Start Here: Seven Mountains of Prayer
Bible passage: Matthew 5:13–16; Jeremiah 29:7; Matthew 6:9–10
Seven Days, Seven Mountains
Thank you for joining our 7 Days of Prayer and Fasting as we approach Easter 2020. From Friday 3rd to Thursday 9th of April we are going to pray for our nation, taking one area of its life each day.
These are extraordinary weeks. Church buildings across the country are closed and most of us are at home. We cannot meet as we normally would. But prayer has not been shut down, and there has rarely been a better time to pray for our land.
Jesus told His followers, “You are the light of the world.” Matthew 5:14 (NLT)
He compared them to a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden, and He called them the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13). God’s people are meant to make a difference to the world around them. That difference begins in prayer.
What We Will Pray For
Seven Areas That Shape a Nation
People sometimes speak of seven “mountains”. They mean seven areas of life that shape how a whole society thinks and lives. Each day we will climb one of them in prayer.
Day 1: Faith. The church and the spiritual life of our nation.
Day 2: Media. News, broadcasting and the internet.
Day 3: Education. Schools, colleges, teachers and students.
Day 4: Government. Those who lead us, nationally and locally.
Day 5: Business. Work, money and the economy.
Day 6: Arts and entertainment. Music, film, sport and culture.
Day 7: Family. Marriages, parents, children and homes.
Why Pray Like This?
When God’s people were living in a foreign city, He told them to work for its peace and prosperity and to pray for it, because its welfare would decide their own (Jeremiah 29:7). And Jesus taught us to pray that our Father’s Kingdom would come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10).
We are not praying for Christians to take control of anything. We are asking God to make His goodness known in every part of our national life, and to send His people into each of those places as servants, as salt and as light.
One more thing. Paul reminds us that we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies (Ephesians 6:12). So this week we will pray for people, and never against them.
How to Use These Guides
Each Day
Every guide gives you a Bible passage, a short reflection, a list of prayer points and a prayer. Read the passage first. Then take the prayer points one at a time and pray each one through in your own words. Keep a notebook beside you and write down what God says.
Ways to Fast This Week
We fast to clear some room for God. Going without reminds us that we need Him more than anything else.
Liquids only. For one meal, one day or longer.
Certain foods. Going without meat, sweets and bread, for example.
Part of the day. Eating nothing between set hours, such as sunrise to sunset.
Something other than food. Laying down social media, television or another habit.
A note on health: if you have a medical condition, are pregnant or are unsure whether a food fast is safe for you, please speak to your doctor first or choose a non-food fast.
Fasting does not earn us anything from God. It is something we get to do, not something we have got to do.
For the King and the Kingdom,
Pastor Ras
Prayer for Today:
Father, thank You that nothing can shut the door of prayer. As I set aside these seven days, give me Your heart for our nation. Teach me to pray for the church, for the media, for our schools, for those who govern, for the world of work, for the arts and for our families. May Your Kingdom come and Your will be done, here as in heaven. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Keep going
See every day of this guide on our Prayer & Fasting page.
Let us pray with you: send a prayer request.
Join one of our prayer meetings.
