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Prayer Connection

December 2020 Prayer Connection

By 11/29/2020August 25th, 2021No Comments

Devotion

Isaiah 11:10, “In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious.”

Our world groans and aches for a day where all will be made well. Not just our world but our souls. Have you felt it? A longing deep inside you reminding you that this, this life, is certainly not all you were made for. 

This passage from Isaiah 11 speaks of that day we long for, when we will be with Jesus in his glorious resting place. Jesus, the Root of Jesse, will be whom we rally around, people from all nations made new and whole in Jesus. Isaiah 11:6 describes it like this, “The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them.” (ESV) Can you imagine something more topsy-turvy than a young child leading wolves, leopards, and lions? The peace of God will rule our world one day, and this month we celebrate the goodness of God to include us in his great plan of redemption.

How can this be? Because the Root of Jesse came. Immanuel—God with us. Although we rejected God long ago and still struggle to surrender to his Lordship, God did NOT abandon us in our sin. Instead, he rescued us. In his grace and goodness, Jesus left the majesty of heaven and entered our wretched, wicked world to rescue us from sin, death, and separation from God. The Message adaptation says it like this in John 1:14, “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.” Immanuel—God with us.

That, my friends, is the Gospel. God with us. Let’s celebrate this Christmas season by rehearsing the Gospel. Our holy, righteous, mighty, wonderful, majestic God is with us. Among us. For us. Not because of anything we’ve done; not because we deserve it. Quite the opposite. We deserve much worse. BUT the Root of Jesse came! Hallelujah! Let his grace and goodness wash over you. Rehearse the Gospel.

And let’s share the hope we have by modeling the Gospel. Just as Jesus dwelled among humanity, may we boldly and graciously bring Jesus into our world. Let’s move the Gospel into our neighborhoods, and be with those who are far from God, just as our God is with us, always with us. Model the Gospel.

The Root of Jesse came, and He WILL come again. May we be ready and bring others with us to rally around Jesus on that great day.  

  1. Rehearse the Gospel: As you think about the Gospel, what are you thankful for?
  2. Model the Gospel: How can you move into your neighborhood with the good news of Jesus?

Prayer Preparation

During this season of social distancing due to the coronavirus, seek out others who you can connect with in prayer from a distance. Consider using a conference call line like www.FreeConferenceCall.com or video conference like Zoom. If you need help, please contact: [email protected]

Prepare your heart as you enter Prayer Connection this Christmas season. Light a candle or listen to some Christmas music that lifts your soul, and be still and know that the Root of Jesse comes as the Savior of the world!

Our focus for this month:  The Root of Jesse Comes

Read: “He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; he will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of the earth.”  Isaiah 11:10 (NIV)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Pray: Dear Anointed One, in Your Divine presence, we are humbled that You chose to have Your Holy Son come as a baby born in Bethlehem. We stand in awe of the night divine that brought our incarnate Messiah.

Thank God:

  • For His only Son, the Root of Jesse, that all the elect of God that are rooted and grounded in Jesus Christ our Lord.
  • For our Messiah, the promised deliver of the Jewish nation and for others who believe.
  • That He will raise a banner representing the glory, grace, and presence of God with us through Jesus.

Pray for New Outreach Opportunities

Read:  Luke 2:10 (NLT)

“…but the angel reassured them. ‘Don’t be afraid!’ he said. ‘I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all the people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!’”

Pray: Almighty Father, when we think about how You became man to save us, we stand in awe and we are humbled by the way that you work out all things for us and for Your Kingdom. As you have given us this special honor as Your children, help us to give back to You as we seek to be creative in the ways that we reach out to discouraged or lonely women during this holiday season.

Pray:

  • Just as the angels said, “Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth to those whom God is pleased,” we too bring Him our praise, glory, and honor as we remember the birth of our Messiah.
  • Asking God for new outreach opportunities during this Christmas season when many women are dealing with disappointing changes to holiday gatherings and are feeling depressed and alone without hope.
  • Asking Jesus Christ to show you that with Him “all things are possible” and that hope is alive in the miraculous wonder of our Savior’s birth. May this hope inspire us to be the light of Christ to those that are hurting.

