Amber Ebels

October 25, 2021

October 25-31, 2021: Weekly Prayer Calendar

Amber Ebels

October 25, 2021

31 Days for Praying for Your Pastor

For the weekly prayer guides for October, we are using a guide for prayers for pastors to encourage us all to be in prayer for Pastor Matt, Lena and family.

Monday, October 25. Pray that your pastor will seek God for personal revival, and revival in your church and community. (2 Chronicles 7:14; Psalm 69:32)

Tuesday, October 26. Pray that your pastor will think biblically, with the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:16; Colossians 2:6-8; Ephesians 4:17)

Wednesday, October 27. Pray that he will earnestly seek God’s will and be committed to instant and complete obedience—ready for God to work powerfully in and through his ministry. (2 Corinthians 10:3-5; Luke 9:23-24)

Thursday, October 28. Pray that he will strive for personal excellence and will believe God for all He wants to do in the congregation. (2 Peter 1:3; Colossians 3:23-24)

Friday, October 29. Pray that your pastor will be a man of faith and passionate love for God, not giving in to worries, fears, or an uptight and anxious spirit. (1 John 4:18; Proverbs 3:5-6)

Saturday, October 30. Ask God to provide for the financial needs of your pastor and his family. Pray that he will be a wise steward of both personal finances and church funds. (Philippians 4:19; Hebrews 13:5; 1 Timothy 6:11; Psalm 37:25)

Sunday, October 31. Ask God to heal any hurts that your pastor has suffered in the ministry. Pray that he will serve the Lord with gladness, and encourage the congregation to worship God with a joyful, surrendered spirit. (Isaiah 61:3)

Amber Ebels

October 18, 2021

October 18-24, 2021: Weekly Prayer Calendar

Amber Ebels

October 18, 2021

31 Days for Praying for Your Pastor

For the weekly prayer guides for October, we are using a guide for prayers for pastors to encourage us all to be in prayer for Pastor Matt, Lena and family.

Monday, October 18. Pray that your pastor will be a man of prayer and worship, and that he will lead by example—teaching the congregation how to walk in a close relationship with the Father. (1 Thessalonians 5:17; Acts 1:14a; Matthew 4:10; Mark 1:35; Luke 22:46)

Tuesday, October 19. Pray that your pastor will use wise time management, and that he will seek God’s perspective for his schedule, guarding his time against unnecessary interruptions. (Ephesians 5:15-16; Colossians 4:5; Psalm 90:12; John 9:4)

Wednesday, October 20. Pray for a fresh divine anointing on your pastor’s ministry. Pray that God’s working will be powerfully evident both in his personal life and the spiritual life of the congregation. (1 Corinthians 9:27; 2 Timothy 1:7; Romans 15:18-19a)

Thursday, October 21. Pray that your pastor will not give in to discouragement, but will deal with inevitable criticism and conflict by committing himself into the hands of God, who judges righteously. (1 Peter 2:23)

Friday, October 22. Pray that your pastor will practice servant leadership, edifying the congregation with wisdom and serving with God’s “agape” love. (Galatians 5:13b; Ephesians 6:7; Mark 10:43b-45, 9:23-24; John 13:5-9; Philippians 2:3-4)

Saturday, October 23. Pray for spiritual unity in the church staff and among the spiritual leadership of the church (elders, deacons, etc.). Pray that the enemy will not be allowed to create divisions, strife, or misunderstanding among the church leaders. (Romans 14:19; 1 Corinthians 12:25)

Sunday, October 24. Pray that God will give your pastor a clear, biblical vision of what your church can be and should be for His glory, and that he will communicate that vision clearly and confidently to the church. (Proverbs 29:18; John 15:16, 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:5; Malachi 3:11)

Amber Ebels

October 14, 2021

Maranatha Media - October 2021

Amber Ebels

October 14, 2021

Now’s the time to go “nuts”about reading!

Amber Ebels

October 11, 2021

October 11-17, 2021: Weekly Prayer Calendar

Amber Ebels

October 11, 2021

31 Days for Praying for Your Pastor

For the weekly prayer guides for October, we are using a guide for prayers for pastors to encourage us all to be in prayer for Pastor Matt, Lena and family.

