Matthew 4:1-11
“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and, ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your heel against a stone.’” Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Again the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give to you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’” Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.”
Have you ever stepped out to do something for the Lord and all of a sudden your kids won’t stop fighting or you have unexpected expenses out of nowhere or you get a flat tire…? You may have experienced some of this during the fast as God has been doing a beautiful work in you. When we come to a place where God is about to move powerfully, we often see the enemy stir things up in a last-ditch effort to hinder us from what God has for us. The enemy loves to distract us, discourage us, and frustrate us when we are doing God’s work. As we are nearing the finish line and anticipating the Worship Prayer and Healing Gathering, as a unified church family, let’s set aside time to cover and intercede for those who are serving us by making this event possible.
Listening Prayer:
Holy Spirit, how do you want me to be praying for those involved in preparing for the WPHG? Is there anyone specific you want me to be interceding for? Pray as the Holy Spirit directs.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we thank you for what you have done in us these forty days. During this fast, we have sought to bring our minds, bodies, and spirits into submission to you, our Master and our King. For some of us, this has been a time spent in the wilderness: a time of great testing and refining. For others, it has been a “garden” time: a time of walking with you closely and enjoying your presence. But either way, we have come through these forty days and we ask you to ready us for the time ahead. We ask that you would send your angels to minister to us, and angels to protect us.
We pray now for Bridgeway pastors, elders, leaders, and staff. Bless our shepherds, Lord. Protect their bodies, their minds, and their spirits. Protect their families, property, and even pets and possessions. We ask that you would give them discernment. Holy Spirit, speak to each of them clearly, with an unequivocal message, that they may lead us in the way that you want your church to go. Bless and anoint them for this evening of Worship, Prayer, and Healing. For those who are weary, we ask that you refresh them. Bless their sleep these next few nights and restore their bodies. We ask you to come against any scheme of the enemy, any lie or twisted “truth” that is meant to cause them to stumble. We ask for these last two days to be a time of unity and joy. As they work hard to carry out church services as well as prepare for WPH, we ask for any distractions, any technical, facility, maintenance, or any other obstacles to be removed in Jesus’s name. We ask for your Holy Spirit to fill each one and empower and embolden them. May they have time and margin to connect with you and be filled to overflowing by your presence, your peace, your love, and your power. All for your glory, Lord.
We pray for our volunteers now: the prayer team members, the medical team, the security team, the worship team, and those who will help with logistics and administration. We ask you to clear the way for them to do all things with excellence. We ask for protection for their bodies, minds, and spirits. Set your angels around them and their families, their properties, their jobs, and anything dear to them. We ask for your protection that they are not distracted or deterred in any way from coming to the Worship, Prayer, and Healing Gathering. May your anointing be like a weighted blanket they can feel and know that you are around them as they carry out the missions you have for them. We ask for unity among the prayer partners, that they would be in step with you, Holy Spirit, and each other. Help them to coordinate well to bless and minister to those who are coming for prayer. We ask in Jesus’s name for your healing anointing to be upon them, for the gift of prophecy to be given as they have never experienced before. We ask that all of the volunteers would be encouraged and excited by what you are about to do. May those who are coming to provide logistical help know that they are extremely valued and appreciated. Bless them and anoint them to intercede during this night, Holy Spirit. May anyone who is coming to minister and to help also be ministered to. Fill them up with your presence and your power, in Jesus’s name.
We pray now against any attack of the enemy against our church. Whatever form that may take, even those that we do not expect, go before us and break the power of the enemy. We ask in Jesus’s name that the only spirit allowed near your church is your Holy Spirit. We know that there is supernatural warfare that we cannot see, and we ask that your angels would be surrounding the building and our people in protection. There are people who are skeptical or have ulterior motives who come in to curse, but we ask that those curses be cast to the ground, at the foot of the cross, and never come to anything. We ask that those who mean to harm would be blessed by you, Jesus, and blown away by your goodness, your mercy, and your love. We pray against the works of the flesh that cause us to stumble and miss the mark. We pray against tiredness, crankiness, misunderstanding, hunger, weakness, and stress that would divide us and take away from the assignments we have been given. Fill us with what we lack, Lord, and unite us to you in Jesus’s name.
We pray now against any backlash for this night. Lord, protect us as we return to “normal” tasks, but don’t let us go back to business as usual. We pray that our time spent in preparation would not be for this one night but for this season. May we go back to work, school, out in the community, and carry what you have done in us during these forty days. May we be emboldened by our experience at the Worship Prayer and Healing Gathering to want to see more! To pray more! To minister to the lost, the broken, and the needy in all situations! We want to expand the church outside of the walls of the building. We want to see church in our community and in our city. Protect us as we endeavor to see your kingdom come, Jesus!
Finally, we pray for those who are coming with needs on Worship Prayer and Healing Night. We ask that they would be bold to ask for prayer. Those who think, “My need isn’t great enough, I shouldn’t ask for prayer,” we ask that that lie would be broken in Jesus’s name. We ask that anyone who has a need would come and be ministered to. We ask that those who come to worship would be given the task of interceding for their brothers and sisters. We ask that there would be healings during the worship time, on the walk to their car, and on the way home. We ask that you would bring those who are in need to WPH, and in the overabundance of your blessing, let all who come to WPH, whatever their involvement, be blessed mightily. Let none leave “empty-handed,” Father. In your mighty name, Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Resource: Bible Verses on Protection and Covering
Psalm 91:1-11
“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—the Most High, who is my refuge—no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.”
2 Thessalonians 3:3
“But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.”
Isaiah 41:10
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Isaiah 54:17
“No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me, declares the Lord.”