Prayer underpins everything we do as Christians. Leaning into this truth, we want to underpin our movement with prayer and shape prayer strategically as we take the next steps towards our vision pictures and the Gen1K goal. To facilitate this, the process of prayer engagement has been reviewed and updated for 2024 and we have launched the 4×4 Prayer initiative.
This year we are focusing our prayer life across the Baptist movement in:
4 seasons (Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring), focusing on
4 spotlights (Health, Justice, Leadership and Mission) in
4 spaces (as individuals, churches, regions and movement).
As such, regions have been encouraged to think about how to further embed networks and rhythms of prayer in what they do. In the Illawarra the regional team already had a growing awareness that they needed to increase the temperature of prayer in the region. Michael Bate, the Regional Minister, led the Illawarra Leaders Network of the South Coast Region in a process to find something simple, effective and sustainable to centre the region around prayer.
And so in July 2023 the Regional Hi-5 began. Each month the Illawarra Leaders Network prays through five points – a one sentence prayer point from each categories.
- Association – the single most important thing that the movement asks for prayer for that month
- Regional – the most pressing thing in the region to be praying for. Why not join them as they pray over the need to purchase land for a church plant at double the size and half the price it’s currently available?
- Focus Church – the church hosting the regional meeting for that month brings a prayer point for their church
- Regional Hot Spot – this is the “wild card” and often focuses on a personal or health need of someone on the team
- Your Church – pastors include a prayer point specific to their church, helping them to include the Regional Hi-5 in the normal prayer rhythms of their church
Michael has found that the pastors in the region have really taken ownership of the Regional Hi-5. “I believe that if the pastors of the region are involved in creating the prayer points, they’re more likely to pray,” says Michael.
The South Coast region is also looking at other ways to increase the temperature of prayer in their region in 2024. Prayer takes up an equal part of the regional team meetings as is given to informal connection time and business. They are also looking at increasing their proactive prayer – praying against threats before they arise. With a focus on simple, effective and sustainable prayer, the region is looking into creative ways to incorporate prayer deeply into what they do.
As our movement steps into a new season of prayer engagement, why not think about how you can be a part of it, as an individual, church, region?
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message,
so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.
Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.
Colossians 4:2-4
Find out more about the 4×4 Prayer initiative here: https://nswactbaptists.org.au/4×4/
