Day 14 - Future Building/Campus for Red Hills Church

SCRIPTURE
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Matthew 28:19

THOUGHTS
The people of God are supposed to make disciples. Red Hills Church doesn’t have a mission — God has a mission and it’s our responsibility to come alongside and help bring that mission to fulfillment. So what does it look like to make disciples?

Throughout our 20/20 Vision series we have been discussing how every follower of Jesus should experience these four milestones: Know God, Find Freedom, Discover Purpose, and Make a Difference.

We desire that God would provide the resources necessary to take this mission further in our city and county, so more people can experience these four milestones. Seek the Lord today about expanding the reach of this mission and ask Him to open doors for us. Pray that the Lord’s hand would guide the church leadership to find a more long-term meeting space and for God to direct us where to plant church campuses in surrounding areas.

PRAYER
God, we desire to see every person within our reach to have a rich relationship with You. Show us Your will for our church and begin to open doors for Red Hills Church. We pray for the favor of city leadership and landowners in our area. We ask that more people would be drawn to experience You. Show us properties, buildings, or areas that You would desire us to inhabit and provide the resources necessary for Your mission to be fully realized in Yamhill County. Amen.

Day 13 - Pastors & Church Staff

SCRIPTURE
I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 1 Timothy 2:1-2 (NIV)

THOUGHTS
Often when churches discuss praying for leaders, they are discussing city, state, and national leaders. It is important to pray for these leaders. However, there is another group of leaders who are equally important to invest time in prayer. These are our spiritual leaders.

Those who call Red Hills Church home would agree we are especially blessed to have Pastor Aaron and Brianne Hanson leading our church. In fact, we could easily make the same statement about all of the pastoral staff. The level of blessing we feel in having these amazing people serve our church is the same level of investment we should commit to in prayer. Those who serve the church in leadership often sacrifice in ways the church family will never see. For this reason, we should lift them up in prayer. Here are a few areas we can pray for our spiritual leaders:

-Physical, mental, and spiritual health
-Fresh vision for the role God has called each of our pastors to serve
-Pray God would guard their hearts
-Pray for their families
-Pray for their marriages to continue to be strong
-Finally, pray God would continue to do a transformative work in each of their lives

PRAYER
God, we pray for our spiritual leaders today. Bless them. Guard their hearts as only You can. Continue to pour vision and insight into them as they lead Red Hills Church. We pray specifically for Pastor Aaron and Brianne. Give them the strength and passion to lead Red Hills Church to the place You desire it to be. In Jesus’ name, the strong Son of God, Amen.

Day 12 - Financial Wisdom & Provision

SCRIPTURE
And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 (NIV)

The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. Psalm 34:10 (NIV)

THOUGHTS
God promises to “supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19). But it doesn’t mean every day, all the time. Sometimes He uses financial need to test us, train us, or teach us. Sometimes He wants us to obey Him by giving more. We know for certain that He wants us to seek and trust Him for all our financial blessings (Luke 12:29-31).

When you pray for financial blessings, ask God to reveal what you need to see about your finances. Are you experiencing a financial shortfall? Do you need to cut expenses and live a simpler and less expensive lifestyle? Sell something? Change your job? Be wiser in your financial decisions? Give more to Him and others? Or simply seek Him first for everything and learn to depend on Him for all you need?

David said he had never seen “the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread” (Psalm 37:25). He said “those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing” (Psalm 34:10). Let those words be a great encouragement. Live God’s way, seek Him for wisdom to guide you in all financial matters, and pray that His financial blessings will bring no corruption or sorrow with them.

PRAYER
Lord, thank You for all You have given us. I trust You to provide all we need. I boldly ask for more with which to do more for You. Open the storehouse of heaven and pour financial blessings upon us. Give us wisdom for handling finances, and keep us from making any foolish decisions. Please bless our work with success. Show us where we have spent unwisely and how we can cut back. Convict us if we need to give more to You and to others. Teach us how to save, spend, and invest. We know our real treasure is found in You. Forgive us for times when we have forgotten that truth. We choose to seek You and Your kingdom first. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!

Day 11 - Men & Women at Red Hills Church

SCRIPTURE
So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27 (NIV)

THOUGHTS
The bold claim in the first chapter of the first book of the Bible is that man and woman are made in God’s image. Think about that for a moment. When God made us, He made us to be like Him. He made us to represent Him. He made us to reflect and radiate His presence to the world. Not only did He make us to be in His likeness, but He made us with equality. God made man and woman different, but equal.

