January Prayer Practice
Today you are receiving our first monthly prayer update where we invite you to prayerfully engage in how God is moving in this season of the Covenant. Throughout the coming months, we will share a variety of prayer practices, personal testimonies, and prayer requests from around the Covenant. Our goal is to join in prayer across our denomination for our spiritual health, the vitality of our local churches, and the amplification of the mission of God through our Covenant movement.
As the president of the Covenant, I have consistently invited us to be in prayer as a denomination. I believe deeply in the power of prayer and that God will move in the Church in a mighty way when we pray. So why do we pray? We know prayer is talking to God. It is a way of communicating our thoughts, needs, and desires to him. It is also an active time to listen to God as well and hear what he may need to say to us. It is an action, not merely an attitude. Through prayer, we draw near to God, bring our requests, ask for his help, and trust he will meet us in our time of need. In the Bible, prayer is an evolving means of interacting with God, most frequently through spontaneous, individual, or collective forms of petitioning and/or thanking him.
This year we are focused on Ephesians 3:20-21: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Prayer is powerful and there are many ways that we can enter this conversation with God.
We anticipate that by our next Annual Meeting, we will hear how God has met you in “Immeasurably More” ways. Our team would love to hear how you have seen God moving in your community and how you have seen your prayers answered this season. Please email us to share your testimony.
THIS MONTH’S PRAYER PRACTICE: EXAMEN
The Examen is a reflection on the day to help us discern God’s presence and direction. The ancient prayer rhythm was created by Saint Ignatius to check in and reflect on what God was revealing to you throughout the day. Many people use a condensed version of this prayer practice when they connect with their “highs and lows” of the day.
How to Pray the Examen
- Place yourself in God’s presence. Give thanks to God for his great love for you
- Pray for the grace to understand how God is acting in your life
- Review your day — recall specific moments and your feelings at the time
- Reflect on what you did, said, or thought in those instances. Were you drawing closer to God, or further away?
- Look toward tomorrow — consider how you might collaborate more effectively with God’s plan. Be specific, and if so led, write down anything that God has shared with you.
To help you with this practice, here is a short, six-minute video to guide your prayer time.
PRAYER REQUESTS
This month we share a few prayer requests with you as we invite you to join us in seeking God’s guidance in our lives and ministry.
- As a new year and ministry season is upon us, please pray for our churches, clergy, global personnel, and conferences as they seek to further the mission to which God has called our denomination.
- In just a few days we are hosting our annual NextGen and Midwinter conference. Would you pray that all attendees, speakers, and staff will find it to be a time of renewal and encouragement for their ministry?
- In this season we are asking God to fill positions across the denomination. Please pray that God will bring the people who are needed at this time with just the right skills, gifts, and presence to help the Covenant flourish in its kingdom work.
We look forward to hearing how prayer is impacting your faith, calling, and story. Thank you for joining with the entire Covenant Church in a posture of prayer.
