10 Issues Your Church Should be Praying about Together

As Pastor Jim Cymbala of the Brooklyn Tabernacle eloquently explained in his sermon "My House Shall Be Called a House of Prayer," the primary function of the church is to pray. Although most church gatherings will also involve worship, fellowship, and the study of God's Word, God's first mandate for His house was that it should be a place of prayer.

Unfortunately, however, the modern church has sometimes sought relevance, influence, and image more than we have sought the face of God through prayer. It's time to implore God to pour out His Spirit of grace and supplication (Zechariah 12:10), by which we may boldly come before the throne of grace.

When you gather together, pray earnestly that you and your congregation would become men and women of prayer. Pray also that your church would be a praying church. When we take up our places at the throne of God, we will find mercy, and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16).

Every believer should emulate Christ Jesus, the Head of the Church. And in order to be like Jesus, we must follow the leading of the Holy Spirit without fail!

Jesus only said what He heard the Father say, and He only did what He saw the Father do. He lived as a man, but in perfect communion with the Father through the Holy Spirit living in Him. If we want to reach the lost and impact the world like Jesus wants us to, we have to model the same intimacy with the Holy Spirit—and obedience to the Father—that Jesus did.

Therefore, pray:

1. That every church member would walk in the Spirit, and not fulfill the lusts of the flesh;

2. For every person to have ears to hear God and eyes to see Him, just like Jesus did; and

3. That obeying God's will would be first priority in every heart.

Churches should be hospitals for spiritually-sick people, not museums for perfect people. Jesus did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance (Luke 5:32).

Great prayer points on this topic could include:

1. Asking God to open doors of opportunity for every church member to share the Gospel boldly with the lost;

2. Praying that everyone in your church family would be bold and invite people to church; and

3. Asking the Holy Spirit to move in your city and church, convicting lost people to accept Jesus as their Savior.

In Ezekiel 44:23, God commanded His priests: "And they shall teach My people the difference between the holy and the unholy, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean."

In today's amoral culture, God's people can easily be led astray if they don't have intimate knowledge of God's Word and good spiritual discernment. That's why good discernment is essential for every believer—and especially for those in church leadership!

In order to protect your church and every family within it:

1. Pray that all the leaders and members of the church will clearly discern the difference between good and evil.

2. Ask God to help people measure everything they see and hear against God's Word, the Bible—even when things look gray or uncertain.

3. Pray that every person in your church would become a person who hides God's Word in their heart, so they might not sin against Him!

Every church has to operate as a business, and the money that pays the church's bills comes from its members! Therefore, not only should we pray that God would provide all the needs of the church, but also that He would provide abundantly for the needs of all the people in the church.

For this section of your prayer time, I recommend praying into Philippians 4:19, which says: "And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

It's also a great idea to pray that everyone in the church would steward their finances God's way, and that the Lord would give every person a generous heart to fund His work.

The accuser of the brethren hates godly marriage. He works night and day to destroy the covenant between husband and wife. For that reason, we have to be aggressive in our prayers for marriages!

Consider praying as follows:

1. That every spouse would be faithful and pure in their marriage;

2. That God would help every couple to prioritize their marriage, saying no to things that tear down the family unit;

3. That couples would pray and seek God together; and

4. That the Lord would help every husband and wife find support for their marriage through godly friends and mentors.

Children are just as vulnerable (if not more so) to enemy attack as marriages are. Pray earnestly for the children in your church along the following topics:

1. That every child would give his/her life to Jesus at an early age;

2. That every child would life a pure and holy life, choosing to honor God in all their decisions; and

3. That every child would be protected from physical, emotional, and sexual harm/abuse from any source.

Because peer pressure has so much influence on children, it's also a great idea to ask God to send every child into contact with the right people—and to deliver them from the wrong people.

According to Psalm 133, it's good for brothers and sisters to dwell together in unity! When believers gather together in one accord, God shows up and does mighty things.

Pray therefore that your whole church would be united; and that offenses, unforgiveness, and petty differences would be replaced by godly community, love, and unselfish devotion to Jesus.

All of God's people need wisdom and guidance from the Lord every day. However, James 1:5-8 tells us that God will give us all the wisdom we need if we will ask Him in faith! So, pray that the Lord would fill your whole church family with His wisdom, ordering your steps in His Word.

In Psalm 91, God promises us escape from physical harm. In this often-violent world, we cannot ask too much or too often for safety and protection!

Ask the Lord:

1. To send angels to watch over every person in your church;

2. To deliver every person from harm or danger; and

3. To keep you safe under the shadow of His wings.

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Jamie Rohrbaugh is an author, speaker, and Presence seeker whose heart is for the local church. Called to edify, encourage, and equip the Body of Christ, her passion is to see sons and daughters of all ages transformed by the love of Abba Father. Jamie blogs at FromHisPresence.com® about prayer, revival, and the manifest presence of God. She is the author of four books and of numerous articles around the web. Jamie is a grateful member of the Redbud Writers Guild. She and her husband live in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and together they have one cat. Follow her on Pinterest, Facebook, or Twitter.