Praise & Prayer Night | 27 December 2023
Internal
Day 4: Travel Mercies: All who are travelling during the summer holiday
Pray for everyone travelling in December and January. Pray for safe transportation, holidays that are restful and refreshing, and joyful experiences with family, friends or by themselves
Day 6: The Session: The Session as it guides and shepherds Harbour City Church
Pray for unity and grace as the Session leads HCC. Pray that the Session is refreshed and rejuvenated by the Word. Pray for wisdom as they continue to refine HCC’s 30+ year vision. Pray that they will be able to disciple, shepherd, and care for the members of HCC.
Day 7: Peace Pursuit: Peace and unity in all our relationships
Pray for peace and unity in all of our relationships. Pray that we would seek peace with all those around us. Pray that we would be quick to repent and quick to forgive.
Day 8: Children: HCC’s children to grow in the knowledge of the Lord
Pray that our covenant children would grow in the knowledge of the Lord. Pray that they would come to know the grace of Jesus in their hearts and know that they belong to God.
Day 9: Students: HCC’s students to glorify God in their studying
Pray that HCC’s students would glorify God in this stage of life. Pray that they will study to God’s glory as they juggle other responsibilities. Pray for clarity as they consider what their futures might hold and for trust in God’s sovereign plans.
Day 10: Struggling: Those who are struggling to find comfort in the peace of God
Pray for all those who are struggling. We live in a fallen world and experience physical, mental, and spiritual struggles. Pray that in the midst of these difficulties, we would find our source of hope and strength in Christ. Pray that we would serve as a community that loves one another and bears each other’s burdens. Pray that we would all know the peace of God no matter our circumstances.
Day 13: HCC Officer Training: Our 3 officers-in-training to become an elder and deacons
Pray for their ongoing training. Pray that Cyril, Peter and JPak would have joy and eagerness throughout their training. Pray that they would follow Christ’s example to love and serve others.
Day 14: Singles: HCC’s singles to serve God with contentedness and joy
Pray for our singles, that they will be content in their current calling, patient if desiring marriage, and faithful in fulfilling the work and ministry to which God has currently called them.
Day 15: Frontline Workers: For safety and strength for HCC’s frontline workers
Pray for strength, energy, and encouragement in working often tiring jobs with difficult hours. Pray for safety and good health with times of spiritual and physical rest. Pray for wisdom and skill in the important work that they do helping others in need.
Day 16: Clubs: Blessed fellowship through HCC’s various clubs
Pray for the fellowship that HCC’s members enjoy outside of the church doors. Pray for blessed times with one another while sharing in common interests and hobbies (including but not limited to surfing, volleyball, crocheting, plants, bento boxes, cooking, biking, running, basketball, futsal, badminton, cats, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, etc.).
Day 18: Married: HCC’s married couples to be united and love each other well
Pray for HCC’s married couples to be united and love each other well. Pray for a gospel-like love where couples can fully know and truly love one another. Pray for strength, peace, intimacy, honesty, forgiveness, healing, and protection for our marriages. Pray that Christ would be at the centre and that God would be glorified in our marriages.
Day 19: Discipleship: HCC’s growth groups and community groups to help us grow in love
Pray for HCC’s growth groups and community groups to help us to grow in our love for one another but also for Christ. Pray that these groups would help foster fellowship and apply the gospel message to our hearts as we discuss sermons.
Day 20: Parents: HCC’s parents to care for their children with love and grace
Pray for HCC’s parents to care for their children well. Pray for patience, endurance, wisdom and discernment, faith, peace, rest, and much grace as they raise their kids in line with the truth of the gospel. Pray that the whole church would support our families in this endeavour.
Day 21: HCC Departments: For the many departments at HCC to serve the church faithfully
Pray for HCC’s many department ministries that all aid in furthering the church’s mission and vision. Departments: Children’s Ministry, Events, Finance, Hospitality, Management, Men’s Ministry, Mercy & Justice, Media & Design, Praise, Welcoming & Membership, Women’s Ministry, and other teams like the Sunday Program team, Slides, Sound, and the Operations Team.
