PRAYER SMALL GROUPS

CURRICULUM

Welcome!

Welcome to The Prayer Project Small Groups Team! We’re so grateful you’ve decided to join this three-week initiative to pray for the harvest, the harvesters and the holding places for their discipleship. Trinity Church is standing strong on God’s prophetic promise for a manifestation of Jesus the evangelist among us in this hour of history—stadiums filled with fasting and prayer, a mass movement of evangelism and missions, and the healing ministry of Jesus fully on display—resulting in the greatest harvest of souls we’ve ever seen!

Due to the uncertainty of the current “social distancing” environment, however, we are no longer placing anyone in specific groups. We encourage those who signed up to be Small Group Leaders to pray in your homes with those in your relational circle (less than 10) for the next three weeks (March 22, 29 and April 5). If you choose not to gather with others at all, you can make use of online tools available for social connection and interaction (Skype, Facebook group, Google hangout, Zoom conference, etc).

The recommended prayer time is 6-7pm on each of these Sunday evenings. Anyone willing to be involved (even those who did not sign up as leaders or those who were just going to attend a group) can use the Prayer Project Curriculum. This a great opportunity as a faith community to pray for the harvest and for our nation during these difficult times. 

On the next page you’ll find an overview of the curriculum we’ve developed for Prayer Project Small Groups. The general format remains the same from week to week, but the central focus in prayer will be different each time you meet.

You do not have to share all of the material contained in this manual during your gathering for prayer. Much of this is background information for helping the group leader feel adequately prepared to lead in prayer and discussion.

To help you more fully engage with The Prayer Project Small Groups Curriculum, we’ve included some activations for your group to implement in between gatherings. The daily focuses in our 40-Day Prayer Guide will also compliment the Small Groups Curriculum from week to week.

Thank you for standing with Trinity Church in faith-filled prayer for a turnaround in the current crisis and a fulfillment of God’s promise for a manifestation of Jesus the evangelist and the great end-time harvest!

“God does nothing on the earth save in answer to believing prayer.” - John Wesley

Trusting Him fully,

Pastor Melissa Medina Trinity Prayer

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Small Groups Curriculum Overview 90 Minute Estimate Meeting Time Recommended

• 15 minutes for Welcome and Fellowship (snacks and ice breaker optional) • 30 minutes to Activate Faith (thanksgiving, praise, prophecy) • 30 minutes to Activate Prayer (for the harvest, harvesters, holdings) • 15 minutes to Activate Movement (prayer lists, on-the-go, visitations)

Length of time can be adjusted as needed • To shorten to 1 hour, cut out fellowship, send follow up messages to “Activate Movement”. • To extend to 2 hours, spend more time in prayer. More points and more people leading.

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PART 1 - ACTIVATING FAITH FOR THE HARVEST 15 min SPIRITUAL PREPARATION FOR EVANGELISM PRAYING

• Prayer with praise and thanksgiving (pathway to presence and provision) • Thanksgiving for all the Lord rescued us from, share testimonies • Praise and worship to align hearts with God’s goodness and truth

• Prayer with a cleansed life; confession for healing • Pray according to the promises of God (weaponizing our words)

• scriptural promises about the harvest • prophetic words about the harvest

PART 2 - ACTIVATING PRAYER FOR THE HARVEST 30 min BRIEF OVERVIEW AND GUIDED GROUP INTERCESSION

• Week 1 - Praying for the Harvest (the lost, the prodigals, the oppressed) • Week 2 - Praying for the Harvesters (laborers and their evangelistic efforts) • Week 3 - Praying for the Holdings (believers/church to receive the harvest)

PART 3 - ACTIVATING MOVEMENT FOR THE HARVEST

15 min DISCUSS PRACTICAL APPLICATION IN BETWEEN GATHERINGS • Prayer Lists - names of people/groups (with Holy Spirit’s help) • Prayer On The Go - walk, drive, run, bike - onsite with insight • Prayer Visitations - go out, find people to pray for and evangelize to

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PART 1 - ACTIVATING FAITH FOR THE HARVEST 15 min SPIRITUAL PREPARATION FOR EVANGELISM PRAYING

IGNITING FIRES FOR EVANGELISM

Evangelistic praying is spiritual work and requires spiritually fit individuals. Lead the group through a focused time of prayer using the following categories and scriptures.

