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Let’s spend this morning ahead of our gathering united in prayer over our area.

Jeremiah 29:7 “But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.”

Thank You, Lord, for this TriCities area. We see Your majesty in the beauty of the mountains and experience Your goodness along the edges of the lakes, rivers, and creeks. We worship You at the work of Your hands. We declare Your generosity as we hunt our lands, fish our streams, and work our rich farmlands & growing businesses. We bless You, and we pray that our area would be a place that glorifies You and spreads Your fame. Your will be done here as it is in heaven.

Take some time this morning and pray through and bless the following places in Jesus’ name. Invite in the rule and reign of heaven. Ask God how He sees these places and pray into what you are sensing.

• Your home
• Your neighborhood
• Your church
• Your city
• The City of Kingsport
• The TriCities
• This region

We will see you later this morning at J. Fred Johnson Stadium at Dobyns-Bennett – we can’t wait to worship together! Worship starts at 10AM but we recommend arriving by 9:30AM to ensure ease of entrance and seating.

When we become a believer in Christ, we step into a family. Scripture tells us that we are sons and daughters, brothers and sisters. Our God is a relational God moving as one among the Trinity with Jesus and the Holy Spirit, and He has invited us to become one with them. Family represents this bond of relationship, the core and heart of the Kingdom – people united in one purpose under a shared inheritance.

In John 17, Jesus says it this way, “The glory that You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one even as We are one, I in them and You in Me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that You sent Me and loved them even as You loved Me. Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, may be with Me where I am, to see My glory that You have given Me because You loved Me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, even though the world does not know You, I know You, and these know that You have sent Me. I made known to them Your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which You have loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

Our families, steeped in love and freedom, moving together in vibrant vitality – advancing, fortifying, expanding, and taking territory – is key to the move of God and forefront on His heart. Let’s pray together for families today.

Father, we ask that you heal families. Reconcile strained relationships. Heal open wounds and broken hearts. Redeem past experiences and shed the light of Your revelation on every misunderstanding and scheme of the enemy. Father, invite estranged family members home.

Lord, we ask that You strengthen marriages. Provide wisdom and insight for spouses to see one another the way You see them. Give spouses revelation and strategy for how to partner, work, and build together in pursuit of Your heart. Ignite Your love, peace, and joy in marriages like has never before been seen. Let Your people become known as the ones who love to be together!

King Jesus, we ask that You guide parents. Awaken them to who they are in You. Bring awareness to Your Presence at every turn. Inspire parents to righteous leadership, compassion, and individualized strategies for their children. Anywhere that there is a void or lack, King Jesus please invite Your people to step in with Your empowerment and fill the hole. Ignite awareness of who You created each child to be and provide opportunity and knowledge for nurturing that identity.     

Take a minute and thank God for your family. Ask Him what He wants you to know about them.

We are praying today for those who are public servants – they protect, respond to crisis and emergencies, set policies, and enforce laws at the local, state, and national levels.  Some are hired, some elected, some appointed yet all are tasked with carrying out specific duties that help our society function. 

1 Timothy 2:1-3

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, ² for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. ³ This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior,

Jesus taught and lived a life that demonstrated that when God’s Kingdom rules and reigns, we become a society that cares for its people, teaches responsibility, encourages honest communication, and uplifts the down cast. Kingdom people are people of justice and sacrificial service for the good of the community. 

Today, let’s pray –

Pray that Jesus’ perspective and heart would shine out of every area of the government and public sector.

Ask the Father who He would bring to your mind that He wants you to pray for in the government and public sector.  Spend some time asking for their peace, favor and wisdom as they carry out their responsibilities.

Today we are praying together for Media. This includes things such as TV and Social Media and everything in between. In 2021, you could argue that one of the biggest influences on our world is the impact of Media. Depending on what study you look at, the average time people spend on their phone is between 3-5 hours a day. No matter which way you look at it, Media impacts us. Let’s pray today that The Kingdom of God would transform both Media & ourselves – that heaven would take reign of Media’s impact as well as our relationship with it.

1 John 2:15-17 “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”

Every good and perfect thing flows from the heart of God. Imagine what could happen if Media was used for the good and Glory of God. Our world has never been more connected because of social media, how could the Kingdom impact that connection? If connection & relationship are the very heart of the Trinity, imagine what would happen if that sense of connection and relationship invaded Media? If we are spending hours scrolling, what if the things we scrolled over were filled with life and light? Jesus says that our eyes are the lamp of the body, and if our eyes are healthy our whole body will be full of light! So we pray for the light of the world to invade one of the greatest influences on our world, Media.

Pray that the connection of Media would be used to bring an end to loneliness and isolation.

Pray for future generations’ influence over Media – that they would learn to let it be used for light & good.

Pray for the influencers of Media, that they would come to know and follow Jesus and impact millions because of it.

Be still and ask The Father to give you His heart and vision for media and pray into what you’re sensing.

