21 Day Prayer Guide - Second Church

21 DAY

PRAYER guide You faithfully answer our prayers with awesome deeds, O God our savior. You are the hope of everyone on earth, even those who sail on distant seas.

- Psalms 65:5

DAy 1 Trusting God’s Leadership On each page, you will find prompts to guide your prayer journey. Read the scripture passage and the devotional. Underline and circle key words or phrases that catch your attention. Make notes in the margins that capture where God is directing you. Lastly, use the reflection and prayer prompt to guide your prayer time.

Scripture: Proverbs 3:5-6 Devotional: Alan Thompson On our journey through life, we often find ourselves at a crossroads, faced with decisions about how to proceed. Some decisions seem easy and others very difficult. Some choices only affect us personally, but others affect many of those around us. The way we make those choices may well be more important than what option we choose. Even those choices that seem to be insignificant leave their mark on us. How we approach decision making says a lot about what we trust and what we think is reliable.

This proverb asks us to trust in the Lord with all of our innermost being. Trust that the Lord knows your situation, cares deeply about you, and will clearly communicate to you what is best.

DAy 1 Trusting God’s Leadership Expert advice, popular opinions, and conventional wisdom might seem foolproof, but this proverb offers a different direction. Some translations say to seek the Lord, some say to acknowledge him, and others say to submit to him.

Seek, acknowledge, and submit– sounds like a great formula for making decisions. In every decision, large or small, we should make it a habit to seek, acknowledge, and submit to his will. When I was growing up, our church often sang a song called “Trust and Obey”. The chorus says: “Trust and obey, for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey”. Make that the pattern of how you make decisions, and your life will be joyful and fulfilling.

Reflection: As we begin this journey, let’s surrender our plans and trust God to direct our paths.

Prayer Prompt: Ask God to guide our church and give us faith to follow His lead.

DAy 2 Unity in Christ Scripture: Ephesians 4:3 Devotional: Tim Thornsbrough Paul states to the Ephesians his plea to make every effort to "keep the unity". He just explained to the Ephesians in chapter 3 that this unity is based on the reconciling death of Christ. It was true then, and it is still true today. There is one Lord, faith, baptism, and one God. This should make us one body. It is important that we, too, make every effort during this transition to remain unified.

Please pray for the leaders to be led by the Holy Spirit, the staff to work in one accord, and the congregation to remain one body "living a life worthy of the calling".

Reflection: Unity is essential as we move forward together.

Prayer Prompt: Pray for unity among leaders, staff, and the congregation.

DAy 3 Gratitude for Past Leadership Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 Devotional: Steve Walter Paul, in his letter to the Thessalonians, asks that the church in Thessalonica acknowledge the ones who work hard, care for you, and admonish you in the Lord. He also says to hold them in the highest regard, in love, for their hard work, and to live in peace with each other.

We here at Second Church of Christ have been blessed with a hard-working staff for many years. They work many hours to make the ministries and events at our church both excellent and effective.

From preaching the Word, to worship, to adult Bible classes, to children’s discipleship, and youth ministries.

God has blessed Second church with many strong, faithful, compassionate, and Godly leaders over the years. We now stand on their shoulders and on the foundation that God has led them to build.

DAy 3 Gratitude for Past Leadership So please pray for and encourage your staff and elders as they endeavor to lead Second Church in the way God desires.

Reflection: Let’s thank God for the faithful service of Greg and Marla Taylor.

Prayer Prompt: Pray blessings over Greg and Marla and their family.

DAy 4 Embracing Change Scripture: Isaiah 43:19 Devotional: Bill Knight Second Church has a rich history of answering God’s call for change. From leaving the Bowman Avenue location to the Reach campaign, God called for change, and Second was responsive to that call. Every time, we were blessed.

The Bible has many teachings about change, including Isaiah 43:19, which declares that He makes a pathway; Isaiah 41:10 reminds us not to be afraid; and Proverbs 19:21 says His purpose prevails.

Please pray that, as a body of believers, we will continue that rich history of answering God’s call for change and growth with hope and courage.

Reflection: God is always doing something new.

Prayer Prompt: Ask God to help us embrace change with hope and courage.

DAy 5 Seeking God’s Vision Scripture: Habakkuk 2:2-3 Devotional: Dean Crandall I begin with a confession of sorts. When tackling a problem, I like to skip to the tactics, to the solution, to the action phase. It would be better for me to slow down and consider the "why" in every situation.

Likewise, it is wise for organizations to spend the time walking through the hierarchy of vision and mission.