Monday, October 11. Pray that God will bring godly friends and encouragers to your pastor and his family, to strengthen them for the ministry and provide meaningful fellowship and times of rest. (Phil. 2:19-25)

Tuesday, October 12. Pray that your pastor will be humble and authentic in his faith, not given to pride or hypocrisy. Pray that he will have pure motives and give God glory for every gain or victory. (Micah 6:8; Galatians 6:14; John 7:17-18; 1 Cor. 10:13)

Wednesday, October 13. Pray that your pastor will make wise lifestyle choices in order to protect his health, especially in the areas of exercise, eating moderately, and getting sufficient rest. Pray for times of relaxation and renewal to balance the stress of ministry. (Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 9:27, 10:13, 6:19-20; James 3:1-2)

Thursday, October 14. Pray that your pastor will focus on the Word of God and walk in the fear of the Lord— rather than fear of man—as he prepares his messages. Pray that he will seek to please God rather than men, and pursue holiness rather than the praise of men. (Acts 6:4; Proverbs 19:23; 2 Timothy 2:15, 4:1-2; Hebrews 11:6)

Friday, October 15. Praise God for your pastor’s leadership and pray that he will make godly decisions. Pray that he will lead with a shepherd’s heart, and that he will always speak the truth in love. (1 Kings 3:9; 1 Peter 5:2; Romans 12:6-8; Jeremiah 3:15)

Saturday, October 16. Pray that your pastor will be courageous in the pulpit in proclaiming Christ, and confident in his use of the Word of God. Ask God to help him preach with insight, transparency and humility. (Colossians 1:28, 4:3a; Ephesians 6:19)

Sunday, October 17. Pray that your pastor will be a “Great Commission man”—committed to personal evangelism and the equipping of the saints to seek the lost. Pray that he will have a heart to develop a thriving missions program in his church. (Romans 10:15; Matthew 28:19-20; Luke 19:10)

Amber Ebels

October 4, 2021

October 4-10, 2021: Weekly Prayer Calendar

Amber Ebels

October 4, 2021

31 Days for Praying for Your Pastor

For the weekly prayer guides for October, we are using a guide for prayers for pastors to encourage us all to be in prayer for Pastor Matt, Lena and family.

Monday, October 4. Pray that your pastor will counsel and teach with discernment through the wise use of Scripture and faith in God’s power to work. Pray that he will be protected from the effects of sinful or negative attitudes that he encounters as he counsels. (Malachi 2:7; James 1:5-6; John 17:15)

Tuesday, October 5. Ask God to protect your pastor’s marriage and keep it strong as a model of Christ’s relationship with the Church. Pray that your pastor will tenderly cherish and lead his wife, and that she will respect and encourage her husband, submitting to his leadership. (Ephesians 5:23-33)

Wednesday, October 6. Pray that God will protect your pastor’s wife from bitterness when her husband is criticized. Pray that her prayer and devotional life will be consistent, and that she will guard her mind and heart. (Hebrews 12:15; Proverbs 4:23)

Thursday, October 7. Pray for your pastor’s children, and especially that the pressures of the ministry will not discourage or embitter them. Pray that your pastor will provide godly leadership in the home, not based on fear of what others will think, but according to scriptural truth. (Ephesians 6:4; Colossians 3:20-21)

Friday, October 8. Ask God to protect your pastor from the evil plots of Satan. Pray that he will not be corrupted as he rubs shoulders with the world in the course of ministry. (John 17:15; Isaiah 54:17; 2 Corinthians 2:11; 1 Peter 3:12; Psalm 9:9-10, 91:9-11)

Saturday, October 9. Pray that God will build a hedge of protection around your pastor’s marriage, and that he and his wife will be aware of the potential for any improper relationships. Pray that their family time will be protected. (Ezekiel 22:30a; 2 Corinthians 10:4-5; Matthew 19:6)

Sunday, October 10. Pray that your pastor will use discernment in use of e-mails, the Internet, and the media. Ask God to guard his heart concerning the use of free time. Pray that he will be morally pure and that he will wear the armor of God so that he will not fall into sexual temptation. (Romans 13:14; 1 Peter 1:16; Ephesians 6:10-18; 2 Corinthians 10:4)

Amber Ebels

September 27, 2021

September 27 - October 3, 2021: Weekly Prayer Calendar

Amber Ebels

September 27, 2021

Kingdom Prayers

Monday, September 27. “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:7-8). “God, I want to build your kingdom and not my own. Lord Jesus, I need to leave all of my gains at your feet. There is nothing that I have, or could ever have, that compares to knowing you. Jesus, I want to consider all things loss compared to you. I want to call them garbage in order to gain more of you.” (rachelbaxter.com)

**I know the Lord has brought to mind specific things today that are keeping you from building his kingdom. Right now, would you name these specific things that God wants you to give to him? Would you ask him to help you call them garbage compared to knowing Him?**

