Prayer: Asking Through Scripture

When we ask things of God in prayer, praying with and through God’s Word helps us be in line with God’s will. Though in some traditions it appears “fake” to have a written prayer that isn’t “straight from the heart,” many Biblical examples of petitions before God show careful structure and deliberate thought. While God certainly hears our prayer whether we speak stream-of-consciousness or take the time to write our prayer, pleading our case with more intentionality, using patterns of prayer from Scripture can guide our thoughts and instruct us toward a healthy posture before God.

With the work of Rebecca Olsen from our Storytelling Team, we’ve created a guide for anyone who would like a resource for writing their own prayers of petition from Scripture. Additionally, we’ve written and collected similar prayers from members of our community, demonstrating from our own stories how Scripture can guide us in our asking, from the biggest requests to our everyday sustenance.

Download Guide (PDF)

Scriptural Prayers of Petition from our Community

Madelyn St Clair: On Homelessness

Psalm 91, 136; Matthew 10

Sovereign God, would You save Your people living in the streets?
Keep the darkness from surrounding them,
We beg for Your light to shine through

Hear our prayer Lord
See Your people

Would Your people know You love them:
You’ve numbered all the hairs on their head
Your steadfast love endures forever

They have a home in You
Would that feel true

Your Word says we will not fear the terror of the night
For we are hidden under the shadow of Your wing.
Would we find refuge in that?

Lord, do what only You can do
Would You shelter them
Would You save them
Would You bring them into Your family?
You’re the only one who can

Father of orphans, Prince of peace, God With Us,
You are our Sovereign God and Sovereign over this too.

Rebecca Olson: For a Friend in Perpetual Seasons of Challenge

Luke 9

Father, my heart breaks for my friend who has experienced so many difficult seasons. It seems she never gets a break from one great sorrow or stress to the next. Like the man in Luke 9, I ask that all of her hardship would be for the purpose of displaying your works in her life. May her life shine brilliantly with the goodness of your hand guiding her in her hardships.

Rebecca Olson: General Asking from the Lord’s Prayer and High Priestly Prayer

Matthew 6, John 17

Our Father in heaven, we praise your holy name. You, in your kindness and goodness, have taught us to pray in this way, and so today we ask that your kingdom come, and your will be done on earth, amongst Park Church, as it is in heaven.

Lord, just as Jesus prayed for us, we pray that we would know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent, that by knowing this we would glorify you for all eternity.

Oh Father, but yet for a little while we are still in this world, and we ask for your protection. Protect us by the power of your name so that we might be one. The evil one comes to steal and kill and destroy, and we need your protection. Save us from lies that steal our joy, kill our hope, and destroy our love for one another. Teach us more of your word, which is truth, and make us holy, set apart for you through that Truth.

Father, give us our daily bread. We have nowhere else to go for our daily bread, for you are our bread of life. Give us everything we need for today; patience in traffic, gentleness with our loved ones, peace about the week to come, and self-control tonight when we’ve allowed our exhaustion to weaken our reserve to get to bed on time.

Forgive us our debts, the things we have done and the things we have left undone. As we remember the grace we have received from you, remind us to give grace generously to those around us, even to those who have sinned against us.

Father, we are but little children, so please deliver us from temptations and crippling doubt. We want to be known in our homes, our church, and our community for our love that comes straight from you.

For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.

Gary McQuinn: Petition for Unity in the Body of Christ

John 17, Matthew 6, Ephesians 4

Father, Son, Spirit. One God in three Persons. You exist in perfect Unity. You’ve created us to reflect Your communal love and harmonious unity in diversity. But in sin and selfishness we are prone to divisions.

Jesus, You laid down Your life to show us love and to bind us together in covenant love. You said the world will know that we are Your disciples by our love for one another. And You said that our oneness would help the world know that You were sent by the Father to restore the kingdom.

Help our church to be one. Even as You and the Father are one. (John 17)

Deliver us from the evil one; his schemes and his designs to divide and destroy what You are building. (Matthew 6)

Help us to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4)

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in Blog • Story

Prayer: Rejoice

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A semiannual rhythm at Park Church is a revisiting of our vision for discipleship to Jesus with a focus on a particular practice to that end. Over four Sundays this fall, we’ll focus on the “Be with Jesus” aspect of discipleship through the practice of prayer. Prayer is perhaps the most fundamental characteristic of a disciple of Jesus. The core of Jesus’ mission was to reconcile us to God so that we might enjoy Him and be empowered and transformed by His daily presence in our lives. At the heart of our relationship with Him is the privilege of being able to relate with God as our Father.

in Be With Jesus • Be With Jesus & Follow His Way of Life • Gary McQuinn • Prayer • Sermons

Prayer: A Liturgy of Rejoicing

Although there is so much to rejoice in together, we chose a handful of truths and stories from our community that cause us to remember characteristics of God. We celebrated with this call-and-response liturgy, led by Kira Lang from our Storytelling team.