Consider Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower's vision and mission for the Normandy invasion. Ike had a clear hierarchy that cascaded beautifully from one step to the next.

Grand vision (Highest level) Destroy the German war machine, defeat tyranny Total victory Strategic mission (Intermediate level) Establish a beachhead at Normandy Deceive the enemy Operational plan (Tactical level) Secure five invasion beaches Achieve air superiority Establish logistics and supply lines Coordinate landings with environmental factors

DAy 5 Seeking God’s Vision Your elders invite you to join us in asking the Lord to reveal His updated marching orders and His vision for Second Church of Christ. In this world, we are in enemy-occupied territory. We are a base of operation in a community that desperately needs to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Please pray for clarity and focus to put down on paper our Holy Spirit-inspired vision for this beautiful bride of Christ. Ask God to reveal to us His renewed vision for Second Church of Christ.

Reflection: God’s vision for our church is greater than our own.

Prayer Prompt: Pray for clarity and unity around God’s vision for our future.

DAy 6 Making Room for Others Scripture: Romans 15:7 Devotional: Erik Cisney Do you remember that person who was influential in your relationship with Jesus Christ? They might have poured into you and didn’t let you quit. Maybe they picked you up every Sunday and took you to church.

They might have been an escape from whatever was going on at home. Celebrate Recovery has created a space like that for many people over the years, and the Second Church family has been amazing at welcoming those people into our congregation on Sunday mornings. As we continue to grow, new people join us every Sunday. That is an amazing sight to see! Praise God for using Second Church to reach people who are seeking truth, grace, and hope. New people bring new challenges and opportunities, allowing you to provide the same influence someone has provided to you.

Be praying for those new people and the people still to come.

DAy 6 Making Room for Others Reflection: Our slogan, Full of Life, Room for you, reminds us to welcome all.

Prayer Prompt: Pray for open hearts and creative solutions as we outgrow our space.

DAy 7 Connect to God Scripture: John 15:5 Devotional: Chris Robinson We now live in a world with AI, so I asked it what happens when a branch is not connected to the vine.

Here is the answer: A branch not connected to the vine will dry up, wither, and die because it no longer receives water and nutrients from the vine, which are essential for growth and survival. The branch is completely dependent on the vine for its life and the ability to produce fruit, as any break in this vital connection severs the flow of necessary resources. In this earthly life, we will get tired, stressed, and anxious. Before looking to earthly solutions, we should examine our connection to the source of “necessary resources”.

Jesus is that source. Jesus is talking to the disciples in John 15 and goes on to tell them how to remain in him.

John 15:10a If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love. In John 15:12, Jesus tells us specifically which commandment to follow: “that you love one another as I have loved you”. When our tank is running on empty, let us look to our savior for the necessary resources to continue showing love to each other as the church and also to a lost world.

DAy 7 Connect to God This love that comes from Christ in us is what shows the world that we are different. When we can handle difficult times with love within the church, the world is much more open to hearing what we have to say. Pray today for God to deepen our connection with Him so that He can bear much fruit through us.

Reflection: Our strength comes from abiding in Christ Prayer Prompt: Ask God to deepen our connection with Him

DAy 8 Connected to Each Other Scripture: Hebrews 10:24-25 Devotional: Dale DeNeal This passage contains three “Let us” statements that highlight actions meant to be done in community.

These actions are not “me” actions—they are “we” actions. They are things we do together, and by doing them, we connect with each other. What do we do? We hold to hope, we imagine ways to motivate, and we meet to encourage. The hope we hold too is God’s unwavering promises. When we hold tightly to hope, our collective grip is nearly unbreakable. We can hold each other up when someone’s hope is shaky. That’s why “we” are always better than “me.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12) We imagine ways to motivate each other to love and do good. This is a creative community think tank that dreams up mindboggling ways to love generously and serve liberally. Acts of love and good deeds powerfully connect people to one another and to Jesus, as in Acts 2:42-47. Let your imagination go wild!

DAy 8 Connected to Each Other I think Jesus envisioned a church where people were breaking down the walls to get in. No absenteeism because what people can’t get enough of is encouragement. There is nothing better than “we” encouragement—a community of people speaking words of hope, grace, and love. That’s something “me” encouragement—just patting yourself on the back—can never match.

So, “Let us-we” do everything in our power to connect to each other in biblical community, holding on to hope, imagining ways to motivate, and meeting to encourage one another without stopping!

Reflection: We need each other for encouragement and growth.

Prayer Prompt: Pray for stronger relationships within our church family.