Tuesday, September 28. “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’ And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ And he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son’” (Revelation 21:1-7). “God, I want to build your kingdom and not my own. The new heaven and the new earth - this is what I want my life to be about. Jesus, help me to live my life on a mission of ushering this Kingdom into reality. When I read about the beauty of what you are going to do, dwelling with us, drying every tear, and conquering death, it makes the little kingdom I am building for myself look even more ridiculous. I want your glory, not my glory. I want your plan, not my plan. I want your kingdom, not my kingdom. May it be so. Amen.” (rachelbaxter.com)

Wednesday, September 29. “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power” (1 Corinthians 4:20). Lord, bless all those involved in our worship leadership. Fill them with a deep passion to lift Your Name high. May they always point us toward You and Your kingdom.

Thursday, September 30. “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen” (Revelation 1:5b-6). We give You honor and praise! You alone are worthy of all our praise now and for all eternity.

31 Days for Praying for Your Pastor

For the weekly prayer guides for October, we are using a guide for prayers for pastors to encourage us all to be in prayer for Pastor Matt, Lena and family.

Friday, October 1. Pray that your pastor will love God with all his heart, soul, mind and strength. Pray that
God’s Spirit will work in his heart in power and that he will value and follow biblical priorities.
(Deut. 6:5; Matt. 6:33)

Saturday, October 2. Pray that your pastor will cultivate strong character and uncompromising integrity. Pray that his testimony will be genuine, and that he will never do anything that he would need to
hide from others. (1 Tim. 1:5, 3:7; Eph. 6:10-12)

Sunday, October 3. Pray for his personal walk with God—that his soul and spirit will be nourished and strengthened in his quiet time with God, beyond his sermon preparation. Pray that he will
spend more time in the Word of God than reading Christian books and articles. (Mark 1:35; 2
Tim. 2:15-16)

Amber Ebels

September 20, 2021

September 20-26, 2021: Weekly Prayer Calendar

Amber Ebels

September 20, 2021

Kingdom Prayers

Monday, September 20. “For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory” (1 Thessalonians 2:11-12). Thank You for the elders and deacons You have gifted us with. Bless the Administrative Team in every aspect of kingdom work in which they are involved.

Tuesday, September 21. “A time is coming and fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me. ‘I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world’” (John 16:32-33). “God, I want to build your kingdom and not my own. Father, I confess that I let fear control me and determine how I spend my time, money, and energy. I am afraid of trouble. I am afraid of hardship. I am afraid of persecution. All of this causes me to be self-protective and to build my own kingdom. Jesus, help me to have the peace you have promised. Help me to no longer be afraid, knowing you have overcome the world. Enable me to step out in faith, not fear.” (rachelbaxter.com)

Wednesday, September 22. “He told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches’” (Matthew 13:31-32). Help us to be faithful in the small, unnoticed acts of service. May we be content with Your approval and not seek the approval of men.

Thursday, September 23. “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God i love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Song in the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us” (John 4:7-12). “God, I want to build your kingdom and not my own. God, you are love. All love starts and flows from you. I will never build your kingdom unless I believe that you love me. Jesus, I know that love is learned through being loved by you. Help me to experience your love in fresh, sweet ways in the days to come. As I see your love in the everyday details of my life, may a love for others be ignited. Jesus, I want to be a person marked by love. I want people to literally feel the love of God when they encounter me.” (rachelbaxter.com)

Friday, September 24. “Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:13-16). “God, I want to build your kingdom and not my own. You word calls us to be holy because you are holy. I confess, Jesus, most days I feel like holiness is impossible. If you commanded it, then you have provided a way. So I am asking the Holy Spirit to help turn my passions and desires away from this world and toward you. Please make a way for holiness in my stubborn, sick heart. Make me holy as you are holy.” (rachelbaxter.com)

Saturday, September 25. “And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3-4). Father, give us the humility and curiosity of a child as we approach Your Word. Teach us about Your Kingdom, where being small and seeming to be insignificant can lead to greatness in Your eyes.

Sunday, September 26. “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe” (Hebrews 12:28). Lord, help us to grasp and hold on to the truth that Your kingdom is unshakable. Fill our hearts with thankfulness and inspire our worship today.

Amber Ebels

September 13, 2021

September 13-19, 2021: Weekly Prayer Calendar

Amber Ebels

September 13, 2021

Kingdom Prayers

Monday, September 13. “Jesus replied, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again” (John 3:3). Lord, you tell us we need to be “born again”, changed, to be in your kingdom. Thank you for your Spirit that is continually at work within us to grow us into your people. We thank you for those on the Worship Planning Team and ask you to be with them as they faithfully plan our times of worship, that they may be open to the Spirit’s leading.