Leader:
For the colors, climate, mountains, and meadows of our state all declaring the handiwork of God, for the rain this summer, and the opportunity to see the bounty of flowers and plants in our backyards.

Congregation:
We rejoice in God’s delight in beauty!

Leader:
For the many groups at Park Church that focus on loving and sharing the Gospel with their communities:

For the numerous volunteer leaders at Park Kids, Park Students, and Park College who enthusiastically give to the next generation, bearing the image of God in love.

For the 16 people this spring who joined Alpha—a safe space to discuss what it means to follow Jesus—wherein two made decisions to follow Him. For the GCs and individuals who supported Alpha though providing meals and more.

For the consistency and support MomLife has provided in serving the moms of our church and our neighborhoods, and for the selfless and passionate moms who have made MomLife happen.

Congregation:
We rejoice in God’s pursuit of people He loves through volunteer leaders in our community!

Leader:
Because, after many years of prayer and faithful work, last Sunday the Bartol family celebrated the first gathering their long-dreamt church plant in Olomouc, in the Czech Republic, which is the only country in Europe where the majority of people identify as non-religious.

Congregation:
We rejoice in God’s pursuit of people He loves through missionaries abroad!

Leader:
Because a member of our congregation who came to know Jesus several years ago has now had the opportunity and support systems to walk with his brother as he’s turned from drug addiction, causing a chain reaction in their family.

Congregation:
We rejoice in God’s rescuing love, both for this family and for each of us who are in Christ!

in Blog • Story

Prayer: How Do You Pause? Why Do You Pause?

On Sunday, August 13, we began a mini-series on prayer. Although there is no “right” way to structure a prayer time, we’re using the helpful acrostic P.R.A.Y. (Pray, Rejoice, Ask, Yield) as a sort of framework throughout the series. Our first stop is “pause”—the act of creating space to give attention to the presence of God.

Before we discussed this practice in service, we asked you how and/or why you choose to pause. Special thanks to Steve Vanderheide for his videography!
in Blog • Story

Prayer: Pause

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

A semiannual rhythm at Park Church is a revisiting of our vision for discipleship to Jesus with a focus on a particular practice to that end. Over four Sundays this fall, we’ll focus on the “Be with Jesus” aspect of discipleship through the practice of prayer. Prayer is perhaps the most fundamental characteristic of a disciple of Jesus. The core of Jesus’ mission was to reconcile us to God so that we might enjoy Him and be empowered and transformed by His daily presence in our lives. At the heart of our relationship with Him is the privilege of being able to relate with God as our Father.

in Be With Jesus • Be With Jesus & Follow His Way of Life • Gary McQuinn • Prayer • Sermons

Psalm 139

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Every summer at Park Church, we spend several weeks in the Psalms. The Psalms give us a vocabulary and a “hymnal” for relating to God through the full range of human experience and emotion, ultimately pointing us to Jesus. This summer, we’ll continue with Psalms 130–139.
in Christ in the Psalms • Neil Long • Sermons

Psalm 138

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Every summer at Park Church, we spend several weeks in the Psalms. The Psalms give us a vocabulary and a “hymnal” for relating to God through the full range of human experience and emotion, ultimately pointing us to Jesus. This summer, we’ll continue with Psalms 130–139.
in Christ in the Psalms • Luke Chow • Sermons

Psalm 137

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Every summer at Park Church, we spend several weeks in the Psalms. The Psalms give us a vocabulary and a “hymnal” for relating to God through the full range of human experience and emotion, ultimately pointing us to Jesus. This summer, we’ll continue with Psalms 130–139.
in Christ in the Psalms • Gary McQuinn • Sermons

Psalm 136

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Every summer at Park Church, we spend several weeks in the Psalms. The Psalms give us a vocabulary and a “hymnal” for relating to God through the full range of human experience and emotion, ultimately pointing us to Jesus. This summer, we’ll continue with Psalms 130–139.
in Christ in the Psalms • Joel Limpic • Sermons

Covenant Member Update: July 2023

HAPPY 15TH BIRTHDAY, PARK CHURCH!

In 2008 a couple dozen people gathered in a Highlands basement for a weekly Bible study with the hopes of joining God in a movement toward Gospel renewal in Denver. The name “Park Church” emerged from this desire to see the good news of Jesus carried to every corner of our lives and this city. There’s an old banner hanging in the counseling wing from these early days (see image). Apart from perhaps the font and grammar choices, it in many ways still captures what we’re after:

Parks are generally beautiful. Parks are social and cultural hubs in neighborhoods, and sometimes for an entire city. All kinds of people are welcome. People who wouldn’t normally see one another. That’s precisely the kind of church Park Church aspires to be. A community of people reclaimed in Jesus Christ through the Gospel seeking the good of the city. A park can be a place of renewal and a place of celebration. We believe that a church can be the same. Whose existence demonstrates the life that the Gospel creates. The news of the Gospel has to be embodied and lived in the midst of neighborhoods, offices, and, yes, parks.

