In light of the circumstances brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is no surprise that fewer congregations than usual opted to host in person events.  According to the results of our January 2021 poll, only 14% reported attending or organizing an in person event for Three Days of Prayer this year, down from 18% in 2017 and 56% back in 2014.  

While a decline in the number of large in-person activities such as prayer services, meetings, vigils, and walks this year was evident, a handful of LCMC congregations still welcomed the opportunity join together in person with others from their congregation to pray, including St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church in Clyde, OH.

“It touched my heart when I heard a woman in our group pour out her heart in prayer. Her passion and intensity surprised me,” said the Kurt Luebkeman, the pastor at St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church.  

Unsurprisingly, praying on one’s own was the most popular way to structure this time of prayer in 2021.  42% of poll respondents reported that they chose to simply set aside some time to pray on their own for each of the three days, an increase from only 20% in 2017.  

Small group prayer was also popular this year, with 18% of participants reporting to have spent at least some time together in prayer with family, friends, or fellow congregation members throughout the three days.  

8% of participants reported hosting virtual events for at least one of the three days, including John Foss, an associate member of LCMC from Community of Hope in Wilsonville, OR.  

Foss’ congregation organized an online event over the following weekend that featured prayer meetings, testimonies, and music using the digital video conferencing platform Zoom.  Afterward, videos from the event were posted to the congregation’s YouTube channel, allowing a greater number of people to access the content.

“It was great to see everyone and pray together, even on Zoom, in a time where most of these people haven't been together in person at church. The testimonials were powerful about prayer and the individuals' experiences with God,” Foss said.  

One new trend that emerged this year was an expressed desire for LCMC congregations in close geographical proximity to connect and plan events with one another for future Three Days of Prayer events.  

“It would be nice if several congregations in an area were to gather together, either on Zoom or in person,” Luebkeman said.  

When it comes to promoting Three Days of Prayer to congregation members, 10% of congregations distributed printed resources or included messages in their church bulletin encouraging church members to set aside some time each day to pray, while 8% opted to get the word out using electronic media such as e-newsletters, mobile apps, or social media. 

The association’s annual Three Days of Prayer event was started in 2012 by then-Service Coordinator Mark Vander Tuig in an effort to help the people of LCMC become more and more a people of prayer.  

“Our attitude toward prayer has often been characterized by saying, “Well, all we can do now is pray!”.  Prayer is not the hopeless act of desperation.  Prayer is a gift that God has given to us as a means to approach the throne of grace with confidence, like that of a child coming to her parents sharing concerns, victories, defeats and every part of life.  It is an opportunity to express the deepest heartache and the greatest joy.  Prayer is a conversation between the Creator and the created…and the conversation began with God, for us, in Christ Jesus,” Vander Tuig wrote in a 2012 blog post.  

Participants are encouraged to join together in prayer for three consecutive days at the start of each new year, structuring this time of prayer in any way that makes sense for the congregation. 

For those who may be feeling inspired to organize a more interactive experience for our next Three Days of Prayer event, the single piece of advice offered up most – by pastors and congregation members alike – is to plan ahead.  

“Get prepared earlier. Print the prayer brochure earlier and get them out to everyone much sooner,” said Luebkeman.  

LCMC's next Three Days of Prayer will take place January 4-6, 2022.  If you would like to follow along with us during our 2021 Three Days of Prayer, be sure to “Like” and follow our Facebook page and/or download our mobile app and opt-in for Three Days of Prayer notifications [Here's How]. 

Photo Captions

First Photo (Top Right): Members of St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church gather together to pray on the final day of Three Days of Prayer.  Second Photo (Middle Left): A virtual event hosted on Zoom at Community of Hope Lutheran Church.  Third Photo (Bottom Right): A graph of the different ways that people in LCMC chose to structure Three Days of Prayer in 2021. 

