PRAYER GUIDE FOR BOW VALLEY BAPTIST CHURCH

Please use this prayer guide until God unmistakably provides Bow Valley

Baptist with the pastor that He has chosen to lead His people.

DAY 1

Scripture Reading:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own

understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make

straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

Prayer Prompts: Pray for our church to wholeheartedly trust the Lord

while searching for a pastor.

Pray that God will raise up Christ-centred leaders to serve on the pastor

search team.

DAY 2

Scripture Reading:

“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who

holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven

golden lampstands. “‘I know your works, your toil and your patient

endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have

tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found

them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for

my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this

against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.

Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the

works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your

lampstand from its place, unless you repent. Yet this you have: you

hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an

ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who

conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise

of God.’ Revelation 2:1-7

Prayer Prompts: Pray for the church to return to her first love, Jesus

Christ.

Pray for the church and search team to hear the Spirit clearly throughout the

pastor search process.

DAY 3

Scripture Reading:

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner

worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility

and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager

to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one

body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that

belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and

Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4:1-

6

Prayer Prompts: Pray for unity and peace in the church while searching

for a pastor.

Pray for a strong sense of unity among the search team as they review and

discuss potential pastoral candidates.

DAY 4

Scripture Reading:

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in

me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does

bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean

because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in

you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the

vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are

the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears

much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not

abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the

branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide

in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will

be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much

fruit and so prove to be my disciples.

John 15:1-8

Prayer Prompts: Pray for church members to continually abide in Christ

and produce much fruit that glorifies the Father during the interim period.

Pray for members of the search team to remain close to Christ.

DAY 5

Scripture Reading:

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If

you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have

kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I

have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may

be full. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I

have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay

down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I

command you. No longer do I call you servants,[a]for the servant

does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends,

for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to

you. John 15:9-15

Prayer Prompts: Pray for church members to abide in the love of Christ

and love one another with the love of Christ.

Pray for God to bond the church and future pastor together in love.

DAY 6

Scripture Reading:

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you

should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that

whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These

things I command you, so that you will love one another.

John 15:16-17

Prayer Prompts: Pray for a season of fruitful ministry as the church

prepares for her next pastor.

Pray for the search team to be blessed with answered prayers.

DAY 7

Scripture Reading:

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for

welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will

call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will

seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29:11-13

Prayer Prompts: Pray for the search team and the church to hope in God

and seek Him wholeheartedly with the realization that He is in control of the

church's future.

DAY 8

Scripture Reading:

Examine me, and probe my thoughts! Test me, and know my

concerns!

See if there is any idolatrous tendency in me, and lead me in the

reliable ancient path! Psalm 139:23-24

Prayer Prompts: Pray for our church family and members of the search

team to have hearts that are pure as we work through the pastor search

process.

Pray for your future pastor to maintain a pure life before God.

DAY 9

Scripture Reading:

Finally, be strengthened in the Lord and in the strength of his

power. Clothe yourselves with the full armor of God so that you may

be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. Ephesians 6:10-11

Prayer Prompts: Pray with the understanding that searching for a pastor

is primarily a spiritual process, so spiritual warfare will be present.

Pray for God's protection on the search team and the church.

DAY 10

Scripture Reading:

So you, my child, be strong in the Bow Valley that is in Christ

Jesus. And entrust what you heard me say in the presence of many

others as witnesses to faithful people who will be competent to teach

others as well. 2 Timothy 2:1-2

Prayer Prompts: Pray for your future pastor and his family to be

strengthened by the grace of Jesus Christ.

Pray that our future pastor will be a faithful disciple-maker.

DAY 11

Scripture Reading:

But if anyone is deficient in wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to

all generously and without reprimand, and it will be given to him. But

he must ask in faith without doubting, for the one who doubts is like a

wave of the sea, blown and tossed around by the wind. For that

person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the

Lord, since he is a double-minded individual, unstable in all his

ways. James 1:5-8

Prayer Prompts: Pray for the search team to seek God's wisdom as they

review resumes and prepare to contact potential pastoral candidates.