Sharing Your Faith

Read: Isaiah 52:7 (NLT)

“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that God of Israel reigns!”

Pray: O God, help us to “go tell it on the mountains” that Jesus Christ is born! Please give us courage and grace to those that may be hostile to the Christian world view, as we remember that they are “like sheep without a shepherd.” Help us to listen and love, then respond to the Spirit’s leading as we reach out with the Good News.

Pray: 

  • Thanking God that Christians receive glad tidings and power from the Holy Spirit.
  • Asking God for peace and testimonies as we love women toward Jesus Christ.
  • Remembering the Lord reigns, and His Holy Spirit’s power enables us to share the Christmas story with family, friends, neighbors, and those we meet along our way during this special season.

Pray for our Nation and Leaders

Read: Haggai 2:7

“I will shake all the nations, and the treasures of all the nations will be brought to this Temple. I will fill this place with glory,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

Pray: Asking that God that our nation and world leaders would understand and see that Jesus is the desire of all nations that was prophesied as the Root of Jesse.

Pray:

  • Asking for repentance of our nation for the affections that we have had that have been far from desiring Jesus Christ.
  • For great awakening in our country and around the world to know that Jesus was born the Messiah on earth as in heaven.
  • Asking for favor on God’s elect as they preach the Good News of our Savior’s birth so that many might have faith in Him as their Savior.

Pray for the Stonecroft Family

Read: Luke 1:49-51 (NLT)

“For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me. He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear him. His mighty arm has done tremendous things!”

Pray: Just as Mary the mother of Jesus sang a song of praise before her son was born, let us praise our Mighty God who is holy and just and will bless generations that follow after us, and praise Him as we remember that our Heavenly Father has the ability to reign over our nation and world leaders, and to draw women to Himself through Jesus.

Pray:

  • Thank God that we can sing songs of praise and adoration as we worship the Christ Child this season.
  • For a great awakening in our country and around the world to know that Jesus is the greatest power on earth as in heaven.
  • For our nation as it heads into a new year, that our country, as well as world leaders, would believe that God has done great things though Jesus Christ His Son and that He is sovereign over all!

Prayer for Stonecroft’s Relational Evangelism Coaching (REC) Groups

  • Pray for the Relational Evangelism coaching groups that are currently meeting this month on Zoom
  • Praise God for the 120 women that have been engaged in relational evangelism
  • Thank God for the 18 women trained as Relational Evangelism coaches
  • Pray for new coaches and for new women to sign up in 2021
  • Praise God that we have seen that women are 16 times more likely to respond to Jesus by having a one-on-one relationship with a Christian
  • Ask God that we see increasing numbers of “lost” women who are prayed for, befriended, engaged in faith conversations, hear testimonies and the Gospel, and say “yes” to a relationship to Jesus as a result of joining Relational Evangelism coaching

Pray for Stonecroft leaders such as Stonecroft Regional Administrators, District Consulting Coordinators, Regional Speaker Trainers, Regional Reps, Area Reps, Chairs, Prayer Consultants, and all new outreach leaders that they will be blessed this Christmas season by remembering that the Root of Jesse comes, and He will bring together those that have been separated and scattered.

Pray for our international partners that they would draw close to the Root of Jesse and feel His presence in ways that nourish them mind, body and soul.

Share Personal Requests

Pray for one another’s needs over this holiday season and remember that your heavenly Father cares about your every need and He is your loving Father and Lord over all the nations.

Closing Prayer

Father, we thank You for this Prayer Connection time. As we celebrate that the Root of Jesse comes, we are reminded of the wonderous God that You are. Nothing is impossible for You! Increase our faith and love for others over this Christmas season and help us to be a hopeful light in the darkness. Amen.

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