Prayer Service // 7.13.25

Good morning. Welcome to this prayer service

that we have the privilege of of joining in on.

My name is Pastor Steve, and I'm going to open this up with

prayer from Revelation 48. I've always wanted to be up here

and talk about the Book of Revelation, but I'll keep my

comments to the word of God because we all have our

opinions. But I do want to point out that

this whole platform and stage and all this ambiance was set up

so that we could envision a Star Wars type environment where they

go into the farthest reaches of the Galaxy.

Well, Lieutenant Sora, on the first day of this this vacation,

Bible school, WrestleMania. Thank you, Steve.

She stayed at that console and foolishly took us to the

furthest ends of the universe, put everybody at risk at Mach 10

or warped in, whatever that was, and then they had to fight their

way back. Well, that's an imagination.

This is real. The apostle John was transported

up into the heavens and God opened up the veil to let him

see what we will see in the future.

So let me read this revelation 4/8 through 11.

And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings are

are full of eyes all around. And within the day and night

they never cease to say, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God

Almighty, who was and is and is to come.

And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor

and thanks to Him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever

and ever, the 24 elders fall down before him who is seated on

the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever.

They cast their crowns before the throne saying worthy are you

our Lord, our Lord and God to receive glory and honor and

power for your created all. You created all things and by

your will they existed and were created.

And here's the interesting part. He created us and we are the

only ones he created in his image.

So if you would like, as I go through this prayer, you could

stand, you could worship. The whole goal is to bring you

to the throne where the elders were able to see, where John was

able to witness that we will someday witness.

So as I pray, feel free to call out to him.

Feel free to enjoin me in prayer as I pause.

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty who, who was and is and

is to come. And Father, as we stand before

you in this sanctuary, yes, many times we call this an

auditorium. It's a skit place.

But today this is a sanctuary representing the fact that we

are before your throne as your people.

Oh Lord our God, we gather today not merely to ask, but first to

adore. You are the beginning, the

Alpha, Omega, and the beginning and the end.

You existed before time began, and you will reign when time is

no more. You are wholly beyond

comprehension, perfect in purity, unmatched in majesty.

As the living creatures and elders fall before you, before

your throne, so we bow our hearts before you.

We echo the song of heaven. Worthy are you, our Lord and

God, to receive glory and honour and power.

For you created all things, and by Your will they existed and

were created. Oh Holy Father, we just

recognize the fact that You are the Creator and we are the

created. Let Your creation honor you and

worship You, and not only that but enlighten you before others.

Lord, You are not only powerful, you are personal.

You know us, You see us, You search us and understand every

thought from afar. And in Psalms 139 you say, you

hem me in behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me.

It is high, I cannot attain it. And again we are in awe of you,

Lord, for your Majesty, you are the Sovereign King who set the

stars in place, and yet you draw near to us in love and mercy.

You are great and greatly to be praised.

We exalt you today not for what you give, but for who You are.

Lord, it's hard for us to even imagine who You are and what

You've given us, but that we do exalt You in humble obedience.

We marvel at Your holiness. We stand in awe of Your power.

We are overwhelmed by your goodness.

Lord, let us let worship rise in this place like instance before

your throne. Let every heart here be caught

up in wonder and reverence and we and we.

And as we prepare for the harvest you're bringing today,

remind us you alone are the one who saves, and you are the

author of salvation, and you are the Lamb who was slain and the

lion who reigns. So we cast our crowns, our

pride, our plans, our preferences before you.

You are worthy of it. All.

Glory and honor and praise belong to you forever and ever.

In Jesus holy name we pray, Amen and Amen, Amen.

Isn't the Lord faithful man? I am just in awe of this week in

particular, Man, we we're broken, we're lost.

As a people, especially in this community, you get to see what

the schemes of the devil, what the temptations of the world

looks like in the lives of our community.

And if there is an example of the tangible grace of God, I see

it this week. I see so many kids, so many

parents, so many friends that come in here broken and lost in

the hope of the gospel is preached to their heart when

there's nothing left. Money won't do it.

Status won't do it. Even relationships won't do it.

