Lakeview Christian Center

Praying with the Hymns

God Moves in a Mysterious Way

“God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform
He plants His footsteps in the sea and rides upon the storm
Deep in His dark and hidden mines with never failing skill
He fashions all His bright designs and works His sovereign will”

-A people who characteristically trust in God during trials
-Faith in God to accomplish His purposes in His way & timing (John 7)
-Comfort & joy for those who are currently suffering
…“The bud may have a bitter taste, but sweet will be the flower”
-God to interrupt seasons of mourning with merciful intrusions of His presence

A Mighty Fortress is Our God

“And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us
We will not fear for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure
One little word shall fell him”

-Display of God’s triumph in overcoming Satan’s tactics
-Committed to the battle of God & guarding ourselves against the Enemy
-Biblically informed about the realm of the demonic & postured accordingly (1 Peter 5:8)
-Built up in truth & submitted to God in order to resist the Devil (James 4:7)

Praying Psalm 96

Sing a New Song

“Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth! Sing to the Lord, bless His name; tell of His salvation from day to day” (Psalm 96:1-2)

-God to bless this morning’s time of worship with His presence
-Those reluctant to worship expressively would be freed to celebrate God
-Anthem of salvation (v. 2) & exploring the “glories of Calvary” through song
-God to give us a “new song” – a fresh understanding, experience, & appreciation of who He is & what He has done
-Our corporate worship to display the greatness of God & the magnitude of grace

Declare His Glory Among the Nations

“Declare His glory among the nations; His marvelous works among all the peoples! For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods” (Psalm 96:3-4)

-God to use us in spreading a passion for His name to the remotest parts of the earth
-God to bless Sovereign Grace’s efforts to extend the church to the most unreached people
…1,569 unreached people groups in the world
…6,747 least reached groups (fewer than 2% evangelical)
-The Lord “to be feared above all gods” (v. 4) in nations presently trapped in idolatry
-Young & old in our church to sense a burden for local & global missions
-All in our church to experience the joy of declaring God’s glory among the nations

“Rising Generation”

The Pivot Ministry

“Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob” (Psalm 24:6)

-Producing present and future pillars in the church
-Young people to gain an other-worldly and eternal perspective
-Amplified passion for God and saturation in his Word
-Growing love for the church and sacrificial service for the Kingdom
-Both visitors and “wandering” Pivoters to be drawn to this weekend’s meeting

Youth Camp ’08: “SOAR”

“…they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles…” (Isaiah 40:31)

-Youth to gain an increased vision of God’s greatness
-Renewal of love for God, hunger for the Word, and commitment to righteous living
-Spirit to grant conviction of sin and godly repentance
-Experience of joy in the presence of God during corporate worship
-God to save the lost teenagers on the trip

“Spiritual Warfare: Fighting the Flesh”

The Enemy Within

“…your desires are at war within you…” (James 4:1)

-People who know ourselves rightly and guard ourselves accordingly (1 Cor. 10:12)
-Humility to pursue correction & accountability when we sin
-Freedom from the chains of lust, anger, bitterness, fear of man, and drug addiction that burden and immobilize many
-A holy church that hates sin biblically, battles the flesh faithfully, and loves Christ richly

Mortification by Vivification

“For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (Romans 8:13)

Killing sin by bringing to life…
-Purity of mind instead of lust, pornography, and sexual immorality
-Genuine love for others instead of selfishness, jealousy, and fear of man
-Self-control instead of over-indulgence, greed, and carelessness
-Patience instead of anxiety, idolatry, and unbelief
-Gratitude instead of complaining, strife, and anger
“For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life” (Galatians 6:8)

Quenching the passions of the flesh by the greater delight in God
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers, but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:1-2)

Spiritual Warfare: The Battle of Thoughts

Battling the Attack on Truth

“We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God…” (2 Cor. 10:5a)

Defending truth in an age of….

-Marginalizing the clarity of Scripture and the knowability of God
-Belittlingly the preaching the Word and the proclamation of the Gospel
-Man-centeredness and the denial of God’s sovereignty
-Confusion about the Gospel and the work of Christ
-Emphasizing personal spirituality at the expense of the local church
-Muddling gender roles and the attack on Biblical manhood/womanhood

Battling our Functional Theology

“…and take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5b)

Fighting thoughts that….

