LENTEN PRAYER FOCUS: Seek God for the City

“Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.” (Ps. 127:1)

This Wednesday (Feb. 13) is Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of the Lenten season in the traditional Christian calendar, the 40 days leading up to Palm Sunday (Mar. 24).

As we prepare our hearts to reflect freshly on the power of the cross and the hope of the resurrection at Easter, we want to commit the Lenten season to prayer as a congregation. We’ve been talking a lot about moving toward our vision to be a gospel-centered church living each day on mission for Christ. More specifically, we are asking God to help us turn outward in ministry this year, that we might take the first steps as a community living each day on mission (read more about our next steps here).

We do not know yet what shape some of our outward focus might take. We do know that we’re launching an Alpha Course shortly. And we know for a fact that whatever we do will bear no lasting fruit if it is not anchored in and saturated with prayer, because God is the one who must do the work of changing hearts and lives.

So for the next forty days we are inviting the congregation to join together in prayer for gospel growth in and through us at Westgate. And we’re encouraging everyone to use Seek God for the City as our guide.

Seek God for the City is designed to mobilize congregations to pray with a united, sustained vision for the people of our community. The prayers are biblically grounded and easy to pray. And they intentionally direct us to God in seeking him to bring his gospel to bear on the world around us.

We had intended to make these available this past Sunday (Feb. 10), but got snowed out. We will have copies available next Sunday, Feb. 17 (suggested donation, $2.00). If you would like to pick up a copy before the Lenten season officially begins, we have copies available in the church office. You can also download the guide as an app for just 99 cents.

We hope you will join us in seeking God together, that he might make much of his name through us, and that the days before us might mark a new season in gospel ministry.

To God be the glory,

Pastor Brandon