Jesus enters that space and he says that place in your heart

that has kept you up at night, that thing that is missing is

me. And although we don't seek and

we're the rebel and we want nothing to do with him, He

pursues us. He's got long legs.

He is a faithful God. So we are going to have a prayer

of thankfulness to God's faithfulness today.

So if you would pray with me, Lord, our hearts are humbled

that we were so far off and that we were not seeking, we were not

desiring to find you. Yet you found us.

Heavenly Father, we thank you because you are faithful.

We praise your name for the mission and the work here at

Resurrection Church and that we get to labor with you.

Got our prayer this morning for our community, for our children,

for the children of this community.

And the parents would be that your spirit would be poured out

of fresh and that they would experience you.

We pray that you would be in every ministry, in every

gathering, in every soul who walks through these doors.

God, that Your word would go forth in power and would turn

hearts of stone to hearts of flesh and let lives be

transformed for your glory. God, we thank you for this local

community of Resurrection Church.

God, we pray that you would strengthen our pastors, our

leaders, our volunteers, our laypeople.

That you would give us wisdom, vision, endurance to shepherd

this community well. That you would unite us in one

body, That we would be rooted in love above all else.

That we would see you in everything that you're doing.

And this church would be a reflection of the light of

Christ to our neighborhood. Let this place where your name

is honored give you glory. Let your presence be known, your

purposes fulfilled. God, we trust in you and you

alone. We look forward with expectation

for greater things to come. God, we thank you for planting

this church specifically, sovereignly in this community

that we can love this community well.

God, we thank you that you have sustained this church for years,

and we thank you for every soul that has been brought through

these doors, every life that has been touched by your word, and

every act of love and goodness that has flowed through this

place. God, we praise you for Wrest

Mania, for every child that has walked through these doors.

That encountered hope for the first time in their life.

They've experienced peace and purpose for the first time in

their life. Every seed of truth that you

have planted, God, we thank you for every game, every craft,

every lesson that was taught and that we see you in all of it.

God, we praise you for the volunteers of WrestleMania, the

leaders, the families who gave their time, their energy, their

resources to serve you and your kingdom's purposes.

May you grow them abundantly. And God, we are especially

grateful for your faithfulness shown in the lives that were

changed. Those who have come to know

Jesus and will come to know Jesus here in a few hours.

Those who have felt seen and valued for the first time in

their life. Those who have found joy in your

presence. May those seeds planted continue

to grow and bear fruit for your Kingdom.

Let this just be the beginning of the great work that you are

doing in our community. And God, we lift up the gospel

that will be preached. What a burden it is to share the

gospel. What a heavyweight.

Yet you entrust us with this. And we know, God, that before we

ever speak a word, that you are already at work softening

hearts, opening minds to receive your truth.

And we pray that it would be received.

Lord, we praise you for the quiet ways that you have been

moving in conversations and circumstances, even in the pain

of this community, to draw people closer to yourself.

We praise You. Lord, we thank you for every

heart that is being made ready to receive.

And God, we thank you for the privilege of being a part of

your redemptive work. We acknowledge that salvation

belongs to you and you alone, and yet you graciously invite us

to join in on your mission. Father, lastly, may your Holy

Spirit continue to move powerfully in this church in

this moment, in the 11:00 service, when all of the

families and kids are here, may it move powerfully.

Let every word be spoken, be saturated with grace and truth.

Let hearts be stirred, eyes open, and life change forever,

not because of our efforts, but because of your glory and

goodness. And it's in Jesus name we pray.

Amen. How y'all doing?

We're making it. Yeah.

We're doing good. All right, a little, little

participation before we move on. Everyone look to your right and

tell the person sitting there, man, I'm glad you're here today.

Now turn to your left. Turn to your left and say no,

I'm glad you're here today. I get the opportunity to lead us

in prayer for other churches today for their ministry.

How many of you guys have been a part of at least one church?

1 local church. Just so you know, you're here.

So everyone's hand should be raised.

Just say more than more than two, More than three.

I've been a part of four. You can put your hands down.

I've been a part of four local churches and each one of those

churches in their unique way, discipled me into the person I

am today. The first church I was basically

born into my I was born and then my parents took me to church the

next day. I think I've been a part of a

local church my whole life, but what that church taught me to

the age of 5 was church is big and God is real.

