Christine Stride is Executive Assistant to the Baptist National Leader and works at the Baptist National Support Centre in Auckland. She is a member of Titirangi Baptist Church in Auckland.
Together In Prayer is a call for people in Baptist churches across Aotearoa New Zealand to pray. Every September as one family of churches, we will pray for God’s transforming work in our communities, nation and world.
Below are some prayer points and scripture you may find helpful as you pray on the theme of this week - locally, nationally, and globally. Perhaps use one section a day for three days this week or come back several times repeating this prayer focus. You could also use these prayer guides in your small group or in your prayer group.
Repentance
To repent is to turn around, completely away from whatever draws us from God, and choosing instead to turn toward him. In this way, repentance is hopeful and expectant of a different future. Repentance requires ownership of wrongdoing and fixing past wrongs. In this way it is connected to justice. As kingdom people we are agents of reconciliation, full of hope, and so, open to repentance.
For more information about Repentance and prayer, watch the 3-minute video by pastor Sasha Olson below.
Pray
Local
Personal: Turning toward God
Lord, thank you for your loving invitation to repentance. Begin your renewing work in me. Help me to turn around from anything that distracts me from you and to turn wholeheartedly toward you. Give me a new heart and a new spirit Lord. Remove my heart of stone and give me a heart of flesh, as you promise in Ezekiel 36:26.
Family: Turning our families toward God
Father, draw our families ever closer to you. Where we have become busy, distracted, or dependent on our own strength, help us to repent by turning around and turning back to you. Fill our homes with faith, love, grace, and a desire to follow your ways together. As it says in Mark 12:30, help us to love you Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind and with all our strength.
Church: Turning back to first love
Lord, bring fresh repentance to your church. Help us to turn away from anything that weakens our witness and turn again toward our first love, Jesus Christ. Help us to never be lacking in zeal, but keep our spiritual fervour, serving you, Lord, as it says in Romans 12:11. Renew our passion for prayer, worship, discipleship, and serving our community with compassion and joy.
Movement: a movement of repentance and renewal
Holy Spirit, let repentance spread from person to person, family to family, church to church, and throughout our movement. May many experience the joy of turning around and turning toward you, so that our sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from you Lord, as it says in Acts 3:19.
National
For hearts to turn back to God
Lord, break down the barriers that prevent people from seeking relationship with you. Enable people across our nation to experience a fresh desire to seek you and to turn around from what draws them away from you. As in Jeremiah 29:7, remind us to seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which you have carried us, knowing that if it prospers, we too will prosper.
For integrity and humility in leadership
Father, bring a spirit of humility and integrity to our nation's leaders. May they be willing to learn, grow, and make decisions that promote justice, compassion, and the wellbeing of all people. Fill them with the wisdom of heaven that is pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere, as we read in James 3:17.
For healing and reconciliation
God, where there has been division, hurt, or broken relationships, bring healing and restoration. Help us as a nation to choose forgiveness, understanding, and unity, reflecting your heart of reconciliation. Remind us Lord, as you do in Ephesians 2:14, that Jesus himself is our peace
For renewal of Godly values
Sovereign Lord, renew a love for truth, kindness, generosity, and respect for one another in Aotearoa New Zealand. May we become a people who honour you through the way we live, work, and care for our neighbours. May we experience the blessing, freedom, and restoration that come from turning wholeheartedly to you.
We know from Psalm 33:12 that Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance.
Global
For nations to turn from conflict and pursue peace
Lord, we repent for the violence, warfare, hatred, and division that continue to harm people and nations. May leaders and citizens alike turn toward your ways of peace, reconciliation, and justice. Raise up courageous and steadfast peacemakers around the world and bring healing where there has been conflict. As urged in 1 Timothy 2:1-2, help us make petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving for all people, for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives.
For the truth to prevail over deception
Lord, we repent for the ways people and institutions have embraced dishonesty, corruption, misinformation, and a disregard for truth. Create in us hearts that value integrity, humility, and accountability. May the truth shine brightly in governments, businesses, media, and everyday life. For we know from John 8:31 that the truth will set us free.
For stewardship of God’s creation
God, we repent for the ways humanity has neglected and exploited the resources you have entrusted to us. Enable and inspire nations, communities, and individuals to be wise stewards of creation, caring for the environment and future generations with responsibility and gratitude. Remind us Lord that as the Psalmist says in Psalm 24:1, The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.
For honouring every human life
Sovereign Lord, we repent for the ways people and nations have tolerated prejudice, exploitation, discrimination, human trafficking, oppression, and the devaluing of human life. Transform hearts around the world to see the dignity and worth of every person created in your image, fearfully and wonderfully made. May repentance lead to greater justice, compassion, and respect for all people. God, help us to adhere to your will and to love our neighbours as ourselves.
Share what you feel God is saying
There is an online form here to share what you think God might be saying to the Baptist churches of New Zealand at this time.
