This week’s prayers are developed from the last two weeks Sunday morning sermons on Being a Spirit-filled Church, and are written by Pastor Leslie

February 21 – Father, as we are a Pentecostal church, fill me, and us, afresh today with Your powerful Holy Spirit. We proclaim that the fullness of the Spirit is for today, and desperately needed in order for us to be effective witnesses to Jesus, to be set apart for His service, die to self, take up our cross daily and follow Christ.

Thank You that You promised the Spirit’s fullness in the OT, Joel 2:28-29, ‘I will pour out My Spirit on all humanity; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your old men will have dreams, and your young men will see visions. 29I will even pour out My Spirit on the male and female slaves in those days.’

Thank You that it was spoken of by John the Baptist, Matthew 3:17, ‘“I baptize you with water for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to remove his sandals. He himself will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire (Isaiah 4:4).

Thank You, Lord Jesus, that You put into operation the fulfilment of the Father’s promise. Luke 24:49, ‘“And look, I am sending you what My Father promised. As for you, stay in the city until you are empowered from on high.”’

I pray that Telford Elim, in person and online, will be a church living in the reality of the Spirit’s fullness in every ministry and in every person who is a part of our church. In Jesus’ name. Amen

February 22 – Acts 2:1-4, CSB, ‘When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place. 2Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying. 3They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and rested on each one of them. 4Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them.’

Thank You Father, that the church was gathered and waiting for the Holy Spirit’s arrival. They were being obedient to Jesus’ words. I pray for those areas where I struggle to be obedient – teach, instruct and correct me where needed in order to live a life of faith, trust and obedience to Your word, will and ways.

Thank You Father that the Spirit’s coming was dramatic – 2‘Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven’ It wasn’t a hidden coming, but an open, life changing and empowering coming. We cannot contain Your powerful Spirit.

Forgive me for those times because of fear, misunderstanding, lack of faith, lack of forethought, carnal mindedness, an unwillingness to hand everything over to You, or Scriptural naivety – that I have failed to completely submit to the Spirit’s Lordship in my life.

I pray that Telford Elim, in person and online, will become a church that truly reflects the wonder, power and impact of the Spirit’s holy presence in our lives. Enable us to become a church that witnesses effectively for Jesus in the Spirit’s power, while living out our faith with godly character, biblical integrity and personalities that reflect the true nature of the Saviour. In His wonderful name, Jesus. Amen

February 23 – Father, Acts 2:1-4, CSB, ‘When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place. 2Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying. 3They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and rested on each one of them. 4Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them.’

Father, the Holy Spirit turned their meeting house into a temple wherein they met the living God in His power and wonder. It became a place of divine encounter – of life changing empowerment, a place where there was a new release of spiritual life in their lives.

Turn Telford Elim, in person and online, into a corporate temple of the Spirit – a place where people encounter Jesus by the power and wonder of the Spirit in our midst. We ask that anything that hinders this will be dealt with so that the human is enriched by faith and obedience, and facilitates amazing encounters with the Saviour, Lord and Friend in the power of the Your Spirit.

Thank You Father that Your powerful Spirit filled all of them with His fire – irrespective of their status in the church, their sex, age, background or race. We pray for the heavenly fire to fill our church.

Lord, we don’t only want a passion for wonderful experiences, although they are so needed in our materialistic and relativist world, but fill us with a passion for the holy, to partner with Your Spirit in His work among us, and in His mission to proclaim the Gospel about Jesus to the world. In Jesus’ name. Amen and Amen

February 24 – Acts 2:1-4, CSB, ‘When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place. 2Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying. 3They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and rested on each one of them. 4Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them.’

Father, Your powerful Spirit enabled them to speak in new ways, and declare Your wonderful truth in those new, amazing ways. I pray that You will enable us to speak Your timeless truth in new ways which resonate with today’s generation.

Lord, we will not change the Gospel to suit modern tastes; rather, we would to speak powerfully about the Lord Jesus – the One who still saves. Your word answers all our questions about identity and gender, and human sexuality, about what is a righteous lifestyle and what is not.

Enable us to speak Your truth, in person and online, under the anointing, guidance and empowerment of Your glorious Spirit. Teach and train us in how to dismantle antichrist thoughts, arguments and philosophies, and in when to speak and when to wait. Teach us about partnering with Your Spirit in all of life and ministry.

I love what it says about Peter’s preaching in Acts 2:32-33, ‘“This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. 33“Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.’

May we all be witnesses to others of Jesus – a people among whom the world sees and hears about Jesus through the presence of Your powerful Spirit. In Jesus’ name. Amen

February 25 – Father, we pray that the evidence and signs of being a Spirit-filled person and church will clearly be apparent in each of our lives, and in our church.