Pray for our church leaders to seek God's wisdom in the interim period.

DAY 12

Scripture Reading:

For this reason we also, from the day we heard about you, have not

ceased praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge

of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may

live worthily of the Lord and please him in all respects—bearing fruit in

every good deed, growing in the knowledge of God, being

strengthened with all power according to his glorious might for the

display of all patience and steadfastness, joyfully giving thanks to the

Father who has qualified you to share in the saints’ inheritance in the

light. Colossians 1:9-12

Prayer Prompts: Pray for your future pastor and his family to be certain

that it is God's will to transition to a new field of ministry.

Pray the Father will be glorified in the pastor search process.

DAY 13

Scripture Reading:

So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about

three thousand people were added. They were devoting themselves to

the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and

to prayer. Acts 2:41-42

Prayer Prompts: Pray for the church to reflect the elements of a healthy

church both in the interim period and when the new pastor is called

serve.(worship, discipleship, ministry, fellowship, evangelism, and prayer)

DAY 14

Scripture Reading:

“To the angel of the church in Sardis write the following:

“This is the solemn pronouncement of the one who holds the seven

spirits of God and the seven stars: ‘I know your deeds, that you have

a reputation that you are alive, but in reality you are dead. Wake up

then, and strengthen what remains that was about to die, because I

have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my

God. Therefore, remember what you received and heard, and obey it,

and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will

never know at what hour I will come against you. But you have a few

individuals in Sardis who have not stained their clothes, and they will

walk with me dressed in white, because they are worthy. The one who

conquers will be dressed like them in white clothing, and I will never

erase his name from the book of life, but will declare his name before

my Father and before his angels. The one who has an ear had better

hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ Revelation 3:1-6

Prayer Prompts: Pray for the church to be filled with life through the Holy

Spirit.

Pray for the church to be strengthened to carry out the vision God has for

her.

DAY 15

Scripture Reading:

“I give you a new commandment—to love one another. Just as I have

loved you, you also are to love one another. Everyone will know by

this that you are my disciples—if you have love for one another.”

John 13:34-35

Prayer Prompts: Pray for the search team and Bow Valley to be obedient

to Christ's command to love one another.

Pray that our Christ-like love will be seen by the world.

DAY 16

Scripture Reading:

Now to him who by the power that is working within us is able to do

far beyond all that we ask or think, to him be the glory in the church

and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Ephesians 3:20-21

Prayer Prompts: Pray the power of Christ would be known in and through

Bow Valley and that all glory would be given to Him throughout the pastor

search process.

DAY 17

Scripture Reading:

Create for me a pure heart, O God!

Renew a resolute spirit within me!

Do not reject me!

Do not take your Holy Spirit away from me!

Let me again experience the joy of your deliverance!

Sustain me by giving me the desire to obey! Psalm 51:10-12

Prayer Prompts: Pray for each member of the search team to stay close to

the Lord through hearts that are continually cleansed by Him.

Pray for your next pastor to keep a clean heart before the Lord.

DAY 18

Scripture Reading:

I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to

judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his

kingdom: 2 Preach the message, be ready whether it is convenient or

not, reprove, rebuke, exhort with complete patience and

instruction. 3 For there will be a time when people will not tolerate

sound teaching. Instead, following their own desires, they will

accumulate teachers for themselves, because they have an insatiable

curiosity to hear new things. 4 And they will turn away from hearing

the truth, but on the other hand they will turn aside to myths. 5 You,

however, be self-controlled in all things, endure hardship, do an

evangelist’s work, fulfill your ministry. 2 Timothy 4:1-5

Prayer Prompts: Pray for your future pastor to faithfully preach the Word

of God.

Pray the Lord gives Bow Valley a hunger of the Word of God and receptivity

to the sermons that are preached by the new pastor.

DAY 19

Scripture Reading:

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your

souls and will give an account for their work. Let them do this with joy

and not with complaints, for this would be no advantage for you.

Hebrews 13:17

Prayer Prompts: Pray for your future pastor to faithfully shepherd Bow

Valley and for members of our church to willingly and joyfully place

themselves under his servant leadership.

