PrayerStation1Our Nation, State, & LeadersP S A L M 3 3 : 1 2

Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,

The people He has chosen as His own inheritance.

1 T I M O T H Y 2 : 1 - 2

Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.

God created government as a minister to us for good, and it is also responsible for exercising justice on earth. Pray for our leaders – that we can have peace in our lives and that they would exercise righteousness as they govern.

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• Pray that the Valley Kids team would be able to help the youngest generation of our church take steps in faith.

• Pray that Valley Kids would be able to partner with parents to provide a safe and loving atmosphere for their kids.

• Praise God that we have seen so many new families visit our church!

• Pray for the volunteers who faithfully serve these families and pray for MORE to join the team!

• Pray for Director Kate Neighbors’ leadership and guidance over the Kids team, and that she would serve her husband, family, and church well.

BUS MINISTRY

• Pray for Bus Ministry students who have not yet accepted Jesus Christ into their hearts.

• Pray for their families and peace in their homes.

• Pray for their parents’ jobs.

• Pray for the community of Oildale – that the students we pick up from there will be safe and resist temptations.

• Pray for Bus Ministry volunteers – that the Lord would bless them with good health and strong minds to continue serving.

• Pray that God will bring more volunteers to grow this ministry.

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• Pray that the seeds of faith that are planted in the children’s lives would be watered and cultivated throughout their lives and God would use it to bring them to salvation.

• Pray that as the children go home with spiritual songs and stories, God would use the words of these babies to prick the hearts of any unbelieving family members.

• Pray that our staff would have opportunities to influence our grade school children with the Gospel.

• Pray for the physical health of our staff. Besides COVID, there will still be the normal colds and flu that typically affect childcare workers.

• Pray for the health and safety of the many families that we serve each day.

&

PrayerStation4Marriages

• Pray for the countless marriages in our own church family that have been greatly burdened through the trial and fallout of the COVID seasons we’ve been going through. Pray they will continue to be in church, in God’s Word, and walking in the Spirit in order to bear good fruit – vitally necessary for their marriages to withstand the stress brought on by our recent circumstances.

• Pray for couples to get connected to a Life Group in our church – as soon as possible – to connect with other Christian couples to be encouraged in their walks with Christ.

• Pray for couples in our community – that they will find Valley Baptist to be a church where they can grow in the grace of Jesus Christ and walk alongside other families.

• Pray for job openings for those struggling to find work – and for a God-given wisdom and tenacity to find these jobs to help relieve the stress of financial burdens upon marriages and families. Pray couples will continue to put God first in their lives even when struggling financially.

• Pray for parents as they prayerfully decide together in their families how best to respond to the changing fabric of our culture that is attempting to influence their kids in an ungodly way. Pray their marriage relationships can be seen as examples of Christian character.

PrayerStation5Care CounselingP R AY F O R C A R E C O U N S E L I N G C L I E N T S

• Pray that they will grow in love. • Pray that they make wise choices. • Pray that they will live with integrity. • Pray that they will know the true freedom found in Christ, that their past is forgiven, they have a purpose for living, and an eternal home in heaven.

• Pray that they will develop a habit to spend more time daily in reading and studying the Bible.

P R AY F O R L AY C O U N S E L O R L E A D E R S • Pray for God's power and protection. • Pray for God's grace, His presence, and His promises. • Pray for God's purpose and plan.

Care MinistryTeam

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Celebrate Recovery • Pray that lives will constantly be changed through this ministry. • Pray that our work with 17-18 year olds that are dealing with fentanyl continues to be fruitful.

• Pray that new leaders will come out of our Step Study groups. • Pray that our leaders continue to work on their recovery issues and stay close to the Lord.

• Pray that the CR Leadership Team continues to grow and work together in unity with the mission of CR.

• Pray that the kids who come to CR are protected from their family’s recovery fallout and that they see what their parents are dealing with.

• Pray that all local CR’s stay healthy and continue to grow good leaders.

