Seven weeks of prayer calls for Texas Baptists churches to join together in prayer, asking for spiritual renewal and revival

As a period of seven weeks of focused prayer begins, Texas Baptists President Julio Guarneri is asking Texas Baptists to “practice Pentecost.”

Guarneri, lead pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in McAllen, called for the prayer emphasis during Texas Baptists’ February Executive Board Meeting. He hopes by concentrating together in prayer, the churches of Texas will “be about what the church was meant to be since Acts 2: Empowered by the Holy Spirit to proclaim the gospel to all people groups and heart languages.”

The emphasis begins today and runs through May 28 – Pentecost Sunday.

“There is no better moment than now for the Texas Baptists family to seek God in prayer in one same Spirit,” Guarneri says. “As God’s work advances, as the culture around us continues to present challenges, and as people long for spiritual renewal, we must turn our hearts toward prayer.”

Guarneri suggests churches, Bible studies, small groups and prayer partners pray together, using the Lord’s Prayer as a guide. He is asking Texas Baptists to pray that God would move in revival and awakening and to focus each week on a different need related to their work together:

• April 10-15: God’s glory among the nations

• April 16-22: The lost and lostness in Texas

• April 23-29: Texas Baptists churches and pastors, and the Texas Baptists’ Executive Director Search Committee

• April 30-May 6: Texas Baptists universities and seminaries

• May 7-13: Texas Baptists human welfare institutions

• May 14-20: Texas Baptists ministry centers and related ministries

• May 21-27: Texas Baptists’ Family Gathering in McAllen (July 16-18)

On Pentecost Sunday (May 28), Guarneri asks Texas Baptists to pray for those from the nations who have come to Texas, as well as for the global Baptist family.

Guarneri hopes – and is asking Texas Baptists to pray that – the Family Gathering, which takes place every five years, will be a time of celebration of Texas Baptists’ unity in diversity. And as the search continues for Texas Baptists’ next executive director, Guarneri wants Texas Baptists to jointly ask God to give the search committee wisdom and discernment in identifying their next leader.

“We are exactly 10 years away from the 2,000-year anniversary of the resurrection of Jesus and the giving of the Great Commission,” Guarneri says. “There is much work to do, but pray we must! Let’s join together in agreement as we pray, ‘Your Kingdom come, Your will be done.’”

Learn more and participate in the seven-week prayer emphasis at txb.org/7weeksofprayer.