Day 22: Evangelism: HCC would be a church that shares the gospel with our neighbours
Pray that HCC would be a church that shares the gospel with our neighbors. Pray that we would overflow in wonder and love and desire to proclaim the good news of Jesus to our friends, family, coworkers, classmates, etc. Pray for boldness and opportunities to share. Pray for open hearts that are receptive. Pray that many will hear the good news and follow Christ and become disciples of Him.
Day 24: Servants Quarter/Staff: HCC’s servant leaders to guide the church and its ministries well
Pray for HCC’s servant leaders, staff, and department heads to guide the church and its ministries well. Pray that our leaders would help serve the church, the needs of its people, and bring glory to God’s name. Pray for unity of purpose and vision and humble reliance on God. Pray that the leaders would be able to Lead (enable people to accomplish given tasks), Develop (strengthen the capacity of people to grow and contribute), and Care (watch over and respond to the needs and well-being of people) over those they oversee.
Day 26: Transitions: All those who are facing any of life’s many transitions
Pray for all those who are facing life’s many transitions both joyful and difficult, anticipated and unexpected. Pray as they walk through changes of career, age, life stage, relationships, ministries, finances, loss, new beginnings, moves, health, parenthood, and more. Pray that they will hold fast to the Lord who is our good shepherd, who is unchanging, unwavering, and unrelenting in His love for us. Pray for wisdom and strength when navigating these changes.
Day 27: Prayer: Pray that HCC would be a prayerful church, dependent on God for all things.
Pray that HCC would be a prayerful church, dependent on God for all things. Pray for transformation within the church, that we can become a more prayerful community in both our quiet, private moments and together in times of public worship and prayer. Pray that we would seek God as Jesus taught us in the Lord’s Prayer by going to Him in holy reverence and confidence just as a child seeks a father who is able and ready to help, and that we should pray with and for others.
Day 28: City Sanctum: City Sanctum as it ministers to workers in Sydney
Pray that our City Sanctum ministry will encourage our workers in their work lives, enabling them for successful service to our city, and equipping them to be effective witnesses of God’s grace in their lives. Pray that CS will also be an effective back door entry into the church for those who do not yet have the hope of the gospel.
Day 29: Pastors: HCC’s pastors, Jim and Sijin, to serve faithfully and with joy
Pray that our pastors, Jim and Sijin, would serve faithfully and with joy. Pray a prayer of thanksgiving for their dedication to shepherding our church. Pray that the Holy Spirit would empower and equip them in their ministry both publicly and privately. Pray that God would continue to work in them just as He works through them. Pray that Jim and Sijin would have vibrant spiritual lives as they find joy and sufficiency in Christ alone for all things and do not fall into the temptation of seeking only the approval of men. Pray that the gospel would take root deep within them and that they would have an unrelenting dedication to preach and teach and lead others with that same gospel message.
Day 30: 2023: Thanksgiving for God’s faithfulness to HCC in 2023.
Pray a prayer of thanksgiving for God’s faithfulness in 2023. Praise God that He is our steadfast hope who leads, restores, guides, and comforts us even when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death. Pray in adoration of our God who fully knows us yet truly loves us. Praise God for guiding HCC through 2023, through each worship service, Growth Group meeting, Community Group dinner, ministry meeting, TBS, Praise & Prayer Night, City Sanctum gathering, HCC club fellowship, congregational meeting, membership class, through HCC Camp, Open Church, Sijin’s ordination, SRT Refugee Training, Freedom Sunday, and so much more. Praise God that He is faithful!
Day 31: 2024: HCC to grow in its vertical relationship with God as we look Upward in 2024
Pray that HCC will grow in its vertical relationship with God as we focus 2024 on looking Upward. Pray for an earnest deepening of relationship that reflects a greater love for God with heart, soul, mind, and strength. Pray that HCC would be marked by a hunger for God’s Word, a desire to see Christ’s name proclaimed, and a humble dependance on the Spirit. Pray that looking Upward to God would mean far more than gaining knowledge, but that our theology would lead to doxology and that we would love each other and our neighbours with the kind of love that Christ has shown us.