DAY 20

Scripture Reading:

I repeat, be strong and brave! Don’t be afraid and don’t panic, for I,

the Lord your God, am with you in all you do.” Joshua 1:9

Prayer Prompts: Pray for each member of the search team to have an

overwhelming sense of God's presence and guidance as they work through

the steps of the pastor search process.

DAY 21

Scripture Reading:

by making your ear attentive to wisdom,

and by turning your heart to understanding,

indeed, if you call out for discernment—

raise your voice for understanding—

if you seek it like silver, and search for it like hidden treasure,

then you will understand how to fear the Lord,

and you will discover knowledge about God.

For the Lord gives wisdom,

and from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.

Proverbs 2:2-6

Prayer Prompts: Pray for your future pastor to seek God's wisdom in

every area of life and decision making.

Pray for the search team to be attentive to the Lord's wisdom.

DAY 22

Scripture Reading:

Where do the conflicts and where do the quarrels among you come

from? Is it not from this, from your passions that battle inside

you? You desire and you do not have; you murder and envy and you

cannot obtain; you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do

not ask; you ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly, so you

can spend it on your passions. Adulterers, do you not know that

friendship with the world means hostility toward God? So whoever

decides to be the world’s friend makes himself God’s enemy. Or do

you think the scripture means nothing when it says, “The spirit that

God caused to live within us has an envious yearning”? But he gives

greater grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but he gives

grace to the humble.” So submit to God. But resist the devil and he

will flee from you. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.

Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and make your hearts pure, you

double-minded. Grieve, mourn, and weep. Turn your laughter into

mourning and your joy into despair. Humble yourselves before the

Lord and he will exalt you. Do not speak against one another, brothers

and sisters. He who speaks against a fellow believer or judges a fellow

believer speaks against the law and judges the law. But if you judge

the law, you are not a doer of the law but its judge. But there is only

one who is lawgiver and judge—the one who is able to save and

destroy. On the other hand, who are you to judge your

neighbor? James 4:1-12

Prayer Prompts: Pray for church members to humble themselves before

the Lord and seek His cleansing power in order for revival to come.

Pray for the search team to continually submit to God's will.

DAY 23

Scripture Reading:

“I am not praying only on their behalf, but also on behalf of those who

believe in me through their testimony, that they will all be one, just as

you, Father, are in me and I am in you. I pray that they will be in us,

so that the world will believe that you sent me. The glory you gave to

me I have given to them, that they may be one just as we are one— I

in them and you in me—that they may be completely one, so that the

world will know that you sent me, and you have loved them just as

you have loved me.

John 17:20-23

Prayer Prompts: Pray for Bow Valley to be unified so that the world will be

impacted with the gospel and the Father will be glorified.

Pray for the search team to be unified in their decision making.

DAY 24

Scripture Reading:

Make every effort to present yourself before God as a proven worker

who does not need to be ashamed, teaching the message of truth

accurately. 2 Timothy 2:15

Prayer Prompts: Pray for a pastor who is able to rightly divide the Word of

God.

Pray for the search team as they listen to sermons of potential pastoral

candidates.

DAY 25

Scripture Reading:

‘Call on me in prayer and I will answer you. I will show you great and

mysterious things which you still do not know about.’ Jeremiah 33:3

Prayer Prompts: Pray that a burden for deep and urgent prayer permeates

our church not only as you seek God's will for a pastor, but also as you seek

God's vision for Bow Valley.

DAY 26

Scripture Reading:

This saying is trustworthy: “If someone aspires to the office of

overseer, he desires a good work.” The overseer then must be above

reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, self-controlled,

respectable, hospitable, an able teacher, not a drunkard, not violent,

but gentle, not contentious, free from the love of money. He must

manage his own household well and keep his children in control

without losing his dignity. But if someone does not know how to

manage his own household, how will he care for the church of

God? He must not be a recent convert or he may become arrogant

and fall into the punishment that the devil will exact. And he must be

well thought of by those outside the faith, so that he may not fall into

disgrace and be caught by the devil’s trap. 1 Timothy 3:1-7

Prayer Prompts: Pray for your next pastor to be a man who exhibits

Christ-like character both publicly and privately.