-Temporary pleasures of sin are more satisfying than the joy of Christ
-Current situations of difficulty are outside the realm of God’s sovereignty
-Past records of sin are beyond the reach of grace
-Our “common sense” and worldly wisdom are above the authority of God’s Word
-Another’s sin against me is greater than my sin before God
-Hidden sin will go away when I am ready to deal with it
-My husband/wife/child/friend will never change/repent/believe/come home/be healed

“The effective prayer of [God’s righteous people] has great power” (James 5:16)

Personal/Family Life:
- Growing in grace and the knowledge of God
- Personal revival & fresh burden for the lost
- On guard against attacks of the enemy
- Increase of faith in God’s sovereignty, wisdom, & power
- Strengthening and maturing the lives of families (husbands leading, wives helping, children obeying)
- Strengthening of godliness and purity among singles

Local Church:
- Fresh grace for volunteering and sacrificial service
- Greater fervor for personal and corporate evangelism
- Outbreak of Spirit in salvation, transformation, and spiritual gifts
- Reawakened to the spiritual battle within (flesh) and without (world/Devil)
- Greater experience of Body ministry and biblical fellowship
- God to sustain, re-envision, and protect the Pastors, Covenant Group Leaders, and their families

Building Project:
- Present situation would bring about a deeper and more unshakable joy, fruit of godliness, greater confidence in God’s sovereignty, and a greater outcry of prayer.
- Continued Biblical giving in tithes and offerings
- Wisdom for the our leaders in the final stages of the construction process
- God to use any hindrances or obstacles for his purposes

City of New Orleans & Government:
- Greater gospel impact on the city
- Strongholds of works-based religion and pleasure-worship in the City to be brought down
- Continued recovery of local businesses and economy
- Permanent disruption of criminal activity that has plagued the city
- God to remove the injustice, greed, and dishonesty that have long been associated with New Orleans politics and replace it with wise, selfless, and godly leaders
- God to bless those city/state officials who have served faithfully

Biblical Womanhood

Mother’s Day

“Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her” (Proverbs 31:28)

-Mother’s to experience the pleasure of God in their service
-Families to truly honor their mothers and grandmothers
-Young mothers in the church to continue to grow into women who are…
…Laboring diligently for the cause of Christ
…Having “theology in their minds and backbones of steel” (Piper)
….“Holy women who hope in their God” (1 Peter 3:5)
…Havens for their family and lovers of their homes
…Strong women with tender hearts

Ladies’ Retreat

“By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples” (John 15:8)

-Leaving a Legacy:
…Ladies who are nurturing biblical femininity and pursuing personal godliness
…Women who rejoice in trials and persevere in affliction
…Young ladies who breathe grace and promote unity
…Older women training younger women in the Lord (Titus 2:4)
…Women who hate gossip, idleness, jealousy, and strife but who study God’s Word daily, bear the church’s burdens through prayer, and encourage the saints in steadfast faith.

Various

-Lift up whatever other issues the Lord lays on your heart

Praying with Ephesians

Sometimes, when we aren’t sure how to pray, it is greatly beneficial to dive into a portion of Scripture to discover that one truth or need extends to many others.

The Infectious Gospel

“Of this gospel I was made a minister…” (Eph. 3.7)

-Daily “surveying the wondrous cross” and exulting in God’s plan for redemption (1.3-14)
-The truth and experience of the Gospel to transform:
…Unity in the church, God’s temple and dwelling (2.11-22; 4.1-6)
…Our understanding of “race” and our posture to ethnic groups (3.1-6)
…Roles and gifting in the body (4.11-16)
…New life and growth in holiness and wisdom (4.17- 5.21)
…The relationship between wives and husbands (5.22-33)
…Childrearing and children’s response to parents (6.1-4)
…Work ethic and submission to employees (6.5-9)

The Battle of God

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood…” (Eph. 6.12)

-Biblically informed about our enemy (6.12)
-Practice of putting on the “armor of God” (6.11)
…Students of truth (6.14) and lovers of righteousness (6.14)
…Ready with the Gospel (6.15) and guarded in faith (6.16)
…Looking to the God who saves (6.17) and speaks (6.17)
…Armed with prayer (6.18-19) in the Spirit (5.18; 6.18)

Various

Lift up whatever other issues the Lord lays on your heart

For over 50 years now, our country has observed, on every first Thursday of the month of May, a National Day of Prayer.

You can check out the National Day of Prayer Task Force’s website for more information about the day and how you can join thousands of other Christians today in praying for our country. There’s also a well done video calling Christians around the country back to prayer.

Praying the Preached Word

This morning’s targets focus on asking God to help us as we apply the sermons from the past two weekends. Pray that we would be people who are…

…Loving Others Sacrificially

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who…” (Phil. 2.5ff).

-Daily commitment to “count others more significant” than ourselves (Phil. 2.3)
-Seeking out and eagerly embracing opportunities to serve
-Cultivating a culture of submission (first to Christ and then to husbands, parents, church leaders, employers, government, etc.)
-Sacrificial love to mark our relationships – bearing one another’s burdens through serving, prayer and intercession, and words of encouragement from the Scriptures

…Living with a View for Duplication

“But the Word of God increased and multiplied” (Acts 12.24)

-“Fishers of men” – by the Spirit, reaching out and gathering in lost souls
-The mature to invest in the next generation and “pass the baton of faith”
-God to give us a burden for specific people to disciple

Various

-Lift up whatever other issues the Lord lays on your heart