Archive for the Prayer Category


Oct 3

Pray for New Mexico’s Preaching Pastors

2013 | by Trent Hunter | Category: Prayer

If the church is to be strong for her work in the world, she will need to be established in the Word. Preachers are a primary way God gets that done. Listen to how Paul described Timothy’s job:

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. – 1 Timothy 4:1-2

And so this is how we can pray for the church: by praying for God’s preachers to preach God’s Word.

This week at DSC we’ve had 40 pastors from throughout the region on site for a preaching workshop led by Simeon Trust. It’s called, the Simeon Trust Workshop on Biblical Exposition and this is DSC’s second year to host this three day event. Its purpose is to help pastors grow in their confidence in and ability with the Word of God. For those interested in theological training who desire to know and teach the Bible well, Simeon Trust also offers an online course worth checking out here.

Below are some pictures from the last few days of the workshop. As you browse these photos and as this workshop comes to mind, please pray for these men and for their encouragement in the lofty, difficult, and wonderful task of preaching the Word.

20131003–9656

20131002–9632

20131002–9643

20131004–

20131003–9675

20131003–9680

20131003–9678

20131002–9637

20131003–9733

This Sunday morning, Juan Sanchez, one of this year’s workshop speakers, will be preaching for us. Prepare for his sermon, titled, “When God is No Longer Silent,” by reading 1 Samuel 3. Juan is the preaching pastor at High Pointe Baptist Church in Austin, Texas, and a council member for The Gospel Coalition.

Sep 12

Exultant Description: Ascribing Glory to God in Prayer

2012 | by Trent Hunter | Category: Prayer,Recommended Resources,Sermon Follow-Up

In Sunday’s sermon, “The Growing Crescendo of God’s Praise,” Ryan unfolded Psalm 96, a psalm that calls on God’s people to praise God over a dozen different ways.

One of the ways that we’re told to praise God is through exultant description. For example, in verses 7-8 we’re told to “ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name.”

To encourage us in this, Ryan mentioned a list of God’s attributes alphabetically listed in a book called, Prayer Coach. In the appendix of this book, there’s a section titled, “A to Z of Biblical Names, Titles, and Attributes of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” The book is available online or at our newly refreshed Resource Center, opening this Sunday. This is a great tool for ascribing to God glory in our prayers.

Here’s an example from the letter A:

  • Able (Dan. 3:17; Matt. 9:28; Rom. 16:25; 2 Cor. 9:8; Eph. 3:20; 2 Tim. 1:12; Heb. 7:25)
  • Abounding in love and faithfulness (Ex. 34:6)
  • Adam, the last (1 Cor. 15:45)
  • Advocate (Job 16:19; 1 John 2:1)
  • All (Col. 3:11)
  • Almighty, the (Job 5:17)
  • Alpha (Rev. 1:8, 21:6)
  • Amen, the (Rev. 3:14)
  • Ancient of Days (Dan. 7:22)
  • Anointed One (Psa. 2:2; Acts 4:27)
  • Apostle and high priest (Heb. 3:1)
  • Architect and builder (Heb. 11:10)
  • Atoning sacrifice (2 John 2:2)
  • Author and perfecter of our faith (Heb. 12:2)
  • Avenger (2 Sam. 22:48; Psa. 94:1)
  • Awesome (Ex. 15:11; Neh. 1:5; Dan. 9:4)

Another church that caught on to this great idea published this list in Pdf form for printing as a tri-fold pamphlet. Click here for a Pdf of the list of attributes found at the end of Prayer Coach.

Jul 12

Praying for Praise – VBS Starts Monday!

2012 | by Trent Hunter | Category: Events,Prayer

Vacation Bible School begins on Monday! Hundreds of children from our own church and from the neighborhood will be with us each evening from 6:00-8:30 PM, learning about God and about salvation in Christ through the Scriptures. The first chapter of the book of Ephesians tells us that God’s purpose in all of his saving work is “the praise of his glorious grace” (Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14). Pray for our children at VBS, that they would know God as he has revealed himself in his Word, that they would trust his saving promises in Christ, and praise him with their lives.

To help you pray for the children, here are the themes they will be focusing on each day and several verses that they will be hearing and learning.

Monday: Praise God for His Greatness

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.
–Isaiah 40:28

Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.
–Psalm 145:3

Tuesday: Praise God for His Authority

For the LORD, the Most High, is to be feared, a great king over all the earth.
–Psalm 47:2

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
–Philippians 2:9–11

Wednesday: Praise God for His Providence

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
–Psalm 121:1–4

This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.
–Acts 2:23–24

Thursday: Praise God for His Power

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
–Romans 1:16

But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
–Philippians 3:20–21

Friday: Praise God for His Love

God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
–Romans 5:8

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
–Romans 8:38–39

Register your children for VBS online here, and don’t forget to extend an invitation to your neighbors and friends who have VBS age children. They are welcome to register on Monday night, if that is best for them.

Also, if you would like to serve in VBS but can’t be a part of the action during the week, perhaps you could serve our volunteers by helping provide for the daily volunteer meal. There is still a need for several meal items, including napkins, carrots, bell peppers, potato salad, grapes, and a few other things. Please email Nicole Arredondo if you are interested, at beenrshnitzl@hotmail.com.

May 17

Prayer for Ed Stetzer’s Daughter, Kaitlyn

2012 | by Trent Hunter | Category: Prayer

Almost two years ago now, Ed Stetzer, Vice President of Research at LifeWay Christian Resources, visited Albuquerque with his family and spoke on a Sunday at DSC. His sermon, “Empowering All God’s People for Mission,” is available here.

Please be in prayer for his seven year old daughter, Kaitlyn, who has contracted what doctors believe to be Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, a potentially fatal infectious tick-borne disease.

Visit Dr. Stetzer’s blog to read more about Kaitlyn’s illness and to follow her progress.

Jan 6

Praying for Redemption Church

2012 | by Trent Hunter | Category: Church Planting,Prayer,Recommended Link

Several years ago, DSC cast a vision to be a church that plants churches. Some of us are sending, and some of us going, but we’re all excited about DSC’s first church plant, Redemption Church, Rio Rancho.

Today, Redemption’s lead planter, Carlos Griego, published an update on progress toward a new launch date of February 19. Read Carlos’ update here, and take note of Redemption’s specific needs for prayer:

How can you pray for Redemption?

Pray that our leaders and those going to Redemption will continually fix our eyes on Jesus and follow Him. That we would not worry or grow anxious in this, but trust him fully and completely.

Pray that our permits will go smoothly and quickly through the city of Rio Rancho. The only thing that would delay this launch more would be if the city would require more work to be done something we won’t know until we start on the renovations.

Pray that people even in this delay would meet Jesus and be transformed. We are praying for 4 baptisms on our 1st Sunday! We are excited about a new location, not because we want a comfortable space, but because we are excited about the opportunities for more people to meet Jesus, that’s why we exist.

For more information about DSC’s church planting strategy or how to set up your online giving, visit DSC’s Church Planting pages.