Disclaimer: Please understand that due to the public accessibility to this mission prayer page, it does not include prayer points about people’s personal needs (e.g. physical, emotional, spiritual). We have thorough mechanisms for pastoral prayer and have no desire to divulge people’s personal information via this forum. If you have prayer needs for yourself or others, OR would like to learn how you can pray for needs shared, please use the Contact page on this website to make your enquiry or request. THANK YOU for your understanding.

THIS weekly prayer ONLY lists prayer points which specifically pertain to a need related to the outworking of The HOPE Project. Persons who’s name appears here are in some way relevant to the project needing prayer. Thank you!

Week Commencing Monday 19th December, 2022

The week’s prayer points are spread across days of the week so that there are opportunities to pray for specific needs each day … some needs will coincide with the days on which they are listed. Please pray as the Spirit leads and reveals things to you.

Monday

We pray for our regions churches, the harvest of souls and for the primary purpose of God’s kingdom to advance, at all of our gatherings, particularly ALL meetings about God with US IN Christ that are planned through the Christmas season.

Lord, we are so grateful for the team You have given us, people dedicated to continuing to represent, demonstrate and declare the kingdom of heaven ON earth in accord with whatever the conditions are on any given day. We thank you that we are able to be engaged by so many in this way of communicating with the community and we praise you for the answered prayer about resources, gifts and knowledge to be able to gather your harvest in accord with the plan you have revealed to us these past few years. We ask that You bless the new people who have been journeying with us lately and our prudent use of the new ways to connect (Live streaming, email, Zoom and video/podcasting teaching and devotions).

We continue to pray Lord, for those in our households, our work and learning places, our recreational activities and community involvements who don’t know Your favour and need Your rescue. Particularly as there is so much perceived uncertainty in our world. With compassion we name these people and bring them before You now (in our own minds, hearts and spirits) and ask You to give us what we need to share Your purpose for each one of these dear souls, for them to see You, receive a revelation about You, and follow You to experience all the resource and support and care of heaven for them and all those they are connected with. Give us a sense of responsibility for their discipleship, however You decide to facilitate that – we are ready!

We pray for the Northern Illawarra Scripture Board (NISB) as our Teachers Clara, Dal and Leanne, and our NEW Chaplain Amanda, enjoy Christmas and refreshing leave at the end of the first full year of engagement since 2019. We pray for the respective school communities connected to Bulli, Corrimal and Woonona High Schools. We ask Lord for wisdom, patience and grace for Graeme as he chairs the Board and facilitates support for these gospel workers – preparing for the mission we have been called to, together with the combined churches of the northern Illawarra. We thank you and praise you Lord for effective recent fundraisers and that donors would continue to consider supporting this mission during the leanest few months of the year in transition to the new year. We thank God for His provision that has enabled a good seed funding base to date.

Tuesday

Lord, we pray for all the needs that we became aware of in response to our recent church family gatherings and via the prayer-care engagement during the week. Lord, please bring healing, comfort and strength to all those we know across our community who are struggling with health, finance, family or relationships and or other emotional or spiritual issues.

Lord we give you thanks for all we are learning together as we continue to engage this transition season – ‘The SEED for Sustainability’. We thank you for the strengthening of our mission company and the growing and deepening opportunities to serve and bless other churches with the gifts you have given us to share. Lord, clarify what’s important as we enter 2023 and phase two of the current journey.

We pray today Lord for all those lovely people connected to the community groups we have the privilege of hosting at or out from the Hub; regular groups like the Illawarra Quilters, the Towradgi Craft Group, the Wollongong Sewing Guild, and occasional users like the Wolf Whistle Band, Ali’s Drama Workshop Team and the Korimul Gangshow. We ask that You keep them safe, well and healthy as they engage with us and utilize the facilities you have given us stewardship of. Lord we entrust then to You for this Christmas – New Year period.

We pray for our Bible Study and Kingdom Conversation groups, now happening somewhere in our spheres of responsibility across most days of the week – some of which aren’t advertised because they are targeted to invite people from those spheres of life, work and or play. We pray for confidence for our summit team facilitators AND for breakthrough in the hearts and souls of those people being reached.

Wednesday

Lord, today we ask that as the executive administration team reflects on the management of our current and emerging situation, that you will inspire us with ways we can continue to be the calm in the storm; to help the vulnerable where possible and to listen carefully to the Holy Spirit for discernment about strategic ways forward for the mission we are called to. We are so thankful Lord for all who partner with us to pursue this mission and pray for Your continued increase and blessing on ‘giving’ (against all human odds) and for wisdom to allocate these funds in appropriate and life transforming ways.

Lord, we pray that in the midst of the tyranny of the urgent, that we will keep strategically focused and orientated towards equipping disciples for these first 3 years of the 7 years of Gospel Impact. At the end of the day we need to be armed with Jesus’ strategies for building HIS church and so Holy Spirit, lead the team, so that strong directional and facilitating announcements can be made in the days to com – particularly as we work through and into the changing face of service in 2023.

Thursday

Heavenly Father, we pray for our team who faithfully serves our Food for Life Community Care partners, providing an effective, accessible and affordable grocery service for our neighbourhood. Lord bless Murray and Julie and their family, for their health and energy. We pray for positive interactions and even kingdom conversations with our customers, and that we are all able to stay safe in the surrounds of the car park at the back of Guest Park off Balgownie Road. We pray for our very own Gary who is now an active Food for Life Board member and advocate.