Prayer is a holy habit of our Christian faith that can position us before the Lord to be with Him, to listen to Him, and to experience His work of aligning our minds and our hearts with His mind and His heart. Intentionally setting aside time for prayer can help us still our hearts as we turn off all our devices and tune out the white noise that constantly surrounds us. “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10, ESV).

Prayer was a holy habit practiced by Jesus Himself (see Mark 1:35, ESV). LCMC’s Three Days of Prayer on January 5-7, 2021 is an opportunity for us to follow the Lord’s example and to come together as one across the association with a shared purpose: to pray.

Each congregation or person can structure these days of prayer however seems best. In the past, some congregations put together a prayer vigil—a person signing up to pray in 30-minute intervals for example—for all three days or a few hours each day. Others have offered a prayer service at a set hour on each of the three days. Others have encouraged their people simply to pray at work, home, or school—wherever they are and whatever they are doing. During this time of COVID-19, we encourage you to do whatever works best and whatever is safest for your congregation.

No matter how you structure this time of prayer, let’s come together as an association of congregations across the U.S. and around the world to pray. As Mark Vander Tuig has said many times: “I believe that the church will never rise up until we first get down on our knees.”

Following are some suggested points of emphasis for each of the three days of prayer. These are not the only things to be prayed for of course, but they can be points of daily emphasis that bring us all together as one in prayer. God bless your time during our Three Days of Prayer.

Day 1 – Lord, Reveal Yourself to Us

Have you ever had someone say, “Complete this sentence,” and then give you a partial sentence to finish as ideas and thoughts come to mind? Today, we pray by finishing this sentence, “Lord, reveal Yourself to me, to us, as…” I invite you to repeat this partial sentence, then patiently sit with the Lord and allow thoughts to come to mind that will complete it for you, for your family and friends, for your congregation, or for us as an association. Then, turn those thoughts into prayers to the Lord.

Jesus said, “My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him” (Luke 10:22, NLT). And the Apostle Paul wrote: “But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit” (1 Corinthians 2:10-11, NLT).

Let’s pray for God to reveal Himself and the truth of His Word to us in whatever way we need Him to. Let’s pray that He would reveal Himself to us and increase our understanding and experience of who He is. Let’s pray that He would reveal Himself to us and provide us with discernment and wisdom regarding decisions we are faced with. Let’s pray that He would reveal Himself to us that He might continue to sustain us in the unique and challenging season of life and ministry we have found ourselves in since March of last year.

“Lord, we pray, reveal yourself to us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Day 2 – Lord, Bring Home the Lost and the Prodigals

We know that our Lord Jesus came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10, ESV). And we know that our Heavenly Father is a father who joyfully welcomes home the prodigals. Today, let’s pray that God will bring us together as one across our association so that millions might be drawn by Him to faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord.

Let’s also pray that the Lord might bring home the prodigals who have walked away from a life of faith in the Him. Lord, bring home our spouses, bring home our sons and daughters and grandchildren. Lord, bring home our friends and neighbors. Let’s pray that God might set them free from any woundedness or deception that has driven them away from their relationship with Him. Let’s pray that they might experience God’s love and acceptance and affirmation as His beloved daughters and sons.

“Lord, give us Your heart for the lost and the prodigals. Create in us a boldness to love them and serve them and to share our God-stories with them as opportunities arise. Open our eyes to be aware of everyday encounters in which we can minister Your love and Your power to those in need. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.”

Day 3 – Lord, Grant us Your Favor for Your Purposes

Today, we pray for the favor of God to be upon us as individuals, congregations, and as an association for His purposes in and through our lives. God’s favor was upon Joseph (Genesis 39). It was upon Esther (Esther 2; 5). It was upon Mary (Luke 1:30). And of course, it was upon Jesus Himself (Luke 2:52).

