How To Pray For ’08 To Be Great!

WINNING THE SECOND BILLION TOGETHER!

The City Church serves many locations throughout the greater Seattle area. The year of 2008 will be filled with new beginnings. Read this prayer!

Dear World Class Leader,

We are declaring 2008 at The City Church in Seattle to be the Year of New Beginnings. The number eight in the Scriptures is the number of new beginnings. I am believing this for all of us!

• New vision
• New revelation
• New grace
• New wisdom
• New blessings
• New peace
• New provision
• New territory
• New strategies
• New anointing
• New levels
• New manifestations
• New harvest
• New people
• New leaders, workers
• New buildings and lands
• New church plants
• New church!
• New influence!
• New beginnings!
• New chapters in our Journal of Faith!

Come on! God is with us! C’mon Oh Man of God! Oh Woman of God! C’mon Pastor! C’mon Leader!

Be who God called you to be. He called you and He is with you. This was His idea to call you into the ministry and send you to your city. You didn’t make this up. He initiated—you responded.

Souls are waiting and depending on your faith and obedience! You are a gift to your city. You are their pastor—their shepherd. They need you. Don’t be weak. Be strong!

He is faithful. He called you. He will also do it. He Who started a good work in you will complete it! The end of a thing is greater than the beginning. He is the Author and the Finisher of your faith. He is a sun and a shield, He will give grace and glory. No good thing will He withhold from you because you are walking uprightly!

Your city is not too hard!
That healing is not too hard!
That building is not too hard!
That money is not too hard!
That person is not too hard!
That change is not too hard!
That ministry is not too hard!
That promise He made to you is not too hard!
There is nothing too hard for the Lord!
Nothing is impossible with God

His grace is greater than your weakness!
His healing is greater than your sickness!
His purpose is more powerful than persecution.
His power is greater than Satan’s devices.
His promises are greater than your problems.
His love is greater than all the things of this life that try to separate you from it.

God will turn your mourning into dancing.
Weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning!
His wrath is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime.
All things will work together for your good because you love Him and you are called.
Nothing will separate you from the Love of God!
You will walk through the valley of the shadow and He will be with you and comfort you!
Goodness and mercy will follow you all the days of your life!
Nothing is impossible for you.

Your God will fight for you.
The battle is not yours but God’s.
You are more than a conqueror!
He that is in you is greater than he that is in the world.
The God of peace will soon crush Satan underneath your feet.
He will arise and scatter your enemies!
They will come against you one way, but they will flee seven different directions!
No weapon formed against you will prosper!
You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.
After you have suffered awhile, the God of all grace will perfect, establish, strengthen and settle you.
His grace is sufficient for you. Even when you are weak you are strong, for then the power of Christ rests upon you.

Your latter will be greater!
You haven’t seen anything yet
Your best days and your blessed days are ahead!
Your problems don’t equal your promises
The devil’s “no” cannot compete with God’s “yes”!
The best is yet to come!

“Its a new season! A fresh anointing is flowing my way. Its a season of power and prosperity.
Its Jubilee, where debts are cancelled and your children walk in victory!
All that was stolen is returned to you 100 fold. Tried in the fire, but you’re comin out gold
It’s transferable. My children’s children will be free!
Its a new season!”

(Israel Houghton, New Season)

I see many wonderful things for the Church in 2008. I see a fresh and new anointing of authority and revelation on the preaching of the Word. Prodigal children will be coming back to the Lord and back to church. Spirit of conviction and the fear of the Lord will come upon the people. New converts will flood our altars and join discipling groups. Leaders stepping up to bear burdens- being mentored and coached into new levels of grace and leadership. Lands being acquired and buildings under construction. Large financial gifts given to your ministry. Prophecies coming to pass and promises being fulfilled. New intimacy and unity in marriages. Peace and harmony in homes and families. Huge prayers being answered. Businesses prospering in the midst of economic downturn. Creative revelation coming to those who wait upon the Lord. Promotion and favor on those who seek Him. Supernatural opening of doors for the Gospel. Times of intercession with surprising demonstrations of the glory of God. New wineskins being filled with new wine. Outbreaks of healing in our churches. And amazing manifestations of the presence of the Lord in our worship.

And I see the Lord restoring many things that were stolen. Seven fold restoration. This will be for many who have sown abundantly, a year of great reaping. We might have gone out weeping, but we will return with joy bringing our sheaves with us!

I also see pruning and some people leaving us. Don’t take it personal and don’t let it get to your spirit. Let them go. Bless them on their way out. You are turning a corner and some will fall off and go another way. Critics will raise their voices against the church. But the persecuted will be blessed and rejoice! Fear God and not man. Do what the Lord tells you to do. Do it with love and do it with graciousness, but do it!

This year—this new season, this new beginning—don’t let the pessimistic, doubt filled, hell spawned, negative perspective of the world, the media or the unbelieving critic get to you. Don’t listen to it. Fast from it. Don’t embrace it. Don’t believe it (faith comes from whatever you are hearing). Meditate in His law day and night (every morning and every evening)! And everything you do will prosper and succeed.

We are not to believe the evil reports of many around us. Many depressing statements will come from many sources this year. But we are to believe the report of the Lord. Believe in the Lord and you will be established. Believe His prophets and so shall you prosper!

Prophesy to this new season! “2008—you will be a year of new beginnings!” Write down those things you have faith for in this new year and then speak to your mountains and prophesy to your future. Declare ahead of time what you believe!

Speak faith!
Sow seeds!
Send somebody else an offering!
Be generous!
Smile more!
Preach the Word!
Pray bigger prayers!
Believe God!
Be strong in the grace God has given you!
Having done all stand!

We are about to embark on the most rewarding time of our entire ministry. Something good and something great is about to happen. Emmanuel. God is with us!

For the Gospel’s sake,

Pastor Wendell

Wendell & Gini Smith with James & Sheri