God of abundance, open our hearts and minds this season and always. Transform and send us into the world, growing in your Spirit, to cultivate your love and grace with boldness.
Breakthrough Prayer Initiative
A breakthrough prayer initiative is a churchwide practice of adding a brief daily prayer — an “up and out” prayer of openness — to our existing prayer life. We ask God to break through with God’s power for new hopes and possibilities for our church and our own lives. Since Lent 2023, we have been joining together in a churchwide daily prayer at 8pm with holy expectation of God’s plans for our future.
How can you participate?
Daily Prayer: Set a daily alarm or reminder for 8:00pm to pray the breakthrough prayer at the top of this page, no matter where you are. We also pray this in small groups, music groups, and committee meetings.
Families: Parents, your kids will continue praying their abbreviated breakthrough prayer version in their Kidz Church classes and events. Try adding their prayer to your family life at a specific time daily:
God, please show us new ideas for our church and our lives. We trust you as we follow Jesus. Your way is best. Amen!
Continuing the Journey: If you’ve already read Dynamite Prayer, continue the journey by focusing on the daily practices outlined in Day 28 on page 83:
- reading and reflecting on scripture
- praying, asking God to break through anew, opening doors of new possibilities and spiritual growth
- taking bold steps of surrender and transformation
- serving others through demonstration of Christ’s selfless love
Dynamite Prayer Books
“Do I really believe that prayer makes a difference? Many Christians are snacking on prayer rather than feasting on prayer.” — Rev. Sue Nilson Kibbey
According to Rev. Kibbey, co-author of Dynamite Prayer, our prayers often focus on problems: “down and in” prayers for healing, travel mercies, health, grief, and other pains in life. But how often do we pray an “up and out” prayer, a “breakthrough prayer” for God’s divine, miraculous power in the Holy Spirit to unleash more than we could ever ask, think, or imagine in our lives, in the church, and the world?
Dynamite Prayer: A 28 Day Experiment is a daily guide that will help you begin praying breakthrough prayers, where we ask God to open new doors and reveal new possibilities, fueled by the Spirit’s power. This 28-day adventure will take you from feeling stuck, overwhelmed, and uninspired to curious and expectant as you surrender your own preferences and ideas and courageously follow the miracles God brings into your life.
Whether you follow this 28-day prayer guide on your own or with a the Facebook group, this daily prayer guide will increase your faith, transform your world, and bring fresh inspiration through breakthrough prayers. Dynamite Prayer books are available for $15 in the Gathering Area.
Celebrating Breakthroughs
St. Mark’s is a community that believes in God’s power to break through with new and unexpected possibilities when we pray and seek God’s direction for our church and in our own lives. What breakthroughs are you experiencing? What new direction is God revealing?