247 Watch Prayer (26.03.2023-01.04.2023)
Dear Heavenly Father: Your child _____ (own name), by the blood of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, come to Your throne of grace, to receive You abundant grace and mercy. Lord Jesus, _____ (own name) acknowledge that You are the Lord of my life. I pray for the life-resurrection power of the Holy Spirit to saturate every part of my life. My soul body is completely surrendered to You. Now, I ask You to enlighten me and reveal to me of all my known or hidden sins, so that I may confess and repent before You. (Suggestion: Be quiet and let the Holy Spirit illuminate you)
I pray for the blood of the Lord Jesus to cleanse me again from all the filth from the world and cleanse me and my family from any unrighteousness. I also use my will to choose to forgive everyone who has sinned against and hurt me, releasing them into the freedom of my forgiveness and stop chasing the debts they owe me. I also unload all the burdens of my life to You, thank you for carrying my burdens every day. The burden You have given me is light, and the yoke is easy. I now also put on the full armour of God, the girdle of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation, the shield of faith, the sword of the Holy Spirit, the shoes of the gospel of peace, so that I may trust in the power of Your might, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and I may be able to stand my ground, and after I have done everything, to stand. I pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ! Amen!
(1) Prayer for the country
1. In order to enter into destiny – gratitude and self-purification
(1) Give thanks:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-25)
Dear Lord, we give thanks, thank you for giving the Holy Spirit to be among us, to teach and help us, to help us do what is right in the eyes of God, to nourish the children of God to bear abundant fruits of life, and to rely on the wonderful fruits of the Holy Spirit, to testify to the world of power of God’s salvation.
(2) Self-purification and repentance:
Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.
(Colossians 3:2-6)
May the Lord be merciful and forgive us for we are always mindful of earthly things, drawn and tempted by our own evil passions and desires, and often fall into sin and become entangled by the world. May God cleanse us, open our minds, and let us gain a wise heart, trusting with all our heart in Christ Jesus and receive the peace of God.
2. For kings and the reigning:
And if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it vomited out the nations that were before you.
“‘Everyone who does any of these detestable things—such persons must be cut off from their people. Keep my requirements and do not follow any of the detestable customs that were practiced before you came and do not defile yourselves with them. I am the Lord your God.’”
(Leviticus 18:28-30)
The Abundant Life School in Kaitaia, Northland, has announced it will close for term two because a ban on gender conversion therapy goes against its teaching philosophy. Over the past 30 years, the school has been popular with Christian families for teaching children Christian values.
Prayer: May the Lord be merciful and forgive the New Zealand government for enacting regulations that are not in line with God’s will. May God help those in power to have a clear vision and know that only by conforming to the Lord’s values can New Zealand be brought on the right path of peace.
(2) Intercession for all the peoples of this land:
The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.
(1 Timothy 1:14-16)
Law and order in New Zealand is deteriorating day by day. Violent armed incidents of vandalism and looting are increasing. Juvenile crime is rampant. Some children who are in elementary school are used by criminals and turned into criminal “tools”. In consideration of their property and lives, some retail shop owners have chosen to permanently close their shops.
Prayer: New Zealand used to be full of the glory of God, with a beautiful environment and simple folk customs, but now it has fallen into a rut of crime, with more and more illegal incidents and poor public security which makes people lose peace. May the Lord protect the youth and children in New Zealand and live in a harmonious and loving family. May the Lord help parents, schools and the government to have the ability and wisdom to help them distinguish right from wrong, stay away from evil, and let Christians have the courage to speak out for the Lord and spread the gospel to the new generation to turn them back to God.
(3) Pray for the church
The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. (1 Peter 4:7-10)
May the Lord protect the churches in New Zealand. In this last age, pray persistently, stay vigilant, and spread the gospel of the Lord. Pray also that God will bestow a spirit of unity so that brothers and sisters can cooperate with each other, actively work for the Lord, serve with great results, and be faithful and good stewards of God.
(4) Pray for Israel and the nations
1. For Israel
Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. (Heb 2:14-18)
As this year’s Muslim Ramadan overlaps with the Jewish Passover and the Christian Easter, the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process recently appealed to the Security Council that all parties should remain calm and make this period a period of security and peace.
Prayer: May God lead Israel and help the chosen people of the Lord to celebrate God leading their ancestors out of Egypt and into the promised land given by God in April. Let them understand that Jesus Christ has become a sacrificial lamb, offering himself as a sacrifice, and in forgiveness and mercy, saving all those who follow Him.
2. For the disaster in Malawi
But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:8-9)
In recent days, Tropical Cyclone Freddy has killed 190 people and injured dozens of others in Malawi. The Malawi government immediately declared a state of emergency. Malawi is also in the worst cholera outbreak in 20 years, overwhelming the country’s health system.
Prayer: May the Lord show grace to help Malawi, which is suffering from hurricanes, heavy rains and cholera outbreaks, so that the people after the disaster can be effectively resettled, and the reconstruction of their homes can be carried out effectively and quickly. Let also all the people in the cholera epidemic receive healing, and pray for God’s love and peace come to this place.