This series is based off of Thom Rainer’s book, “I Am a Church Member.” Dr. Morehead and I led this series at Pentecostals of South Haven in the Winter of 2015. Each lesson is based off of the interactive EXCEL teaching model.

ENGAGE

Shake hands with 2 people you have not talked to yet during the service and each of you share a praise report- something you are thankful for- big or small.

XPLORE

Tell me something good!

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

COMMUNICATE

1) READ ALOUD – Read p65-88

TALK – Talk with your neighbor about this passage. What is one AHA you got from this passage? Be ready to share out.

2) EXPECTATIONS OF THE FAMILY
- PRAYING TOGETHER AS A FAMILY FOR OUR CHURCH
- WORSHIPPING TOGETHER AS A FAMILY
- SERVING TOGETHER IN OUR CHURCH

EMPOWER

We will create family prayer lists & choose a family prayer scripture

PRAYER CHECKLIST

My wife and I recently read an incredible book entitled, Praying Circles Around Your Children by Mark Batterson. Batterson gives parents and leaders of children a great idea on how to pray for your kids. He says that our life is made of lists- a grocery list, an invite list, and a to-do list, why not create prayer lists? He writes . . .

“In fact, prayer is not about our agenda for God at all; it’s about discovering God’s agenda for us. But once we discover His agenda, we have to write it down. In my experience, it’s very difficult to pray with specificity, intentionality, and consistency without a prayer list. And for the record, I encourage you to keep a record. Then you can give God the glory when He answers your prayers.”

My wife took this to heart and created a prayer list for our four-year-old daughter Rose. We have listed qualities that are prescriptive (what we desire to see) and descriptive (qualities she has that we want to encourage) that we are praying will come into fruition in her life. We pray that Rose Marie Morehead will be . . .

1) COMMITTED – I pray that Rose will always love truth and stand for Acts 2:38.
2) AMBITIOUS – I pray that she will reach her full potential in Jesus and dream big dreams and do big things by loving and serving others and leading many people to Christ.
3) COMPASSIONATE – I pray Rose always sees those who are hurting and that she helps vulnerable people have a voice and that she shows them real love and true friendship. I pray she never sees color lines or economic lines but instead that she simply sees everyone in terms of human lines and that all humans need Jesus.
4) ENCOURAGING – I pray she continues to cheer everyone up and to be sensitive in the spirit and minister to the hurting through a smile, a greeting, a hug, a prayer, a song, a “performance”…
5) JOYFUL – I pray that she chooses to praise Him and be full of Joy, confidence in Christ, and the peace that passeth all understanding.
6) STUDENT – I pray that she loves the word of God deeply and studies it and dwells in it. I want her to love the Word, understand it, and find peace and tranquility in your word. I want her to study to show herself approved.
7) WORSHIPPER – I want her to love the House of God and see is at a refuge and a place for hurting souls to come together for strength, healing and salvation.
8) RIGHTEOUS – I want her prayer everyday to be, “Lord, Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit with in me.”
9) FAITHFUL – I want Rosie to one day stand before JESUS Christ and for her to hear Him say, “…Well done, thou good and faithful servant (Rosie): thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” Matthew 25:21

This is the list we have begun praying continually for our Rosie. We would love to hear your lists for your children in the comment section below.

FAMILY LIFE VERSES

Another prayer strategy my wife and I are personalizing from, “Praying Circles around Your Children,” by Mark Batterson is choosing Family life verses and speaking God’s promises into your family members lives. Batterson writes:
- “One of your chief responsibilities as a parent is to be a student of your child. You aren’t just a prophet who speaks into their future; you are also a historian who records their past. You have a unique vantage point as a parent. No one sees the past, present, and future quite like you do. It’s your job to help your children connect the dots between who they were, who they are, and who they are becoming. Part of your role as prophet-historian is to know your children and know Scripture so you can train them in the way they should go.”

After reading this, my wife and I added another layer to Rosie’s prayer protection. We selected two main Bible verses that we pray over Rose everyday. Below I will share the passages along with our prayer for each one.

LIFE VERSE ONE – SALVATION
- Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

Lord, we pray that Rosie will always love truth and stand for the Acts 2:38 message. We ask that you give her a hunger for righteousness that she will continually have an attitude of repentance when she does wrong. We pray that you will prepare her heart, mind and spirit to be baptized when she is of age. We ask that she always be sensitive to the moving of your spirit and that you will not only fill her, but seal her with your Holy Spirit! We pray that she will take it a step further and not only embrace the message for herself but endeavor to spread your gospel to as many as the Lord our God shall call.

LIFE VERSE TWO – PERSPECTIVE
- Psalms 118:24 This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

We pray that Rose recognizes that GOD is in control of EVERY day – difficult, easy or somewhere in between. I pray That she lives in the present -TODAY- not yesterday’s guilt or tomorrow’s worries and that she chooses EVERYDAY to be positive and rejoice in the day God gives her. We pray that she chooses to praise Him and be full of Joy, confidence in Christ, and the peace that passeth all understanding.

CONCLUSION
- Our hope in posting this is that you will select scripture passages for your children and pray God’s promises over your family. For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us (2 Corinthians 1:20).

PRAYER BAGS

FAMILY PRAYER SCRIPTURES
- We will lead families in choosing a family prayer scripture
- Families will write their family scripture on the side of their bag
FAMILY PRAYER SCRIPTURES
- We will lead families in writing prayer lists on their bags.