I. PRAY WITH THANKSGIVING AND PRAISE * Optional to incorporate praise/worship songs

"Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name" (Psalm 100:4).

"I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men" (1 Timothy 2:1).

Think about some things for which you might be thankful. Allow the group to suggest some reasons before leading them in the following three focuses.

Thank God for your own salvation. In most cases, someone prayed for you. "And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ" (2 Cor. 5:18a).

Thank God for His redemptive work."And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2).

Thank God for allowing you to join Him in His redemptive work."And all things are of God, who has reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation" (2 Cor. 5:18).

***In sessions 2 and 3, encourage participants to also share testimonies of their experiences in praying for and encountering the harvest.

PRAYER PROMPTFather, we come to You in the name of Jesus Christ, thanking You that You not only died for our sins, but You died for the sins of the whole world. Thank you

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that you love us and have given us the privilege of sharing your Good News with the world in which we live. We worship you for who You are, Your greatness, goodness and daily provision and grace. Thank you also for our mission and purpose in life. We truly do have full and meaningful lives in Christ!

II. PRAY WITH A CLEANSED LIFE

OVERVIEW: All Christians are faced with the question of how to incorporate prayer for the harvest into their lives. One of the most overlooked aspects of prayer is the element of consecration. There is a consistency in the Old and New Testaments of individuals who renew their devotion to God. Every time Abraham, David, and Paul renewed their devotion to God, it was in a specific area of obedience. Following the first persecution in the book of Acts, the early church offered a specific prayer of consecration to share the gospel boldly.

Our prayers will be ineffective if we pray with unconfessed sin in our lives. Repentance is necessary to bring about spiritual health according to James 1:21

"Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much" (James 5:16).

In Psalm 66:18, the Psalmist said, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me."

The prayer life can not be separated from the life of the pray-er. Unconfessed sin will hinder your prayer for the lost.

PRAYER PROMPTAt this point, invite participants to bow their heads and silently ask God to reveal any unconfessed sins, such as: anything I do that displeases God; anything I say that displeases God; anything my mind dwells on that displeases God; anything that I committed to that I should not have done (read Ps. 15). Instruct them to confess, forsake, and claim 1 John 1:9: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

III. PRAY ACCORDING TO THE PROMISES OF GOD

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God desires to save people.We can have confidence in our prayers for the lost because they are according to the will of God. Not only does the Word of God command us to pray for the lost but the will of God demands it.

God wants "all men to be saved and to come unto a knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:4).

"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long- suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9),

"And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he hears us: and if we know that he hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him" (1 John 5:14-15).

Nothing Is Impossible for God.

Sometimes we are tempted to believe that some people will never respond and, during these times, we fail to prevail in our praying. We have been given a promise from God to pray back to Him when these times come. The words are in Mark 10:27.

“The rich young ruler had rejected Christ in exchange for his wealth. Jesus then makes the statement that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to be saved. His disciples asked, "Who then can be saved?" That is when Jesus gives the promise: "With God all things are possible" (Matt. 19:26). You are to prevail in your praying for the lost realizing that no one is beyond the reach of God.

"Prayer will reach down, down, down into the deepest depths of sin and ruin and take hold of men and women who seem lost beyond all possibility or hope or redemption, and lift them up, up, up until they are fit for a place beside the Son of God upon the throne.” 1R. A. Torrey, “The Place of Prayer in Evangelism”

"Men ought to always pray and not to faint" (Luke 18:1).

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PART 2 - ACTIVATING PRAYER FOR THE HARVEST 30 min BRIEF OVERVIEW AND GUIDED GROUP INTERCESSION

STOKING FIRES FOR EVANGELISM

Dwight L. Moody was correct when he said, "Those who have left the deepest impression on this sin-cursed earth have been men and women of prayer. You will find that PRAYER has been the mighty power that has moved not only God, but man."

