Hey Cove Church, Pastor Aaron here, with encouragement and an invitation this week. We’ve been talking about this for a while now, but this Friday (and every 4th Friday) is our Revive Prayer event here at Cove Church. It is really a day of seeking Jesus. We’re opening our sanctuary on Friday morning from 7 to 8 and during the noon hour from noon to 1. And then Friday night we’re having a worship and prayer event together.
All of it really centers around this particular scripture. From 2 Chronicles 7, verse 14: “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” This, friends, is what God’s people do. That’s why we’re calling the church to it, we’re inviting the church, every part of Cove Church, to fast on that day. Maybe fast a meal, maybe fast the whole day, maybe fast something in your life, social media, that sort of thing. But something significant, to then fill that time with prayer around the issues facing our nation and our world and us personally, all we’re walking through. This is a time to seek Jesus. This is a time to let him speak to us, the places we need to humble ourselves, the places we need to turn to allow Him that space in our lives. So that’s what this day is going to be dedicated to.
We’re going to have a day like this once a month in this next season of time because this is what God’s people do. No one else is going to do this. No one else is going to pray for their communities, no one else is going to pray for their governments. This is what God’s people do, we’re the ones called to it. So my hope is every person who is a part of Cove Church would make their way to participate in this in some way or fashion whether you do it from home or here at the church, we want everybody to be part of this day of seeking Jesus. So we look forward to seeing you in a lot of different ways and hearing the stories of what God does as we seek His face and that God, in turn, will heal our land.
Online Guided Prayer
2nd Chronicles 7:14 "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
Prayer Focus: Who God is
Key Scripture: Matthew 6:9 “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name..."
Prayer posture: Humility
Begin this time in magnifying and offering praise to God
Prayer Focus: What God does
Key Scripture: Matthew 6:10-12 Your kingdom come,
your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors
Prayer Posture: Seeking
Seek God for your personal needs: this time is focused on supplication for your individual concerns and those of family and friends.
Prayers may include provision, healing, restoration, forgiveness
Seek God for the needs of your community both locally and globally: this time is focused on intercession: Prayers may include the pandemic, schools, healthcare workers, first responders, government leaders, media, churches, poverty, mental illness, racism, injustice
Prayer Focus: How God leads us
Key Scripture: Matthew 6:13 "And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one."
Prayer Posture: Listening
1. Take time to listen to what God is speaking to you, the scriptures He is drawing you to, and what steps God may lead you in. Ask God to help you address how you will be different after this time you have had together.
2. Prepare your action steps based on what God is saying. This could include joining with someone else in prayer, writing some elements down in a journal, planning your calendar for the week in response to what God is saying.
About the Author
Aaron Sutherland
Pastor Aaron met his wife Pastor Paula in college, and they have been growing in love together for 25 years ever since.
Aaron earned a bachelor’s degree from New Hope Christian College and went on to complete a Master’s degree in Formational Leadership from Capital Seminary. He is a licensed pastor with Open Bible Churches.
Along with their two sons Ethan and Isaac, the Sutherlands have continually experienced the great adventure of following Jesus. From 1995 to 2004, the Sutherlands ministered as youth pastors for two vibrant churches. In 2005, God called them to plant Desert Song Community Church, in Redmond, Oregon. It was in those years that they discovered the excitement of watching God start a church from nothing. The Sutherlands have had a heart for church planting ever since, as they serve with organizations that further church planting around the world. In the fall of 2012, Aaron and Paula moved to Eugene, Oregon to plant Cove Church.
Aaron loves to spend days with a fly rod in his hand and a fish on the line. There are no bad days on the river.