Tuesday, September 14. “For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ and individually member one of another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly” (Romans 12:3-7). “God, I want to build your kingdom and not my own. Jesus, I confess that my pride and vanity get in the way of your kingdom being built in my life. I think of myself more highly than I should. I pray you will grant me humility. I pray I will embrace the gifts that you have given to me and use them to bring you glory, not myself.” (taken from rachelbaxter.com)

Wednesday, September 15. “Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, ‘The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is’ because the kingdom of God is within you’” (Luke 17:20-21). Lord, help us to remember that your kingdom is to pervade all of who we are, all we do and say. We pray for the interactions at Grace Space and the Wonderful Wednesday dinner, that they may be a blessing to all involved. We also pray for the new Wednesday evening activities for our K-8th grade youth that start tonight, that they may draw the adults and youth involved closer to You.

Thursday, September 16. “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you” (John 15:16). “God, I want to build your kingdom and not my own. Believing that you have chosen me out of all the people of the earth to be your child changes everything. Father, help me to believe that I am your child, and because you have chosen me, you will make me bear fruit that will last. God, help me to live like a chosen child of the king, walking in confidence that you have a plan and purpose for my life” (taken from rachelbaxter.com).

Friday, September 17. “Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field’” (Matthew 9:37-38). Lord, we do ask that You would incline and prepare workers to expand Your kingdom in our community, our nation, and around the world.

Saturday, September 18. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). Jesus, sometimes we are weary and overwhelmed by serving You and Your church. Thank You for understanding our needs and sharing our burdens.

Sunday, September 19. This Sunday we celebrate the start of Children’s Worship and Sunday School. Father, bless the teachers and the students as they learn from You and learn about You. Build Your kingdom here, we pray.

Amber Ebels

September 6, 2021

September 6-12, 2021: Weekly Prayer Calendar

Amber Ebels

September 6, 2021

Kingdom Prayers

Monday, September 6. “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money… But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:24, 33). Pray for insight to see what other “masters” you might have in your life and ask for the Spirit’s help to have God and His kingdom be the only Master in your life.

Tuesday, September 7. “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock… But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them in to practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand” (Matthew 7: 24, 26). Lord, help us to see that your words are not just good advice but that they give life, life in your kingdom.

Wednesday, September 8. “Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes” (James 4:14). “God, I want to build your kingdom and not my own. I need you to show me that this life is temporary. I ask that you would put eternity into my heart and that I would long to be in my heavenly dwelling more than my earthly home. You have only given me one life and I want to live it with more purpose, on a mission with you. Lord, I pray that you would give me the eyes to see this place as a temporary home and that my heart would be at home in you alone. Help me to see that this life is but a mist and a fleeting breath.” (taken from rachelbaxter.com)

Thursday, September 9. “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ is this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval” (Romans 14:17-18). Lord, help me to remember that being in your kingdom is not a matter of doing the right things but of dwelling in you and your Spirit.

Friday, September 10. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is , there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21). “God, I want to build your kingdom and not my own. Jesus, I confess that I spend much of day thinking about how I can lay up treasure here on earth. I allow the world to tell me that what I have is not enough and that I need to spend my money and time accumulating more. Jesus, please help me to break free from earthly treasures that can be taken away from me and help me to cling to you my heavenly treasure.” (taken from rachelbaxter.com)

Saturday, September 11. “He replied, ‘You of little faith, why are you so afraid?’ Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, ‘What kind of man is this: Even the winds and the waves obey him!’” (Matthew 8:26-27). Lord, forgive us for our fears, our doubts about being in your kingdom instead of our own. Open our eyes to be able to truly see who you are and what you are calling us to. Increase our faith.

Sunday, September 12. “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age’” (Matthew 28:18-20). Thank you, Lord, for the opportunity we have to hear the “Good News” of the Kingdom. Thank you too that as you send us out to share that “Good News” you remind us that you, the one with all authority in heaven and on earth, is the one who always is with us.