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Food Pantry • Pray for those in need of food in our church and our community. • Pray as we partner with other ministries in our church to use the Food Pantry as an additional means of outreach and evangelism in neighborhoods.

• Pray for all of the existing families we serve – that our relationships and trust will continue to build and that they will be receptive to the Gospel as we share with them week after week.

• Pray for the new families we will meet and serve – that we can be the love of Jesus and meet their physical needs, but more importantly meet their spiritual needs.

• Pray for our volunteers who serve faithfully week after week helping to provide food to those who are experiencing tough times.

• Pray for unity and renewed energy for our team as we start this new year.

• Pray that we will be bold to witness and share the good news!

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Loss & Grief • Pray for the peace and comfort of those in our church who have lost loved ones this past year.

• Pray for those attending our GriefShare group, and those that will come to attend this year, that they be able to grieve in a healthy way. For those that come but do not know the Lord, pray that they would be saved.

• Pray for our GriefShare leaders, John and Linda Kriek, who have led this ministry for 22 years.

• Pray for those that will attend a funeral here – that we would be able to minister to them in their mourning, providing comfort to the hurting, rest for the weary, and salvation for the lost.

• Pray for those that have lost their livelihood, home, and all other material needs. Pray that they seek the Lord for His provision and that He will provide.

• Pray for our pastors, staff, and volunteers that serve our families through funerals – that they be regularly encouraged. In recent years we have conducted an average of 2-3 funerals each week.

Care MinistryTeam

PrayerStation6Fruitvale Campus

• Thank God for the incredible campus that He has given us to use as a tool for His glory!

• Pray for all of our incredible staff that help at the Fruitvale Campus. • Pray for all the many worship services, Life Groups, and ministries that meet on the Fruitvale Campus each week.

• Please pray for the hundreds of kids that are on our Fruitvale Campus almost every day of the week.

• Please pray for more volunteers to serve in our growing Preschool Sunday School classes.

• Please pray for more Life Group leaders for our High School and College-age Life Groups.

• Please pray that the Fruitvale Campus would be a place where more and more people can meet Jesus!

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Olive Drive Campus • Pray that we will be able to effectively proclaim the gospel and minister to the communities surrounding the Olive Drive Campus.

• Pray that the Lord will provide Life Group leaders for the campus so that we can continue to start new classes in an effort to connect with and minister to the most people possible.

• Be in prayer particularly for our median adult Life Group division, as Life Group leaders are especially needed for this demographic.

• It is a praise that the campus children’s ministry continues to grow. Because of that praise, please also be in prayer that the Lord will provide teachers and helpers to share the Gospel with the children of the Olive Drive Campus.

• Pray for the staff of the Olive Drive Campus as we navigate the campus’ unique challenges and opportunities.

Español & Mt. Vernon Campus • Valley Baptist Español currently has two services – one at the Fruitvale campus, and another at our Mount Vernon campus. Pray that we reach the lost and continue to teach the found in the areas around our all of Valley Baptist campuses.

• In the next few months, we are having a few outreaches in the Mt. Vernon area that will help us gear up for Easter and VBS. Pray that God not only takes us to harvest but that He provides laborers at our campuses.

• Pray for our leadership, our teams, and the Español Pastor, David Quiroa.

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McKee Road Campus& Set Free Ministries

• Pray for more volunteers for our Children's Church. • Pray that God would give us greater understanding of our teens’ issues, so that we can provide more opportunities for them to develop their social skills and learn about their gifts.

• Pray for our music ministry – that we could raise up a choir, bring some good musicians, and raise up a music director.

• Pray for Christian recovery homes – that the directors would be strengthened, their houses would be filled with people that need help, that they could disciple them properly, and for provision of all their needs (both physical and spiritual).

• Pray for our Asphalt/Street Ministry. • Pray for more volunteers to do the work of the ministry. • Pray that the Lord would raise up leaders in our church. • Pray for our Prison/Juvenile Hall Ministry – that men and women would feel the call to go into these prisons and juvenile facilities and share their testimony.