Favor is the attraction of God that releases an influence through us so that other people are inclined to like, to trust, and to cooperate with us in the assignment God has given us (Esther 2:9). The favor of the Lord can come upon us for the purpose of an assignment He has given us. It is not something we generate; it is something God places upon us. The favor of God can take us from the place we’re in, to a place of influence and effectiveness for His purposes; not our purposes. We see this in the lives of Joseph and Esther.

Let’s pray that the favor of God may be upon us as we seek to carry out the mission of the gospel wherever in the world the Lord has placed us. Let’s pray, “Lord, do whatever You need to do in me so You can do whatever You want to do through me.” Let’s pray these things so that millions might be impacted by God’s love and God’s power through the Holy Spirit’s empowering presence. 

Get Connected: 

If you're on social media, be sure to "Like" and "Follow" our Facebook Page to follow along with us during each of the three days.  Don't forget to tag your Three Days of Prayer posts using the hashtag #LCMC3DOP so others can see them! 

Share Your Story:

The LCMC staff is inviting all who take part in Three Days of Prayer to share their stories, testimonies, and photos from this year's event by clicking here.  All responses received by the deadline date (Friday, January 15) will be considered for publication on our website and/or in an upcoming issue of our quarterly print newsletter, BY THE WORD.

What Is Three Days of Prayer?

With the intention of encouraging the people of Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ to become more and more a people of prayer, LCMC Service Coordinator Mark Vander Tuig organized the association's first ever Three Days of Prayer event in 2012. 

The event has since become an annual tradition within LCMC and a way to help change our views about what it really means to pray. 

"Our attitude toward prayer has often been characterized by saying, 'well, all we can do now is pray!'.  Prayer is not the hopeless act of desperation.  Prayer is a gift that God has given to us as a means to approach the throne of grace with confidence—like that of a child coming to her parents sharing concerns, victories, defeats and every part of life.  It is an opportunity to express the deepest heartache and the greatest joy.  Prayer is a conversation between the Creator and the created…and the conversation began with God, for us, in Christ Jesus," said Vander Tuig. 

After a busy holiday season, so many of us look forward to setting intentions for the new year.  We create goals, try new diet and fitness plans, track our habits, and make lists of things we want to accomplish in the year ahead. 

Setting aside time to pray might seem like adding one more item to an already full plate, but that isn't the objective. 

Consider this time of prayer as an opportunity to confess the sins that have been weighing us down, to bring up any worries or concerns we may have, and to pray that our hearts and minds of the people in our congregations are renewed and revitalized so we may carry out God's vision for His Church. 

How Do I Participate?

Every congregation, member, and pastor within LCMC is invited to join together from January 7-9, 2020 to start off the new year with an intentional time of prayer. 

The themes for each day are as follows:

• January 7: Confession
• January 8: Petition
• January 9: Vision

Since every congregation is different, structure this time of prayer in any way that works for you and the people in your congregation. 

In past years, some congregations have organized special events such as prayer walks, services, and vigils, some have utilized print or digital media to create resources for their congregation members, others have prayed on their own or at home with friends and family, and some have simply asked everyone in their congregation to set aside some time to pray during each of the three days. 

All who take part in this intentional time of prayer are invited to share their thoughts, reflections, stories, and photos from the event on social media using the hashtag #LCMC3DOP2020. 

More information on Three Days of Prayer, as well as downloadable resources submitted by LCMC pastors and congregations, can be found on our website. 

That’s why eight years ago, LCMC Service Coordinator Mark Vander Tuig started the tradition of inviting everyone to set aside some intentional time for prayer at the start of each new year. 

He once wrote, “ Our attitude toward prayer has often been characterized by saying, ‘Well, all we can do now is pray!’. Prayer is not the hopeless act of desperation. Prayer is a gift that God has given to us as a means to approach the throne of grace with confidence—like that of a child coming to her parents sharing concerns, victories, defeats and every part of life. It is an opportunity to express the deepest heartache and the greatest joy.” 

Over the years, congregations have chosen to participate in this event in a variety of ways, including organizing events, creating resources, and utilizing technology. Some have simply asked each of the people in their congregation to set aside some time for prayer for each of the three days. 

