Take your time and don’t feel pressure to get all the way through the guide.

ADORATION

Psalm 8 (NLT)

1         O LORD, our LORD, the majesty of your name fills the earth!

          Your glory is higher than the heavens.

2        You have taught children and nursing infants

          to give you praise.

          They silence your enemies

          who were seeking revenge.

3        When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—

          the moon and the stars you have set in place—

4        what are mortals that you should think of us,

          mere humans that you should care for us?

5        For you made us only a little lower than God,

          and you crowned us with glory and honor.

6        You put us in charge of everything you made,

          giving us authority over all things—

7        the sheep and the cattle

          and all the wild animals,

8        the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea,

          and everything that swims the ocean currents.

9        O LORD, our LORD, the majesty of your name fills the earth! 

·       Take a moment to reflect on who God is, all He has done in your life, how He saved you and give Him thanks and praise.

CONFESSION

 1 John 1:8-10

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

 

·       Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin.  Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness.

 

RENEWAL

 We are adopting a growth mindset together rather than a fixed mindset. We believe that God has more in store for each of us personally, as a church family and for our city. Ask God to fill you with renewed faith to experience more in God. Ask God to fill you with renewed love and passion for Him.

O Christ, You must increase; I must decrease.  (John 3:30) Jesus, You are the true vine, and Your Father is the gardener.  He cuts off every branch in You that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.  May I abide in You, and You in me.  As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can I bear fruit unless I abide in You.  (John 15:1-2, 4)

 

·       Pause to add your own prayers for personal renewal.

 

PETITION

 

Isaiah 62:6-8 (TMNT) 6I’ve posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem.

Day and night they keep at it, praying, calling out,

reminding God to remember.

7They are to give him no peace until he does what he said,

until he makes Jerusalem famous as the City of Praise.

8God has taken a solemn oath,

an oath he means to keep:

 

·       Spend time reminding God of His promises to us as a church body and as individuals. 

·       Read Ezekiel 17:22-24; Joel 2:18-32; Isaiah 42:6-9 and Isaiah 61 and 62.  These are some of the promises God has given to Desert Streams Church. Ask him for us to experience the fulfillment of those promises.

 

INTERCESSION

 May we rejoice, become complete, be of good comfort, be of one mind, and live in peace; and You, the God of love and peace, will be with us.  (2 Corinthians 13:11)

·       Take a few moments to intercede on behalf of your immediate family and other relatives.  Offer prayers for their spiritual, emotional and physical concerns.

·       Pray for the lost to come to know him. If you have a PII list, pray for the people on your list.

·       Pray through each of our values, that they wouldn’t just be statements but things we truly live out:

  • Jesus is our message - we are always pointing people to Jesus. We are consumed by him and so we talk about him and revolve our lives around him.

  • People are our heart - we care more about people than what they bring to the table. We choose to love God by loving the people he’s placed in front of us.

  • Encounter with God is our aim - nothing can change a life like an encountner with God, so we want to facilitate those encounters in everything we do.

  • Prayer is our priority - our prayers are powerful and effective, and because no person or church is greater than their prayer life, we prioritize prayer.

  • Serving is for everyone - God has wired every person with unique gifts, talents and passions to be used in building the church. Ask God to help people find the role God is asking them to serve in.

  • Generosity is our privilege - Jesus gave everything for us, so it is our privilege to give everything back to him. Pray for a spirit of generosity to fill our hearts when it comes to our time, talent, resources, etc.

  • Excellence is our spirit - We want to glorify God by doing our very best. As we serve and steward with excellence, we believe God will entrust us with more.

  • Faith and hope are our lens - We choose to believe that God has good things in store for us and that the future for us is bright! We believe God for big things and activate our faith by taking small steps now.

·       Pray that God will move on the hearts of people who have not been invited to attend as well and that the word of God will penetrate their hearts and minds.

·       Pray that the lies of the enemy will be exposed so people see the truth of God that can set them free.

·       Pray for an outpouring of blessings upon our church.  Pray for finances, resources and tools of all kinds in order to effectively fulfill our purpose.  Pray for more and more people to be obedient to the command of God to give generously of their first fruits.

AFFIRMATION

 

John 4:35-38 (NLT) 35Do you think the work of harvesting will not begin until the summer ends four months from now? Look around you! Vast fields are ripening all around us and are ready now for the harvest. 36The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life. What joy awaits both the planter and the harvester alike! 37You know the saying, ‘One person plants and someone else harvests.’ And it’s true. 38I sent you to harvest where you didn’t plant; others had already done the work, and you will gather the harvest.”

 


Matthew 5:13-16 (NKJV) 13“You are the salt of the earth…14“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

 

 

·      Pause to reflect on these Biblical affirmations, write down your thoughts regarding these verses.

 

THANKSGIVING

 

We give thanks to You, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign.  (Revelation 11:17)


Colossians 3:15-17 (NLT) 15And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are all called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

16Let the words of Christ, in all their richness, live in your hearts and make you wise. Use his words to teach and counsel each other. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. 17And whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus, all the while giving thanks through him to God the Father.

 

·       Pause to offer your own expressions of thanksgiving.

  

CLOSING PRAYER

 

     Blessed be Your name, Lord God, for ever and ever,

     For wisdom and power belong to You.

     You change the times and the seasons;

     You raise up kings and depose them.

     You give wisdom to the wise.

     And knowledge to those who have understanding.

     You reveal deep and hidden things;

     You know what is in the darkness,

     And light dwells with You.  (Daniel 2:20-22)