So the the very first church I was a part of, that's what it

taught me. The second church was it taught

me God's word is truth and God works all things for the good

for those who love the Lord. That's what the second church

taught me. Third church taught me is God's

love is radical. And those fourth church has

taught me God is in control even when the world around us is

falling apart. Without those truths impacting

me, I don't know where I would be today.

And we thank God for all of the local churches and how they're

equipping and shaping God's people.

So join me in prayer as we lift up other churches around us.

And may the Lord make you increase, and it bound in love

for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that He may

establish your hearts blameless in holiness before God and

Father at the coming of the Lord Jesus with all his Saints.

And beloved, I pray that all may go well with you, and that you

may be in good health as it goes well with your soul.

For I rejoice greatly when the brothers came and testified to

your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth.

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are

walking in the truth. Father God, Lord, thank you for

your system. You know I love systems.

I love to understand how things work, God.

And the way that your body works is amazing.

God, all these churches that are not in competition but are in

unity, God, around your word, around your truth, around your,

your son, God, we just thank you for those.

God, we thank you for working together in unity with other

churches. God, we thank you for bodies of

believers coming together to making a bigger impact than we

could ever make by ourselves. God, or today I want to lift up

a church in Yuba City, God Adventure Church.

They recently had their largest kid camp ever with 400 kids that

came with over 100 that received Christ for the first time.

God, God, we thank you for that impact.

We thank you for that church and God.

Now they're on the missions field. 2 weeks ago they had a

kids camp and this week they're in a foreign country.

God, thank you for the impact that that church is making in

Yuba City and throughout the world.

God, God, thank you for Fellowship Baptist Church here

in Bakersfield. God, they recently had their

kids camp and they're reaching people that are so far from you

and they're so different from from who they are.

God, But because of your love and the love of Fellowship

Baptist Church God, people are meeting Christ for the first

time. People from the sick religion

God are meeting you for the first time, God, and we thank

you for that, Father God. Lord, I just ask you for your

blessings on the other churches here in Bakersfield, God for

Niles St. Southern First Southern Baptist

Church, God, I pray for them as they're struggling.

God, I pray for a fresh wind and a fresh fire, God, where they

can pursue you, they can go into their community that's so far

from you, God, and they can make an impact on Lord, I pray for

unity. God is pray for that.

All of our churches, all of your churches, God will preach the

gospel boldly. God in unity will preach the

truth. God in unity that we can be more

about what we're for and less about what we're against.

God, Lord, I pray for families here in Bakersfield, the lost,

the ones that are in the dark places.

God, I pray that a local church will reach out.

We'll love on them God, and we'll be able to show them the

gospel, teach them the gospel, and allow them to receive the

gospel. God, Lord, God, I pray that

because of the local churches here in Bakersfield, Bakersfield

will start to look different, will start to sound different,

will start to feel different. We'll start to love, we'll find

hope again, we'll find joy again because of local churches

preaching the truth, preaching the gospel, and preaching about

a good godfather. God, Lord, we thank you for all

of these things. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

OK guys, this is where I want everybody to stand up.

Anybody that can stand up, stand up, roll, roll your shoulders

back a little bit and shake out your arms like this, like this.

Last week I saw Pastor Daniel doing that.

I go, this guy's a psycho man. He's over here getting ready to

preach and he's doing this, He's getting all ready.

But he's it's like he's going into battle, right?

OK, you guys can have a seat. You can have a seat.

OK? He's going in about there's a

battle for souls, right? It happens all the time.

Satan wants them, God wants them.

But I just want to tell you. God loves you, the pastors and

the elders of Resurrection Church love you.

We're called to oversee, to shepherd, to equip Saints and a

hyper focus in the last couple years for us has been out of

Acts 6/4 is to be devoted to prayer and ministry of the word.

Everything that we do is driven by the great commandment, which

is to love the Lord our God with all our heart and soul mind to

love others and also the Great Commission to go ye there for

making disciples of all nations and baptizing them.

That's our goal. And we have an incredible

opportunity today with people coming into this House of

worship that might not normally come and they're going to hear

the gospel presented. Maybe it's for the first time.