DAy 9 Changed by Christ Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:17 Devotional: Tracy Thomas Why do you follow Jesus? There are many reasons why we do so. Maybe your parents and grandparents set the example. Maybe you like what Jesus does for you. And it could be about your worldview – what Jesus says just makes sense.

I choose to answer that question this way: I want to become like Him. I want His heart for the Word of God. I want His compassion for others. I want His Kingdomminded focus. So, how does this process of becoming like Jesus happen? Paul told the Romans: 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 (Romans 12:2). Discipleship is about transformation from who we were to who we are to who we are becoming in Jesus.

DAy 9 Changed by Christ Why do we follow Jesus? The Apostle Paul tells us about the result of transformation: And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters (Romans 8:28-29).

Lord, may you continue to shape us and form us into the image of Jesus so that others may discover what it means to have new life.

Reflection: Christ transforms us from the inside out.

Prayer Prompt: Invite God to continue His transforming work in your life.

DAy 10 Committed to His Mission Scripture: Matthew 28:19-20 Devotional: Alan Thompson Do you have a list of things that must get done today?

You know, those things that must get done because of who you are? If you are a parent, a student, a police officer, a nurse, a teacher, an employee, or an employer, you have responsibilities. It is not that you are forced to do these things against your will; rather, it is because of who you have chosen to be that you have willingly taken on these responsibilities. You couldn’t be who you are without these responsibilities.

If you are a follower of Christ, you have responsibilities that come from your decision to be a Christian. It is part of who you are; you can’t be a Christian without them. How well and how intentionally you fulfill these responsibilities is another matter. Jesus told us to be intentional about what we talk about and how we live.

Express the truth about who God is and teach those under your influence by word and example how to live out the commands of Jesus. This is not another task to check off the list; it permeates every task and every activity of our lives.

DAy 10 Committed to His Mission Reflection: Our mission is to make disciples.

Prayer Prompt: Pray for boldness and creativity in sharing Christ with others.

DAy 11 Wisdom for Leadership Scripture: James 1:5 Devotional: Tim Thornsbrough James tells us not to be discouraged when we face trials in our lives. There are times when we find ourselves unsure of what we should do. We tend to become frustrated and wonder what is next. James tells us that we need to ask God for wisdom, and he will grant it without finding fault. We should not be afraid to ask.

Please pray for the Elders and Senior Leadership team.

There are many questions yet to be answered. Pray that God's wisdom will be given to them in abundance. Pray that God will guide them through this transition.

Reflection: God generously gives wisdom to those who ask.

Prayer Prompt: Pray for wisdom for our elders, Dean, Steve, Chris, Tim, Bill, and Erik.

DAy 12 Peace in Uncertainty Scripture: Philippians 4:6-7 Devotional: Steve Walter The author of Hebrews, in chapter 10, verses 24-25, tells us that we need each other. When we have the opportunity to, we need to motivate each other toward love and good deeds. He also says that we need to meet together and encourage each other, especially as the day of Christ’s return gets closer and times get rougher.

As you know, our world is a mess, and we need encouragement and community to keep going. God has given us the model for this community, the church. For me, Sundays and Wednesdays are an oasis for my soul.

We have many hurting and lost people coming to Second Church looking for encouragement, a place to belong, and to be loved. Please pray that, as we gather, we look for people to encourage, to bless, and to love.

Our gatherings should be a safe, grace-filled place.

Reflection: God’s peace surpasses understanding.

Prayer Prompt: Ask God to calm anxieties and fill us with peace.

DAy 13 Serving with Joy Scripture: 1 Peter 4:10 Devotional: Bill Knight Second Church has many opportunities to serve God’s Kingdom. Each of us has been given spiritual gifts. Just as God loves a cheerful giver, He also loves a cheerful servant.

Please pray for joyful hearts as we serve His Kingdom.

The verses below are helpful in focusing our hearts to being joyful, cheerful servants in His Kingdom.

1 Peter 4:10, Hebrews 10:24, Philippians 4:4, and Romans 15:13.

Reflection: Each of us has a role to play.

Prayer Prompt: Pray for joyful hearts as we serve one another.

DAy 14 Discernment for the Future Scripture: Ephesians 1:17-23 Devotional: Dean Crandall Discernment is the ability to perceive, understand, and judge things clearly, especially those that are not obvious or straightforward. It involves recognizing subtle differences, distinguishing between similar things, and making sound judgments based on those observations.

Sinclair Ferguson once said that "True discernment means not only distinguishing the right from the wrong; it means distinguishing the primary from the secondary, the essential from the indifferent, and the permanent from the transient. And, yes, it means distinguishing the good from the better, even between the better and the best."

