Prayer Focuses

Community Focus 5

January 20, 2019

Good morning Hope Church! Today is the last prayer focus we have to share with you for this season. We hope that you have been able to establish a discipline of prayer in your life and have gained some tools for how and what to pray for during those times. We encourage you to continue to challenge yourself to create prayer focuses and seek the Lord in all things! If you have a story of what God has been doing in your life during this season, we would love to hear it! Just send us a reply and we will get in touch with you! ##Local Churches **To be the Light of the World** In Matthew 5:14-16, Jesus is calling the church to be a light to those living in darkness, to proclaim truth and life, and for the work of the church to bring glory to God. Pray this would be true of the local churches in Albert Lea, that our city would proclaim the name of Jesus and bring glory to God in all our efforts. **Authentic Community** Pray for the believers of each church to experience true and authentic community in the way God designed it to be. Just like the believers described in Acts 2, to be people who gather together to learn about the Lord and how to follow him, and to do life together. **Unity among believers in Albert Lea** Ask God to reveal any divisions and to bring about forgiveness and reconciliation in the lives of those who have discord. Pray against any further divisions and that the enemy would have no hold in creating contempt between believers and congregations. ##Gold Cross & Medical Professionals **To have eyes to see people with the compassion of the Lord** Pray that they would have tender hearts and show the Love of Christ to all people who are in their care. Pray for patience as they treat and help individuals and compassion for what they are going through. **For skill in their work** Pray that doctors and other medical professionals would be able to skillfully apply their education and practice to each situation for the best outcome. **Wisdom in difficult decisions** Doctors often have to guide individuals and families through very challenging decisions, pray that they would have divine insight into the best choices to make for those in need of care.

Community Focus 4

January 19, 2019

##AZ-One The AZ-One Board & Leaders help to provide support to a variety of ministries like Shinefest, JACOM, Men's 33 Series, and more. They are a group of business leaders, pastors and community members who share a common heart to see unity in our City. **Protection for the Leadership** The leaders carry many responsibilities in the workplace, ministries, and community. As you might have noticed, we believe it is so important to pray for protection against the enemy, especially people who are working to spread the Gospel, so let's cover them in your prayers! **Men's 33 Series** Pray for the upcoming Men's Study, that there would be men who rise up, welcome challenges, and grow in their faith and role as the head of their households. Pray their would be life transformation by the power of the Holy Spirit though this upcoming study. **Unity** Let's partner with their vision to bring people and churches from all different denominations together to establish community among all and to work together to further the gospel. ##City Leaders Pray for the Albert Lea City leaders like Mayor Vern Rasmussen, the Ward Councilors, City Manager, and others. **God Honoring Decisions** These leaders have to make big decisions for our community on a regular basis. Ask the Lord to give them wisdom and discernment in each of those decisions that would not only be the best choice for the community, but would be in alignment with the Word of God. **Favor with Community** Pray that the community would honor and support leadership. Pray against any divisions in our community that political matters can cause. **Beacons of Light** Pray that God would get ahold of the hearts of the leaders that have been appointed and they would use their influence to bring glory to God.