• Pray for Pastor Mike Salazar's book, Steak and Cherry Pie – that it would be used to impact those that are incarcerated and turn them to Christ.

• Pray that the Sons of the Most High motorcycle club would be used to win souls to Christ.

• Pray that Set Free Church would impact the community around McKee Road and beyond, winning people to Christ and increasing our church.

Filipino Ministry • In 2022, we will be going back to an 11:00 AM worship service time. Pray that people will return to church and overcome their fear of COVID. Pray that this fear may be overcome by the fear of the Lord.

• Many have indicated a desire to return to in-person Bible study and we will begin that in 2022 also. Pray for wisdom in how to go about it with those who can only make it via Zoom. We have limited manpower to do this, and not everyone is consistently attending, so it’s challenging to delegate.

• Pray for evangelistic efforts. We enjoy visiting house to house. Pray that we can find a regular pattern.

• Continuously pray that the love of one another will grow and increase all the more, and that the busyness and attraction of the world will not prevent the true believers from coming to church and volunteering.

PrayerStation6(cont.)

Arabic MinistryP R AY F O R :

• TV ministry/Al karma TV – translation and dubbing for Today’s Walk program (Meshwar El youm), and for the millions of people all over the world that it reaches, including those in Middle Eastern countries, North Africa, and Arab gulf countries.

• Arabic congregation at Valley Baptist – following the COVID shutdown, people are still afraid to come to church; pray for them to start attending in person again.

• Arabic people in Bakersfield – that they would come to the church. • Facebook ministry and the hundreds of people who follow the Sunday ministry on Facebook.

• Pastor Ghassan Al-Nimri and his family – for their health and that they would keep strong in serving the Lord.

PrayerStation7Board of Directors& Senior Pastor TransitionB O A R D O F D I R E C T O R S

• Pray that the Board of Directors will continue to be people of prayer, faith and courage. (Daniel 9:3-19)

• Pray that the Board of Directors will be shepherd leaders who will provide, protect, and be present to meet the needs of our church.

• Pray that the Board of Directors will be like the "men of Issachar,” who exercised wisdom and insight. (1 Chronicles 12:32 “From the sons of Issachar, men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do…”)

S E N I O R P A S T O R T R A N S I T I O N • Pray that the Holy Spirit will fill Pastor Andrew and Pastor Roger with power and wisdom as they “pass the baton.”

• Pray that Pastor Andrew will continue to be like Joshua and Caleb, who were strong, courageous, and followed God fully. (Joshua 1:5-9, Numbers 14:24)

• Pray that Pastor Andrew and his family will adjust to and enjoy their new role at Valley.

• Praise God that He has called and prepared Andrew for “such a time as this.” (Esther 4:14)

• Praise God for His past faithfulness over Valley Baptist and pray for His continued provision, protection, and presence. (Psalm 136)

• Pray that we will regularly pray for and love our pastors. (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13)

PrayerStation8GROW, Evangelism, & the Unsaved/Lost

• Pray for the 80 people who made professions of faith in Christ during the 26 weeks of GROW this past year.

• Pray for those who haven’t been to church, that they will feel encouraged to attend.

• Pray for those who haven’t been baptized, to have the commitment and courage to do so.

• Pray for those who have yet to connect to a Life Group to feel the importance of attending and be connected to one soon.

• Pray for those who are currently reading the FRESH START follow-up book and the KNOW YOUR BIBLE book – that these will help them get grounded in their daily walks with Christ and in His Word.

• Pray for new believers who are daily taking steps of obedience to Christ that go against the tide of our secular culture. Pray for their protection and for victories over temptation.

• Pray for more “laborers for the harvest” – for Life Group leaders and others to sense a Christ-prompted burden for the lost and unchurched who attend our services, as well as those in our community who have never attended. Pray people will, with God’s help, overcome unnecessary fears about reaching out to people who need Jesus and/or are not connected to a church or Life Group.

