Prayer Guide

God answers prayer! However, He only answers the prayers we pray!

Our world, country, state, city, churches—even we as individuals—are all in need. We need God to move. What moves God? The prayers of His people!

While today is the day Bellevue has chosen to seek God in prayer and fasting, we also want to be mindful that May 5 is The National Day of Prayer. Bellevue is participating in this by praying form 12:00-1:00 p.m., live in the Fellowship Hall and online at www.bellevuelive.org. We hope you will join us!

Pray for Christians to pray fervently, like it matters (Because it does!), on the National Day of Prayer

“And 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, will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place”

(2 Chronicles 7:14-15).

I am gripped by the words of Mark Batterson, “Prayers are prophecies. They are the best predictors of your spiritual future. Who you become is determined by how you pray.” (The Circle Maker, p. 14).  God is watching and listening to see if we pray and if we do, how we pray. Not merely the words, but do we pray from our heart and in faith?  If we do, He has promised to answer! “His eyes are open and His ears attentive.” However, if we don’t pray, if we just go through the motions, if we don’t pray in faith—things remain the same.

Oh, and as important as fervent, believing prayer is, it must come from a humble and life.

• Pray many, many people will gather to pray
• Pray those who can’t come to Bellevue will gather with another believer and join us online
• Pray God pours out on us “the Spirit of grace and of supplication” (Zechariah 12:10).

Pray for Christians to have an abiding relationship with Jesus

Jesus commanded, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is gloried by this, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be My disciples” (John 15:4-8, emphasis added).

We often drift. We get so caught up in the busyness of life trying to figure out what is next that we don’t “keep the main thing, the main thing.” Apart from an intimate relationship with Jesus, we will do nothing and accomplish nothing. You can draw a man no closer to Christ than where you are.

Pray believers will abide in the Word of God.

• To read, study, and feed our souls on it daily
• To live our lives based on the truth of the Word of God, not what we see or feel
• To focus on the promises of the Word of God, not the circumstances of life

Pray believers will live in a spirit of prayer.

• To begin our days in prayer
• To pray the Word of God back to God
• To turn every challenging opportunity into a time to call upon the Lord

Pray believers will bear much fruit.

• To walk in an intimate relationship with Jesus
• To share Jesus with people
• To live lives characterized by “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23)

Pray for churches

‍“So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase” (Acts 9:31).

• Pray for the Word of God to be proclaimed from every pulpit in Memphis with Holy Spirit power! Pray by name for the pastors and churches that God brings to mind.  The Spirit of God will guide you regarding what to pray.
• Pray that Christians would not be satisfied with emotionalism, traditionalism, or dead orthodoxy, but would instead hunger for the Word of God and the living presence of God.
• Pray that churches would become “a house of prayer for all nations” (Isaiah 56:7^NLT).
• Pray for genuine revival to break forth in churches and that people would embrace the Holy Spirit moving in a fresh way.
• Pray that God will raise up men and women who will love God, love people, share Jesus, and make disciples. “The church is not developing her recruits into disciplined soldiers. We are fighting the greatest battle of all time with the most untrained army on earth.” (Vance Havner)

Pray that God will raise up churches to cover Memphis in prayer 24/7/365

“Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you; butI will instruct you in the good and right way” (1 Samuel 12:23).

“For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask thatyou may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in  all respects,bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:9–10).

“As we night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may see your face, and may complete what islacking in your faith” (1 Thessalonians 3:10).

(If you know a pastor or a church in the Memphis area who would like more information on how to be involved in this, contact Bill Street, Minister of Evangelism, Discipleship, and Prayer at bstreet@bellevue.org or call (901) 347-5750.)

Pray people will see the uncertainty and brevity of life and will turn to Jesus

“So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12).

“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.’ Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that’” (James 4:13-15).

Pray for those who are graduating from high school and college

“As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever” (1 Chronicles 28:9).

They will be making foundational decisions that will shape the rest of their lives.

• Pray these graduates will stay connected to a Bible-preaching, Christ-honoring church.
• Ask God to protect them from worldly philosophies that are contrary to the teaching of the Word of God.
• Pray God will raise up multitudes from this class who will be a burning witness and devoted disciple-maker on their campus and in their sphere of influence.

Pray for Memphis

Rather than simply reading the words of Bro. Steve’s Prayer for Memphis, please take time to verbally pray for our city using this prayer as a guide.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Memphis. Thank You for strategically locating our city in the middle of this nation, so we can be a catalyst for revival and spiritual awakening. Please pour out Your Spirit on Memphis,Shelby County, the Mid-South, and beyond. Help every Christian and every Bible-believing, Jesus-loving, Gospel-preaching church to Love God, Love People, Share Jesus, and Make Disciples. Demolish every demonic stronghold of pride, violence, racism, poverty, crime, sexual immorality, drug abuse, sickness,religious formalism, fanaticism, legalism, liberalism, and traditionalism. Replace them with love, joy, peace,patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self- control, blessing, mercy, grace, hope, healing, liberty, and freedom. Destroy the stronghold of religion in Memphis that has a form of godliness but denies the power thereof. Give us churches that believe in the Bible and preach salvation only in Jesus Christ. Let Your Kingdom come and Your will be done in Memphis on Earth as it is in Heaven. Bring pastors, lay leaders, and congregations together as we pray for this city. Bless our governmental leaders, schools, and economy. Please send good jobs to Memphis. Keep casinos, strip clubs, and occultic activity out of Memphis. Do a work of revival in Memphis that can only be explained by Your presence and power and do it all for Your glory. Call Your people to fervent, united, visible, extraordinary prayer. May the latter glory of Your Kingdom in Memphis be greater than the former, and please grant Memphis Your peace. Do exceeding and abundantly beyond all that we can ask or think. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Pray for political leaders

We have been commanded to pray, “for kings and all who are in authority” (1 Timothy 2:2). 

• Pray those who are saved will lead with righteous values and will share the Gospel of Christ with other political leaders.
• Pray the pressures of leading will cause lost politicians and judges to call on Jesus to be saved.
  

President of the United States:

• ‍Joe Biden

Vice President of the United States:

• ‍Kamala Harris

Supreme Court Justices:

• ‍John G. Roberts, Chief Justice of the United States
• Clarence Thomas
• Stephen G. Breyer
• Samuel A. Alito
• Sonia Sotomayer
• Elena Kagan
• Neil M. Gorsuch
• Brett M. Kavanaugh
• Amy Coney Barrett‍

Governor of Tennessee:

• ‍Bill Lee
  

Tennessee Senators:

• ‍Marsha Blackburn
• Bill Hagerty
  

West Tennessee Congressmen:

• ‍Steve Cohen
• David Kustoff

Memphis/Shelby County Elected Officials:

City Council:

Shelby County Commissioners: