Daily Prayers for Lent

a beautiful life

Calvary ChurCh | Grand rapids, Mi

daily prayers for lent

lent & holy week

What if…what if an entire church committed to spend lent in prayer, fasting and giving? what would happen? what would that look like? how would that church be different? For the next seven weeks, you are invited to join with the Calvary Church community to pray, fast and give.

Prayer. each week we will focus on one of the seven divine state-ments in John’s gospel. Jesus utters “i am the bread of life; i am the light of the world; i am the gate for the sheep; i am the good shepherd; i am the resurrection and the life; i am the way the truth and the life; i am the true vine.” we will pray with one divine statement in mind for each week of the lenten season.

each day, you will be asked to read one of Jesus’ divine statements as found in the Gospel of John. each day we have included a prayer request focused on the following themes:

•EachSunday,we receive from God, who provides for our needs through participation in the worship assembly. out of the provision of participating in his Body, the Church, we once again realize that he is present with us in a unique way and we celebrate his resurrection together. we do not fast on sundays, as we enjoy Christ’s presence with us. (Mark 2:19)

•OnMonday, our focus of prayer will be our nation and our world.

•OnTuesday, we will focus on praying for the three people in our lives who need Christ.

•OnWednesday,we will pray for our church family, the body of Christ at Calvary Church.

•OnThursday,our focus will be on our families.

•OnFriday,we will pray for our greater Grand rapids community.

•OnSaturday, our focus will shift to ourselves, examining our hearts and confessing our need for Jesus.

we invite you to join with the Calvary Church community twice daily, at 7:00am and 7:00pm, stopping together with hundreds of others to be still before the lord and bring our requests to him. (psalm 131:2)

Fasting. we also encourage you to continue the practice of giving something up for lent again this year, perhaps television, dessert, eating out, or whatever the lord directs you to do. our hope in fasting is that it will be a reminder of Jesus’ suffering for us, and that it will prompt us to pray for those who do not know him, that they will come to the easter services and hear the gospel.

Giving. as we continually think about Jesus’ sacrifice for us this season, our hearts should be stirred toward gratitude. during lent, consider how you, your family and our body might give extravagantly in worship to our savior, who gave his life for us.

would you join us in this lenten season and see how God answers our “what if…”?

Weekly Blogsduring lent, pastor Jim samra will be doing weekly video blogs that go a little deeper into the purpose and meaning of lent, and even answer some of your ques-tions.

visit the weekly sermon blog at talk.calvarygr.org.

Resourcesif you would like additional devotional reading for lent, we recommend:

– DevotionsforLent,by e.M. Bounds.

– JourneytoJerusalem:BibleReadingsfromAshWednesdaytoEasterSunday, by david winter

Teach us To PRay ...

“our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

and lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from the evil one.

MaTTheW 6:9-13

read daily

“I am the bread of life. he who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”

John 6:35

sunday: a day to reCeive

FroM God.

Rest.

march 6

week one: MarCh 6–12

I am th e B read of L I fe

Monday: world/nation

Prayforthosearoundtheworld

whoonlyhaveonemealperday.

saturday: yourselF

Taketimetoexamineyourheart,askinghowJesusistheBreadofLife

foryoutoday.Arethereneedsinyourlifethat

youarenotrelyingonJesustoprovide?Confessthoseneeds

andthankHimforbeingtheBreadofLife.

Friday: City

Pleaseprayforthosewhoprovidemeals

tothoseinneed.Maytheybe

warmedbythisactoflove.

Thursday: FaMily

Prayforthoseinyourfamily

whoneedtoknowChrist.

Wednesday: Calvary Body

PleasepraythatourCalvary

communitywillcontinue

tobenourishedthroughtheword

thatispreachedonSunday.

Tuesday: 3 people

Pleaseprayforyour3people,

thattheywillrealizethatJesusistheBreadofLife.

march 7

march 10

march 8

march 11

march 9

march 12

read daily

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 8:12


FroM God.

Rest.

march 13

week two: MarCh 13–19

I am th e l I g ht of th e world


Pleasepraythatourmissionarieswillcontinueto

beaLighttotheworld.

saturday: yourselF

Taketimetoexamineyourheart,

askinghowJesusistheLightoftheWorld

foryoutoday.Arethereareasin

yourlifewhereyouarenotallowing

Jesustoshine?Confessthoseareas

andthankHimforguiding

andshiningastheLightoftheWorld.

Friday: City

Prayforlocalchurches

inourareaandthe

communitiesthattheyreach.