• Pray for the steadfastness of those who are regularly involved in weekly outreach – to not grow discouraged, but always be abounding in their work for the Lord, knowing that their labor for the Lord is not in vain (1 Cor. 15:58).

Valley Baptist Church Staff • Prayer of thankfulness – thank God for the sacrifices that our staff members make for the advancement of His Kingdom.

• Pray for wisdom and discernment for our staff – that God would give them guidance in how to make wise decisions for the benefit of the church.

• Pray for unity – that God would unify them in one purpose and mission, esteeming each other in love.

• Pray for humility – that they would humble themselves before others, seeking the greater purpose so that they align themselves to His will.

• Pray for health – that as they serve each other and the ministries, they would stay healthy in mind, body, and spirit.

• Pray for their families – that God would bless their homes, marriages, and children, and that they would have a balanced life with their families as they respond to the call and responsibilities of ministry.

• Pray for volunteers – that God would send volunteers to come alongside our church staff to help, encourage, and support our church’s ministries.

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PrayerStation10Student Ministries:Middle School, High School,& College

• Students are struggling with the pressures of social media like never before. Many of them feel the need to present themselves in a certain light on social media so they can be liked and gain popularity. Pray that our students would see themselves as God sees them. Pray that they wouldn’t try to blend in with the world but that they would stand out as a bright light for Jesus.

• Addictive and harmful substances have never been easier for a teenager to obtain, use, and hide. Pray for our teens as they are faced with these temptations regularly. Pray for God to give them the strength and courage to say no, and the wisdom to choose friends who are not using these harmful substances.

• Our teenagers are adjusting back to life as normal. Pray that they would balance their time between everyday things (school, sports and extracurriculars) with digging into God’s Word, getting involved in a Life Group, attending the mid-week worship service, and sharing their faith with friends and family.

• Our students are also having to navigate social justice and LBGTQ+ influences from our society. Pray they will seek the Word of God and Godly counsel to determine their stance.

Hospitality • Our hope is that every person who walks on our campuses – whether for mid-week ministries, events, or Sunday services – would experience the love of Christ. Pray that those visiting and attending our campuses would feel that love and be welcomed and informed by our Hospitality Team as they are fed God’s truths.

• This has been a hard season coming back from COVID and rebuilding our teams. Pray that those who have the gift of hospitality will be led to join the Hospitality Teams on Sundays and use the talents God has given them to edify the body. This includes our Greeters, Tram Drivers, Coffee Bar helpers, merchandise store, mid-week preparations, and our event Blue Shirt Team. Each of these teams are vital to creating the best experience possible for our people and guests.

• Pray for our current and faithful Hospitality Team volunteers. It takes an army on Sunday mornings, as well as throughout the week, and we are so grateful for those who help us make a huge impact week after week with the Gospel. Pray that they would be encouraged in their mission field on this team, and that they would continue to be energized to serve faithfully and consistently.

• With multiple campuses, we are blessed with multiple Hospitality Directors – a team that invests so much. Please pray for these Directors and their families:

o Shelly Goodmon – Fruitvale Campuso Kayla Rivera – (our NEWEST addition!) Fruitvale Campuso Julie Olson – Olive Drive Campuso Sandra Parra & Consuelo Valencia – Español/Mt. Vernon

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PrayerStation12Missions & MissionariesMatthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you

always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

P R AY F O R M I S S I O N A R I E S & C H U R C H P L A N T E R S A R O U N D T H E C O U N T R Y & W O R L D

• The Rimestads serving in Papua New Guinea • The Roberts serving in the Asia Pacific Rim • The A’s serving in Central Asia • The W’s serving in the Balkans • The Kerns serving in Central America • The Atondos serving in the Silicon Valley • Lacey Congdon serving in Texas