Join us from January 7-9, 2020, as we lift up our congregations, our country, and the nations in prayer for the eighth consecutive year. 

If you haven’t already done so, be sure to follow us at facebook.com/lcmc.net or sign up for Three Days of Prayer notifications in the LCMC app so you can follow along with us during each of the three days.

Detailed information on this event, plus resources submitted by other LCMC congregations, can be found online at www.lcmc.net/ three-days-of-prayer.

If your congregation has not already begun to start planning, now is a good time! 

The themes for each of the three days are as follows:

• Tuesday, January 1: This is a day focused on confession. We have made our lives, our relationships, and even the church in our own image. We confess that the church belongs to Jesus and not to us. We gather to lay down our pride, our sin and our agenda and ask the Lord of the church for forgiveness, which He gives freely and with mercy. 
• Wednesday, January 2: This is a day of petition. Pray for your congregation, for the pastor, for the leaders, for those who carry out ministries, for the Sunday School teachers, for the Confirmation leaders, for those leading adult Bible studies and for those leading small groups. Pray for those in hospital and nursing home ministries. Pray for all those connected to your church that they might know God’s redeeming love for all in Christ.
• Thursday, January 3: This is a day for vision. Pray that the Holy Spirit will again move through the hearts and minds of leaders and pastors that God’s vision for His church might be revealed and fulfilled. This is a time of prayer for renewal, revival and encouragement. Pray for God’s vision.

Structure this type of prayer in any way that makes sense in your congregation.  In past years, some congregations have organized special prayer services while others chose to host a prayer vigil, take part in a prayer walk, or simply ask members of the congregation to set aside some time during each of the three days to pray. 

If you'd like to receive a notification reflecting on the themes during each of the three days, be sure to download our app and opt-in for "Three Days of Prayer" notifications.  [Here's How]

In past years, a few of our congregations have submitted sample documents as a resource for others who are planning on participating in the event for the first time.  If your congregation is interested in using these downloadable resources as a guide to create your own, you can find them on our website under Events > Three Days of Prayer > Resources. 

If you would like to share any photos, thoughts, or reflections on social media during the Three Days of Prayer, please use the hashtag #LCMC3DOP19 so we can find them! 

Whether your congregation is organizing a special activity or you're simply setting aside some time on each of the three days to pray, let's come together as an association to lift one another up in prayer from January 1-3!

For more information, visit www.lcmc.net/three-days-of-prayer.

Following the trend of past years, the theme for each day is as follows:

• January 1 is a day focused on confession
• January 2 is a day for petition
• January 3 is a day for vision

There's no right or wrong way to structure this event, so do what works best for your congregation.  In past years some of our congregations have held special prayer services, some have had prayer vigils, others organized special activities like prayer walks, and others simply asked people to set aside some time for prayer each day. 

If you've never taken part in this event before, it's a great way to join together with LCMC-ers everywhere for a focused and intentional time of prayer.  Here are some tips for first time participants that were submitted to us in the past:

• "Get the word out early!!!" – Rev. Alsen Wenzel (Yoakum, TX)
   
• "Just do it.  Even if it only gets one or two to pray, that's better than none." – Laurel Bobb (Stow, OH)
   
• "Start small and personally invite people to participate. If you have a prayer chain or a Bible study focused on prayer, encourage them to spend this extra time in prayer." – Julie Wood (Alpena, MI)
   
• Tell the congregation ahead of time so they can prepare.  Handouts seemed to be helpful for the folks that couldn't come to church." – Paula Mann (Lasntana, FL)

If you're looking for resources to help in your planning, we've got you covered!  Check out our Three Days of Prayer Resources page for documents that have been submitted by other LCMC congregations. 