For many, like the apostle Paul, discernment seems to come directly and rather dramatically from God. Often, that has NOT been the case for the leadership of Second Church. The good news is that we have the Holy Spirit, who delights in taking the lead if we humble ourselves and ask Him to do so.

DAy 14 Discernment for the Future This isn't a "let go and let God" reckless attitude. This is careful, deliberate, hard work. It requires prayerful consideration, weighing options, and making choices. It requires time. It requires listening to that small still voice that the Holy Spirit often speaks in. Did I mention humility?

Discernment for the Christian community begins with asking, "Do I want to know God's will more than anything else?". Can our congregation know God's will?

We beg of you to join us in prayer and faithful listening to the voice of Almighty God. Ask Him to speak to us. Ask Him to make sure we have no preconceived notions of our future direction. Pray that we are obedient to whatever surprise He may have in store for us. And in all things, pray for the unity of our church.

Reflection: Ask God to fill us with knowledge, wisdom, and understanding.

Prayer Prompt: Pray for faith to trust God’s future for our church.

DAy 15 Hospitality and Growth Scripture: 1 Peter 4:9 Devotional: Erik Cisney As this prayer guide is being written, the average attendance at Second Church on a Sunday morning is 1,630! That does not include HSM on Sunday evening and JHM on Wednesday evening! That creates many opportunities to show hospitality to and help people feel known, valued, and loved. 1 Peter 4:8 tells us to continue to show love for each other, and verse 9 says to share our home with those who might need a meal or a place to stay. Hospitality is defined as an instance of cordial and generous treatment of guests. Greeting and welcoming people is not just the responsibility of our greeters; it is the responsibility of all of us. Welcome new people, learn their names, and follow up with them. How can you show someone hospitality in God’s name?

Be praying about how you can show hospitality to new people at Second. Be praying for the Elders and Leadership staff as we look for God’s guidance for His church.

DAy 15 Hospitality and Growth Reflection: Hospitality makes room for others.

Prayer Prompt: Pray for wisdom as we address space challenges and welcome newcomers.

DAy 16 Healing and Restoration Scripture: Psalm 147:3 Devotional: Chris Robinson As we go through a season of transition, there will be broken hearts to heal and wounds to bandage.

Fortunately for us, we serve a God who has the heart and the power to do so. In Psalm 147, the psalmist reminds us who God is. Verse 4 tells us, “He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names.” This verse can give us hope no matter what we are facing. God knows every star by name, and he knows you by name. He knows every broken heart and wounded spirit. As we seek healing for earthly wounds, let us remember the healing God has granted us by Jesus and the cross. Verse 5 says, “Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure”. Just as God knew how to heal us for all eternity, he knows how to heal us through this transition.

Reflection: Transitions can bring grief and loss.

Prayer Prompt: Ask God to heal any hurts and restore hope.

DAy 17 Generosity and Provision Scripture: 2 Corinthians 9:8 Devotional: Tracy Thomas But how do we know that God will do this? That He will provide all that we need? To answer that question, let’s go back one chapter: You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).

Here is how we know God will provide all we need – because He has already given us all He has. And through His poverty, we have become rich beyond imagination. When I was a kid, my Dad had a strawberry patch. It was huge – rows and rows of strawberry plants. One summer, I asked him if I could set up a roadside stand and sell strawberries. “Sure,” he said. So my father brought out a table and chairs. Then my father went to the barn and got cartons for the strawberries. Then my father went out into the patch and picked strawberries to put in the carton. Then my father made a sign that said, “Strawberries for sale.”

DAy 17 Generosity and Provision I hope you caught the common thread in my story: My father did it all. And do you know what I did? I made $10, that’s what I did. This is why I trust in God’s provision. This is why I look for ways to be generous.

Because this is God’s. All of it. Every dime in my bank account. Every second of the day. Every relationship and skill and gift, and talent. All are His. Lord, let us see and celebrate your amazing provision for Second Church. And let us be sacrificially generous in sharing the time, talents, and resources you have shared with us.

Reflection: God provides for every need.

Prayer Prompt: Pray for generous hearts and God’s provision for our church.

DAy 18 Listening to God’s Voice Scripture: John 10:27 Devotional: Kiley Garrison Jesus describes His followers as sheep who recognize His voice and then follow Him in obedience. If it were up to us, many of us would prefer that Jesus only call us to paths that are safe, familiar, and easy. Following His voice, however, doesn’t always lead us to comfortable pastures. Sometimes, He leads us through dark valleys, uncertain paths, and circumstances that force us out of our comfort zones.