Thursday: FaMily

Prayforyourfamilyto

continuetogrowinJesus,

thathisLightwouldshinetothose

aroundyou.


Pleasepraythatwewouldbe

aLighttoourcity,neighborhoods,

schools,businesses,

etc…

Tuesday: 3 people

Pleasecontinuetoprayfor

your3whodonot

knowChrist,thattheywouldsee

theLightinyourlife.

march 14

march 17

march 15

march 18

march 16

march 19

read daily

“I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. he will come in and go out, and find pasture.”

John 10:9


FroM God.

Rest.

march 20

week three: MarCh 20–26

I am th e gate


Pleaseprayforcountries

thatareclosedtoChristianity,thattheirdoors

wouldopen.

saturday: yourselF


askinghowJesusistheGateforyou.

Arethereareasinyourlifewhere

youarenotallowingJesustoguideyou?

Canyouhearhisvoice?

Confessyourrelianceuponyourself

andthankHimforguidingyouas

theGate.

Friday: City

Prayforthehomelessinourcity,

thattheywouldfindahaven

ofrest.

Thursday: FaMily

Praythatourhomeswould

befilledwithdancing.


Praythatwewouldopen

ourdoorsandbewillingtoinvite

andlovethosewhocomethrough

nomatterthecost.

Tuesday: 3 people

Pleaseprayforyour3people

tounderstandthatJesusis

anopenGateoffering

everlastinglife.

march 21

march 24

march 22

march 25

march 23

march 26

read daily

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

John 10:11


FroM God.

Rest.

march 27

week Four: MarCh 27 – april 2

I am th e good sh eph erd


PleaseprayforGodtoprotect

thosewhoarepersecutedfortheirfaith.

saturday: yourselF

Taketimetoexamineyourheart,askinghowJesusistheGoodShepherd

foryoutoday.Aretherepartsofyourlifethatyou

havenotfullysurrenderedtoJesus?

Confessthesepartsofyourlifeand

thankHimforbeingtheGoodShepherd

andlayingdownHislifeforyou.

Friday: City

PleasepraythatGrandRapidswouldbeacitythatembraces

andservesoneanother.

Thursday: FaMily

Pleasepraythatyourfamilywould

sacrificeintheirlovefor

eachother.


Pleasepraythatwewould

layourlivesdownforoneanother

andlovehowJesuslovesus.

Tuesday: 3 people


thattheywouldfeeltheirneedforunconditionallovefromthe

GoodShepherd.

march 28

march 31

march 29

april 1m

arch 30

april 2

read daily

“I am the resurrection and the life. he who believes in me will live, even though he dies;

whoever lives and believes in me will never die.”

John 11:25-26


FroM God.

Rest.

april 3week Five: april 3–9

I am the resurrectIon and the lIfe

I am the resurrectIon and the lIfe


Pleaseprayforthe2.3billionunreachedpeople

intheworldwhohaveneverheardaboutthe

Savior,Jesus.

saturday: yourselF


askinghowJesusistheResurrection

andtheLifeforyoutoday.

ThankHimforgivingyoulifeand

providingthereassuranceofthe

resurrection.

Friday: City

Pleaseprayforarevivalinourcity.

Thursday: FaMily

Pleasepraythatourfamilies

wouldlivelifetothefullestandseethe

abundancethatJesushasforus.


Praythatourentirecongregation

wouldtrulyseethatwedohaveABeautifulLife

throughJesus.

Tuesday: 3 people

Pleasepraythatyour3people

wouldchoosetobelieveJesus

forlife.

april 4

april 7april 5

april 8april 6

april 9

read daily

“I am the way and the truth and the life. no one comes to the Father except through me”

John 14:6


FroM God.

Rest.

week six: april 10-16april 10

I am the way, the truth, and the lIfe


Pleaseprayforourgovernmentthattheywould

seetheTruthandtheLife.

saturday: yourselF

Taketimetoexamineyourheart,askinghowJesusistheWay,theTruth

andtheLifeforyoutoday.

DoyoureallybelievethatJesusistheWay,

theTruthandtheLife?Isyourlife

anexampleofthisbelief ?

Friday: City

Pleasepraythatourcity

wouldturnawayfromwickedness

andrebelliontoChrist.

Thursday: FaMily

Pleasepraythatwewouldbeboldinsharing

howJesusistheWay,theTruth

andtheLifeinourliveswithothers.


Pleasepraythatour

congregationwouldtakethe

timetomediate,memorizeandreadtheTruth.

