Christian City Focus Prayer Campaign

Keeping the main thing the main thing.

21 Days of Prayer Campaign schedule: September 3 - 23

SEPTEMBER 3-16. All Christian City staff and board are invited and encouraged to pray for 14 days.
SEPTEMBER 17-21. All Christian City residents are invited and encouraged to pray.
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 22. All churches and individual donors are encouraged to pray for Christian City.
SEPTEMBER 23. Pastors from supporting churches will gather on the Christian City campus to pray for staff and residents.

Premise: Lots of changes going on at Christian City.

Christian City has big plans for the future, but many decisions need to be made to move forward.
We have an immediate need for stable and committed house parents.
Major funding will be necessary to accomplish the many goals.
We want to remain faithful to our spiritual core.

Why Pray?

To FOCUS our commitment on the mission and our spiritual calling.
To Remind ourselves of our dependence upon God to lead, provide and deliver.
To Remember our roots, and those initial impulses to provide for the marginalized while trusting God to provide.

What are we praying for?

To receive power for ministry.
To discover the Lord’s will.
To seek God’s protection.
To ask for God’s direction.
To not wait until there is a crisis or giant mountain.
To seek God’s leading in our strategic planning.

How to Pray?

Alone and with others.
Walk and pray.
Read scripture and pray.
Read Psalms aloud as a prayer.

When to Pray?

First thing in the morning.
Have a prayer mindset throughout the day, inviting the Lord into decisions and thoughts.
Pray over your meal.
Pray as you drive home.
Pray as last thing before going to sleep.

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed. — MARK 1:35

Christian city residents

September 17-21. All Christian City residents are encouraged to pray.

17 — Pray that all staff across our campus would find joy in the work they are doing, that they would always experience a sense of mission and calling as they minister to and with others.

The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of His bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. — DEUTERONOMY 28:12

18 — Our prayer today focuses on the dedicated people who work in the maintenance department, transportation, and campus patrol, as they help make the campus a safe and enjoyable place to live.

Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge. — PSALM 62:8

19 — Let us pray for all of the children and young adults who call Christian City “home.” Some are with us for a year, and others for just a few days, but we ask the Lord to draw near to all of the young people who have experienced trauma, neglect, and abuse. Lord, we pray for Crossroads, The Children’s Village, Thrive, Safe Place and Healthy Families. May your hand be on all these programs and multiply their effectiveness as they bring hope and healing to many. Watch over our youth as they pray and plan for a bright future. We ask that families would feel called to foster and perhaps adopt precious children who need a home. We seek your assistance as we recruit house-parents for our residential program. You supply all our needs. Help us to lean on you with these important requests. And may we thank you ahead of time for always hearing and answering our prayers. Amen.

And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. — LUKE 11:9

20 — Father in heaven, giver of every good and perfect gift, we ask boldly today for the things we need. We pray for financial health, for each of our residents, and for Christian City. We thank you for donors and supporting churches. We praise you for the way you have sustained this ministry through 60 years. We continue to look to you for your hand of provision. May we always lean on you and trust you.

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. — MALACHI 3:10

21 — Lord, we ask you to be at the center of everything that happens on our campus. Guide our board, encourage our staff, be with the leader of every program, and give our CEO Keith Horton the vision and determination to move the Christian City ministry forward with boldness and grace. May we always remain true to our core calling, to love people, from all backgrounds, with healing and hope, in the name of Jesus. Amen.

But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. — MATTHEW 6:33

CHURCHES AND DONORS

Sunday, September 22. All churches and donors are invited to pray for Christian City.

Pastors, we would be honored if you and your church could take a few minutes to seek the Father on behalf of Christian City. As we celebrate 60 years of serving those on the margins, we are boldly asking for blessings as we dream and plan the next decade and beyond. Thank you for your partnership.

Suggested wording and prayer:
Today is special as we devote a few minutes to focus our minds and hearts on the wonderful ministry at Christian City. They are moving forward, in their 60th year, with bold plans and big dreams as they continue to serve children, families and seniors, in the name of Jesus.

Join with us in praying for this innovative organization.
“Father, today we are thinking of the church’s calling to love orphans and widows, and we thank you for the vast ministry of Christian City, as they recruit families to foster and adopt, and house neglected children, and work with homeless young adults, as well as all the programs for senior adults. We ask you to increase their energy, encourage their hearts, and send finances their way, as they partner with churches to fulfill your command to love those on the margins. May every resident and staff member of Christian City sense your blessing and presence today in a special way. In the name of our Redeemer, Amen.”

pASTORS ON OUR CAMPUS

September 23. Area pastors will be coming to campus to pray for staff and residents.

“Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be Your Name. Your Kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”
— MATTHEW 6:9-13 NKJV