P R AY F O R 1 2 S H O R T -T E R M M I S S I O N T E A M S • Bogota, Colombia • Mexico City, Mexico • Managua, Nicaragua • San Salvador, El Salvador (2 different trips) • San Pedro Sula, Honduras • San Jose, Costa Rica (2 different trips) • Guatemala City, Guatemala • San Pablo, Tijaltepec, Mexico • Restricted Countries (2 different trips)

Pastors• Pray that we would walk with God daily and find our strength in the

Lord.• Pray that we would guard our hearts and live our lives above

reproach, not only publicly, but also privately.• Pray that God would equip us to lovingly lead our families, and allow

our families, even in response to failure, to be godly examples to our church family and community.

• Pray that our service for the Lord would flow out of our love for Him and that God would not let us get away with doing ministry by our power.

• Pray that we would rightly divide the Word in our teaching and that our teaching and equipping of the saints for the work of ministry would be fruitful.

• Pray that we would never lose sight of the mission Jesus gave us to make disciples of the nations and that it would be our number one priority in ministry.

• Pray that we would have wisdom as we counsel members who are in crisis.

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PrayerStationPastors' Wives & Families

• Pray for us to keep a consistent and strong daily walk with the Lord. • Pray for us as we navigate the responsibilities of being a wife, mom, grandma, and church member. Pray that they would walk with the Lord and that the pressures of being a pastor’s wife would be appropriate, not allowing unhealthy or ungodly pressure to form. Pray that God would equip them to play the role in the church that God has equipped them for, and not a role that they are unwarrantedly expected to play.

• Pray for us to use God’s wisdom as a wife, mom, and/or grandmother. • Pray for our families to stay healthy physically, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally.

• Pray for our children and grandchildren as some can have unrealistic expectations of them as pastor’s kids. Pray that each of them would be convicted of their sin, turn in faith to Jesus for their forgiveness, and fall in love with Jesus more every day for the rest of their lives.

• Pray for our children and grandchildren as we guide them through schooling challenges and/or homeschooling.

• Pray for the widowed pastors’ wives in our church body – for God to strengthen their hearts, comfort them in their grief, meet their needs, and provide them with an extra measure of wisdom, power, and protection.

• Pray for those of us who work outside the home and are trying to balance the homefront with the work schedule.

• Pray for the ministries that we serve in church. • Pray for those we mentor and/or minister to each week.

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ConfessionConfession is critical in walking with God.

In this time of confession, ask God to make your conscience tender.

The Greek word for “confess” is homologeo and it means to say the same or to agree. Scripture is also clear that God is omniscient, meaning He knows everything. When we confess our sins to God, we are telling Him what He already knows. We are agreeing with Him that we have broken His law. Keeping our sins to ourselves does not change their existence, but it does keep us from walking with Him as we should.

James 5:16 also tells us to confess our sins to one another. You should spend this time with God, but you may also want or need to confess with a brother or sister in the faith.

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PrayerStationFacilities Team

• Pray for the health and endurance of our facility team throughout the year.

• Pray for a cohesive goal amongst our team to remove all distractions on our campuses so the Gospel can be the focus.

• Pray for our volunteer facility team. We are so thankful our members are willing to serve in this way to help keep our campuses beautiful.

• Pray for more volunteers. • Pray for our vendors – that we have the opportunity to share the Gospel with those we work with on a weekly basis.

• Pray for each of our campuses – that God will use these properties to be a welcoming place for our community: Fruitvale, Olive Drive, Mt. Vernon and McKee Road.

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Safety & Security Ministry • Pray that the Lord will fill ministry volunteers with the Holy Spirit, recognizing fully that the downtrodden need Christ and Christ alone. Let the words that they speak be in love and compassion. Let our team be slow to request or take physical action but let us be quick to show the love of Christ. Help them to adore Christ, seeking to be His hands and feet in a ministry which is new and uncommon.

• Pray for a refreshing of volunteers – it can be hard to deal with the world’s problems and not become hardened.

