Pray 30 / 20 / 10

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Jesus died for us so that we might be brought to God and have him as our Father in a relationship of intimacy and awe. Milton Vincent, in his book A Gospel-Primer for Christians, put it this way:

“God is radically committed to my life of prayer. He shed the blood of His Son so that I might be cleansed and rendered fit to stand before Him in love. He also permitted the brutal rending of His Son so that I might now have a way to enter into the Holy Place through the torn flesh of Jesus. ‘Draw near,’ he says… How can I not feel the infinite sincerity of these invitations, especially when considering the painful lengths that God endured so that I might enter his presence in prayer. Indeed the Gospel serves as the sweetest of invitation to pray.” – Milton Vincent

We pray because God invites us to come to him and enjoy him as our Father, delighting in all that he is for us because of Jesus. But we also pray because we believe he is our Father in heaven with all power and authority. He is omnipotent and with him, all things are possible (Mark 10:27; Luke 1:37). As we look out at the brokenness around us and even inside of us, we are forced to face our need for the grace and renewing power of God. Prayer is how we express that need.

That is why we have launched Pray 30/20/10. We are encouraging the people of Church at the Cross to commit to creating three slots of time in your day to give 30 minutes, 20 minutes, and 10 minutes to the Lord in his Word and prayer. If you are a night owl, make the 30 minute slot in your evening. If you are an early riser, schedule your 30 minute slot in the morning. The goal is to keep your hearts tethered to God throughout the day, listening to him in his Word and speaking to him in prayer.

AS YOU PRAY

  • Schedule it in or everything else will schedule it out.

  • Pray with confidence that Jesus has given you access to the Father.

  • Pray the Bible (use the Psalms or the Lord’s Prayer).

  • Prayer prayers of praise, confession, and gratitude.

  • Pray for specific needs: yours, others’ and the world’s.

  • Pray for those who do not know Jesus.

  • Pray for our Church’s maturity, mission, and leaders.