Tuesday: 3 people

Pleaseprayforyour3peoplethattheywould

knowthatJesusistheonlyway

toLife.

april 11

april 14april 12

april 15april 13

april 16

read daily

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit;

apart from me you can do nothing.”

John 15:5

Palm sunday: a day to reCeive

FroM God.

Rest.

april 17week seven: april 17–23

I am th e th e v I n e


Pleasepraythatnewbelieversaroundtheworld

willclingtothevineandwill

bearfruit.

saturday: yourselF

Taketimetoexamineyourheart,askingyourselfhow

JesusistheVineforyoutoday.

Isyourlifebearingfruit?

AreyourelyingonthestrengthofJesus?Confesswaysyouare

attemptingtoliveapartfromJesus

andthankJesusforbeingtheVine.

Good Friday:

City


continuetoplantseedsinourcitythatwill

bearfruit.

Maundy Thursday:

FaMily

Pleasepraythatourfamilieswouldcontinue

towitnessandpourintothelives

ofothers.



drawnourishmentfromChrist

andbearmuchfruit.

Tuesday: 3 people


torealizetheirneedforJesus.

april 18

april 21april 19

april 22april 20

april 23

lent & holy week

Lent (March 9 – april 23)

lent is a time for spiritual prepa-ration, leading up to holy week and easter. it’s about focusing our hearts on our relationship with God. during lent, we encourage you to fast from something, set-ting aside certain foods or nones-sential activites. The purpose of fasting isn’t depravation, but dedication to God.

here at Calvary, we encourage you to participate in this early Chris-tian tradition. The fruit of lent is both a deeper relationship with God now and a more exuberant and mindful celebration of easter in six weeks. during this season, every time you think about what you have given up, the hope is that you would do two things: 1) Thank Jesus for suffering for

you; and 2) pray that those whom Jesus

suffered for, who do not know him, will come to the easter service and hear the gospel.

Palm sunday (april 17) services at 8:10, 9:40 & 11:15am

on palm sunday, we celebrate Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem the week before his death and resurrection. palm sunday marks the beginning of holy week.

The Bible tells us that when Jesus entered Jerusalem, the crowds greeted him by waving palm branches and covering his path with them. immediately following this great time of celebration, Jesus begins his journey to the cross.

The Bible passages of palm sunday can be found in Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-11, luke 19:28-44 and John 12:12-19.

Maundy Thursday (april 21) service at 7:00pm

traditionally the Christian Church has referred to this day as Maundy Thursday, from the latin word “mandatum.” The term is usually trans-lated “commandment,” from John’s account of this night. according to the book of John, as Jesus and the disciples were eating their final meal together before his arrest, he washed the disciples’ feet to illustrate humility and servant-hood. during the passover (lord’s supper), Jesus took bread and wine and asked his Father to bless it. he broke the bread, giving it to his disciples saying, “This is my body, given for you. do this in remembrance of me.” Then he took the cup of wine and said, “This wine is the token of God’s new covenant to save you−an agreement sealed with the blood i will pour out for you.” during our Maundy Thursday service, you will see people washing the feet of others to demonstrate humility and servanthood. we will also partake in the lord’s supper just like Jesus did on the night he was betrayed.

The Bible passages of Maundy Thursday can be found in Matthew 26:17-30, Mark 14:12-26, luke 22:7-38, John 13:1-17, and i Corinthians 11:23-25.

Good Friday (april 22) service at 7:00pm

Good Friday is the day Christ died on the cross, the Friday before easter. as the most somber day in the Christian calendar, it is a day for prayer, repentance, and meditation on the agony and suffering of Christ on the cross. since Christ’s death on the cross is central to the Christian faith, the events of that day should be ever on our minds. we celebrate Good Friday with a subdued evening service, remembering the night of Christ’s death.

The Bible passages for Good Friday can be found in Matthew 27, Mark 15, luke 23, and John 19.

easter sunday (sunday, april 24) services at 7:00, 8:10, 9:40 and 11:15am

From the earliest days of the church, easter has been celebrated by all Christians everywhere. as the most important day in the Christian calendar, easter sunday is the day that we celebrate the bodily resurrection of our lord, Jesus Christ. our observation of lent and holy week will better prepare our hearts to celebrate the power and joy of Christ’s resur-rection on easter.

The Bible passages for easter can be found in Matthew 28, Mark 16, luke 24, and John 20.

Calvary Church707 east Beltline neGrand rapids, Mi 49525(616) 956-9377 | calvarygr.org

© 2011 Calvary ChurCh , Grand rapids, Mi

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Daily Prayers for Lent