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Prayer Calendar | |
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Mesa Campus
Room 151/152
NOT 1st Thursday of the month
7PM
Queen Creek Campus
Chapel SE Corner
Rittenhouse & Hawes
Prayer Intercession
Every Worship Service All Campuses
Moms In Prayer International
Mesa Campus
Room 250 Mondays 7PM
North Africa Prayer
2nd and 4th Monday
Underground Faith Prayer 1st Thursday 7PM Mesa Campus Room 254A |
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Call To Pray And Fast For Sudan
Sudan Prayer Event
Date: August 21 to 23, 2014
Since South Sudan seceded and gained its independence to become the world's newest nation, heavy fighting has escalated between the North and South due to political unrest and ethnic violence.
As instability continues to spread throughout South Sudan with civilians fleeing in the thousands daily and even more injured and dying from the conflict there, the result is the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people. With all the uncertainty in Sudan, we mourn for the people of Sudan who have lost loved ones, been injured, are unjustly imprisoned, or running for their lives.
There are many churches and organizations around the world calling for prayer for the crisis in Sudan and for the people of Sudan. We will be joining other churches locally to lift them up in prayer during a 3 day event to pray and fast for Sudan.
The event is from August 21 to 23 and will focus on prayers for the church of believers in Sudan, justice and mercy in bringing about God's peace there, and then worship and focus on God's purpose and identity for Sudan.
We will be hosting this event for one day at the Central Christian Church Mesa Campus:
When: Thursday, August 21, 2014
Where: Central Christian Church - Chapel
(933 N. Lindsay Rd. Mesa, AZ 85213)
Time: 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
August 22 and 23, the Call to Pray for Sudan event will continue at other churches. For more information contact Krista at Krista.winchester@gracetogo.org .
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Mark Batterson Speaks To Pastors On
The Power Of A Single Prayer
(Excerpts from a ChristianPost.com article by Jessica Martinez posted June 2, 2014. Click here to see the entire article at Christianpost.com.)
"The power of a single prayer is often underestimated," Pastor Mark Batterson of National Community Church in Washington, D.C., said during LiderVision, a Christian leadership conference for Hispanic pastors.
"God can do more in one day than we can accomplish in a thousand lifetimes. One day, God is going to show up and He's going to show off His power in our lives," said Batterson during his session on Friday.
He recounted how he and his wife began the church with 20 people during the 1996 snow blizzard that paralyzed the entire Washington, D.C. metropolitan area for days. For the next five years, he preached every weekend and prayed for growth. One day , God sent a Washington Post reporter their way, says Batterson.
"She interviewed me and said the article would appear in the Religion Section of the Washington Post. I was pretty excited about that," he said. "I picked up the paper one morning and looked for the Religion Section and we weren't in there. I was so disappointed, so I folded it and put it back on the newsstand and there we were on the front page of the Washington Post. When that article came out, our church doubled and the rest is history."
In his personal experience, Batterson says he has witnessed how "irregular things" happen on a constant basis when he prays regularly.
"The more I pray, the more coincidences happen and I don't believe they're coincidences, they're providences because there's a God that orders my footsteps and when I pray like it depends on God and work like it depends on me, look out!" Batterson said. To read the rest of the article, click here.
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New Echo Prayer App Tracks Prayers
What if you could organize your prayer life and pray more effectively with the simple click of a button? Or have a prayer reminder service to help keep you on track with praying? That was just the idea of web designer, Ben Rugg, who back in 2006 decided to create a web application that stemmed from the need to help him and his small group keep track of their prayer requests and remind them to pray for each other throughout the week.
Nearly 20,000 users later, the Echo Prayer Manager sends about 100,000 prayer reminders out each week! This free tool is available as an iPhone app that users can easily set up to remind them to pray individual prayers or groups of prayers. The "Pray Now" or "Add a Prayer" buttons make it easy to access. You can even mark prayers as answered, organize, delete, and even archive old prayers.
The app is also convenient for use with small groups and accountability groups. More features are being added and you will soon be able to use a more updated version.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says "Rejoice always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
We are all called to pray without ceasing and this is a wonderful tool to manage your prayer life. For more information on the Echo Prayer Manager, click here.
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Power of Prayer Spans Time,
Miles, Needs, and Events
Just Ask Skateboarder Sofia!
By Cathy Cryer
God works all things together in prayer from miles apart and over spans of time and circumstances, all for good. Laura Limon and her six-year-old daughter, Sofia, can tell you.
Sofia has autism and her mom had come forward for prayer for her a while back because Sofia was experiencing seizures.
"She hasn't had another seizure since we prayed," Laura said of that time with a Prayer Partner in Ahwatukee.
Of course, the Prayer Partner prayed other things for Sofia as well, and so does Laura.
"It's hard for a child with Aspergers to find activities that are appropriate and work for them," Laura explained.