We also ask that you help us to use what we have learnt as a launching pad for the next phase of mission and not default to things that have prevented the advance of Your kingdom gospel. Lord, develop a clarity in us towards your purposes and in particular as the team uses all the tech at our disposal to develop ways of engaging and equipping, those previously inaccessible to us.

We have been and continue praying for Jono & Nicky as they press in to God about the development of ‘The Sanctuary’ faith community and mission outpost in the Southern Illawarra region. We pray for the 3 or 4 people who have committed to the church and we pray that more and more people will engage with the message and care gifts You have given them, and tune into their YouTube Channel and The Sanctuary Facebook page, to keep up to date and keep igniting the spark of interest and hunger in people who need a touch from heaven. We pray Lord that the Hyratt’s find energy and blessing as they work hard to secure their family life and marriage, whilst hearing clearly from you about how to proceed in ways that will enhance gospel engagement as they consider the opportunities that 2023 presents. Bless them too Lord as they continue to provide a safe place on Monday nights for people fighting against all sorts of addictions. If you would like to be more informed for prayer support for this venture, check into The Sanctuary Facebook page here. We pray Your protection Lord, over Jono’s and Nicky’s families who are right in the cross hairs as they play their part in advancing the kingdom of heaven in their spheres of influence, and keep them healthy, energized and focused as they navigate tent making jobs in community care spheres (and the challenges therein) alongside church planting efforts.

Friday

We pray today Lord for all people dealing with anxiety or depression or grief. We praise you for the comfort and encouragement that online message broadcasts have and will bring people – thank you for the part we can play in this – and we ask that during this time, our families, friends and neighbourhood/community connections will re-think their relationship with the God of heaven and earth and re-establish a desire to dwell in the revelation Christ brought. We ask for special help to the ministry team as we examine ways we can be better connected to people we otherwise rarely see in the flesh.

We also pray that you will help us engage the FOUR Pillars (Prayer, Care, Prepare & Share), allowing your supernatural presence to empower us to seek and act on these things simultaneously. Help us establish the HUB as a ‘community platform for equipping’ and lead us as we shape and continue working hard towards what the framework for HOPE College will become, particularly whilst we prioritize discipleship as a lifestyle for the dozen or so inaugural students, our church family broadly and our kingdom partners, now as we prepare for 2023.

As 2022 draws to a close, we are so grateful to You Lord for the continued outworking of the TWO Keith Green 40th Anniversary Tribute Concerts, and the catalyst these were for such a wonderful outcome for the ‘HOPE4Kids’ Campaign. We praise You Lord for the $3K plus that was raised and ask that these funds have their full impact for the kids and families it supports.

Saturday

Lord, we also pray each Saturday for a continued sharpening of the revelation regarding the coordinates being developed in this ‘Season for Gathering the Harvest’. This is our journey IN Christ whatever is going on around us in the world. Please continue to apostolically and prophetically align us with the kingdom of heaven as it works ON earth and strengthen our ministry team to pursue with passion, the work in targeted spheres as you make us aware of them and the needs thereof. Thank you for helping us forge new pathways recently – we pray for Principal Gammone and the Staff and Students of Corrimal East Public School and the opportunity we had to bless them last Thursday. Show us where to put our feet as we move forward.

We continue to pray for growing engagement with Graeme’s NEW Album ‘Better Now’ as a tool for kingdom advancement and mission development and for the funds that will continue to be consistently raised for our special children in need. And we thank you Lord for 6-8 songs on the album getting through the initial listening round of the International Song Competition for ‘unsigned’ Independent Singer/Song Writers. What a bonus from you Lord! You can be more informed for prayer by being part of THIS ongoing conversation here.

We praise you for effective preparations towards re-engaging the neighbourhood through Coffee and Kingdom Conversations.

Sunday

We ask your favour and increase for our brothers and sisters in Churches across our region as each one responds to what God is revealing to THEM during this challenging season. We pray for the key leaders of the churches in our area, for their teams and all their families, and of course all the good people connected to these assemblies; particularly as we continue to work towards what a kingdom journey together might look like. These churches and their leadership teams (minister’s named below if we know them), that we are working hard to develop relationship with currently are: Northern Beaches Church of Christ (Peter & Linda Watson), Wollongong (Fairy Meadow) Reformed Church, Tarrawanna Salvos (Major Edge) and Magnetic Church (Jim Primosich), Corrimal Uniting (Graham Anson), Corrimal Anglican (Chris Moloney), Corrimal, Fairy Meadow, Bulli, Thirroul, Helensburgh Catholic Parishes, City Life (Ron & Heather Thomas) and Life Centre (Hengki & Lidia Widjaja – both in Fairy Meadow), Woonona Baptist (Michael & Karen Bate), Woonona Presbyterian (Peter Currie), Nth Illawarra (Bulli) Uniting (Josh McPaul), Bulli Anglican (Michael & Karen Williamson), Village Church (Tim Canosa), Thirroul and Austinmer Anglican (Nathan Sandon), C3 Thirroul (Rohan & Jill Bell), Austinmer Uniting (Roselin Fisher), Hope Church (Lionel Rattenbury & PJ Bedwell) and Cupbearer/Baptist (Brad Blacker) both in Helensburgh.