• Pray that the ministry receives new volunteers who will seek to serve our church community with compassion, and that they bring a refreshing to the ministry.

• Pray that volunteers are protected when engaging with those who may wish to be disruptive during services or events.

A C T I O N I T E MPut together a care package for Law Enforcement Officers within our community to offer encouragement (eg: coffee/restaurant gift cards, cookies, etc). Care packages can be delivered to Valley Baptist Admin. office during the week of March 8, Attn: Matt Montana.

The packages will be delivered to local law enforcement offices on March 15, the anniversary date of missionary Karen Watson’s death while serving as an IMB missionary. Prior to IMB assignment, Karen was a longtime employee of the Kern County Sheriff’s Department.

PrayerStationMembership

• Pray for those that are potential new members to be led by the Holy Spirit to TRUST JESUS and join our church body to become a dynamic ministry force in our church and community.

• Pray for current members as they WALK WITH GOD to be engaged in attending worship services consistently, participating in a Life Group, and actively serving as they live an effective Christian life.

• Pray that disengaged members be drawn back into fellowship. • Pray for the growth and development of a Membership Team that can minister to and build relationships with our members, encouraging them to JOIN THE MISSION of Valley Baptist Church.

• As we begin the year of 2022, pray that the Lord would guide our development as we revise the New Member’s Workshop into a general information and fellowship event.

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CommunicationsEvery day, thousands are being impacted with the Gospel message straight from Valley Baptist Church. Whether that is in person or online, our Communications Team is focused on engaging our Bakersfield community and the world, online and in-person, to point them to Jesus. Our team is full of creatives that are leveraging their gifts for the Gospel – photographers, cinematographers, graphic artists, copywriters, web designers, social media managers, and more.

• Pray that God would continue using this moment in history to draw people to Himself.

• This has been one of the more daunting and fulfilling seasons for our Communications Team. Pray that they would maintain the energy to keep pushing the Gospel message forward through our online and in-person mediums.

P R AY F O R T H E M E M B E R S O F O U R T E A M • Lynn Bradshaw – Director of Communications • Allyson Heath – Associate Director of Communications • Michael Valdez – Lead Graphic Artist • Franco Castelo – Content Creator • Shannon Smith – Database Lead

PrayerStation17 Creative

Team

PrayerStationMusic Ministry & AVL (Audio/Visual/Lights)

Please pray for our Music Ministry leaders, that God would give us wisdom and guidance in the coming year as we continue to serve our church family and our own families. (1 Thessalonians 1:2-4)

• Hillberg Family–Matthan (Worship Pastor), Diala, Vonn, Nora, and Luca • Weinmann Family–Jonathan (Music Director), Mishael, Jordan, Jonathan,

Josiah, and Jasper • Neal Family–Kevin, Charlin (Vocal Director), Katelin, Kaydin, and Kennedy • Caffee Family–Birch (Audio Director) and Heather • Harriss Family–Jay (Associate Audio Director), Heidi, Israel, Isaiah,

Matthew, and Leahannah • Gross Family–Ken (ODC Hymn Service Worship Leader) and Brenda • Biller Family–John (Orchestra Director) and Peggy • Giurlani Family–Andrew, Dina (Music Ministry Admin. Assistant), and

Grayson • Thomas Family–Wayne, LeAnn (Kids’ Worship Choir Director), Lauren,

Eryn, and Hannah • Maddox Family–Dennis, Pinky, Samantha, and Josh (Music Ministry Intern)

P R AY F O R C R E AT I V I T YPray for our creative God (Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning, God created...”) to give us creativity and passion as we continue to work towards fresh and meaningful ways to express our worship to the Lord through this season, both personally and corporately.

P R AY F O R O U R V O L U N T E E R SPray for our musicians and vocalists. Pray that God would use the gifts and talents He has given them to bring glory to His name as they serve His people. (Psalm 115:1)

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Team

Broadcast Ministry

• Pray for our broadcasts that go out beyond our walls. Pray for the hearts of people in places we will never know who might be reached by them.