A vacation planner for clients, Laura had sought prayers for her daughter from close friendships among her clients. One called from New Mexico to tell Laura about a skateboard event for kids with Asperger here in Arizona....in Mesa, to be exact! When Laura asked Sofia if she wanted to go, she was pretty hesitant at first. Finally she agreed to give it a whirl, and it was just a "God thing," according to Laura.
To see the rest of the story, click here.
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Ministry Spotlight:
"Why Should I Pray On
The UpTeam Anyway?"
Ministry growth, breakthroughs, and perseverance are among the many reasons we as followers of Christ should pray. How sad would it be if we didn't pray over the spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being of others and for those leading and supporting ministries of faith like global workers, often persecuted for their faith in Christ?
When the UpTeam, which stands for "Uninterrupted Prayer," was developed back in 2004, the vision was to bring together a team of believers who would be committed to praying for the needs of ministry staff and global workers at Central.
A.B Simpson once said:
"The Christian that is bound by his own horizon, the church that lives simply for itself, is bound to die a spiritual death and sink into stagnancy and corruption."
The church cannot live for itself, and we are all called to be involved in His Kingdom work for those who are missing Christ. Likewise, each one of us is obligated to be faithful in praying to God, whom we rely upon to move on behalf of others.
Through UpTeam, we have a unique way to be involved with those who are ministering to others who have not yet heard the Good News. God in all His glory chose to make us "Christ's ambassadors" (2 Corinthians 5:20) and co-workers in His Kingdom. Together, we have an opportunity to be involved in His work through prayer, and share in the blessing.
Click here for the rest of the article.
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"I Was Lost And Now I'm Found:" Prayer For Missing Man With Alzheimer's
Imagine the panic of unexpectedly losing track of someone whose care you feel totally responsible for and love with all your heart. Would you immediately add prayer to your action list? Read the full story at myfoxphoenix.com.
Prayers Of Thanks For Tearfund Hostages Freed
Nearly three years ago, Tearfund staff members were taken hostage in Somalia. Prayers for their release are now followed by prayers of praise thanksgiving! Read more at tearfund.com.
Woman Trapped In Wrecked Car Relied On Prayer
She was injured and unable to move from her vehicle which was hidden from the view of passing drivers. Her dad stated in a KCTV interview that she said, "Daddy, I thought at first I was going to die, then I just kept praying." That's what we taught Cass from early childhood, and that's what she did and the Lord answered her prayer. Read the article and watch a news report at cbs46.com.
AZ Students Say Yes To Prayer At Grad Ceremony
Legal counsel advised to remove prayer from the official ceremony, so the students acted on their own behalf. One student said to an Eastern Arizona Courier reporter, "The world keeps saying, 'No to God, no to God' unless you're in prison, so we said yes to God because He has helped us...". Read about it at christiannews.net and read another article at azcourier.com.
Iraq's Christians: "We Need Your Prayers"
As a terrible civil war takes place in Iraq, Christians are targeted by those who hate them for their faith. In an email from a ministry within the areas of turmoil, the writer states, "We were all hiding in the church basement but we had to go out because of the smoke. As we started running out they saw us and started shooting at us...". Read the full story at christianaid.org.
American History Preserved: D-Day Prayer Included On WWII Memorial
Each year on Memorial Day, we honor those who fought and died for the freedoms that make our nation what it is, and throughout our nation we have various memorials and monuments to commemorate their sacrifice. These symbols play a significant role in the preservation of our nation's ideals and history. Prayer, like sacrifice, is also a part of our national heritage. After years of urging, the U.S. Congress passed a bill to add FDR's "D-DAY Prayer" to the World War II Memorial. Read more at thehill.com. Listen to President Roosevelt's prayer and radio address the eve of D-Day at studentnewsdaily.com; scroll down to the sections called "Resources" near the bottom of the page.
Prayers Persist For Abducted Nigerian Girls
As the onslaught of tragic news crowds out the headlines of previous weeks, the kidnapped school girls in Chibok, Borno are not forgotten. The chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria has asked for intensified prayer on their behalf. Read more at dailyindependent.com and remember to pray for the abducted girls and all of our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ.
Christian Singer-Songwriter Requests Prayer
On June 20th, 2014, Christian recording artist Bob Bennett was facing open heart surgery. In an interview with Dan Wooding / Assist News, Bennett said, "Of course, my inclination is to pray, 'Lord, please get me out of this to a longer life' (and that is certainly my desire), but the only prayer that seems reality-based is one that's very easy to say and incredibly hard to mean: 'Thy will be done'." Read the article at Christianpost.com
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 How Can I Influence Others To Pray? by Thomas Bush
If you lead prayer at any level or any area, you need to hear Thomas's words. This podcast is very, very helpful!
Click here to listen |
On Our Knees for Central
The church, like the individuals who comprise it, is in constant need of prayer. Please join us as we ask for God's guidance, help and blessing concerning the following: Read more here |
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