In this Issue:

Easter Prayer Time

Ministry News - Please take the survey, First Spiritual Awakening Conference

Things you can do to help

Newsletter Special - Free Shipping on book combo

Free Helps for prayer leaders

Easter Prayer Time

Can be used with small groups or at the heart of worship

Guiding the prayer time:

If this is the first time you’ve led a guided prayer time;

• read over sections 1 and 3 in Prayer Guide – A Manual for Leading Prayer;
• listen to a guided prayer time on my web site, DVD, or CD;
• and then practice reading this one out loud.

Feel free to copy it into your word processor and edit it however you want. If you have led this type of prayer time before, use your own words and just follow the outline.

If you’re leading a worship service; you might ask for instrumental music to be played very softly in the background. This background music should not have a recognizable melody. Some musicians can play beautiful chord progressions that work well. Others will find it easier to play the chords of an unfamiliar hymn or song. The prayer time should come at the heart of worship with at least one song before it and one after. Try to eliminate ‘dead time’ before and after the prayer time. Click here for more help or see Appendix 2 in the back of the Prayer Guide book.

• As you lead the prayer time - [Don’t read the instructions in brackets]
• As you read the scriptural meditation - emphasize the words in bold.
• As printed, the prayer time takes about 7 minutes.

[Introduction]

“Please bow your heads and close your eyes. For the next few minutes let’s give our attention to the Lord Jesus Christ who’s death and resurrection changed our lives and gives us hope every moment of every day.

“In a minute, we’ll all pray silently, but first, listen to this First Peter 1:3.

[Meditation:]

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, [1 Peter 1:3 NIV]

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

…He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

[Visualization]

“With your eyes closed, imagine the garden where Jesus was buried. It’s beautiful even in the dim light of early morning. The Roman soldiers guarding the tomb are agitated because they've been told that this is the day the followers of Jesus are likely to attempt to steal his dead body - and what better time to attack than just before dawn. Swords are drawn – spears at the ready.

“The air grows stagnate. The ground trembles. Lightning flashes, but instead of thunder; the earth groans and heaves. The trees shudder and bow. The whole garden is lifted and dropped again and again. Great stones split and explode with a deafening roar.

“The soldiers are thrown to the ground, but as they scramble for their weapons; the earth falls silent. All that’s left of this horror is the silent lightning. When they jump to their feet, they are facing a warrior like none they've ever imagined.

“He's surrounded by light so dazzling it defies words. Perhaps not light at all but the essence of glory. He’s easily the mass of three soldiers and hovers several feet off the ground. A gleaming sword is in one hand and a golden shield in the other.

“There is no battle. The soldiers faint in terror. The angel sheathes his sword and moves to the tomb. He settles to the ground by the great stone that covers the entrance to the tomb. He falls to his knees and brushes it aside. He waits - head bowed - arms outstretched.

[wait 2 seconds]

“From within the tomb a nail pierced hand extends and touches the angle’s outstretched arm.

[wait 3 seconds]

“Hope. What greater picture of hope than that nail pierced hand extended from the very shadows of death?

[Suggestion]

“With your head still bowed and eyes closed, imagine that you approach the tomb just as Jesus Christ steps out. You fall on your knees and join the angel in worship of the savior. What will you say?

[wait 2 seconds]

“It was your sinfulness that put Him in the tomb – so I suggest that you humbly confess your sins. No excuses. Be humble before Him now.

[wait 10 seconds]

“Imagine that those sins are a bundle of guilt in your hands. Jesus reaches down, takes that horrible mess in His nail scarred hands and throws it into the darkness of the empty tomb.

[wait 3 seconds]

“Then He takes your hands in His and the stains of sin are instantly gone. He lifts you up and you stand before Him.

[wait 2 seconds]

“Thank Him silently now for this forgiveness.

[wait 3 seconds]

“Thank Him for dying on the cross for you.

[wait 3 seconds]

“Thank Him for enduring the tomb for you.

[wait 3 seconds]

“Thank Him for the hope of eternal life.

[wait 3 seconds]

“Thank Him that you no longer have to fear the shadow of death.

[wait 3 seconds]

“Now imagine that you and Jesus begin to walk away from the tomb. Jesus asks you about your friends and family that have not yet experienced His forgiveness.

[wait 2 seconds]

“Pray silently now for several people you know that don’t have the joy of the Lord in their lives. Ask Jesus to help you share that joy with them.

