PRAYER CIRCLES

Acts 1:8, "But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you:  and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."

I want to present a simple way of praying beyond our own backyard.  Too often people testify that they don't know how to pray.  They testify that they are limited in praying beyond their own specific needs and wants.  There are two reasons for this:  1. they do not give enough time to learn and spend with God.  If they spent more time with God, He would reveal more prayer needs in our minds, hearts and souls to pray over.  2.  There has been a limited teaching in specifie praying for such things.  There are numerous books, programs, methods and illustrations out there.  Thank God for each of these that have in some way worked to encourage more praying. 

Again, this is only one way in which it may be used to help churches; pastors to teach and incorporate prayer into their own lives, and the life of their church; and Christians wanting to learn more about how to pray.

Using the above verse of Acts 1:8 we simply divide our life into those 5 areas for prayer.

They are:
1. YOU (JERUSALEUM)- this is your own personal life;  your close immediate family and/or friends; your church family; issues in your home, at work/school and day to day concerns for you;
It can include sicknesses; financial issues; lost family; your own personal walk with the Lord; the need for God to work in our own personal life, family and church family.  This is everything that is in close proximity of our personal living. 
The dealing with personal sin, family sin, and church family sin is found here.  It is sin that attacks us the more and limits us from being used of God to a greater degree for His purpose.  'If I regard iniqutiy in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.' 
Now understand that when I say church family, this is in relationship to who you are involved with in your church.  A small rural church of 50 people has no problem with interacting in each others life.  If your church is 50000 people then there is no way you can interact personally with all those people in day to day actions.  But you may be very close to a Sunday school, choir, Bible study or leaders of that church and they would be included in this section.  Prayer concerns for the rest of the church family would fall into the next section - County.


2. COUNTY (JUDEA)- the area around your county or extended city area;  I realize many cities are like counties and very large;  this is extended family and friends; other issues around your life, generally other peoples concerns that impact them but they ask you to pray for; other churches and Christian brothers and sisters; county officals; schools; communities;  overall population and contrast it with those in church and those that are not; Example:  In Hampshire County there is a total population of 24,000.  On Sunday there are only 3,000 in church services of the 91 churches represented.  That means 21,000 are out of church and out of relationship with Christ.  Other issues and problems such as druges, crime, alcohol, etc.

3. COUNTRY (SAMARIA) -  your nation, population, states, government(s), militatry, sin for confession and prayer against, church across the land, persecution, families, weather related issues, pestilence, plagues, etc.  Example:  In the United States, there are 300 million in total population.  Of that 300 million, estimated that 270 million have no relationship with Christ.  Great lostness and sin abounding in every corner.  Social issues effecting and ruining our land. 

4. WORLD (UTTERMOST PARTS OF THE EARTH) - nations, governements, wars, problems, persecution, church, 7 billion on the planet, 5 billion without Christ;  missionaries; disasters; plagues; diseases;  etc.

5. KINGDOM - this is not mentioned in Acts 1:8, but it is definitely overall the issue prevailing for a true intercessor;  Christ prayed, 'Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.'  This prayer circle is God using a prayer warrior for His will to be done in circumstances, situations and for nations.  Example:  Rees Howell was given the burden to pray for Britains protection and deliverance from Germany attacks;  then he was given the prayer need for Ethiopia.  Great testimony to further God's purpose and victory.

Duewel - 'A prayer burden is a spiritual concern on the heart of God that is imparted by the Holy Spirit to someone whose intercession the Holy Spirit desires to use. Jesus has been interceding for this need, and now the Spirit needs you to join with the intercession of Jesus. It is a specially sacred level of prayer intensity and prayer responsiblity."