Prayer Prompts
Welcome to the Prayer Garden
The Prayer Garden is a place to still our bodies, minds, and hearts. Feel free to linger as long as you want, sitting in silence or reflecting on the prayer prompts offered at each of the four stations.
In this place, we are invited to break from the frantic pace of life and rest in the presence of our loving God, recentering our minds and hearts in God’s presence. God is eager to be with you, asking you to bring all you are now and “sit” with Him. The stations in this Prayer Garden invite us to rest, reflect, and restore by reflecting on short Bible verses.
We hope this place will help you connect with your heart and experience God’s loving presence as He patiently listens to you.
Romans 8:26-27
The Spirit also helps our weaknesses, for we do not know how to pray as we should. The Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words, and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
Mural
Jesus Loves You
This mural invites us to consider the profound phrase “Jesus loves you.” We acknowledge that those who stop to ponder this art piece will have diverse views about Jesus. That is okay. We are delighted you are here. You are invited to ponder the mural for a few minutes. What if it is true that Jesus knows and loves you regardless of your story? As you read and consider the Bible passages, imagine Jesus is with you. Tell Him what you think about the verses and notice what comes to mind.
Advent Focus: Incarcerated Christmas
The Christmas story is in itself a story of LOVE.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son.
God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit saw humanity in their desperate plight even before They formed the world. They knew we would need to be rescued and turned around, back to the Ones who LOVES us unconditionally. So They devised a plan for the redemption of humanity! They decided that Jesus would become human and live among us, suffer alongside us, and die for us. What an incredible act of LOVE!
Ephesians 1:3-5 NLT
“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. This is what He wanted to do, and it gave Him great pleasure.”
We have all been prisoners in one way or another. Prisoners of hate, jealousy, despair, loneliness, self-righteousness—prisoners of sin. Jesus understands. His LOVE compelled Him to rescue us from the many ways we find ourselves incarcerated. His LOVE is unmatched! And His LOVE compels Him to be near to those who are suffering persecution and imprisonment.
Jesus loves me . . . this I know!
- Slowly read through the above passages several times. Pause after each reading. Identify your emotions, thoughts, reactions, and physical responses. Use these observations to initiate a conversation with God.
- Allow enough silence to notice God’s presence. As you wait in quiet, do you sense an invitation from God? How do you want to respond?
Don’t Rush. The key to contemplation is to slow down and pay attention. Give yourself time to notice and be aware of yourself, your surroundings, and God’s presence.
Area One
Incarcerated Christmas
The Government Will Be On His Shoulders
Advent is a season of Hope—hope for the coming reign of Jesus when He will make all things right.
Isaiah 9:6-7 NLT
“For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on His shoulders. And He will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of His ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!”
Advent reminds us of the Incarnation—when Jesus came near—and the many ways that He experienced humanity. Jesus was persecuted. He suffered incarceration. He lived in exile as a refugee in a foreign land. Because He suffered in this way, Jesus knows how to be with those who are experiencing persecution around the world today for the sake of the Gospel.
PRAY FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH
West Africa: After Jesus repeatedly appeared to him in visions, Ahmed left his life as an imam to follow Christ. He now faces threats to his life for his decision. “I met some men of God who have been trying to hide me from those who are shooting at me to kill me,” he said.
Pray that Ahmed will remain faithful and strong to Jesus, even in the face of death. Pray for his needs to be met and those of his family. Ask the Father to grant them protection and peace.
For more information and other stories, visit: ICOMMITTOPRAY.COM or persecution.com
Area Two
Incarcerated Christmas
All Things Under Christ
Advent is a season of Faith—faith that the church of Christ will one day be full and complete.
Ephesians 1:22-23 NLT
“God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made Him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is His body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with Himself.”
Advent reminds us that the Incarnate Christ came to redeem humanity and establish His church on earth, a representation of Himself. We are at our best when we come under His authority and live as He modeled for us to live. Each member of Christ’s body—the church—is equally important and necessary to the working out of God’s Kingdom on earth. When one part of the body is hurt or sick, incarcerated, or being persecuted, we all suffer.
PRAY FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH
SRI LANKA: Anura and Ayesha lead a church in western Sri Lanka that has been repeatedly attacked. Some of the attackers are facing charges in court. However, Ayesha reports, every time the court dates near, groups in the village try to create trouble by vandalizing local Buddha statues. So far, no progress has been made in these cases. Police have interfered with services and even directly threatened Pastor Anura to stop church services. Pray for Anura, Ayesha and their church to be courageous as they bear suffering and continue to take the gospel to more villages.
For more information and other stories, visit: ICOMMITTOPRAY.COM or persecution.com
Area Three
Incarcerated Christmas
Outside the Promised Land
Advent is a season of Joy—joy that comes from being reminded that Jesus will keep His promises.
Matthew 2:13-16 NLT
“. . . an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. ‘Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and His mother,’ the angel said. ‘Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill Him.’ That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, His mother, and they stayed there until Herod’s death. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: ‘I called my Son out of Egypt.’”
Advent reminds us that Jesus knows what it is like to be in exile, to seek safety and shelter in a land that does not belong to you. Although many parts of the church suffer in exile today, Jesus made a way for all things—all injustices, all displacements, all incarcerations—to be made right. There is joy in the future outworking of God’s plan to redeem humanity. And there is joy in suffering for the sake of the Gospel.
PRAY FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH
Displaced Believers: Fazal, an Afghan refugee living in Central Asia, was recently arrested for his Christian activities. Police eventually released him after he paid a significant fine. Front-line workers say Fazel has been very active in sharing his faith with other displaced Afghans. Since his arrest, Fazel has moved from house to house to avoid authorities, and he fears being returned to the Taliban where he will surely be killed. “There is no clear future right now . . . but I know Jesus is always with me.” God is moving among displaced Afghans; they are accepting Christ. Pray for our Afghan brothers and sisters.
For more information and other stories, visit: ICOMMITTOPRAY.COM or persecution.com
Area Four
Incarcerated Christmas
On This Rock, I will Build My Church
Advent is a season of Peace—peace in knowing that evil and injustice will not have the last word!
Matthew 16:18 NLT
“Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build My church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.”
Advent reminds us that the Divine Trinity has a plan for the end of tyranny, injustice, oppression, and evil. That plan is wrapped in Hope, Faith, Joy, and Peace. The Incarnate Christ comes to us as the Prince of Peace and “His government and it’s peace will never end.” Love will win! In the waiting, we can rest in the peace that God loves us infinitely, that His Presence is healing, strengthening, refreshing, self-giving, and boundless in compassion, no matter what our circumstances may be.
PRAY FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH
Colombia: Guerrilla groups in are among the most oppressive organizations, political or otherwise, in the world. Christians are targeted by these groups because their obedience to God’s Word prevents them from supporting or joining the violent factions funded through narcotics trafficking and other criminal activities. Worship, evangelism and travel are dangerous in these areas as the guerrillas seek to control all aspects of people’s lives. Pray for our Christian brothers and sisters who are faithfully sharing the gospel with guerrillas in Colombia.
For more information and other stories, visit: ICOMMITTOPRAY.COM or persecution.com