Amber Ebels

September 1, 2021

August 30 - September 5, 2021: Weekly Prayer Calendar

Amber Ebels

September 1, 2021

“Life Giving Prayers for Your Church”

Monday, August 30. Lord, I lift up the Church universal. Father, we claim the power of Your name over us so that we will be one, as You and Your Son are one. We want Your joy in full measure just as Your Son, Jesus, prayed for us. Help us live as though we are not of this world; sanctify us by Your word. May we be brought to complete unity so that the world will know the truth of the gospel. (John 17:11-23)

Tuesday, August 31. Lord, I lift up our need for protection. Protect and deliver us from the evil one. Help us be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves as we deal with the wolves around us. Show us how to test every spirit to see if they are from You. Help us recognize the enemy’s disguises and schemes so that he won’t outwit us. (John 17:15; Matthew 6:13, 10:14; 1 John 4:1; 2 Corinthians 11:14, 2:11)

Kingdom Prayers

Wednesday, September 1. “…Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). Lord, we pray that the desire of our hearts would be that your Kingdom be in us and around us here on earth as it is in heaven.

Thursday, September 2. “For it is written, ‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confess to God’” (Romans 14:11). “God, my desire is to build your kingdom and not my own, but I confess most of the time I live like that is not true. I spend so much of my day trying to build my kingdom, making myself instead of you, the center of this life. Lord, I need your spirit to remind me minute-by-minute that this life is not all about me. It is all about you. Your word says the time is coming when every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, and your Kingdom will be made complete. In the end that will be all that matters. Nothing I build for my own glory will be left so I ask you to help me stop spending this life focused on myself. Jesus, I want to see my daily life through the eyes of your kingdom. Help me to seek your kingdom in my heart, mind, and life” (taken from rachelbaxter.com).

Friday, September 3. “From that time Jesus began to preach, saying ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand’” (Matthew 4:17). “God, I want to build your kingdom and not my own. Lord, I know that building your kingdom instead of my own starts with repentance. Jesus, I am sorry for how I live my life trying to control everything and everyone, including you. I don’t want to be in control. I want to have a repentant heart, turning from the sin that keeps me seeking my own glory instead of yours. Jesus, please keep the words ’repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,’ always before me so that I will fight hard against my sin and work hard to bring your kingdom here” (taken from rachelbaxter.com).

Saturday, September 4. “For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20). Lord, I want to think I can do it on my own, that I am good enough, but I am not and never will be. Thank you for providing Jesus as the way into your kingdom.

Sunday, September 5. “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom” (Matthew 4:23). Lord, prepare our hearts to hear the good news of your kingdom.

Amber Ebels

August 27, 2021

Maranatha Media - August 2021

Amber Ebels

August 27, 2021

Pick up a COOL book to read from our library on these HOT days!

Amber Ebels

August 23, 2021

August 23-29, 2021: Weekly Prayer Calendar

Amber Ebels

August 23, 2021

“Life Giving Prayers for Your Church”

Monday, August 23. Lord, I lift up those who are hurting right now. May they come to know You as El Roi, the God who sees them. For every situation of rejection, help them feel sonship. Bind up the brokenhearted! In every area of bondage, set the captives free; in every case of mourning, replace it with Your oil of gladness. Comfort them so that they will have a ministry of comfort to others. (Genesis 16:13; Romans 8:15; Isaiah 61:1-3; 2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

Tuesday, August 24. Lord, I lift up every one of us who struggle with sin issues. Keep us from the enemy’s scheme of condemnation. Grant us repentance so that we can escape the trap of the evil one. Thank You that sin was done away with on the cross and that we are no longer slaves to it. Help us to throw off everything that entangles—help us run the race with perseverance. (Romans 8:1; 2 Timothy 2:25-26; Romans 6:6; Hebrews 12:1)

Wednesday, August 25. Lord, I lift up our priorities as a congregation. Give us ears to hear what Your Spirit is saying to our church. Open our eyes to see things as You see them. Help us move beyond issues of immediate need to pursuing Kingdom issues. Bring us to a place where “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” is more than just words we say. (Revelation 3:22; 2 Kings 6:17; Matthew 6:25,33,10)

Thursday, August 26. Lord, I lift up our church growth to You. Add to our number daily through new converts. Birth spiritual children through us. Let our actions win people over without words. Use us as Your agents to rescue people from darkness and bring them into Your Son’s kingdom. We long to be worthy ambassadors in this ministry You have entrusted to us: that of proclaiming Your message of reconciliation to a lost world. (Acts 2:47; 1 Corinthians 4:15; 1 Peter 3:1-2; Colossians 1:13; 2 Corinthians 5:20)

Friday, August 27. Lord, I lift up our community, especially the surrounding neighborhood. Let us love these people as we love ourselves. May our concern for their needs override other things that take our time and focus. Rebuild and restore areas that have been devastated. Renew our community—send Your peace and prosperity into this place where You’ve planted us. Bless each individual home and family. Build each house from the inside out; watch over our city. (Galatians 5:14; Proverbs 3:28; Isaiah 61:4; Jeremiah 29:7; Luke 10:5-6; Psalm 127:1)