Pray for your future pastor's family as they transition to a new field of

ministry.

DAY 27

Scripture Reading:

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and dearly loved, clothe

yourselves with a heart of mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and

patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if

someone happens to have a complaint against anyone else. Just as the

Lord has forgiven you, so you also forgive others. And to all these

virtues add love, which is the perfect bond. Let the peace of Christ be

in control in your heart (for you were in fact called as one body to this

peace), and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,

teaching and exhorting one another with all wisdom, singing psalms,

hymns, and spiritual songs, all with grace in your hearts to God. And

whatever you do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord

Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Colossians 3:12-17

Prayer Prompts: Pray for Bow Valley to grow in love toward one another.

Pray for unresolved conflict to be worked out and for reconciliation among

any broken relationships in the church.

DAY 28

Scripture Reading:

For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus

and your love for all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you

when I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord

Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you spiritual wisdom and

revelation in your growing knowledge of him, —since the eyes of your

heart have been enlightened—so that you may know what is the hope

of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the

saints, and what is the incomparable greatness of his power toward us

who believe, as displayed in the exercise of his immense

strength. This power he exercised in Christ when he raised him from

the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms far

above every rule and authority and power and dominion and every

name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to

come. And God put all things under Christ’s feet, and he gave him to

the church as head over all things. Now the church is his body, the

fullness of him who fills all in all. Ephesians 1:15-23

Prayer Prompts: Pray for your future pastor to grow in the wisdom and

knowledge of Christ.

Pray for Bow Valley to look to Christ as the Head of the body.

DAY 29

Scripture Reading:

“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write the following:

“This is the solemn pronouncement of the Amen, the faithful and true

witness, the originator of God’s creation: ‘I know your deeds, that you

are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot! So

because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am going to

vomit you out of my mouth! Because you say, “I am rich and have

acquired great wealth, and need nothing,” but do not realize that you

are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked, take my advice and buy

gold from me refined by fire so you can become rich! Buy from me

white clothing so you can be clothed and your shameful nakedness will

not be exposed, and buy eye salve to put on your eyes so you can

see! All those I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and

repent! Listen! I am standing at the door and knocking! If anyone

hears my voice and opens the door I will come into his home and

share a meal with him, and he with me. I will grant the one who

conquers permission to sit with me on my throne, just as I too

conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. The one who

has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

Revelation 3:14-22

Prayer Prompts: Pray for the church to fight against lukewarm spirituality.

Pray church members repent of a lukewarm spirituality and become filled

with a zeal for Jesus and His Kingdom work.

DAY 30

Scripture Reading:

Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the

sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the fresh and living way that he

inaugurated for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and

since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near

with a sincere heart in the assurance that faith brings, because we

have had our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our

bodies washed in pure water. And let us hold unwaveringly to the

hope that we confess, for the one who made the promise is

trustworthy. And let us take thought of how to spur one another on to

love and good works, not abandoning our own meetings, as some are

in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and even more so

because you see the day drawing near.

Hebrews 10:19-25

Prayer Prompts: Pray for Bow Valley to be committed to biblical worship.

Pray for the search team to be confident that they are following God's will as

they make decisions regarding our future pastor.

DAY 31

Scripture Reading:

So as your fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings and as one

who shares in the glory that will be revealed, I urge the elders among

you: Give a shepherd’s care to God’s flock among you, exercising

oversight not merely as a duty but willingly under God’s direction, not

for shameful profit but eagerly. And do not lord it over those

entrusted to you, but be examples to the flock. Then when the Chief

Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that never fades

away. 1 Peter 5:1-4

Prayer Prompts: Pray that our future pastor shepherds Bow Valley in a

biblical and Christ-exalting manner.

Pray for our future pastor's walk with Christ.

DAY 32

Scripture Reading:

In the same way, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. And

all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another,

because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. 6 And

God will exalt you in due time, if you humble yourselves under his

mighty hand 7 by casting all your cares on him because he cares for

you.1 Peter 5:5-7

Prayer Prompts: Pray for mutual respect and humility between our church

and our future pastor.

