Invitation to Pray (Memorial Day and Day2Pray)
Dear Church,
Yesterday, May 24, we celebrated Pentecost, reveling in the reality that God has shared his life-giving, redemption-working, mission-empowering Spirit to all who call on the name of the Lord to be saved!
Today, May 25, America has set aside as a day to remember those who have given their lives in service to our country. This is a day to pray for the comfort of those who have lost loved ones and to be grateful for the courage and valor of those who paid the ultimate price. This is also a day to grieve that we live in a world at war and to lament the horrors done by humans to each other. This is a day to pray for wisdom for President Trump and our national leaders, and the military leaders who have the authority to send our troops into battle. This is a day to pray for those who are currently serving in our military. This is a day to prayerfully long for the final day when there will be no more war, only peace between all humanity through Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Tomorrow, May 26, we have our Monthly Day2Pray4York and Night2Pray4York. As the early church was prepared for Pentecost through unity in prayer, we want to prepare for what God has for us in York through unity in prayer. I encourage you to set aside time within a specific hour to pray. Even if you cannot pray for the entirety of the hour, set aside 10-20 minutes to seek God. Please sign up at this link. You can access the May-June prayer guide on Google Docs, download a PDF, or follow the guide at the bottom of this message.
I’m grateful for, praying for and cheering for you.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Josh
Prayer Guide for May-June 2026
Have a Bible and note pad available. Write down what you hear the Holy Spirit saying to you during this time of prayer. He may direct you to a Scripture passage to pray.
Begin the hour of prayer with 5-10 minutes of praise, adoration. Praise God for who He is, his attributes, characteristics, etc. Holy, just, love, gracious, good, etc. Perhaps even sing or speak words of songs, scripture.
Follow the praise with asking the Holy Spirit if there is anything in your life that needs confessed, that does not honor God. Repent of that.
Praying for 8 Spheres of Society - about 5 min each. Time may vary as the Holy Spirit directs you. Read the Bible verses for each sphere. You could pray them also.
1. Arts & Media: Philippians 4:8; John 14.26-27 –Many are concerned about the impact of social media (plus AI …) on us and our children. Let us pray using what Jesus taught us for such a time as this: a – Pray that people would have a love of the God’s Word. b – Pray that people develop an intimate personal relationship with Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit.
2. Business: Colossians 3.23-24 – Pray for business leaders/owners to see that God loves a Kingdom minded business and will work for them as they submit to him, and seek to honor Him in all decisions. Pray for faith in the calling of God. As each business owner or manager has been called by God to this position, pray he/she would trust that God will lead them through uncertain times.
3. Church: Col 3.12-17;
a. The Bible tells us we are created in God’s image. Pray for the Church to have eyes to see Christ’s image in each of their own members and from there be able to reach out to the image bearers in their neighborhoods.
b. Pray that we live out God’s love so unity would be experienced. Philippians 2.1-5; 4.1-6. Pastors and leaders would focus on who unites us (Jesus our Savior, Redeemer, King) and not focus on the differences. Pray for pastors to have fellowship with one another, pray for one another.
Evangelism - Pray for the salvation of family members, friends and co-workers. Pray for laborers to be thrust out by the Holy Spirit to preach the Gospel in York; Pray for Revival and Awakening; Pray for all the upcoming opportunities to share the gospel in summer camps, VBS, CEF, YWAM, and for those who will be counselors (particularly the need for male counselors).
4. Education: Matthew 6.10; John 15.5 - Pray John 15:5 for believers (students, teachers, staff) in our school systems. Pray for wisdom and courage for board members to make decisions that are right and for the betterment of students and teachers.
5. Family: John 16:13
Pray for the seeking of truth (eyes fixed on Jesus) that is so challenged right now with the deception, lies, AI, social media, etc., that families would set Jesus apart as HOLY and seek Him before being confused by the messages from the world. Pray that marriages and parent/child relationships be strengthened. Pray that broken families be restored. Cry out to God for healing for those wounded by the pain and trauma of divorce. Pray single parents receive strength, wisdom, encouragement.
6. Government: 1 Timothy 2:1-4; Matthew 6:9-10 – Pray that Jesus Christ would rule and reign over the city of York; Pray for wisdom, understanding and revelation of God’s will for our City and County to be imparted to our local government leaders.
Courts - Pray for righteous godly judgments to be rendered by our local judges and magistrates; Pray for lawyers and judges of integrity to be raised up. Perpetrators of crime would be justly held accountable.
Police/Fire - 1 Peter 1.3-6 a. Peter in these verses acknowledges the suffering people will experience in this life. He then puts the focus on the unfading, imperishable living hope we have in Jesus. Pray that each of our emergency responder brothers and sisters who deal daily with other people’s suffering will experience this living hope. b. Pray for NYCRPD personnel as they continue to grieve the loss of 3 of their own.
Crime - Pray for solutions to the issues of drug & alcohol abuse, school shootings, gangs, violence; Pray that human & drug trafficking would be stopped. Pray for peace, law & order on our streets.
Prison - Pray for the chaplains and those who volunteer to hold Bible studies and recovery groups; Pray for good morale and strength for the prison guards; Pray for prisoners to come to saving faith in Christ and not depart when they leave prison; Pray for churches to welcome former inmates.
7. Medical: Colossians 3.12-17 - Pray for each person in health care to experience and know the presence of Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit as Paul wrote in Colossians 3:15.
2 Corinthians 1:3-5 declares that God is the God of ALL comfort, and that He comforts us in ALL our afflictions. Pray those in health care will have experience in this super-natural comfort so that they can be deliverers of the living comfort in Christ Jesus.
8. Social Services:
Homelessness/under-resourced - Matthew 25:35-36; James 2:15-16 – Pray for the homeless to find shelter; Pray for those that need employment to find it; Pray for the ministries that help the poor – that their financial needs would be met; Pray for those to whom they minister, that they will come to saving faith in Jesus Christ.
Human life services - Psalm 139:13-16; Psalm 82:3-4 - Pray for an end to abortions as birth control in York; Pray for the salvation of the doctors and nurses involved; Pray for grace and wisdom for women considering terminating their pregnancy; Pray for families to open their hearts and homes to foster and adopt; Pray for Human Life Services and other Counseling Services. E.g., Life Path, New Hope Ministries, Community Aid, Keystone Family Alliance.