[wait 10 seconds]

“Now pray for the person to your left and right - whether you know them or not. Pray that God will bless them today.

[wait 4 seconds]

[Benediction]

Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. [Heb 13:20-21 NKJV]

Items from our store to help your prayer life and ministry:

New Ministry Brochure

Prayer Guide eBook

The Prayer Guide book that you can download to your computer or electronic reading device.

$4.95 (no S&H)

Click Here for more information.

Conference CD Set

This CD-Set has the Five main sessions of the Journey Into the Presence of God Conference of Prayer, plus five prayer times. Click here to go to our store.

Conference on DVD

Here's everything you need to help your congregation or small group experience prayer that encounters God.

DVD Viewing Guide

This is the Viewing Guide that comes with the prayer conference DVD Kit on sale below. It walks you through the preparations and presentation of the video conference in your church or small group.

Click Here to see all sixteen pages of the DVD Viewing Guide.

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Ministry news:

Please take the Survey

I'm conducting a survey to determine the long term effects of the Journey Into the Presence of God conference of prayer. It's very important for promoting the conference to pastors who are not familiar with this ministry. Please, if you participated in The Journey Into the Presence of God conference of prayer more than a year ago (and have not yet taken the survey); please click here.

New requirement for congregational approval

From our involvement in Lay Renewal; I've been reminded of the great difference it makes when a large percentage of the congregation is involved in preparations for an event. To that end, we’re now asking congregations to approve a Conference Request Form in which they make a commitment to preparation. Click here to see the form.

Report on first Spiritual Awakening conference

This is a God thing. The pastor, Dr. T.O. Spicer, was especially excited about the movement of the Holy Spirit to bring about situations and resulting decisions that had nothing to do with our actions. It was well attended and I was surprised that several folks said they got more from this conference than the first. I think that’s because this has more emphasis on personal and family issues. Here are the session titles:

• Hearing God Speak
• Jesus Prayer
• Real Prayer Ministry
• Praying With Purpose
• Praying Down Strongholds

We hope to be ready to start promoting this soon. The conference is ready but we’ve still got to produce some materials and mail-outs. The title is going to be: Spiritual Awakening – Prayer in the Real World.

The Praying With Purpose sermon that I preach on Sunday morning of the Awakening Conference is one I’ve been preaching as part of the Prayer Revival for some time. I conclude it with a 10-10-10 Challenge to family devotions. Here’s a testimony forwarded to me by a pastor:

Pastor,

I just wanted to update you because we have had such wonderful family devotions and prayer times ever since the Prayer ...Weekend!

This had been a burden of mine for many years. We have never had family devotions and I longed for that. We would occasionally read a scripture or two and we always pray before meals but that has been it!

My husband decided that it really was his responsibility as the spiritual leader and we have only missed a day or so in the past 2 weeks. We have had beautiful family prayers together! We have read scriptures and devotions. We have had great family discussions about what God is doing in our lives, about what the scripture is telling us, about church, about relationships, about friendships, about school, about finances, about health, etc.......

I believe we are closer, as a family, than we have ever been in our lives. God is so good and faithful. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful husband and family.

I just want you to know how thankful I am for the prayer weekend. It was just what we needed to "wake" us up. I will never forget it and we will never go back to not having family time!

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Spiritual Awakening -

Prayer in the real world

Things you can do to help us:

1. Pray for us regularly.
2. Go to Amazon.com and write a 'review' of the Prayer Guide book.
3. Forward this newsletter to every servant of Christ you know.
4. Click here and give us your up-to-date email address.
5. Put us in your address book and notify us when you add/change your email addresses.
6. Bookmark our web site in your browser. - www.leadingprayer.com

Newsletter Special

Prayer of Jesus Journal

Through this 7-week experience, Ken Hemphill, author of the best-selling book The Prayer of Jesus, offers you his daily insight and encouragement, as well as Scriptures and journaling questions to help you keep the Lord's Prayer top-of-mind all the time. Click here for more information.

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Please forward this email to every praying person you know.

Prayer Conference Promotional Videos

The Journey Into the Presence of God conference of prayer is so unique that many struggle to understand what it is. If you're considering hosting the conference or purchasing the DVD Set; the following videos should help.

1. Click here to view the one minute publicity video suitable for promotions during a worship service
2. Click here to view the seven minute preview of the conference that's great for showing to church leadership.
3. Click here to view the seven minute explanation of the conference by Lowell Snow.

These are the videos from the Promo DVD which is available at the web site and comes with the DVD Set.