Also, we'll be sending out notifications through our mobile app during each of the three days reflecting on the theme for that day.  Whether you're a pastor, a congregation member, or just a random person who wants to pray, if you're interested in receiving these notifications, all you'll need to do is opt-in for Three Days of Prayer notifications in your mobile app settings.  [Here's How]

We look forward to kicking off another year by joining together in prayer with LCMC-ers from across the nation and around the globe! 

In the time since, our association has turned Three Days of Prayer into an annual tradition with many congregations choosing to organize prayer walks, host special services and vigils, or distribute resources to congregation members for each of the three days.

Mark your calendars now for New Year's Day, because our next annual Three Days of Prayer will take place January 1-3, 2019.  

For updates on this event, be sure to follow our blog, or download our mobile app and opt-in for Three Days of Prayer push notifications in your app settings.  App users who have selected this option will receive a reminder before the event and a message reflecting on the themes during each of the three days.  

As always, resources such as sample brochures submitted by other LCMC congregations can be found here.

• Tuesday, January 2: This is a day focused on confession. We have made our lives, our relationships, and even the church in our own image. We confess that the church belongs to Jesus and not to us. We gather to lay down our pride, our sin and our agenda and ask the Lord of the church for forgiveness, which He gives freely and with mercy. 
• Wednesday, January 3: This is a day of petition. Pray for your congregation, for the pastor, for the leaders, for those who carry out ministries, for the Sunday School teachers, for the Confirmation leaders, for those leading adult Bible studies and for those leading small groups. Pray for those in hospital and nursing home ministries. Pray for all those connected to your church that they might know God’s redeeming love for all in Christ.
• Thursday, January 4: This is a day for vision. Pray that the Holy Spirit will again move through the hearts and minds of leaders and pastors that God’s vision for His church might be revealed and fulfilled. This is a time of prayer for renewal, revival and encouragement. Pray for God’s vision.

Whether your congregation is organizing a special activity or you're simply setting aside some time for each of the three days to pray, let's come together as an association to lift one another up in prayer!  Sample documents and resources submitted by LCMC congregations from previous years can be found here.  
 

Submit Photos & Share Your Thoughts:

Once the event has ended, let us know how your congregation celebrated Three Days of Prayer, share photos, and let us know what you thought about the experience by taking our online survey.  All responses and photos submitted by Friday, January 19th through the survey linked here will be considered for publication in an upcoming LCMC news article.  

Take Our Survey >>
 

Get Notified:

Be sure to sign up for Three Days of Prayer push notifications in our mobile app if you'd like to receive a message reflecting on the themes during each of the three days.  (We won't use it to spam you, we promise!)

Get the App >>

The theme for each of the three days is as follows:

• Day One: A day focused on confession 
• Day Two: A day of petition 
• Day Three: A day for vision

In anticipation of the event, we're polling readers to find out how congregations plan to celebrate. 

In past years, many of our congregations have put together prayer vigils, organized a prayer walks, or offered a prayer service at a set hour each day.  Others have simply asked each person to pray each day.  Organize these three days in any way that you'd like...whatever works best in your congregation is the right way to go!

Let us know what your congregation is doing by taking our survey, and we'll share the results in an upcoming e-newsletter!  Click Here for Survey >>

You can learn more about Three Days of Prayer here.  Also, be sure to sign up for Three Days of Prayer push notifications in our mobile app to receive a message with each day's theme!

The event took place from January 3-5, 2017 and each day had its own theme.  Day one was a day for confession, day two a day of petition, and day three a day for vision.  Participants were able to structure each of the three days in any way that made sense for them. 

Based on the results of last month's Three Days of Prayer poll, 25% of this year's participants celebrated Three Days of Prayer for the first time.  Approximately 17% reported that they had participated on their own in the past, but that 2017 was the first time their congregation had organized somethig together. 

While 20% of people reported praying on their own, 27% told us that their congregation had organized some type of special event this year. 

Over half of the people surveyed reported having provided members of their congregations with prayer resources for the event, whether in print or online.  (To view sample resources submitted by fellow LCMC congregations, click here.)