Saturday, August 28. Lord, I lift up the Church in our city. Thank You for creating the body as one unit made up of many parts. Help us understand the value of each part as You have arranged them. We confess that we’ve minimized other parts. Forgive us, for we are all baptized by one Spirit into one body. Help us to work at being one: concerned about one another—suffering with and rejoicing with other congregations as appropriate. (1 Corinthians 12:12-26)

Sunday, August 29. Lord, I lift up the Church in our nation. We humbly unite and confess as one people—one Church called by Your name—that we have sinned. We’ve operated out of acquired wealth thinking we could do it on our own—but we are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. We seek Your face, O God! Thank You for hearing and forgiving us. We wait on You for the healing of our land! (2 Chronicles 7:14; Revelation 3:17)

Amber Ebels

August 16, 2021

August 16-22, 2021: Weekly Prayer Calendar

Amber Ebels

August 16, 2021

“Life Giving Prayers for Your Church”

Monday, August 16. Lord, I lift up the spiritual temperature of my church. Revive us! Refine us so that we burn hot for You. Give us singleness of heart and action so that we always fear You and follow Your precepts. Pour out a spirit of Josiah on us so that we turn to You heart, soul and strength. Open our minds to understand Your Word so that our hearts burn within us. (Psalm 85:6; Revelation 3:14-18; Jeremiah 32:39; Psalm 111:10; 2 Kings 23:25)

Tuesday, August 17. Lord, I lift up the issue of our willingness to be led by Your Spirit. Holy Spirit, show us any way we are grieving, quenching or resisting You. Convict us and lead us to level ground. Help us keep in step with You as we live by You. Reign in us so that we experience Your freedom. Lead us into grace, life and peace. (Ephesians 4:30; 1 Thessalonians 5:19; Acts 7:51; John 16:8; Psalm 143:10; Galatians 5:18,25; 2 Corinthians 3:17; Romans 8:6)

Wednesday, August 18. Lord, I lift up the use of spiritual gifts in our church. We eagerly desire spiritual gifts that You’ve given for our common good. Help us understand the various gifts and how they work. Teach us to use what we’ve received to serve others and faithfully administer Your grace—whatever form that takes. Help us exercise our gifts in love. Remind us to keep fanning into flame the gifts You’ve entrusted to us. (1 Corinthians 14:1, 12:4-7; 1 Peter 4:10; 2 Timothy 1:6)

Thursday, August 19. Lord, I lift up our love for one another as a body. Help us purify ourselves by obeying the truth so that our love for each other will be sincere, deep and from the heart. May our love for one another prove that we are Your disciples. Give us a spirit of unity so that we may glorify You with one heart and voice. Help us accept one another as we clothe ourselves in love. (1 Peter 1:22; John 13:34-35; Romans 15:5-7; Colossians 3:14)

Friday, August 20. Lord, I lift up our church finances. May we sow generously into our church without reluctance or compulsion. Make all grace abound so we have all we need for every good work You’ve assigned us. Make us rich in ways that result in generosity on our part so You will be praised. Keep reminding us of your promise to throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out blessing on all who bring the whole tithe into Your house. (2 Corinthians 9:6-11; Malachi 3:10)

Saturday, August 21. Lord, I lift up our outreach programs. Remind us to do good and share with others as a pleasing sacrifice to You. Keep us outwardly focused so we don’t become self-absorbed. Help us teach one another to be faithful ministers of Your Son. Enable us to meet people wherever they have a need. Help us minister faithfully as we proclaim the gospel so that the ones we reach might become an acceptable offering to You. (Hebrews 13:16; Philippians 2:4; Colossians 1:7; Jude 1:23)

Sunday, August 22. Lord, I lift up the single parents in our church. May they know You as father to the fatherless and defender of widows! Let us be a real family to them when they are lonely. Show us ways to include them and minister grace to them. Stir up practical ideas in us that show Your love and care. Help them relax in Your grace and provision which is more than enough for every weakness and need. (Psalm 68:5,6, 25:16; Matthew 25:35-40; 2 Corinthians 12:9; Philippians 4:19)

Amber Ebels

August 11, 2021

August 9-15, 2021: Weekly Prayer Calendar

Amber Ebels

August 11, 2021

“Life Giving Prayers for Your Church”