Do not stop praying and do not stop at just praying. Evangelism without prayer is ineffective, and prayer that does not lead a person to deeper compassion for and actions to reach the lost is flawed. Be willing to be the answer to your prayer or the evangelistic prayers of others. Be obedient and boldly share the gospel.

"That God would place such an incomparable privilege and such responsibility in our hands is past understanding, but He has done just that. Through intercession we can become the instrument of salvation to men and women we never see face to face in this life," - Ron Dunn, Don't Just Stand There, Pray Something

Each week, the focus of this portion of your Small Group meeting will be different. Daily prayer guides will complement these focuses.

• Week 1 - March 22 • Praying for the Harvest (the lost, the prodigals, the oppressed)

• Week 2 - March 29 • Praying for the Harvesters (laborers and their evangelistic efforts)

• Week 3 - April 5 • Praying for the Holdings (believers/church to receive the harvest)

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WEEK 1 FOCUS THE HARVEST

The lost, the prodigals, the oppressed

Week of March 22

30 min - TEACHING AND GUIDED GROUP INTERCESSION

OVERVIEW

Praying for the lost results in changed lives for eternity. Paul said that when a person is converted he is “delivered from the domain of darkness and transferred to the Kingdom of [God’s] beloved Son, in whom there is redemption, the forgiveness of sins. God desires that all men, women, boys, and girls might come to a faith relationship with Christ (see 1 Tim. 2:1-4). What the lost need is a new heart, a cleansed and regenerated life in Jesus Christ. Lost people need hearts that are be born from above (Matt. 15:15-20). Therefore as you pray for the salvation of the lost, pray for unbelievers to have changed HEARTS. Use the HEARTS acrostic to help you remember how to pray.

PRAYER PROMPTS:

1. Pray for Receptive Hearts (Luke 8:5-15)

In the parable of the sower (see Luke 8:5,12), the seed that fell beside the road was trampled under foot, and the birds of the air ate it up. Jesus explained that the seed is the Word of God and the seed that fell beside the road represents those who heard the Word. The devil then takes away the Word from their heart, so that they may not believe and be saved. We need to pray that God will prepare the heart so that the seed would take root.

• Pray Holy Spirit hover around, brood over and envelop the unsaved person with His power and love, thereby softening their heart.

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The Holy Spirit is the birthing agent of the triune God, who hovered or brooded over the earth at Creation (Genesis 1:2, Psalm 90:2), bringing forth all that was created. The work of salvation is one of being spiritually born again into the family of Christ.

“My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you.” - Galatians 4:19

“Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” - John 3:5-8

We should consistently and fervently ask the Holy Spirit to release His spiritual rain on unbelievers, pouring Himself on them (Joel 2:23-29; Acts 2:16-21).

2. Pray for their Spiritual Eyes and Ears to be opened (Matt. 13:15; 2 Cor. 4:3-4)

We must pray that the eyes of unsaved people will be opened (revelation) in order that they may see Christ and His gospel clearly.

“But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means” - 1 Corinthians 2:14

• The lost person is blinded by Satan.

"But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them" (2 Corinthians 4:3-4). Only God can open their eyes. Revelation = “lifting of the veil”

• The individual must hear God speak.

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"For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them" (Matthew 13:15).

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that god hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Romans 10:9-10).

"How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?" (Romans 10:14).

3. Pray for unbelievers to have and understand God’s Attitude toward sin (John 16:8)

This will require that they admit they are sinners who face judgment and are in need of the righteousness of Jesus. The Christian, on the other hand, with God's attitude toward sin, will be proactive. The role of the Holy Spirit is to convict and convince of sin.

"And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness and of judgment" (John 16:8).

4. Pray for the lost to be Released from barriers and strongholds that hinder faith (2 Tim. 2:25-26)

• Prayer for a lost individual is warfare. Satan will go to any extent to keep a person lost and in his kingdom. We are involved in praying for and sharing with individuals who need to be rescued from the kingdom of darkness and transferred by God to the kingdom of His son.

"Who has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son." (Colossians 1:13).

"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12).

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• Pray the stronghold of pride in them will be torn down and God would grant repentance.

“Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.” (2 Timothy 2:25-26).

• Pray for the logic of God’s word to be revealed to them so that the belief systems, philosophies or logic of unbelievers that contradict God’s Word will be overcome.

