commitment: To pray five minutes each day for five people, five days each week for five weeks, beginning March 1. (Not five minutes for each person, but five minutes for the whole experience. Although, you will not be breaking any rules if you pray longer for more people. But, this is not a contest.)
Instructions: Use the prayer card to make your plan.
1. When?: Set an appointment with God for five minutes. Do this first. Figure out when you will show up.
2. Where?: Determine a place in your house or apartment, or a quiet place elsewhere that can become a sacred space for you to meet with God. (Not your car.)
3. Who?: Ask God to guide you in this, but pray for anyone you know who may seem disconnected from God, unaware of God’s presence and purpose for their life. (You are not being asked to judge them, but to imagine the greatness of God expressed in their lives.)
4. How?: Use the acronym ‘BLESS’ on the card to guide your prayer.
What you may notice:
1. That you have ADD when it comes to prayer. Don’t be surprised at the many things that will come to your mind when you attempt to be still, even for a few minutes.
2. That you feel insecure about prayer, or unqualified to serve as a priest on the behalf of others. God knows who you are, and will work with whatever you bring to the experience. You can be real with God.
3. That you may need to ask God to give you the faith to pray for others. That’s okay, too. You have to start somewhere.
4. That you will become more alert to the work of God in the lives of others.
Go ahead. People are worth it. And you will more and more discover the love of God for them.
(Here is Mark's Sunday message: Engaging the World: Where Do We Start?)