Monday, August 9. Lord, I lift up the speakers and teachers in our church. May everyone who holds that position—pastors, Sunday school teachers, small group leaders, guest speakers—rightly divide Your word of truth. Let them admonish and teach with wisdom. Reveal the mysteries of Your word to them and encourage them to speak those mysteries courageously and fearlessly. Let them speak with a spirit of faith that springs from their relationship with You. (2 Timothy 2:15; Colossians 1:28; Daniel 2:47; Philippians 1:14; 2 Corinthians 4:13)

Tuesday, August 10. Lord, I lift up our Women’s Ministry. Encourage our older women to train the younger in family issues. Teach our women to be virtuous—women with gentle and quiet spirits who put their hope in You. Let this ministry produce women who feel Your passion for them and who choose to spend time at Your feet. Train them to contend for the gospel side by side with the men. (Titus 2:4, 5; Proverbs 31:10; 1 Peter 3:4, 5; Psalm 45:11; Luke 10:38-42; Philippians 4:3)

Wednesday, August 11. Lord, I lift up our Men’s Ministry to You. Use this ministry to build our men in their faith. Teach them to be in right relationship to You and each other, to love their wives sacrificially and to instruct their children with patience. Encourage them to hold each other accountable as they carry each other’s burdens. May they speak the truth in love to each other even when its hard. (Jude 1:20; Titus 2:2; 1 Timothy 5:1; Ephesians 5:25, 6:4; Galatians 6:2; Ephesians 4:15; Proverbs 27:6)

Thursday, August 12. Lord, I lift up our Youth Workers. Let these men and women set an example in their speech, life, love, faith and purity. Cause them to be strong, alive-in-the-Word overcomers. Help them to have discernment as they deal with the young people in our church. Help them to notice any youth who lacks judgment so they can teach them to value Your life-giving principles. Pour out Your Spirit on them. (1 Timothy 4:12; 1 John 2:14; Proverbs 3:21, 7:7, 7:2; Joel 2:28)

Friday, August 13. Lord, I lift up the people who work behind the scenes at our church. Thank You for every nursery worker, parking lot attendant, office volunteer, building janitor, etc. who has devoted themselves to the service of the saints. Bless them for the obedience and generosity they have displayed—may You receive praise as a result! Keep them in an attitude of humility that comes from wisdom and wholehearted service to You rather than to be noticed by others. (1 Corinthians 16:15; 2 Corinthians 9:12-13; James 3:13)

Saturday, August 14. Lord, I lift up our Children’s Ministries to You. Create an atmosphere here that encourages our children to find You. Let the teachers be careful to remind each child of the marvelous things You have done. Cause everything they learn about You to become a part of them forever. May they consistently choose life and blessing each day because of the training they receive in our church. Keep them walking in the truth. (Mark 10:14; Deuteronomy 4:9, 29:29, 30:19; Proverbs 22:6; 3 John 1:4)

Sunday, August 15. Lord, I lift up the prayer focus in my church. Make us into a house of prayer. We desire to be clear-minded and self-controlled so that we can pray first, always, continually and thankfully. May everyone recognize that this is Your desire for all and not just a few. Use us to stand in the gap for others. Let there be prayer ministry among us that is powerful and effective. (Mark 11:17; 1 Peter 4:7; 1 Timothy 2:1; Ephesians 6:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Psalm 32:6; Ezekiel 22:30)

Amber Ebels

August 2, 2021

August 2-8, 2021: Weekly Prayer Calendar

Amber Ebels

August 2, 2021

“Life Giving Prayers for Your Church”

Monday, August 2. Lord, I lift up my elders to You. Help us respect and honor them as they direct the affairs of our church. May they wholeheartedly give their attention to prayer and ministry of the Word. Keep them above reproach, devoted to their families, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable and able to teach. May they be gentle and honest as they deal with people. (1 Timothy 5:17; Acts 6:4; 1 Timothy 3:1-2; Titus 1:7)

Tuesday, August 3. Lord, I lift up my deacons to You. May they walk worthy of respect with sincere hearts. Keep them from indulgence and greed. Help them keep hold of truth. May they keep short accounts with You so that their conscience is clear. Bless their households with peace and respect. Fill them with Your Spirit and let them operate in wisdom as they carry out their responsibilities. (1 Timothy 3:8-9, 12; Acts 6:3)

Wednesday, August 4. Lord, I lift up the adults in my congregation to You. May we live worthy of Your call on our lives. As we respond to that call, fulfill every purpose, every faith-filled act of service by Your power. May we be clothed in righteousness with hearts that sing for joy and delight greatly in You. We want to walk with You, Jesus, dressed in white, adorned with jewels. (Ephesians 4:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:11; Psalm 132:9; Isaiah 61:10; Revelation 3:4)