Community Focus 3

January 18, 2019

##Shinefest Every year, businesses, individuals, churches, and service organizations come together to help Shinefest take on projects to help fix homes, help with yard work, and do repairs for people in our community. Let's begin to cover their week of service in prayer. **Pray for Discernment on the Neighborhood to focus on in 2019** There are many areas in our community who need help with home projects, yard work, and also to be blessed by volunteers being the hands and feet of Jesus. Pray that God would highlight the neighborhood to focus their efforts in this year and that he would go before the Shinefest volunteers to soften the hearts of the people not just to receive help, but also the hope of the gospel. **Pray for Volunteers** The entire effort to help bless neighborhoods is volunteer led. Pray for an an abundance of volunteers and pray that the volunteers would be in step with the Holy Spirit, and for opportunities for them to minister to broken people in the neighborhood. Pray and ask God if it could be you! **Pray for Leadership** The leaders of Shinefest work hard year-round to make this event happen. Pray for the Lord to continue to move in and through their lives, that he would be an ever-present help in all of their jobs, families, responsibilities, and resources. Pray against the schemes of the enemy in the work of their hands and for wisdom in all of their leadership of Shinefest. ##Board and Lodge The Board & Lodge is an extended care program offered by Fountain Centers to help in the treatment of individuals who are at high risk for relapse. They provide support through counseling, nutrition, recreation, transportation, and healthy living skills. **Pray for their Transition** For many of the men who take advantage of this program, it is the last step of their treatment before making the transition back to responsibilities, families, and decisions. Pray that they handle the transition well! **Pray for Support** Pray they would also look to the Lord and the church for support. We see many of the people come to Hope Church and experience God for the first time, pray that they would continue to seek the Lord and be plugged into a local church. **Resources** Another challenge to transitioning back to responsibility is often finding housing, jobs, and resources to allow for their newly learned patterns of healthy living to grow in. Pray that opportunities would open up doors and allow them to build a new God-honoring lifestyle.

Community Focus 2

January 17, 2019

##The Salvation Army The Salvation Army helps hundreds of families in our community on a regular basis. They try to bridge the gap by providing the necessities for those in great need by providing a daily meal program, Spanish and English help, school supplies, a food pantry, utility assistance, after-school program, counseling, and other personal needs. As they support the needs of our community, let's support them in prayer. **Pray for Volunteers** To serve a meal everyday, run a food pantry, and do everything else they do, it takes the help of many volunteers. Pray that God would put it on people's hearts to give of their time. **Pray for Funding** The Salvation Army runs on generosity. Pray for funding and donations that would allow for their yearly budget to be reached and for more needs to be met. **Pray for their Spiritual Ministry** Pray for God to use their programs as doorways to the church and for hearts to be softened towards to the gospel. Pray for more and more people to encounter the Lord and enter into a relationship with Him. ##The Albert Lea Fire Department As all of us know the fire department does so much more than fight fires. They assist in accidents and injuries, provide emergency medical support and help to the emergency medical professionals. **Pray for Safety** There are many dangerous situations that these men face on a regular basis. Pray a covering over their physical safety and for no harm to come to them. **Physical and Mental Health** Pray for their physical health, their bodies would be strengthened against sickness or injury as well as their mental health- that they would be able to process the difficulties in a healthy way and not to carry burdens and stress but to cast their cares to the Lord. Pray against any footholds or strongholds of anxiety or depression. **Pray for the Families** The schedules of firefighters can be difficult for families and put a strain on marriages and relationships. Pray for those relationships to be strengthened, for spouses to be an encouragement, and for their time together with their families to be full of blessings.