The bliss of the Garden of Eden didn’t last long. As sin came into the world through the first man and woman, it did something to our image and our equality. Sin attempts to dethrone the peace of God in our lives by tarnishing God’s image inside of us and creates a divisive wedge between men and women (Gen 3:16). This is why we still face issues of inequality today, not only in our culture, but also in a segment of the broader church. 

When Jesus came as the sacrificial lamb, He came to reverse the curse of the garden. He came to restore our image (2 Cor 3:18) and bring equality (Gal 3:28). He came to undo the damaging results of sin. As the men and women of Red Hills Church, let's allow Jesus to heal our hearts and restore relationships. Let’s see one another as image bearers of Christ, equal in God’s eyes.

PRAYER
God, I pray that You would heal the hearts of the men and women at Red Hills Church. I ask that you would continue to restore my image, so I can fully radiate and reflect You to the world. God, would You allow Red Hills Church to be an example of Christ in treating one another with dignity, respect, and equality. Give me the courage to follow Your Word even when it goes against culture. Holy Spirit fall on our church and awaken us to Your truth. In the name of Your great and glorious son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Day 10 - Next Generation

SCRIPTURE
”Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.” Joshua 4:5-7

THOUGHTS
When the people of Israel crossed the Jordan river under the leadership of Joshua, the Lord instructed them to build a memorial as a reminder to future generations of how God brought his people across the Jordan on dry ground. The greatest thing we can do for our children and this next generation is to continually remind them how wonderful God is. Think of some things God has done for you in the past. What memorials have you built to remind yourself and others what God has done for you? Keep a journal, share your testimony with others—especially your children—so that they will know the goodness and greatness of God.

PRAYER
God, we pray earnestly for the spiritual well-being of the next generation. Keep their minds safe from distraction and temptation. Ignite a flame in their souls that create a hunger for your Holy Scriptures and a desire to abide in the presence of God. Raise up a generation of world changers—a generation whose YES to you is louder than the voices around them. We pray that they would see the importance of finding godly friends and marrying godly spouses. We ask for a revival in our youth and believe that the best is yet to come! Amen.

Day 9 - Parents & Single Parents

SCRIPTURE
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT)

THOUGHTS
My wife and I just had our third child in December and if there was one word to describe how we feel during this season, it would be “weary.” Yes, it is a precious time and I do cherish these moments when the kids are little, but I find myself running on empty day after day. Parents, I know you can relate.

Jesus invites us to come to Him when we are weary so we can receive rest for our souls. He wants to teach us how to live with a light load, but it can only be done if we partner with Jesus. A yoke was a wooden beam which strapped two oxen together in the work field. Perhaps you are alone in the field and your burden seems more than you can bear. Strap yourself to Jesus this morning and allow Him to do all the heavy lifting.

Two things before you pray today: First, read the scripture again slowly and allow the words of Jesus to give rest for your soul. Second, listen to the song below and dwell on the lyrics.

PRAYER
Jesus, teach me how to live in Your rest. Strengthen and refresh me as I share my life with You. Teach me how to better listen to Your voice and rest in your nearness. Help me to delight in the ordinary things in life. (For Parents) Give me wisdom in how to raise my children in Your ways. Today, I choose to trust in You. Amen.

Day 8 - Marriages

SCRIPTURE
And the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate. Mark 10:8-9 (NIV)

THOUGHTS
At Red Hills Church, we believe in the power of Godly, unified, and healthy marriages. We believe marriage is a gift God gave His creation. As special as this amazing blessing is, for all marriages, there are some seasons more difficult than others. In those seasons, it may be difficult to see the true blessing of marriage.

Some reading this will find themselves happily married, unhappily married, divorced, or waiting for the person God has for them to marry. Regardless of where we might find ourselves, we can make a difference by praying for the marriages in our Church.

Today, let's choose to pray for unity, protection, health, and intimacy for all of the marriages within the Red Hills Church family. For those whose marriages are struggling, be encouraged because your spiritual family is praying to God for you today.

PRAYER
God, we pray for all of the marriages within our church. We ask for every marriage to experience a supernatural bond of unity. For every marriage that is struggling, we ask that You would administer forgiveness, clarity, and restoration. For every marriage that finds themselves in a good season, we ask You to continue to bless them. In Jesus’ name, the strong Son of God, Amen.