• Pray that our staff and volunteers for broadcast and production would always remain diligent in excellence.

• Prayerfully consider how God could use you in this ministry – whether through volunteering, financial support, or partnering in prayer for people that need a message of grace.

• Pray that God can use us to reach the unknown person who flips a switch at a dark moment of life and discovers Christ on radio or TV.

PrayerStationWomen's Ministry

• Pray for the Gospel to be the central focus in every women’s event and ministry.

• Pray for more women to the come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and/or grow in deeper, daily relationship with Him.

• Pray for leaders to seek out discipleship opportunities and raise up those who could replace them someday.

• Pray that leaders would live by the Matthew 18 principle when conflict arises.

• Pray for the leadership team of 51 women to (continue to) be teachable, flexible, and intentional, giving abundant love and grace away.

• Pray for the upcoming Women’s Ministry mission trip to Costa Rica – that lives will be changed forever!

• Pray that each generation of women would be engaged with in truth and love.

• Pray for Women’s Ministry Director (Stephanie Crisostomo) and Administrative Assistant (Bethanie Montilepre) as they discern His will for this ministry and reaching women for Him.

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Men's Ministry • During this time in our nation’s history, pray that the men of Valley Baptist stand for truth, integrity, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

• Pray that God will use the men of our church to show His faithfulness and truth.

• Pray that God would show us how He would have us lead those He entrusts to us.

• Pray for us to stand together as men who love the Lord and who love one another.

• Pray that we would lean on God’s understanding and let us sharpen one another.

• Pray that the Lord would fill Valley Baptist with men who seek to love and obey Him.

• Pray that the new generation of men will arise and fill the walls of this church so that the Gospel can move through our lives, our families, and our city.

• Pray that a legacy of faith would start or continue through each of us.

• Pray that we would finish well.

PrayerStationLife GroupsPlease thank God for the hundreds of wonderful volunteers who lead our Life Groups! So much of what Valley Baptist is comes from God using their hard work and commitment!

P R AY F O R L I F E G R O U P L E A D E R S • That God would bless them and their families. • That God would help them to grow spiritually themselves as they seek to help others to grow.

• That God would protect them from sin, distraction, and discouragement.

• That God would give them the endurance to press on. • That God would give them the creativity and flexibility it takes to minister in these trying times.

• That they would continue to love God’s Word and gain daily insight into it.

• That God would help those volunteers who serve as teachers to teach well.

• That God would give them wisdom and compassion as they minister to hurting people within their groups.

P R AY F O R T H O S E W H O AT T E N D L I F E G R O U P S • That God would bless them and their families. • That they would build strong relationships with each other because we all need good Christian friends.

• That they would be committed to pray for each other and care for one another.

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• That they would be actively inviting new people to their Life Groups. • That they would warmly welcome all visitors. • That they would find ways to serve and lead in their Life Groups.

P R AY F O R T H O S E N O T Y E T I N A L I F E G R O U P • That they would find a Life Group to get involved in. • That God would give them a hunger to grow and be connected to other growing believers.

P R AY F O R P A S T O R S W H O L E A D A L I F E G R O U P • That they can strengthen existing groups and start even more new groups.

PrayerStationPersonal Prayer & FamilyTake some time to bring before the Lord anything and everything that is on your mind and heart.

Use the tools on the following pages to help you in your prayers.

Feel free to pray on your own, or with others.

Pray out loud or silently, however the Spirit leads.

Ignore those around you and simply focus on your time before the Lord.

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Prayer ToolsA.C.T.S.A D O R AT I O NWhen we pray, our minds and hearts should be in the proper state as we approach the throne of our most holy and high King. Give Him the praise and honor He is worthy of receiving.