Here we are a decade-and-a-half later (Thursday, June 22 was our 15th birthday!) and the overarching vision remains consistent: proclaim Christ crucified and risen, live as the redeemed family of God under the good reign of King Jesus, and be led by his abiding Spirit, all with the goal of seeing more people in more places worship Jesus. In short, we exist to make disciples of Jesus for the glory of God and the joy of all people.

So raise a glass to 15 years! God has patiently proven His steadfast love and sustaining kindness in and through our church family. On behalf of our entire elder and staff teams, we are grateful to serve and lead alongside you all as we seek to make much of Jesus together. You make it a joy. Let’s seek Him together for another year of increasing dependence upon the almighty God as he demonstrates His worth and power to save yet again through our church family.

MINISTRY SPOTLIGHT: ALPHA

This past spring, a team of lay (non-staff) leaders in our church family hosted and facilitated the Alpha course. Over the span of three months, they nurtured an unassuming relational space for 18 people to interact with the fundamental questions of the Christian faith. A couple of these these people professed faith in Jesus for the first time. In the words of some of the participants, each of them experienced “a space for deep conversations about the meaningful and sometimes difficult questions in life” in a “no-pressure atmosphere” that was “eye-opening and nonjudgmental.” Their times together “allowed [them] to meet so many amazing people” and “create community and have meaningful conversations in a safe space.”

This is the first time we’ve fully initiated the Alpha course at Park Church, and while we anticipate its impact to grow, we’re truly grateful for how God has already worked through it in people’s lives. Our aim is to run this course again this next ministry year. But we need a team to implement and sustain it. Are you willing to learn more? There are a variety of ways to get involved such as calling on your Gospel Community to make a meal one night, hosting the meetings in your home, facilitating some of the conversations, and committing to pray for the people part of Alpha.

To explore serving through the church in this way, please email christian@parkchurch.org.

COVENANT RENEWAL

Have you done it yet? We’re still waiting on some of you! Our aim in covenant renewal is to remind one another of what it means to be part of this local church. It also helps us to orient our Shepherding Regions in ways that allow us to more effectively pastor and care for the people entrusted to our care. Covenant Renewal will become an annual rhythm that we initiate each summer. As always, if God is calls you elsewhere, please let us know so we can process with you, pray for you, and send you out well.

If you haven’t completed the 10-minute renewal process yet, you can do it now.

PRAYER SERIES | AUGUST 13-SEPTEMBER 3

As summer winds down and the fall season approaches, we typically take a handful of weeks to teach on and lead into a particular area of Christian practice, especially as it relates to being with Jesus (we’ll do the same in January, emphasizing a practice related to following His way of life). This August and early September, we will take four weeks to preach on the beautiful—though often under-addressed—practice of communing with God in prayer. The four weeks will be structured around Pausing, Reflecting, Asking, and Yielding… winsomely following the acronym P.R.A.Y. (because pastors supposedly get away with stuff like this).

Here’s our broader vision for the series:

At Park Church, we say that a disciple is first and foremost someone who has been reconciled to God by grace through faith in Christ. But even reconciled disciples often struggle to experience God relationally in their daily lives. Among other things, this relational disconnect contributes to the rampant experiences of anxiety and depression that so many in our community are facing. In our hyper-distractible world, we need help to engage in a life marked by daily communion with God. And we need practical tools to pursue a praying life. We can be faithful to take meaningful steps to pursue God in prayer; He wants to do more than we ask or think (Ephesians 3:20).

What might God do in your own life as you learn to commune with Him and relate to Him with more intimacy and regularity–as you learn to thank Him, confess sin, ask for things, listen, surrender, and wait? What might he want to do in and through a Gospel Community that communes with Him, asking, seeking, knocking? How might he work in the lives of kids and students and on campuses that pray big prayers for God to move in power? What might He want to say to our church, heal in our church, do through our church? What might God do in and through a church family that puts communion with Him at the very center of who we are? We can anticipate he will do more than we could imagine.

Our upcoming Men’s Retreat (August 11–13) and Women’s Retreat (September 29–October 1) are also centered on different themes of prayer. We’ll also provide resources and guides along the way through Sundays and at Gospel Communities. For now, you can be praying and preparing your hearts as we enter into this series.

(After our prayer series, we will work through the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes. That will take us right up to Advent. We’ll share more as we get closer.)

CHURCH MEMBER BBQ

Each year around the end of the summer we gather to celebrate the remarkable family God has given each of us. It’s almost that time again! Join us for our Covenant Member BBQ on Sunday, August 27 from 4–7pm. We’ll get together at Highland Park (three blocks south of the Park Church building) for food, time together, games for kids, and experiencing the sweet gift of church as family. Please RSVP and select which side you’d like to bring. We’ll provide the main course and plenty of drinks. We’re excited to gather with you all!

With love and gratitude,

Neil Long
Executive Pastor

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