Dearest Christ Church Family,

When the Apostle Paul wrote his epistle to the Philippian Church, he was a prisoner of the Roman Empire. The believers in Philippi were worried about him. They were also anxious about what would become of the church if he were to be executed. But Paul, a faithful and loving shepherd, reassures them that “what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ” (Phil. 1:12–13).

Rather than complain and worry about his circumstances, Paul calls upon the Lord in prayer (v. 9–11), trusts God’s providence (“to live is Christ and to die is gain”), and encourages his fellow Christians to do the same. In a moving and memorable passage Paul encourages the Philippian believers (and all Christians everywhere!) to “not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” The result? “The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (4:6–7).

As we head into the final months of what has been a very difficult and turbulent year, we must again return to the basic Biblical themes of trust and prayer. Christ Church, we must trust the Lord with our circumstances (read: divine providence), and seek his face in prayer. We are called to live by faith, and not in fear. The heart-pulse of living by faith is devotion to prayer.

Therefore, to encourage and cultivate God-centered (anxiety crushing!) prayer at Christ Church, the elders have created and are sending out a special 30 day prayer guide. The daily prayer guide will cover four general subjects or themes — The Church, The Family, The Nation, and The World. Each day there will be a specific request for which to pray under those topics. You are encouraged to supplement your daily prayer time with this guide, adding to your regular prayers the requests that we’ve set forth. On Wednesday, October 28th, there will be a day of fasting and a congregational prayer meeting at 7:30 p.m. (either on Zoom or at our new, not quite finished, location). Please mark your calendars for this special time of prayer.

Your Pastor, Servant, and Friend,

Rev. Jon D. Payne
Senior Minster

Please find the PDF of the Thirty Days of Prayer list here:https://drive.google.com/file/...