Community Focus 1

January 16, 2019

Hey Hope Church family, We hope last week was a refreshing "reset" as you start the new year and you were reminded of the importance of devoting time to be with the Lord each day. The Bible says In 2 Corinthians 3:18, "And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." Let's continue to let the Lord transform us as we spend time with him. In light of how the Lord has already been moving in the last week, and the continued need for prayer, we have decided to extend our season of corporate prayer through the end of the week! We will be turning our focus to organizations in our community that are serving others. Today, we want to pray for **Youth for Christ** & the **Albert Lea Police Department.** ##South Central Youth for Christ SCMYFC serves our area youth with programs like the drop-in center at The Rock, Campus Life for High Schoolers, and T&T for Middle Schoolers, as well as camps through the year at Prairie River Camp in Bricelyn, and more. Below are specific prayer needs for the ministry: **Pray for staff positions to be filled.** They have 2 open positions at camp and are understaffed in other areas as well. Pray that the Lord would lead the right people to fill those roles; that there would be laborers for the harvest. **Pray for the camp dining hall to be completed.** They are still in need of resources to complete the facility, pray for the funding to be met ($20,000) and for volunteers and professionals to finish the project. **Pray for protection from any schemes of the enemy over staff and families.** When God is at work, the enemy tries to prevent the Kingdom from advancing, claim the victory of Jesus over the staff and their families. And lastly, they ask we join them in praying for **Unity in the Body of Christ.** For reconciliation, restoration, repentance and healing in the lives of believers. ##Albert Lea Police Department The Police Department serves an essential role in our community. As they daily serve our community, below are a few things you can pray for specifically: **Pray for protection for the officers.** Pray for no harm to come to officers as they serve and protect the community, and for soft hearts to the brokenness of those our City. For protection physically, emotionally and spiritually, that the Holy Spirit would cover in all situations. **Pray for God-honoring leadership.** Ask the Lord to bless the leaders with wisdom and discernment in decision making, and that their choices would be in line with the Word of God. **Pray they will be true peace makers in our City.** In James 3:17-18 "But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness." Pray the the officers would know the Lord and act from the wisdom of God and reflect His character in all of their actions. Thank you for continuing to pray with us!

Worth Our Worship

January 11, 2019 • Tyler Vandenheuvel

If I’m being completely honest, I don’t always “feel” like worshiping God. We live in a culture that tells us to just “listen to your heart” or “do whatever you feel” is best. I don’t know about you, but my heart and its’ emotions go up and down like waves that are blown and tossed in the ocean. So how do we know that worshiping God is not just an emotional experience, and how do we lead our heart to worship Him even when we don’t feel like it? In Romans 12:1, Paul declares to us what worship is by saying, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice – the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Worship is so much more than just singing when we feel like it or even when our worship leader invites us to sing at church. It is a sacrifice. More specifically, giving our bodies as a living sacrifice to God. It’s amazing because when we worship God in this way, some really cool things happen. Paul tells us that our minds are renewed and transformed by God and we also learn what God’s perfect will is for our lives. All of this, because of worshiping God. That’s some powerful stuff. Here’s a few ways you can lead your heart to worship God: **1. Take time in the morning to reflect on why God is worthy of your worship.** Life and its’ circumstances are not always easy, but there is always this truth, God sent his son to pay for our sins by dying on the cross and therefore giving us the opportunity to live an eternal life with Him. (John 3:16-17.) Remind yourself of what God did for you and tell him how thankful you are for it by either journaling or praying to Him. **2. Sing your praise and worship to God.** Although music is not the only way to worship or Lord, it is a great way that He created to do so. Ephesians 5:18-19 says, “Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts.” Music has a powerful way of leading our hearts in to the presence of God and in His presence, anything can happen. Whether you’re a good singer or not, turn your favorite worship music on and let the Lord have it. He will hear your heart. **3. Worship God through your work.** Remember that worship is a lifestyle, which includes the way that we work so focus your thoughts on Who you are working for. Not just men, but for God. It will make your work more enjoyable and God can shine His light through you as your attitude reflects the way he intends for you to work. He will honor this and you will be drawn closer to Him. (Colossians 3:23-24). Worship is not just an emotional experience, it is a sacrificial way of life, deserved by our Lord, and at the same time full of blessing for us. Let’s worship God with our whole hearts in everything that we do today and allow him to transform us with His presence as we do. I can’t wait to see how the Lord moves through the way that we worship Him as a church. Check back tomorrow for our next prayer focus. Sincerely, Tyler

Unity in Relationships

January 9, 2019

Today is Day 2 of our Prayer & Fasting focus. For most people, our lives are filled with relationships, and when two people are in relationship with each other, conflict is inevitable. The Bible has a lot to say about how to treat one another and to maintain unity in our relationships, even when conflict arises. In Mark 3:25 it says, "If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand." When we don't settle differences and address conflict, we end up walking around in pain. When those conflicts aren't dealt with, it ends in bitterness that results in unforgiveness, which can hold a grip on our souls. The Bible tells us in Colossians 3 to examine our heart for any grievances, "to bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." By remembering that God poured out his mercy on us when we didn't deserve it, we can extend the same mercy to others when they don't deserve it. Three things we can do to see unity in our relationships is to: **1. Pray for Broken Relationships** If there are any strained or broken relationships in your life that need God's healing, maybe it is in your family, in your marriage, with your kids, people in the church, in the workplace, or from the past, spend some time today thinking and praying through your relationships. **2. Search Your Own Heart** Journal out, and pray through those hurts, see how the Lord may reveal things and uproot offenses you didn't know still had a hold on you. **3. Confess Fault** If any fault in the damaged relationship lies with you, first confess it to God, then begin to pray and seek God for how to best reach out and begin to restore the relationship. By making a commitment to unity in our relationships, we believe that God can make each relationship better in the future than it was in the past. Let's be a church where having things in common is secondary to having Jesus in common, He is our "fit factor." Continue pressing into Him on this journey, we can't wait to hear what God is doing in your relationships and in your life!

God You have My Attention

January 8, 2019 • Pastor Kaleb Hurley

Hey Hope Church Family, Today is Day 1 of our Prayer Focus. Each day we will post a daily Prayer Focus to lead you through this time of seeking God together. Today's Focus: ##**"God, You Have My Attention".** If you're anything like me, attention is something that comes and goes. It's easy to be fully engaged watching a tv show, but when your circumstances are less exciting, it's easy to become distracted and lose attention. What does it look like to give God your focused attention? In a world jam-packed with distractions, how do we intentionally and deliberately say "God, You Have My Attention"? In Psalm 27:4 the Psalmist declares his heart to God by saying... "The one thing I ask of the LORD--the thing I seek most--is to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, delighting in the LORD's perfections and meditating in his Temple." The first step to giving God our Attention is: **1. Expressing our Desire to be in God's Presence** That's right. It's that simple. The Bible tells us that out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. Just as the writer of Psalm 27 says in many words "I want to be with God", so it is with you and I, when your heart desires to be with God, you express that out loud to him in simple and honest prayers. Take some time today to simply say "God, I want to be with you." Write, journal or simply speak your hearts desire to the Lord. As you are expressing, also add in the things you desire during this time such as asking to hear His voice more clearly, or to experience deep revelation in His http://word...etc. Secondly, after you have expressed your desire... **2. Set aside time with as few distractions as possible** This could be 15-30 minutes in the morning, noon and night. Or it could be a much longer time period once per day. Let's face it, removing distractions is hard for everyone that owns a cell phone. So, you got it... that cell phone needs to be placed somewhere (or put on airplane mode) where it won't have your attention during these quiet times with the Lord. If you have a busy house, then wake up early or go for a drive in the car after the kids are sleeping. But whatever you do, give a solid effort to remove distractions and make this time regular throughout the next week. I promise you won't regret it. Last and certainly not least... **3. Immerse yourself with Truth** Hebrews 4:12 says... "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." Find a book of the Bible, a collection of Psalms or look up a list of Bible passages about seeking God and read through them regularly. If you don't have a regular Bible reading rhythm, be patient with yourself and don't get discouraged if you don't fully understand everything right away. As you daily spend time in the Word of God, God's truth will become a record that replays in your mind throughout the day. It will penetrate every area of your life. Just give it time and watch how your attention will be fixed on God by immersing yourself with the truth. But don't just read the truth, sing the truth, journal the truth and pray the truth also. Brothers and sisters... Let's make this a day of declaration to our God. A day where we humbly express our desire, set aside time, and make a decision to immerse ourselves with the truth. In all of these things we are saying... GOD YOU HAVE MY ATTENTION. Let's press in to Him for our church, our families, our city and our world. Thanks for joining us on this journey. I can't wait to hear how God used this time in your life. Sincerely, Pastor Kaleb