This year, a handful of congregations opted to organize a prayer service or other special event this year while also providing take-home resources to congregation members. 

In addition to offering printed and online resources, Resurrection Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Western Reserve in Stow, OH used the event as an opportunity to connect with other congregations in the area.  "We partnered with a county-wide effort to hold a cross-cultural and cross-denominational event, Summit Ablaze, inviting people to eat with us before," said Laurel Bobb, the congregation's pastor.

"We sent out a booklet to all members and frequent visitors that explained prayer and had an outline to follow for people who wanted to pray at home," said Julie Wood of Resurrection Lutheran Church of Alpena, MI.  "We opened the church from 6:00 to 9:00 A.M. on each of the three days for people to come in and pray.  We held a prayer service on Wednesday night that incorporated all the themes into one event."

When asked if there was anything they would like to do differently for next year's Three Days of Prayer, most people agreed that they would like to start planning early and start promoting the event before the busy holiday season begins. 

One congregation told us that sending regular reminders, as well as mentioning Three Days of Prayer during regular church services, proved to be an effective way of getting the word out.

"We talked about the event on the Sunday preceding [and] I sent a reminder email each of the three days.  I used the event as a topic for a sermon on a Sunday following the event and we discussed God's vision for the church at large," said Pastor Jo Kinnard of Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Inwood, IA.  "Our Savior's in Inwood is definitely a prayer warrior congregation! They loved the idea, and the reminders, and the opportunity to pray."

Our next Three Days of Prayer event will take place January 2-4, 2018, so be sure to mark your calendars and start planning early!

Each day from today through Thursday, every congregation, member, and pastor in LCMC is invited to set aside some time for prayer.  The themes for each day are as follows:

• January 3:  This is a day focused on confession. We have made our lives, our relationships—and even the church—in our own image. We confess that the church belongs to Jesus and not to us. We gather to lay down our pride, our sin and our agenda and ask the Lord of the church for forgiveness, which He gives freely and with mercy.
• January 4:  This is a day of petition. Pray for your congregation, for the pastor, for the leaders, for those who carry out ministries, for the Sunday School teachers, for the Confirmation leaders, for those leading adult Bible studies and for those leading small groups. Pray for those in hospital and nursing home ministries. Pray for all those connected to your church that they might know God’s redeeming love for all in Christ.
• January 5:  This is a day for vision. Pray that the Holy Spirit will again move through the hearts and minds of leaders and pastors that God’s vision for His church might be revealed and fulfilled. This is a time of prayer for renewal, revival and encouragement. Pray for God’s vision.  

No matter how you structure this time of prayer, let’s come together as an association of congregations across the U.S. and around the world to pray!  

"I believe that the church will never rise up until we first get down on our knees!" said Rev. Mark Vander Tuig, Service Coordinator for LCMC.  

Whether you've simply set aside some time to pray each day, or your congregation has organized a special event or service to celebrate, we would love to hear about it!  You can share your experiences with us by taking our Three Days of Prayer Survey for 2017.  We'll include some of the responses that we receive in an upcoming LCMC news article. 

The event, organized by LCMC Service Coordinator Rev. Mark Vander Tuig, was designed to help the people of LCMC become more and more a people of prayer and has since become an annual tradition in LCMC. 

During the first week of each new year, all of the people who make up LCMC (934 congregations as of today) are invited to join in prayer for three days.  Each day has a theme: day one is a day for confession, day two a day for petition, and day three a day for vision.  Congregations can organize the three days in any way they choose.

Over the past four years, our congregations have come up with a slew of creative ideas on how to organize each of the three days.  Here are just a few examples:

• Host a special prayer service or vigil during each of the three days
• Organize a prayer walk
• Use online tools, such as email, social media, or a mobile app to help engage your congregation during each of the three days
• Organize a special event or project during each of the three days
• Have the members of your congregation sign up for time slots to pray during the three days
• Design brochures, booklets or even prayer clocks and distribute them to the people in your congregation

January might seem like a long way off, but if you'd like to take part, it's best to mark your calendars and start planning early!  The number one piece of advice our staff has heard from congregations who are seasoned participants have given was to start planning a few months in advance, as January comes right after the busy holiday season.

