FIVE at TWELVE for ONE

A Prayer Guide for the 2020
National Day of Prayer, May 7

By order of Congress in 1988, the first Thursday of May each year is now officially mandated as our NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER, and a presidential proclamation is required by law.

It is the one time each year when God’s people can rally TOGETHER from east to west, from north to south, around the singular effort of praying for America.

This year the day falls on Thursday, May 7.

On that day, join with Jesus followers from coast to coast to focus our prayers on the greatest need for America in the midst of our greatest crisis—the greatest need not being about health, financial, social, or emotional matters but rather about our nation’s spiritual condition.

That means that above all, we need to pray together for a nationwide Christ Awakening.

You may ask:

What Exactly IS This Christ Awakening
We Should Be Praying For?

Well, it’s certainly about more than simply gaining additional head knowledge about Jesus. First of all, it’s about the Spirit of God getting God’s people so “fired up” about God’s reigning Son and all he is today that it transforms us so that we adore him in new ways, trust him in new ways, pursue him in new ways, and serve him in new ways—not only individually but also together.

The prayer guide below spells out the heart of every Christ Awakening. But you can learn much more about this topic with this ChristNow resource. It offers you short answers to the most frequently asked questions about a Christ Awakening, along with a 19-minute teaching video.

Practically Speaking, How DO We Pray
for a Nationwide Christ Awakening?

First, discover what this powerful term means. Below, you will find three working definitions—three different ways to describe what a God-given Christ Awakening involves. Taken together, they represent an amazing work of God’s grace upon a generation.

After reading each one, turn it into prayer requests (using the suggested ones here or creating your own).

Pray that this miracle may come powerfully and soon upon God’s people in America and then upon our nation as a whole. Imagine what it would look like if the Father would answer us by the redeeming reign of his Son. It would prove to be the GREAT HOPE for which our countrymen have been searching in this hour of testing.

Why not set aside five minutes at noon (as many others will do) to get down on your knees wherever it is comfortable for you to do so—alone or with others. Then follow this five-minute prayer guide. Call it “Five at Twelve for One”—meaning five minutes at twelve noon for the glory and kingdom purposes of just one person: our Lord Jesus Christ.

FIVE at TWELVE for ONE

(prayer over a nation in crisis)

BEGIN BY REFLECTING ON THESE SCRIPTURES

• • Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you, and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. (Isaiah 60:1-3)
• • Awake all of you who are asleep and rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. (Ephesians 5:14))
• • I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you [and that] the power at work in you is the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in heavenly realms…he who fills everything in every way. (Eph 1:18-23)
• • Wake up from your slumber because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here…Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ. (Rom 13:11-14)

READ EACH DEFINITION BELOW.
THEN TURN EACH ONE INTO A PRAYER.

(using the suggested prayer here or creating one of your own)

1. A CHRIST AWAKENING is when God’s Spirit uses God’s Word to reintroduce God’s people to God’s Son for ALL he is today.

Prayer: “Father, on this special day, I join together with believers throughout America to pray that across this land your Spirit would use your Word to reintroduce multitudes of your people to your Son in ways they have never seen him before, in terms of ALL he is as our reigning Savior right now. Awaken your Church to the supremacy of Christ today.”

2. A CHRIST AWAKENING is when the whole Church becomes wholly alive to the whole vision of the whole Christ.

Prayer: “Father, on this special day, I join together with believers throughout America to pray for every stream and expression of your Church in this land. We pray that by the power that raised our Lord Jesus from the dead, you would cause your people from coast to coast to become newly aware of the wonders and majesty and authority and love and power of our Savior so that we might become wholly ALIVE to this whole vision of the height and width and length and breadth of the greatness of our reigning King. Awaken your Church to the supremacy of Christ today.”

3. A CHRIST AWAKENING is when the Spirit of God saturates the people of God with the wonders of Christ so that, in turn, they can saturate their communities (and beyond) with the gospel of Christ.

Prayer: “Father, on this special day, I join together with believers throughout America to pray that “the earth will be covered with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord,” even as you have promised in your Word. Right now, saturate your people across our nation with the knowledge of the wonders of your reigning Son so that we will be so transformed by him that we will be empowered to saturate those all around us with the message and the works of the gospel. Awaken your Church to the supremacy of Christ today.”

CONCLUDE WITH PRAISE
TO THE ONE: JESUS CHRIST

(Chris Tomlin: Is He Worthy?)

 

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About the Author

Over the past 40 years, David Bryant has been defined by many as a “messenger of hope” and a “Christ proclaimer” to the Church throughout the world. Formerly a minister-at-large with the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, president of Concerts of Prayer International (COPI), and chairman of America’s National Prayer Committee, David now provides leadership to ChristNow.com and Proclaim Hope!, whose mission is to foster and serve Christ-awakening movements. Order his widely read books at DavidBryantBooks.com. Enjoy his regular CHRIST TODAY podcast.

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