Today we are focusing our prayer on education.  Education gives us knowledge of the world around us, enables us to interpret and interact with the world, and then change the world for better.  Education enhances society as it develops thinking and reasoning, problem-solving, and character.  Proverbs 4:13 tells us the Lord values education. It says, “Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life.” Seeking, attaining, and walking in wisdom reflects not only the kingdom, but also the nature of God.  

It is beautiful to see students thrive and grow and develop their passions and talents and a privilege to see them step into their identities. The sphere of education offers a unique opportunity to see students connected to the purposes and calling God has deposited within their hearts.  God’s heart is and has always been for His children, of all ages, to walk boldly upright in their true identity free from shame, doubt, or fear. God’s heart is for this to become our reality here on earth.

Ask the Lord to highlight one school. Pray a blessing over the school. Ask God how we can partner with them as they fulfill their identity in the community. Ask the Lord to bring to mind one teacher.  How does God see him or her? Pray a blessing over him or her.  Think about the students and children in your life. Ask God what He wants you to know about who He created them to be. Pray a blessing over them. Ask God how you can encourage them in their identity.

Lord, we ask for Your kingdom to come and Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  We ask for Your divine wisdom to be poured out upon our families and teachers. We pray that once we’ve obtained wisdom and knowledge we will hold tight to Your revelation. We ask for eyes to see the gold in others and proclaim it.  We ask for guidance and insight to encourage and exhort our children and teachers to become all that God designed them to be. Amen.

Today, we are joining together in prayer for Arts and Entertainment. Our creativity is a gift from God given to be used along with our redeemed imagination. From music, to dance, to painting, to writing or film, and the many forms of expression in between, may it all be unto the Kingdom of God and may it all serve to tell the Gospel story.

“Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.” Genesis 2:7

God is creative! Whether I am looking at things like the ocean, the Rocky Mountains and Angel Falls, or meeting people who are just so uniquely different, God blows my mind with His creativity. The creation story found in Genesis reminds us that God has imprinted His very nature into our DNA. The Bible tells us that He formed us in His image – the Imago Dei – and then He breathed in us the breath of life. If God is creative and we are fashioned in His image, certainly we were designed for creativity as well. We are meant to bring Kingdom realities to earth through the creative expression of Holy Spirit revelation!

Let’s pray together –

Pray for those in the Arts and Entertainment industry to have a fresh revelation of the love and goodness of God.

Pray for fresh, divinely inspired songs, works of art, and innovative ideas to flow in our region like a deep and full well.

Pray for unity, connection, and wholeness to take deep root within the local creative community.

Today we are praying for churches, church leaders, and ministries of the Church. This includes pastors, teachers, evangelists, lay-ministers, staff members, and volunteers.  These are the people who operate in specific settings that are set apart and sanctioned to carry the Good News of the Kingdom of heaven. 

John 17:20-23

“My prayer is not for them (the disciples) alone. I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that You have sent Me.  I have given them the glory that you gave Me, that they may be one as we are one – I in them and You in Me – so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me.”

Jesus prayed for believers and above everything else, He prayed that we would be marked by unity that expresses love.  As each of us encounters the Living God we are transformed.  Unity comes first by hearing His voice and walking in oneness with God.  Then, in this place, we understand our identity and gifts, as well as how to use them as we serve the Body and the world around us.  This happens most effectively when we are free from comparison, judgment, or condemnation, and simply love God and those around us.  When the Church lives this way, people are drawn to the message of Jesus.

Let’s pray together –

Pray that each of us is transformed by the Presence of God, knowing our true identity so that we can share His truths with the world.

Pray that the Body of Christ operates in one accord bringing the Church together in unity as it moves out of a building and into the world.

Ask God to teach us how to love religion out of our region, free from traditions, rules, and metrics, so that we simply live in a way that points to Him.

Today we are focusing our prayer on businesses and the marketplace. Most of us either work for a business in some capacity or own a business. Growth in business is good for our entire city as well as for individual families. Seeing God move in our local economy to bring fruit and productivity reflects the image of heaven.

One verse that gives us a picture of how to be fruitful in business is found in Proverbs 11:25. “The generous man will be prosperous, and he who waters will himself be watered.”

We are called to be a generous people in everything we do, including how we handle business. If we are business owners, we can be generous with our employees and clients. If we are employees, we can be generous with our ideas, innovations, and work ethic. Generosity is a heavenly principle that, as this verse suggests, has ramifications that causes us ALL to be built up.

Lord, open our eyes today to see how we can be generous in our places of business. Where can we bring value to this sphere of influence?

Join us now in praying for growth over the business owners in our city. Lord, give them wisdom, new ideas, and new ways of doing things. Spend some time speaking blessing over specific businesses that you frequent and favor. Ask God if there are any specific businesses He wants to bring to mind.

Now let’s take a minute to pray blessings over this whole region – that we would be a growing, thriving marketplace where people and new businesses are drawn!