Our 5th Annual Three Days of Prayer takes place January 3-5, 2017.  Additional information and resources can be found by clicking here. 

While congregations were encouraged to structure each of the three days in any way that made sense to the congregation, there was a theme set for each day.  Day one was a day for confession, day two a day for petition and day three a day for vision.  

Over the past four years, LCMC congregations came up with creative ways of organizing the three days including prayer walks, prayer clocks, designing brochures and planning special events.  

For 2016, the majority of congregations reported hosting special events and/or distributing brochures to members of the congregation who wanted to participate at home.  

While congregations generally focus on inviting their members to take part in the event, one congregation had the experience of an interested non-member joining them.  

“We had info on our front sign and it was exciting that someone actually read it, turned around and came in to pray,” said Paula Mann, the congregational president of Living Word Lutheran Church in Lantana, FL.  

Each year, the number one piece of advice that LCMC-ers have given to others who may be taking part in Three Days of Prayer for the first time is to start planning in advance, then get the word out early and often.

“Trust God,” advises Karen Mason of Faith Lutheran Church in Monticello, MN.  “A basic format is a good idea, and likely reassuring to many participants, but just show up, praise God, then see what He does.”

After participating in Three Days of Prayer for the first time, Karen’s congregation plans to continue offering weekly prayer meetings, which will be open to anyone in the local community who would like to attend.  

There are still eleven months left to plan for our next Three Days of Prayer, which will take place January 3-5, 2017.   

To learn more about Three Days of Prayer and download resources to help you plan for next year, visit www.lcmc.net/three-days-of-prayer. 

Structuring Each Day

For us together, Day One is a prayer of Confession, recognizing that we have sinned against God, against one another and even against ourselves.  I believe the church will never rise up until we first get to our knees. 

Day Two is a day of petition, bringing every prayer and concern to the foot of the Cross.  There are so many in our congregations who are hurting—physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  But we also pray for our congregations, the people of God to again humble ourselves before an Almighty God. 

Day Three is a day of prayer for direction, seeking God’s will and hope for the days to come.  How is it that we will be ambassadors for Christ in this generation and cultural context.

Poll & Newsletter Article

We've created a short survey for anyone who has taken part in Three Days of Prayer this year.  Those who fill it out will have the chance to answer poll questions, share their experiences with Three Days of Prayer, upload (optional) photos and offer advice and ideas to congregations who may be taking part in it for the first time.  Responses to the survey will be used in consideration for a future article in our newsletter and website and must be submitted by January 22, 2016. 

Take the Survey >>

Learn More

For more information on Three Days of Prayer, as well as resources, click here or go to Events > Annual Events > Three Days of Prayer. 

For us together, Day One is a prayer of Confession, recognizing that we have sinned against God, against one another and even against ourselves.  I believe the church will never rise up until we first get to our knees. 

Day Two is a day of petition, bringing every prayer and concern to the foot of the Cross.  There are so many in our congregations who are hurting—physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  But we also pray for our congregations, the people of God to again humble ourselves before an Almighty God. 

Day Three is a day of prayer for direction, seeking God’s will and hope for the days to come.  How is it that we will be ambassadors for Christ in this generation and cultural context.

You can find out more about Three Days of Prayer under Events  >  Annual Events (or by clicking here), and you can find downloadable resources here. 

From January 6-8, 2015, congregations, members and pastors of LCMC came together for the association’s Third Annual Three Days of Prayer.

Based on a brief online survey that was conducted in January, about 46% of the congregations who reported taking part in the event this year were first-timers.  