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh,  for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful  for the destruction of fortresses.  We are  destroying speculations and every  lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and  we are  taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

“speculation” = logismos = any logic, philosophy, or belief system imbedded deeply into the mind of a person. These logismos can so control a persons thinking that any hearing of the gospel is first filtered through them, causing the message heard to actually be distorted. People don’t hear only what we preach; they hear what we communicate plus what they already believe

• Pray that the logic of God’s Word will become clear and irresistible when shared with them.

“and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with  boldness  the mystery of the gospel,” - Ephesians 6:19

Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of  thanksgiving; praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak. - Colossians 4:2-4

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• Pray that God will remove all trauma, calluses and pain from the heart that create and sustain false logic.

“Then they cried out to the Lord  in their trouble; He saved them out of their distresses.” - Psalm 107:”13

5. Pray for unbelievers to experience a Transforming life in Christ (Rom. 12:1-2)

”I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable, and perfect will of God" - Romans 12:1-2.

“I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing… You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last…” - John 15:5, 16a

6. Pray for the Lord to Send believers to witness to lost persons (Matt. 9:35-38)

Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” - Matthew 9:35-38

“Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of  thanksgiving; praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak.” - Colossians 4:2-4

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Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it did also with you” - 2 Thessalonians 3:1

The unbeliever cannot war for themselves.We must take our divinely dynamic weapons and fight. The powers of darkness will resist, but “do not be afraid of them; remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.” (Nehemiah 4:14)

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Prayer is the key to effective soul winning efforts. We cannot win lost souls in our own wisdom and strength. Therefore it is imperative that we call upon the Lord of the harvest to save the lost, send us into the fields, and empower us with bold speech to be His witnesses in this generation. Let us then be about the task of winning souls as we labor on our knees in prayer!

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WEEK 2 PRAYER FOCUS

THE HARVESTERS

Laborers and their evangelistic efforts

Week of March 29

30 min TEACHING AND GUIDED GROUP INTERCESSION

OVERVIEW

Believers who are seeking to share their faith are in desperate need of specific prayer. Effectiveness in witnessing does not depend on fancy techniques or smoothly prepared gospel presentations. Effective witnessing depends on a Holy God who is constantly seeking to save those who are lost. Christians are filled with boldness and power to share the Good News as they are spiritually prepared and undergirded with specific prayer.

Matthew records that when Jesus saw a vast crowd in need of the gospel He was moved with compassion and commanded His disciples to "pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send forth workers into his harvest" (Matt. 9:38) There is a definite connection between our praying and His sending.

When we apply this text to the individual(s) we are praying for, we can pray to the Lord of the harvest that He will place someone in the lost person's path to share the gospel, to water spiritual seeds already sown or help to bring in the harvest.

PRAYER PROMPTS

1. Pray for the preparation His harvesters spiritually.

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” - 2 Timothy 2:15

‘’For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord

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and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have full endurance and patience, and joyfully” - Colossians 1:9-11

2. Ask the Lord to motivate and send laborers into the harvest. (In the schools, the marketplace, government, and every sphere of influence.)

"Therefore said he unto them, the harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few: pray therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest" (Luke 10:2).

3. Pray for open doors of opportunity to witness and pray against spiritual forces that would seek to hinder the spread of the gospel.

“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message.” — Colossians 4:2–3a

“Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it did also with you;” - 2 Thessalonians 3:1

4. Pray for boldness for the messenger and Holy Sprit inspired speech for effective communication.

"And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel: for which I am an ambassador in bonds; that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak" - Ephesians 6:19-20

"And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto Your servants, that with all boldness they may speak Your word" - Acts 4:29

Ask the Lord for clarity in presenting the gospel. "That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak" - Colossians 4:4

5. Pray for effective ministry through creative strategies and Kingdom partnerships for divine encounters with the lost.

“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing." — John 15:5 

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“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.” - Philippians 1:3-4

6. Pray God confirms His word through us by manifesting signs and wonders among the people we evangelize to.

“Therefore they spent a long time there, speaking boldly with reliance upon the Lord, who was testifying to the word of His grace, granting that signs and wonders be done by their hands.” - Acts 14:3

"Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.” Matthew 10:8

“But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all; the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you.” - 1 Corinthians 14:24-25

7. Pray for protection spiritually, mentally and physically as they preach the gospel and share their faith.

”I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.” - John 17:15

“'For I,' declares the LORD, 'will be a wall of fire around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.'" - Zechariah 2:5

8. Ask God to grant you the courage to be willing to be the answer to your prayer.

As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them" (Acts 13:1-3).