Pray for Bow Valley to follow the leadership of our future pastor.

DAY 33

Scripture Reading:

Be sober and alert. Your enemy the devil, like a roaring lion, is on the

prowl looking for someone to devour. Resist him, strong in your faith,

because you know that your brothers and sisters throughout the world

are enduring the same kinds of suffering.1 Peter 5:8-9

Prayer Prompts: Pray for the search team to remain humble before God

and that they will not be anxious, but trust God's leadership.

Pray that Bow Valley will stand firm against the schemes of the devil.

DAY 34

Scripture Reading:

Therefore be very careful how you live—not as unwise but as

wise, taking advantage of every opportunity, because the days are

evil. Ephesians 5:15-16

Prayer Prompts: Pray for the search team to make wise use of their time

during their meetings.

Pray for the Lord to reveal His will to our future pastor.

DAY 35

Scripture Reading:

Seek the Lord while he makes himself available;

call to him while he is nearby!

The wicked need to abandon their lifestyle

and sinful people their plans.

They should return to the Lord,

and he will show mercy to them,

and to their God, for he will freely forgive them.

“Indeed, my plans are not like your plans,

and my deeds are not like your deeds, for just as the sky is higher than the earth,

so my deeds are superior to your deeds

and my plans superior to your plans. Isaiah 55:6-9

Prayer Prompts: Pray that in times of discouragement, the search team

and the church will seek the Lord diligently and have confidence that He is at

work bringing the church and future pastor together.

DAY 36

Scripture Reading:

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I fill up in my physical

body—for the sake of his body, the church—what is lacking in the

sufferings of Christ. I became a servant of the church according to the

stewardship from God—given to me for you—in order to complete the

word of God, that is, the mystery that has been kept hidden from ages

and generations, but has now been revealed to his saints. God wanted

to make known to them the glorious riches of this mystery among the

Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim him by

instructing and teaching all people with all wisdom so that we may

present every person mature in Christ. Toward this goal I also labor,

struggling according to his power that powerfully works in me.

Colossians 1:24-29

Prayer Prompts: Pray that when the time comes to extend a call to our

next pastor, God will make it unmistakably clear to the future pastor and

church.

Pray for the Lord to work powerfully in Bow Valley to make disciples.

DAY 37

Scripture Reading:

And the Lord’s slave must not engage in heated disputes but be kind

toward all, an apt teacher, patient, correcting opponents with

gentleness. Perhaps God will grant them repentance and then

knowledge of the truth and they will come to their senses and escape

the devil’s trap where they are held captive to do his will.

2 Timothy 2:24-26

Prayer Prompts: Pray for the search team to discern if potential pastoral

candidates possess the biblical qualities of a servant of the Lord.

Pray for Bow Valley to affirm these qualities in their future pastor.

DAY 38

Scripture Reading:

So we must not grow weary in doing good, for in due time we will

reap, if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9

Prayer Prompts: Pray for the search team to not grow weary in their

work.

Pray that the search team and our church will be able to see God's hand at

work bringing us together with our future pastor.

DAY 39

Scripture Reading:

Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort

provided by love, any fellowship in the Spirit, any affection or

mercy, complete my joy and be of the same mind, by having the

same love, being united in spirit, and having one purpose. Instead of

being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in

humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than

yourself. Each of you should be concerned not only about your own

interests, but about the interests of others as well. You should have

the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had, who

though he existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God

as something to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking on the

form of a slave, by looking like other men, and by sharing in human

nature.

He humbled himself, by becoming obedient to the point of death —

even death on a cross!

As a result God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is

above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will

bow —in heaven and on earth and under the earth— and every tongue

confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:1-11

Prayer Prompts: Pray that Christ's attitude of humility and servanthood

permeates both the search team and the church during the pastor search

process.

DAY 40

Scripture Reading:

Then Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on

earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all

nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the

Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:18-20

Prayer Prompts: Pray for Bow Valley to be a Great Commission church

that makes disciples.

Pray that our future pastor will be a Great Commission leader.