While many LCMC congregations organized prayer services, meetings, walks and other special events to celebrate Three Days of Prayer, many congregations also reported distributing printed and online resources, allowing people to participate individually, as well.  

“Our prayer ministry team organized the event and attended to welcome people who came to pray.  Prayers with scripture passages, the daily themes, and Bibles were made available to all who came,” said Amy Williams, a member of Zion Lutheran Church in Kerrville, TX.  “Some folks reported praying at home if they could not come to the sanctuary.”

In fact, nearly 50% of people who responded to the survey reported having prayed individually on at least one of the three days.  

According to Rev. Donna Lou Zipp, the people of First Lutheran Church in El Campo, TX prayed individually, as well as in small groups.  Her favorite part of Three Days of Prayer this year was coming together with others from her congregation on the Day for Petition.

“It is amazing that during the precise time of the Three Days (this year and last) we witnessed God answering our requests right then and there. I was called to serve this congregation last year, and this year the exact ages of children needed to fill slots at our school enrolled and a very surprising, yet sizable contribution was given to our congregation. We are a struggling congregation who is in what I would refer to as a "recovery phase". The Three Days of Prayer is amazing...as you know, great things happen on the Third Day! We witnessed miracles.  We look forward to expanding and enhancing our participation next year,” Rev. Zipp said.  

Many of this year’s participants cited the themes for each day, as well as the sense of togetherness that they felt, as their favorite things about this year’s event.  

“It's good to know that your prayers are joining those of a larger community, and to have a specific focus for the community.” said Karen Mason of Faith Lutheran Church in Monticello, MN.  

LCMC’s 4th Annual Three Days of Prayer is scheduled to take place from January 5-7, 2016, so mark your calendars, because the number one piece of advice that was given by this year’s participants was to start planning early.

“Start talking about it with the planners in September to decide how to celebrate the event in your own particular congregation. December is too busy to be planning it,” advised Marda Kirkwood, a member of First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Idaho Falls, ID. 

Photo courtesy of Karen Mason of Faith Lutheran Church in Monticello, MN.

The Results:

Learn More:

To learn more about Three Days of Prayer, check out these links:

• Watch Video
• Three Days of Prayer Info
• Resources & Downloads
• Share Photos

Videos of individual speakers, as well as manuscripts from our keynote speakers, can be found in our Video Blog.  This includes:

• Keynote Speakers: Rev. Dr. Walter Sundberg, Rev. Margaret Manning & Rev. Dr. Mark Mattes
• Preachers (Opening & Closing Worship): Rev. Julie Smith & Rev. Randy Freund
• Bible Study Leaders: Rev. Destaye Crawford, Pr. Sean Tyler & Rev. Jonathan Haseley
• Reports from Rev. Mark Vander Tuig, Rev. Dan Clites & Rev. Steve Lien
• Video of our service project with Meals From the Heartland

Photo galleries and downloadable copies of our Annual Gathering Book are also available, and can be found here. 

Let us know how your congregation plans to organize each of the three days. 

Click Here to Take our Poll! 

Next month, we'll share the results here in our Blog, as well as in our E-Newsletter!

Day One, Tuesday, January 6, 2015 is a day of confession, recognizing that we have sinned against God, against each other and ourselves.  We have been caught up in big arguments about small things when there are those we love who do not know Jesus, and not connected to His church. 

Day Two, Wednesday, January 7, 2015 is a day of petition.  There are so many things, people and issues to pray for and about, this day is committed to bringing our petitions to God.  We know that He hears our prayers and is at work in ways that we can see, and ways that we will never know.

Day Three, Thursday, January 8, 2015 is a day of seeking God’s vision for your church, and for our association.  The church belongs to Jesus and we simply ask the Lord of the church to lead, guide and direct our mission and ministry.

Prayer is the most effective tool in our toolbox and the most powerful weapon in the arsenal.  The church of Jesus Christ will not rise up until we first get to our knees.

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