Mar 13 – The Daily Prayers this week are on Discipling our Young People. They are inspired by a talk given by Tim Alford, Elim’s national Limitless leader, in 2016.

Father, thank You for each young person in our Church. Each one is precious and of inestimable value. Thank You for our Next Gen ministers, Pastor’s Alisha and Samuel. It is wonderful to see their commitment and dedication to minister to our 11-30 year olds, and to others in the community.

Thank You for the Thursday night Limitless Youth, the Sunday morning 11-14 year old group, the 15-17 year old group, and our Young Adult group. Bless Pastor’s Alisha and Samuel as they lead and pastor all of these young people.

We pray that You will guide and direct our steps as a church as we seek to pray for, support and partner with them in this vital ministry. May our young people develop further spiritually, mature in the faith, and grow as disciples who make disciples. In Jesus’ name. Amen

Mar 14 – Father, we bring to You the statistics about general Church attendance in the UK by 18-29 year olds – estimated by research to be 3% of the total population in that age bracket.

You know exactly the true number who regularly attend church and how their Churches are encouraging and leading their discipleship. Statistics also tell us that 83% of Christians originally commit to faith between 4–14 years. That the probability of a 5–13 year old committing is 32%; whereas, it drops to a 4% probability of initially committing by the time they reach 14-18 years.

We pray for three things as a result:

1. That the percentage of 18–29 year olds in church will rise nationally by 1% in the next 3 years, approximately 102,000 more; that would be amazing.

2. That we will recognise and be excellent at reaching 5–13 year olds with the Gospel and seeing many of them come to faith and be saved in our Church.

3. That we will become excellent, in our Church, at walking with them at every stage right through into adulthood so that they are rooted in Christ, remain part of church, and their faith flourishes. In Jesus’ name. Amen

Mar 15 – Father, there is such an emphasis on Individualism. You have called us to be a part of a World-Changing Movement, Your Body, the Bride of Christ the Church.

Joel 2:7-11, The Message, ‘The invaders charge. They climb barricades. Nothing stops them. Each soldier does what he’s told, so disciplined, so determined. They don’t get in each other’s way. Each one knows his job and does it. Undaunted and fearless, unswerving, unstoppable. They storm the city, swarm its defenses, loot the houses, breaking down doors, smashing windows.

They arrive like an earthquake, sweep through like a tornado. Sun and moon turn out their lights, stars black out. God Himself bellows in thunder as He commands His forces. Look at the size of that army! And the strength of those who obey Him! God’s Judgment Day – great and terrible. Who can possibly survive this?’

Such is the power of a disciplined and interdependent people. May we be such a Church reaching, discipling, keeping and releasing into Your Call many in all the age brackets. An army of believers who march together denying self, taking our crosses daily, and following Jesus. Amen

Mar 16 – Father, we pray that our young people will experience Your Power and Presence. We ask that parents, and all in our church will experience and walk in the fullness of Your Spirit.

In each life, and corporately together, we will model a dynamic Christian lifestyle of Spiritual Power and Good Discipleship. May this be everyone’s experience here in our church, in person and online.

1 Corinthians 2:4-5, NLT, ‘And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God.’ 4:20, NLT, ‘For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power.’ In Jesus’ name. Amen 

Mar 17 – Father, being Grace dependent, living with an attitude of faith with sacrifice at its heart, and following the Pathway of the Cross are central to successful Christian development.

We pray for such a lifestyle to be developed in our Church among both our young people, in fact, in all who come. We ask that anything which prevents this lifestyle will be exposed and repented off, including the sense of Entitlement that many are controlled by which makes them think that they should benefit without relying on faith and its outworking through godly practice.

May we also be good at exposing and overcoming the ‘self-help gospel’ which seeks to present a pathway that avoids the way of the Cross and create Consumer orientated disciples, ‘They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth’ (Philippians 3:19, NLT).

We pray that this will not be the case for any of the young people or children in our church, our to whom we minister in the wider communities. Instead, save, bless and fill each one with Your Spirit. In Jesus’ name. Amen

Mar 18 – Father, we ask that our young people will become really good at Spiritually Feeding Themselves. Enable us to equip them with the spiritual, and life, tools needed to do this.

Guide Pastor’s Alisha and Samuel, their team, and all of us, to work into our programmes good practices and a healthy spiritual atmosphere which includes mentoring, training, equipping and allowing them to grow and develop.

May they also discover the power, authority and blessing that comes from corporately praying and worshipping together as a result of what they see modelled here. In Jesus’ name. Amen

Mar 19 – Father, one of the hallmarks of New Testament faith and practice was following godly, mature leaders. Paul could say in the context of a spiritual father, ‘So I urge you to imitate me’ (1 Corinthians 4:16).

In the context of giving no offence, loving our neighbour as ourselves and doing what is best for others ‘and you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ’ (1 Corinthians 11:1).

And in the context of keeping our focus on the bigger picture of following, wholeheartedly, Christ, of avoiding a Consumerist Christian outlook on life, and following the Pathway of the Cross, ‘Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example’ (Philippians 3:17, NLT).

Father, bless Pastor Alisha today as she preaches and continues to focus on the spiritual formation of our young people and young adults, their parents, and all of us in church. In Jesus’ name. Amen