Scripture: 

* 2 Timothy 1:14, “Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you — guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.”

Rev. Jay Hansen is our Conference Superintendent. He will lead the Cabinet meetings. His leadership is under Bishop Leah Hidde-Gregory.

Pray for keen supernatural discernment, wisdom, and strength for our two leaders as they prayerfully lead South GA and all the pastoral changes anticipated in the next few months.

Holy Spirit, lead your servants, Jay and Bishop Leah. Fill them with spiritual wisdom as they lead South GA, particularly as they search for the next pastor of Forest Hills.

Scripture:

* Proverbs 14:12, “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end, it leads to death.”

* Isaiah 55-8-9, “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are you ways My ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My   thoughts than your thoughts.’”

Our own SPRC is led by its chairman, John Mays. The committee consists of Kathy Lischer, Shirley Harding, Jean Holland, Carolyn Gibson, Kem Sanderson, Eric Prather, Kim McCain, and Stephanie Martinek.

Pray for God’s clear direction during the process of selection. Trust that God will bring the right person to the team’s attention.

Gracious God, we tend to look at outward appearances, but You know who will be best for Forest Hills. Illumine the hearts and minds of those in charge to make room for Your preferred candidate.

Scripture:

* James 1:2-6, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.”

Pray for the team to have supernatural wisdom as to the unique gifts, characteristics and traits most needed for our church.

Holy God, Fountain of all wisdom, spring forth in the minds of Your servants to know Your will for our church, to see her needs in this hour.

Scripture: 

* Ephesians 6:10-12, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

Pray for the protection from Satan’s influence in misleading or rushing the process. Pray for a hedge of protection around the team and their families.

Holy Spirit, our Advocate and Defender, protect those involved in discerning the next pastor for Forest Hills from all the assaults from the enemy. Preserve them in unity and guard them in peace.

Scripture: 

* Philippians 2:1-4, “Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”

Pray that those involved in this decision, and the entire church, will place the needs of the congregation and our future ministries above their own individual desires.

Jesus, our atoning Lamb of God, empty us of everything but Your perfect will and Your holy love, that we might hold Your desires foremost in our hearts and minds.

Scripture: 

* Jeremiah 29:13, “You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with your heart.”

* James 4:8, “Come near to God and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

Pray that the search period for our new pastor will be a time during which Forest Hills learns to seek God for more than just a new pastor.

Lord, teach us to draw near to You and trust You as the true head of the Church. Help us to live into the blessings of seeking and communing with You daily.

Scripture: 

* Revelation 2:1-4, “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of Him who holds the seven stars in His right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for My name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.”

* Revelation 3:15, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!”

Pray for strong consistency and focus on the present ministry of the church. Pray for protection from any lukewarmness and for a return to our first love. Remind us all that we serve a Risen Savior, not a pastor.

Jesus, as You stand at the door, may we be ever ready to open our hearts and lives fully to You. 

Scripture: 

* John 13:34, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

* John 17:21, “That all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You. May they also be in Us so that the world may believe that You have sent Me.”

Pray for a miraculous sense of love and unity among all the members of our church. Pray for surrounding of protection against bitterness, division, and anger from within our church family.

Lord, empower our church by Your love. Let us be patient and forbearing with each other. And allow us to reflect Your love to others.

Scripture: 

* Ephesians 4:1-6, “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

Pray that we will be prepared to make the necessary changes and embrace a new day of ministry along with a new minister.

Lord, we understand that a new pastor always means change. Some of these changes we would gladly embrace. Others, our nature may incline us to reject. Help us instead to be prepared to change and grow according to your will with humility, graciousness and unity.

Scripture: 

* Isaiah 42:9, “See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; Before they spring into being I announce them to you.”

While we remain receptive to God’s will in doing something new with this congregation, pray that God will bless Baxter, Carolyn and Anna Grace as they move to Kentucky.

Good Father, You spoke our world into being and called it good. We recognize Your goodness in so many things, even in things we would not seek, like our pastoral family being called to a new assignment. Bless them as they prepare for this new ministry opportunity. Fill them with Your Spirit, with love, and with grace so they may continue doing Your good and perfect will.

Scripture: 

* 2 Timothy 4:1-5, “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of His appearing and His kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

Pray that God would increase our next pastor’s passion for preaching the Word of God. Pray that he or she will encourage us as a church to hide the Word in our hearts and fully live for Christ.

Holy Spirit, open our eyes that we may behold wondrous things out of Your law. May Your Word renew us in every way. 

Scripture: 

* Philippians 1:3-11, “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.”

Pray that God would give our next pastor a love for our church and the strength to leave his or her current position.

Alpha and Omega, grant our next pastor the comfort and courage to step boldly into this next chapter of life.

Scripture: 

* Colossians 1:9-12, “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all the wisdom and  understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of His holy people in the kingdom of light.”

Pray for our new pastor’s family. Pray that God, who already knows who this family is, would strengthen and guide the new pastor and his or her family as they are led toward ministry at Forest Hills.

Jesus, bless our next pastor’s family in every way. Provide in miraculous ways a place for them to dwell in our midst.

Scripture: 

* Romans 12:9-13, “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”

Pray that God would prepare our pastor to better shepherd our flock through the trials and blessings he or she is currently experiencing.

Father, by the passion of Your Son, You manifested the power of Your Spirit. Do the same in our pastor; make perfect Your power in his or her weakness! 

Scripture: 

* Romans 12:1-2, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Pray for the future pastor and his or her family to have absolute certainty in their sense of calling to our church. He or she must know God’s direction.

God, we have been asking over these days for Your will for us in our search. May our next pastor know Your will, too. Let Your Word be a lamp for their feet.

Scripture: 

* 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, “But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Pray for God’s strength and guidance in the pastor’s former church. Pray that those with whom he or she is currently ministering would trust God’s plan in leading him or her to a new location of ministry.

Jesus, You are the head of the whole church. We pray for the church from which our next pastor will come that You would guide them as you have us.

Scripture: 

* Proverbs 29:18, “Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction.”

Pray that our new pastor will have a clear vision for how to minister to the people of our church and the surrounding community.

Be thou his or her Vision, O Lord of their heart; naught be all

else to them save that Thou art; Thou their best thought by day or by night, waking or sleeping Thy presence their light!

Scripture: 

* Luke 12:22-31, “Then Jesus said to His disciples: ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will He clothe you—you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek His kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.’”

Pray that the new pastor and his or her family will be able to smoothly transition to our church. This would include the spouses needs and the needs of their children. Pray God will help them to develop new friendships; and help them secure a new home in which to live, get settled in new schools, and enjoy living in this new area.

God, You own the cattle on a thousand hills. We pray that You would provide for our pastor and family as only You can.

Scripture: 

* Psalm 133, “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows His blessing, even life forevermore.”

Pray that the new pastor would be able to work effectively with church council, lay leadership, and church staff already serving at Forest Hills Church.

Holy Trinity, one God, may each of these parties experience the oneness of Your love that You share in each of Your persons eternally.