And as Sean was saying, there's that void in their heart.

There's something missing. They don't know what it is and

they they'll hear today we pray that the Holy Spirit works in

their lives and lives are transformed.

And it's times like these. I wish I would have written

something down right, because I've been thinking about this

for a week. But I, I want to pray for broken

homes, for hurting families, want to get to that.

But it's, it's if you think about your sphere of influence,

you think about the people around you.

There's a lot of people that you know that are hurting.

There's a lot of people that you know, they're part of a broken

family. There's a lot of there's a lot

of families without dads. But we have a heavenly Father

who loves us and has a plan for our lives.

And we have the opportunity to to share that good news today.

So I want to pray. We're going to go to the

Scriptures in Psalm. Father of the fatherless and

protector of widows is God. In his holy habitation.

God settles the solitary in a home.

He leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious

dwell in a parched land. The thief comes to kill, steal

and destroy. Jesus came that we may have life

and have it more abundantly or to the full additional

scriptures we talked about Isaiah comfort for the broken

hearted as well as Psalms 147 talks about broken hearted.

Matthew 11/28/30. This is the verse for all of you

volunteers this week. Come to me all who are weary.

It's been a long week, but there's a payday coming.

It's a great day. I just, I think about the single

parents struggling to provide and guide for their families,

how difficult that is juggling a job, family and everything that

goes on in their lives. Think about children from broken

or unstable homes and just this sanctuary is truly a place of

sanctuary for them this week when they're here, they know

they're loved, they're taken care of.

Talk about families facing financial hardships.

It's, it's happening all around us, right?

3 generations in the same household.

It's a tough time we're in those dealing with addiction, abuse

and abandonment. So our fervent prayer, let's go

into prayer right now. Our fervent prayer is for you,

God, that you would use this day to bring hope and healing to a

broken and hurting world to families that are just feel like

I I don't know if I can even get through this week through this

day, through this hour. Dear Lord, I pray that you just

bring them peace, comfort, wisdom, everything they need to

have the joy and the peace that comes only from you, that they

know that they know that they know that they have peace, joy

and everlasting and there's no condemnation for them.

We lift this this service up to you later, dear Lord, that you'd

lead, guide and direct that you, the Holy Spirit, works in the

lives of your people for an incredible harvest.

We just love you and praise you and to you goes all the glory

for all that we do. We pray these things in Jesus

name and for his sake. Amen.

Amen. All right, if you are a dad in

the room, stand up. Come on.

Let me tell you what studies say in our culture right now, if the

Father in the home comes to Christ, there is a 91% chance

that those kids will follow Christ.

Amen. If the dad does not, only one in

50 children will follow Christ. You matter, gentlemen.

The way you pursue Christ matters.

The way you steward your home matters.

Your personal confession and repentance and pursuit of Christ

matters. In fact, there's not a single

factor that is a higher probability that your home will

follow Christ other than how you follow Christ.

It's not the school you put them in.

It's not the church you go to. It's not the youth ministry

they're part of. It's how you pursue Christ

authentically, both in the private places where you think

no one's watching. They are in the home and in the

public space. You matter Father God, will you

chase these men? Will you protect these men?

Will you inspire them? Will you convict them?

And will you encourage them and help them to lead while they

follow you in Jesus name, Amen. You may sit down in Matthew says

this about Jesus. When Jesus saw the crowds, he

had compassion for them because they were harassed and helpless

like sheep without a shepherd. And then he said to his

disciples, the harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are

few. Therefore pray earnestly to the

Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into His harvest.

By one statistic that I read recently, 92% of Kern County is

lost, 8% is saved. I'm not talking about who goes

to church, I'm talking about who knows Jesus.

Because there are people sitting in churches all over this county

that don't know Jesus. They know church, they know

religion, they know how to put on church clothes, but they

don't know Christ personally. 92% you no longer have to go to

Romania or Africa to find lost people.

Walk out your front door. They're all around us.

The harvest is plentiful. This is what Jesus came for.

He said this in Luke 19. He said for the Son of Man came

to seek and save the lost. Jesus came for people like you

and I people who are far from him, people who wanted nothing

to do with him, people that never thought of themselves as

Christian or maybe thought of themselves as good enough and

not needing Christ and he came for us anyways.

