Prayer for New Church-Planters and Pastors to Rise Up

Day Seven

“Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
—Matthew 28:16-20

Jesus left his disciples with a task: to make disciples of all nations. Beginning with those disciples, the Lord led them all over the world to preach the gospel and make disciples, planting healthy churches as disciples were made. As a follower of Jesus, we get to join in this task of making disciples. How we live out this command looks different for each of us, but the command is the same. Do you recognize that Jesus has commissioned you to make disciples? The authority comes from him, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are vessels that are used in God’s great redemption story to bring people into his kingdom. Today, let’s pray together for our hearts to recognize the authority given to us in Christ, and then pray for the Lord to give us passionate hearts that desire to grow his global church by sharing the good news, making disciples, and teaching these disciples to observe the commands of Christ. Let’s pray for more and more church planters and pastors of healthy churches to rise up so that together, we can strive to fulfill this command of Christ given over 2,000 years ago.

Jesus, before you ascended into heaven, you gathered your followers and left them with a final task: to make disciples of all nations. Your Word shows us that some worshiped you, but still some doubted. God, would you remove the doubt from our hearts and minds, and replace it with the confidence of your authority, given to us by the power of your Holy Spirit. Lord, would you raise up church planters and pastors from the people of Providence to faithfully proclaim your gospel and plant and nourish healthy churches—among all nations! We know your Word is true and all of your purposes will be accomplished. We pray for eight new church plants to rise up from the people of Providence. Will you make clear through this time of prayer who you are calling to join in this specific task of planting healthy churches. Use us, Lord. Make us willing vessels that are obedient to your Great Commission. Amen.

As you go through your day:
1. Pray for the elders of Providence as they continue to equip all the saints for the work of ministry.
2. Pray for the Lord to use Providence to make an impact in his kingdom by planting or revitalizing eight churches in the next ten years.
3. Think about who you are discipling and teaching to make disciples. Pray for them. If no names come to mind, ask the Lord to lead you to someone who needs to hear the good news.