Psalm 145:1-7I will extol You, my God, O King,And I will bless Your name forever and ever.Every day I will bless You,And I will praise Your name forever and ever.Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised,And His greatness is unsearchable.One generation shall praise Your works to another,And shall declare Your mighty acts.On the glorious splendor of Your majestyAnd on Your wonderful works, I will meditate.Men shall speak of the power of Your awesome acts,And I will tell of Your greatness.They shall eagerly utter the memory of Your abundant goodnessAnd will shout joyfully of Your righteousness.

A.C.T.S. (cont.)

C O N F E S S I O NBe honest with yourself and God. He already knows all we have ever done and will do. Unconfessed sin inhibits our intimacy with God. Humble yourself and give Him everything. Ask Him to restore you.

Psalm 51:1-4, 10-12Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness;According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.Wash me thoroughly from my iniquityAnd cleanse me from my sin.For I know my transgressions,And my sin is ever before me.Against You, You only, I have sinnedAnd done what is evil in Your sight,So that You are justified when You speakAnd blameless when You judge.Create in me a clean heart, O God,And renew a steadfast spirit within me.Do not cast me away from Your presenceAnd do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.Restore to me the joy of Your salvationAnd sustain me with a willing spirit.

T H A N K S G I V I N GThe Lord has blessed us with so much – more than we can fathom. Having and displaying gratitude towards Him draws us closer and helps us walk with God.

Psalm 100Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth.Serve the Lord with gladness;Come before Him with joyful singing.Know that the Lord Himself is God;It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.Enter His gates with thanksgivingAnd His courts with praise.Give thanks to Him, bless His name.For the Lord is good;His lovingkindness is everlastingAnd His faithfulness to all generations.

A.C.T.S. (cont.)

S U P P L I C AT I O NThis is where we ask the Lord to supply our needs. We can ask for anything and everything, with boldness, according to His will.

1 John 5:14-15This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.

Hebrews 4:16Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Pray the PsalmsThere are times when we want to pray to our Lord, but we cannot find the right words. God has provided His perfect Word and we can use it in our prayers back to Him.

• P S A L M S O F L A M E N T: expressing our need for His rescue: 3-7; 12; 13; 22; 25-28; 35; 38-40; 42-44; 51; 54-57; 59-61; 63; 64; 69-71; 74; 79; 80; 83; 85; 86; 88; 90; 102; 109; 120; 123; 130; 140-143 • P S A L M S O F T H A N K S G I V I N G : awareness of God’s provision and blessing and expressions of gratitude: 8; 18; 19; 29; 30; 32-34; 36; 40; 41; 66; 103-106; 111; 113; 116; 117; 124; 129; 135; 136; 138; 139; 146-148; 150 • P S A L M S O F E N T H R O N E M E N T: declarations of God’s sovereignty: 47; 93; 96-99 • P S A L M S O F P I L G R I M A G E : preparing for worship: 43; 46; 48; 76; 84; 87; 120-134 • P S A L M S O F R O YA LT Y: reverence toward God as our King: 2; 18; 20; 21; 45; 72; 89; 101; 110; 132; 144 • P S A L M S O F W I S D O M : instructions in obedience: 1; 37; 119

Speak from Your HeartGod is kind and gracious. He does not require some special combination of words or incantation. We can come before Him with boldness, sharing with Him whatever is on our minds and hearts. Some things to remember:

• B E R E V E R E N T. God is holy and we are to approach Him as such. Speak to God with respect, honoring Him as Creator, Lord, and Savior. • B E A P P R O P R I AT E . We cannot ask God for anything sinful or opposed to His will and expect that He will grant our request. But we can pray according to His nature and character, and trust that He will always do what is best. • B E H U M B L E . Do not come to God with a proud heart, demanding He submit to you and your will. Humble yourself, like a subject kneeling before a king, and magnify God. • B E H O N E S T. God cannot be fooled by crafty speech or omission of fact. • B E L I K E T H E TA X C O L L E C T O R in Luke 18, “standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’” This man approached God with a proper heart and attitude, and in complete dependence.