The challenge for every Christ-follower is not just hearing and recognizing God’s voice, but also following where He leads us, even when it stretches us. Someone once said that comfort zones are nice, but nothing ever grows there. God’s purpose for us rarely focuses on what is easy and safe, but on what will help us grow in our faith and dependence on Him. If you want to see how the Apostle Paul learned this lesson, take a couple of minutes to read 2 Corinthians 1:8-10.

DAy 18 Listening to God’s Voice Today, listen for God’s voice as you pray. Where is He leading you? Where is He calling you to step out in faith and trust Him more? Pray for a heart that is willing to follow His voice wherever it leads you. And no matter what God is calling you to do, trust that the Good Shepherd is there with you every step of the way.

Reflection: God speaks to His people.

Prayer Prompt: Pray for open ears and hearts to hear God’s direction.

DAy 19 Courage to Step Out Scripture: Joshua 1:9 Devotional: Erik Cisney Change, transition, holidays, family, and life cause all kinds of challenges, feelings, and discussions. Think about the change that Joshua was leading the people of Israel through when God gave him this commandment. Joshua was leading people into a new land with new people and new challenges. Second Church is going through a transition period and looking at what God has for our future and the new opportunities, people, and challenges we will encounter. We have an opportunity to reach new people, develop closer connections with people, and grow in our faith and walk with God. We need to be open to what He has to say and courageous enough to take the hard steps that may be required.

Be praying that God will use you to help reach people for His kingdom and that you will have the courage to take that step. Be praying for Second Church and the future that God has for us.

DAy 19 Courage to Step Out Reflection: God calls us to be strong and courageous.

Prayer Prompt: Pray for open ears and hearts to hear God’s direction.

DAy 20 Celebrating God’s Faithfulness Scripture: Lamentations 3:22-23 Devotional: Dale DeNeal God’s Love is faithful and endless! There’s never been anything like it, and there never will be again. A wellknown verse that reminds us of God’s great faithfulness and endless love is John 3:16— “God so loved the world that he gave His only Son!” If you ever doubt God’s love, just remember this verse.

I especially love the thought that his faithfulness and love are new and fresh every day. Each morning when you open your eyes, reflect on the fact that God gives us a new and fresh bouquet of His love and grace daily.

The fragrance and beauty of it are overpowering. God is faithful with this gift; we need only to receive it and walk in it daily. When we embrace this truth, we are better positioned not to be adversely affected by change or hardship. After all, God’s love is greater than any situation we may encounter, and nothing that happens in this life can ever separate us from it (Romans 8:35).

DAy 20 Celebrating God’s Faithfulness When life presses in, one of the best things you can do is remember God’s faithfulness—and yes, count His many blessings.

Reflection: God’s faithfulness never ends.

Prayer Prompt: Thank God for His faithfulness to our church from the move from Bowman, the Commons expansion, to the additions of the youth building and Kids’ World.

DAy 21 Surrender and Expectation Scripture: Romans 12:1-2 Devotional: Kiley Garrison It’s been said that the hardest part of having faith is not believing but surrendering. I think many of us would agree with that statement. In Romans 12:1-2, the Apostle Paul urged his readers to offer their bodies as living sacrifices, surrendered to God. After all, that’s the only thing that is fitting in light of all that God has done for us.

When I think of surrender, I think of waving the white flag. In warfare, soldiers waved a white flag as a way to surrender to the enemy. In our minds, surrender often feels like defeat. We feel like we’re losing something or giving up. When it comes to faith, however, surrendering to God is actually the pathway to something better – transformation.

When we surrender our will and our ways to God, He begins to change us from the inside out. As God begins this process of transformation, we are better able to understand His will for us, which is “good, pleasing, and perfect.”

DAy 21 Surrender and Expectation If you’re wondering what surrender looks like, just look to Jesus. The night before He went to the cross, He prayed, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine” (Matthew 26:39). In every prayer we pray, surrender can be boiled down to just five words – “Not my will, but yours.”

May we each learn to pray that prayer of surrender, and may we look forward to what God will do in us and through us as we seek His will for our lives and for our church in the days ahead.

Reflection: As we surrender, God renews and transforms us.

Prayer Prompt: Offer yourself and our church to God, expecting Him to do more than we can imagine.

Elders

Erik Cisney

Dean Crandall

Bill Knight

Chris Robinson

Alan Thompson

Tim Thornsbrough

Steve Walter

ministers

Dale DeNeal

Kiley Garrison

Tracy Thomas