Jesus instructed the disciples to pray for laborers in Matthew 9:38. In Matthew 10:1, the disciples are called and sent out as an answer to their prayer.

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WEEK 3 PRAYER FOCUS

THE ‘HOLDINGS’ Believers and church to receive the harvest

Week of April 5

30 min - TEACHING AND GUIDED GROUP INTERCESSION

OVERVIEW

The ministry of evangelism for bringing in the harvest is not complete with out the work of the church to disciple and help mature the harvest in the truth of Word and the full stature of Christ. In praying for the harvest, we must also pray for the preparation of the holding place for the harvest—the Church.

PRAYER PROMPTS

1. Pray for the church to mature into and manifest the image of Jesus.

“You are to imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.” - 1 Corinthians 11:1

“…building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.” - Ephesians 4:13 

“For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.” - Romans 8:19

When people visit our church or encounter us in the local coffee shop, do they find a place where ministering to Jesus is our priority and where the ministry of Jesus is manifested among us. Through all we say and all we do, are we revering and revealing Jesus? When our hearts are fully turned towards God and our lives fully demonstrate the love and power of Jesus, others will be motivated to fully give their lives to Him too.

2. Pray we embrace the message of the Kingdom

Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. - Matthew 9:35

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One of the clearest signs of a new great awakening is the growing recognition that the Gospel that Jesus preached was not primarily a gospel of salvation but rather, a gospel of the Kingdom of God. This gospel includes the revelation that through His death and resurrection, Jesus gave birth to a new creation of humanity filled and empowered with the Holy Spirit to partner with Him in extending this gospel. We must represent God’s will and establish His Kingdom in every sphere of society until He returns.

3. Pray we grow in compassion for the unreached

When Jesus looked upon the multitudes, He did not see them as dirty-rotten sinners who needed to be saved but He saw them as victims of an oppressive demonic system and was drawn to shepherd them into freedom and faith. This doesn’t mean that sin is not a critical issue. It is sin that tore the universe and required the suffering of the Cross. Sin is absolutely important, but it is not the primary lens through which God views humanity. For God so loved the world…

The scripture gives us two equally true perspectives of humanity. We are sinners in need of a savior and we are victims of demonic forces in need of a deliverer. Acts 10:38 puts it like this: “…Jesus went about doing good and healing all those who oppressed of the devil for God was with him”.

4. Pray for a mass resurgence of prayer

“Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”” - Matthew 9:37-38

Throughout history prayer has always been a primary catalyst for revival. To confirm this statement, we only have to remember the 120 disciples in the upper room, or Father Nash who spiritually plowed the ground for Charles Finney’s great harvest of souls. For additional proof, we could look at Brother William Seymour crying out in an Azusa street barn or a group of little old lady’s praying in a cottage in the Hebrides Islands. There is no exception. Revival is always preceded by concerted prayer.

Prayer is the first evidence of the Holy Spirit stirring the heart.  18

5. Pray for the equipping and empowerment of many

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“And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.” - Matthew 10:1

“And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.” - Ephesians 4:11-13 

Jesus’ “Plan A” for transforming the planet was to make disciples and train leaders… and there was no “Plan B”. Jesus chose the twelve, that they should be “with Him” and that they would carry His ministry forward. He did the same thing with the Seventy, the 120 and the disciples throughout the Book of Acts. He not only empowered them to do miracles but he also instructed them in the Gospel of the Kingdom and gave them specific strategies for reaching the unreached.

• Pray for leaders with fresh vision and passion for discipleship to rise among us • Pray for leaders that operate in the gifts, power and authority of the Holy Spirit • Pray for the five-fold ministry of Jesus to be established among us, with each one

rightly fitted into place (apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher - Eph 4:11) 19196. Pray for wisdom, revelation, resource and creative strategy to build the structure necessary to hold the harvest in.