External
Day 1: SOW Cambodia Departs: SOW Cambodia missions team departing today
Please pray for the Student Outreach to the World Cambodia missions team as they serve alongside the missionaries in Angk’jeay village and the capital city of Phnom Penh for two weeks. Pray for team unity and love for one another. Pray for God to be present and at the centre of everything they do. Pray for the MTW missionaries, Cambodians, and all the team will encounter on their trip. Pray for the gospel to go forth in Cambodia.
Day 2: SRT Refugee Christmas Party: Sydney Refugee Team refugee picnic today from 12-3pm
Pray for HCC members helping out at the refugee picnic on December 2nd. Pray for good conversations and good works rendered as offerings to God. Pray for humility and flexibility in helping on the day. Pray that muslim and agnostic refugees will be receptive to the message of the gospel through the event.
Day 5: Missionaries: HCC’s missionaries (Richards family - Vanuatu; H family - South Asia)
Pray for the Tom and Marget Richards and their family as they continue to adjust to life in Perth while continuing to serve Talua Theological Institute in Vanuatu through virtual education. Pray also for Tom’s digital media ministry called Trutok Media which aims to bring solid Bible teaching into Vanuatu’s fast-growing digital environment. Pray for the H family doing Bible translation in South Asia. Pray that God will sustain them as they work diligently to bring the Bible into the language of the people.
Day 11: SOW Taiwan Departs: SOW Taiwan missions team departing today
Please pray for the Student Outreach to the World Taiwan missions team as they serve alongside the missionaries in Taipei and in rural Taiwan for two weeks. Pray for team unity and love for one another. Pray for God to be present and at the centre of everything they do. Pray for the MTW missionaries, Taiwanese, and all the team will encounter on their trip. Pray for the gospel to go forth in Taiwan.
Day 12: I2I: Island to Island as it seeks gospel revitalisation in the South Pacific
Pray for the Island to Island partnership as it seeks gospel revitalisation in the South Pacific. The islands are heavily churched but just as heavily saturated with cults, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, the prosperity gospel, cultural nominalism, and syncretism. Pray for unity for I2I. Pray for wisdom as this new partnership continues to develop. Pray for the gospel of grace to be known and proclaimed through the islands.
Day 17: SOW: Student Outreach to the World’s ministry discipling university students
Pray for SOW as it disciples university students to love Jesus, serve His Church and reach His world. Pray for its staff and student leaders to serve with unity and joy. Pray for the five campuses where SOW regularly meets (University of New South Wales, Macquarie University, University of Sydney, University of Technology Sydney, and Australian Catholic University). Pray for SOW as it continues to transition in its partnership with Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) and for this partnership to be used for God’s glory.
Pray for the HSC graduates as they prepare for a big new season in life and as they get connected to SOW!
Pray for the staff and leaders as they prepare for SOWcial on 30th December, the last big celebration for the year!
Day 23: Persecuted Church: Believers around the world who suffer for their faith
Pray for believers around the world who are persecuted for their faith. Pray for endurance, peace, and hope that comes from God. Pray for their witness to bring many others to the saving knowledge of Jesus and for the church to be strengthened. Pray that their persecutors would come to faith. Pray for rescue and safety out of dangerous circumstances. Pray for protection, access to safe shelter, Bibles, and places of worship.
Other
Day 3: Advent: Reflect on the first advent/coming of Jesus as Christmas approaches
Pray that our eyes will turn to Jesus as we reflect on the Advent season. Pray that we’ll rightly give God our worship as we remember how He gave us Jesus and his perfect life, death, and resurrection that we would be saved.
Day 25: Christmas Day: Thanksgiving that God sent us His only begotten Son
Pray in thanksgiving as we remember that God sent His only begotten Son for us. Pray that we know the joy of our salvation and the hope that we have in Jesus. Pray that we would proclaim Christ crucified, died, and resurrected to the world. Praise God that He is good as we eagerly anticipate the second coming of Jesus.