Thursday, August 5. Lord, I lift up the children and youth in my congregation to You. May the little ones remain humble examples of what we adults need to become in the kingdom. Let their conduct always be pure and right with reputations that show that they remember You, Creator God. Teach them to declare Your marvelous deeds. May they flee evil desires and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace. (Matthew 18:3-4; Proverbs 20:11; Ecclesiastes 12:1; Psalm 71:17; 2 Timothy 2:22)

Friday, August 6. Lord, I lift up the senior members of our congregation. Thank You for every gray hair attained by righteous living. We are blessed by their example and ability to train us. Help us to be humbly submissive as we benefit from their wisdom and understanding. Help them receive the strength and power You’ve promised to the weary and weak. May they put their hope in You and be renewed in the process. (Proverbs 16:31; Titus 2:4; 1 Peter 5:5; Job 12:12)

Saturday, August 7. Lord, I lift up the lost members of our congregation. Let the gospel be presented to them not only through the sermon but also with power, the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. Teach us to make the most of every opportunity to share Your salvation. Help us to be the fragrance of Christ to them. We stand against the enemy and his attempts to keep them blinded to Your truth. (1 Thessalonians 1:5; Colossians 4:5; 2 Corinthians 2:15; 2 Corinthians 4:4)

Sunday, August 8. Lord, I lift up our worship leaders. Appoint people to this position who understand the splendor of Your holiness and praise You out of that understanding. Help them lead us faithfully in thanks for Your enduring love. Use their praise to defeat the enemy. May they be the true worshipers You are looking for who worship in spirit and in truth. Let them glory only in You, Jesus, so that they put no confidence in their own flesh. (2 Chronicles 20:21-22; John 4:23-24; Philippians 3:3)

Amber Ebels

July 26, 2021

July 26 - August 1, 2021: Weekly Prayer Calendar

Amber Ebels

July 26, 2021

Our Freedom in Christ

Monday, July 26. Because we are one with Christ, God the Father sees us as free from sin’s condemnation. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:1-4).

Tuesday, July 27. Lord Jesus, help us to use Your gift of freedom to love others. “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Galatians 5:13-14).

Wednesday, July 28. Jesus gave Himself as a sin offering for all who believe, freeing us from the burden of law-keeping and ritual sacrifices. “Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: ‘Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased.’ Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—I have come to do your will, my God’” (Hebrews 10:5-7).

Thursday, July 29. We have been set free from sin and the Spirit empowers us to say “no” to the temptation to be drawn back into sin. “Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged” (Hebrews 6:17-18).

Friday, July 30. Living Lord Jesus, You freely gave Your life in exchange for mine, so that I am free from any charges against me. “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us” (Romans 8:31-34).

Saturday, July 31. The Lord’s redemption is complete, freeing us from sin. “Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins” (Psalm 130:7-8).

“Life Giving Prayers for Your Church”

Sunday, August 1. Lord, I lift up my pastor to You. Thank You for his servant’s heart. Keep him from losing heart when ministry gets tough. Help him prove faithful with the things you have entrusted to him. Teach him Your ways so that he knows You and finds favor with You as he leads us. Keep him open and honest before You and help him to represent the truth plainly.

Amber Ebels

July 19, 2021

July 19-25, 2021: Weekly Prayer Calendar

Amber Ebels

July 19, 2021

Our Freedom in Christ

Monday, July 19. Jesus died to set us free, free to serve Him and others. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1).

Tuesday, July 20. We thank You Jesus that because of our relationship with You we are free to come to the Father in prayer. “In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence” (Ephesians 3:12).

Wednesday, July 21. Following God’s commands frees us from sin and guilt. “I will walk about in freedom,
for I have sought out your precepts” (Psalm 119:45).

Thursday, July 22. Thank You, Father, for hearing our cries, delivering us, and setting us free. “Thank You, Father, for hearing our cries, delivering us, and setting us free” (Psalm 118:5).

Friday, July 23. Jesus, You died for my sins and fulfilled every part of the law, freeing me from the guilt and condemnation of the law. “‘Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses’” (Acts 13:38-39).

Saturday, July 24. Jesus has set us free from the wages of sin and given us the gift of eternal life. What a Savior! “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:22-23).

Sunday, July 25. We have been freed from needing to keep the law to earn salvation, but our freedom should be used to serve and honor God. “Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor” (1 Peter 2:16-17).

Amber Ebels

July 18, 2021