In fact the Bible says in second Peter the Lord is not slow to

fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but he is

patient towards you, not wishing that any should perish but that

all should reach repentance. I saw someone say recently why

doesn't God just remove all of the evil from the world and

someone else responded, well it's a good thing he didn't

because then he would remove you and I.

He is slow to anger. In Romans 1013 through 15 the

Bible says this for everyone who calls in the name of the Lord

will be saved. How then will they call on him

in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in

him whom they have not heard? And how are they to hear without

someone preaching? And how are they to preach

unless they are sent as it is written?

How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news.

That's what we're going to do today.

I'm going to preach the good news.

I want you to pray with me today for the salvation of the people

that are coming in these doors. In a few moments, that God would

soften an open hearts to his message that the presentation of

the gospel be clear and articulate, and the Holy Spirit

would allow that message to sink in and take root.

And that those families would come back and allow themselves

to be discipled as part of the community of Christ.

Pray with me, Father God, we beg earnestly that you would move

mightily in this place today, that people who are far from you

would come, that they would hear the message, that they would

receive it, they would be implanted God, and that they

would return to allow discipleship to occur.

That they would join into a community of faith.

God that is following you, that is worshipping you.

God that is raised from death to life.

We desire men and women and kids to be saved, and we can't do it.

We are powerless. We are unqualified, we haven't

earned it, and we don't deserve it.

But God, being rich in mercy, you have lavished upon us every

heavenly gift, rich riches upon riches.

And Father God, we pray for those coming today that you

would save them. We pray to God that you would

change the trajectory of homes all over this neighborhood, the

dysfunctional home, the single parent home, the home in poverty

or in dysfunction or in disarray.

God that you would enter these homes and give them hope.

By this we know love that He laid down His life for us, and

we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

And if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in

need, he closes his heart against him.

How does God's love abide in him?

Little children, let us not love in Word or talk, but in deed and

in truth. Jesus name, Amen.

All right, will you stand with me?

We're going to do a, we're going to close with a little

responsive reading. You've got a part to play in

this, just like you have a part to play in an hour or so when

people start coming in these doors.

I'm going to read Psalm 118 and your job, it's very easy, is to

say his steadfast love endures forever.

Try it once. Go ahead.

It's almost like you knew. All right.

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.

Let those who fear the Lord say Out of my distress I called on

the Lord, and the Lord answered me and set me free.

The Lord is on my side and I will not fear.

What can man do to me? The Lord is on my side as my

helper. I shall look in triumph on those

who hate me. It is better to take refuge in

the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in

the Lord than to trust in Princess.

Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter

through them and give thanks to the Lord.

Save us, we pray, O Lord, O Lord, we pray.

Give us success. You are my God and I will give

thanks to you. You are my God.

I will extol you. O give thanks to the Lord, for

he is good. Steadfast love endures forever.

If you're willing, will you extend your hands as we close in

prayer? Father God, I give you praise

and honour and glory that we ask for revival to start with us.

God, in a state known for wildfires, would you start a

different kind of fire? Would you start a revival fire?

When you start that in our hearts and in our lives, in our

private lives, in our prayer life, in the way we cling to our

Bible, in the way we desperately seek you, God, in the way we die

to ourselves daily to pick up our cross and follow you, God,

would you start that in US? God, would you give us a mind

and a heart and eyes for others to consider others more than we

consider ourselves? God, would you help us to have a

heart that serves other people? And God, will you use us and

what meager talents and gifts we have to spread the good news

now. We pray that you move in this

place today and God I pray for this people, your people whom

you have saved, that as they go out to the 11 O clock service

and to the barbecue and on Monday to work and on Tuesday as

they care for their families and their children and their

neighborhoods. God, I pray that you protect

them. God, you have commissioned them,

you have called them, you have gifted them, you have equipped

them, and Father God will you now encourage them, lift them up

and give them endurance. May you shine your face upon

them in Jesus name. And all God's people said Amen.

Amen. All right, we got one hour.

I'll see you at 11 and then I'll see you to eat some hot dogs.

We love you.