We must give new leaders being equipped and empowered to receive the harvest a firm foundation and solid structure to work with for discipling the harvest of souls saved through evangelistic efforts.

“He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth.” - Ephesians 1:9-10

We must build the infrastructure of assimilation for the newly harvested that addresses these questions:

• How will they be introduced to this new culture? What is the pathway in? • How can we walk them forward in such a way that they aren’t completely

overwhelmed by the new? Who will shepherd them? Within what social settings? • How will they be trained up and discipled to then become harvesters themselves?

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PART 3 - ACTIVATE MOVEMENT 15 min DISCUSS PRACTICAL APPLICATION IN BETWEEN GATHERINGS

KEEP FIRES BURNING

SMALL GROUP LEADER: This final section of each Prayer Project Small Group meeting draws the attention of the participants to three practical ways to continue praying for the harvest in between small group meetings. You can guide participants in applying throughout the week what they have learned in the Small Group Session.

Spend the last 15 minutes of your time with your Small Group discussing and planning for the implementation of these different approaches to evangelistic prayer.

Prayer Lists – Specific prayer on behalf of others results in specific answers to prayer (see 1 Thess. 3:10-11; 2 Thess. 1:3). Encourage participants to do the following:

• Spend time writing a list of people or people groups (youth, muslims, etc.) they know who need to be saved and set free.

• Take their lists and find a time and place each day throughout the week where they can get alone with God and pray.

• Write down what the Lord speaks to them about that person/group. • Ask Holy Spirit to give specific scriptural promises to pray over each person

or people group. • Participants can also break up into groups of 2-3 and pray in agreement

over one another’s prayer lists, sharing insight received for prayer.

Prayer On-The-Go – You can all put feet to your prayers! • Encourage Small Group participants to pray for others throughout the week

as they walk, run, bicycle, or drive. As they pray on-the-go they will be able to pray according to what they observe, know and are inspired by Holy Spirit to pray for (see 1 Tim. 2:1-4).

• Participants can also break up into teams of two and go out into the community to prayer walk/run/bike/drive. As they go, they should write down and share with one another what the Lord speaks to them about the person/group they are praying for, including scriptural promise and words of knowledge or prophecy given to them by God.

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• Encourage teams to look for opportunities to share the gospel with people they meet. (Provide information about the church for connection).

Prayer Visitations – Let’s care for others and share Christ with others! • Break up into visitation teams of 2 or 3 to a team. Visit homes, hospitals,

government leaders, law enforcement, prisons, etc. and ask for prayer requests.

• Provide information concerning the church for each team do distribute where appropriate.

• As we pray for people and their needs, God builds relationships and opens hearts to the Good News of Jesus (see James 5:13- 18).

• One way to begin the conversation is . . ., “Hi, we are from Trinity Church and we are looking for opportunities to bless our community today. Are there any concerns we can pray about for you?”

Follow Up FeedbackAfter participants have had their practical prayer experience as a follow up to session 1, and they’ve returned for Small Group sessions 2 and 3, spend part of the “ACTIVATE FAITH” portion of Small Group sessions 2 and 3 hearing about their experiences with these practical prayer strategies.

• Ask them to share how they were led to pray and what they specifically prayed for.

• Ask participants to share testimonies of divine encounters with people as they prayed On-The-Go or carried out Prayer Visitations.

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CONGRATULATIONS!

YOU’VE COMPLETED THE PRAYER PROJECT SMALL GROUPS CURRICULUM! PLEASE CONTINUE TO USE THIS MANUAL TO DILIGENTLY, BOLDLY AND COMPASSIONATELY PRAY FOR THE HARVEST, THE HARVESTERS AND THE HOLDINGS. YOU’RE INTERCESSION IS PREPARING THE WAY FOR THE LOST, THE PRODIGALS AND THE OPPRESSED TO BE SAVED, HEALED AND SET FREE!

IN HIS LOVE, PASTOR MELISSA MEDINA TRINITY PRAYER

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