The third ‘Great Day of Prayer’ for 2009 in the Church of God has been called for this Sunday, July 5.
Late last year, Church of God General Overseer Raymond Culpepper scheduled days every three months in 2009 designating them as “Great Days of Prayer.” The emphasis is part of Culpepper’s desire for the Church to be called to prayer and complements his three-pronged message delivered in August of 2008 at the Church of God International General Assembly. In his commissioning speech, Culpepper introduced a theme of Forward Together in Changing Times and the three emphases of prayer, the Great Commission and a quest for trust. The days scheduled for 2009 include January 4, April 5, July 5 and October 4.
Church of God Prayer Coordinator Doug Small, along with Overseer Culpepper has developed resource materials for pastors in planning and implementing the Great Days of prayer. These resources are available at the Web site www.forwardtogetherinchangingtimes.com under the link, “Great Days of Prayer.”
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“On the website are a number of resources to help you plan and conduct a successful prayer event,” Small stated. These resources include a planning guide to assist you in thinking about the kind of prayer service you plan to conduct; a sample communion prayer service with a companion power point presentation a directed prayer experience focused on the nation and a number of suggestions for practical prayer experiences on the weekend of your Great Day of Prayer, including a 24 hour prayer chain leading up to the prayer service.” Other unique resources on the Web site include a prayer styles guide to help with various approaches to prayer and an article introducing the prayer themes and dates for the Great Days of Prayer events.
“These are only resources,” Small continued. “Try them on. Use all or a part of them. Choose the components that fit your situation and the needs of your congregation. Above all – Pray!”
Churches that conduct Great Days of Prayer events are asked to provide feedback on the experience on the web site www.forwardtogetherinchangingtimes.com by clicking on “Great Days of Prayer.”