Jesus brought to the fore – in everything. Holy Spirit, help us to bring the Lord Jesus to the fore. Forgive us when we have failed to do so; instead, empower us to bring Jesus and all His claims and truth to the fore in Telford Elim, in person and online.

Worshipping the Father in Spirit and truth. Holy Spirit, You are the divine Agent that turns us into genuine worshippers. We pray that our worship will increase, and become purer and more honouring to the Lord Jesus. Take us to the throne room, and train us in becoming the worshippers Father is actively looking for.

The manifestation of spiritual and grace gifts which strengthen, benefit and encourage others. Holy Spirit, You distribute the gifts according to Your divine will and purposes. Thank You for the spiritual gifts at work in our church. We pray for more people to step out into this wonderful area, fully submissive to Your word, will and purposes for the use of the gifts among us.

Enable us to become better at identifying our gift/s, and the gifts that are present in church. We would to become effective and disciplined in our exercise of and ministry through the gifts. In Jesus’ name. Amen

February 26 – Father, as we continue to consider the Spirit-filled life, we pray that:

Spiritual life will be bubbling up in the church. Holy Spirit, Your bring the breath of heaven to us. You give spiritual life in and through Christ. We pray that our lives will be full of Your supernatural, spiritual life living in us. It is a life that cannot be contained; so, may the overflow of this spiritual life bring much honour and glory to the Lord Jesus.

Spirit-anointed teaching, instruction and correction being a large part of the church’s ministry. Holy Spirit, as the Father promised Your coming, and the Lord Jesus sent You in His stead and place, thank You for all You bring to us.

As You continue the ministry of Jesus among us – both in the church and in the life of every individual in or associated with our church, in person and online – may we be perfectly aligned with Your will and purposes for us in Christ.

Father, Your Spirit is here to teach, equip, and discipline and correct us. We pray that each one of us will be open to His input through the word and ministry, being obedient, and submissive as He forms Christ in us, and keeps us on the narrow path – Your will for our lives.

A developing appreciation of one’s security in Christ. Holy Spirit, You are the seal upon our lives of Christ’s ownership, the Guarantor of our ultimate salvation. You are the Spirit of Adoption whereby we can cry out Abba Father. Thank You for these three wonderful Scriptural truths.

We pray today for all who are struggling to trust in Christ’s ability to save to the uttermost all who come to God through Him. Because of the ministry of Telford Elim, in person and online, may many be brought into a new place of assurance of their full salvation in Christ.

We pray that more and more people will come into that new place because we are a Spirit-filled church rooted in Christ and living out the truth and reality of the New Covenant in our day by day lives and ministries. In Jesus’ name and for His glory. Amen

February 27 – Father, as we begin a new week, we pray for Pastor Samuel today as he starts the new preaching series on ‘Being Christ-like.’ I pray for Your rich anointing upon Him as he preaches. Thank You for him, and his ministry as our Youth Pastor. As He follows Jesus, may Your Spirit’s overflow lead to new life and spiritual power in the lives of many young people.

Bless this series – may each sermon in it lead to a new spiritual depth and Christ-likeness in our lives as we apply Your truth and sit under Your ministry through the church.

Lord, a Spirit-filled church will have a strong prayer ethos. Holy Spirit, intercession and prayer are at the heart of Your ministry and presence among Christ’s church. Praying in the Spirit is a key element in the life of the church.

We pray that You will raise up more intercessors in our church. Release a new season of prayer and intercession among us as we seek to follow You in the missio dei. It is Father’s mission to the world, in Christ and through You as the divine Agent. Save, renew, heal, deliver and sanctify many through Telford Elim and its ministries and people, in person and online.

A breaking down of the barriers that separate brothers and sisters in church – unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Holy Spirit, You are the agent of peace among us. You don’t build peace on rotten foundations, sand, but only truly on the rock, Christ Jesus.

We pray for those that have erected barriers in their lives, barriers that exclude and divide – anoint our church to be effective in dismantling such barriers through the blood of Jesus and under Your guidance and divine empowerment. That which is humanly impossible, is divinely possible because nothing is impossible to our God.

Lead us forward in this new season as a church that is able to consistently and wisely apply the Scriptural principles that establish Christ’s peace and righteousness among us. Use us to spread His peace to more and more people changing the very course of their lives, and creating the culture which enables healthy, godly and fruitful relationships and partnerships to develop and be established between those who previously were separated by sin, Satan, the world, and the power of self within. In Jesus’ name. Amen