Prayer Guidance for Pilgrims and for the Emmaus Team
In consideration of our prayer partners who are not familiar with all of our terms, a glossary has been added to the back end of this document. Those terms have been identified in bold italics.
Thank you for agreeing to pray during this Walk to Emmaus weekend. Your prayers are the greatest gift of agape that can be given to the Pilgrims and to the team for this weekend. The Pilgrims are overwhelmed by the fact that each and every minute of the three-day Emmaus weekend is covered by prayers. Your name and location will be listed on a chart that the Pilgrims are able to look at throughout the weekend.
May you be abundantly blessed by our Heavenly Father as you are a blessing to the Pilgrims and to the team.
Then I heard the voice of the Lord Saying, “Who shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” -Isaiah 6:8
Suggestions for Your Prayer Time
The following list is not complete, but it may help get you started. Just move down the list in your prayers, or start at any point and let the Spirit lead you from that point forward.
“Also, the Spirit helps us with our weakness. We do not know how to pray as we should. But the Spirit Himself speaks to God for us, even begs God for us with deep feelings that words cannot explain. God can see what is in people’s heart. And He knows what is in the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit speaks to God for His people in the way God wants.” -Romans 8:26-27
Please pray for each Pilgrim and ask God to help them forget the outside world for the weekend.
Please pray:
- Pilgrims will feel God’s presence throughout the three-day weekend
- Pilgrims will enter into table discussions and freely give of themselves when it comes to responding to questions, etc.
- peace of mind for each Pilgrim so that they will hear the messages shared by each speaker
- Pilgrims will faithfully release personal burdens during dying moments and trust that Lord Jesus has accepted them in love
- Pilgrims will feel the love of Christ in a very special way that they have never felt before and that they will accept it, then take this love back to their lives outside of Emmaus to be shared with others
- each agape letter will warm the heart of each Pilgrim
- agape letters received from people they may not even know will show them how far and wide God's love reaches
- the Holy Spirit will work in each Pilgrim’s life at the closing ceremony and into all of their fourth days
- team members will forget the outside world for the weekend and to concentrate their total
- effort on serving Lord Jesus through their interactions with the Pilgrims
- family members of each team member who are left at home during the weekend will be protected from harm and be maintained in good health
- good health and restful sleep to each Pilgrim and team member throughout the weekend
- Pilgrims and team member will be able to leave behind the distractions of the outside world and "let go and let God" in all they think or do this weekend
- Spiritual Directors - that the Lord Jesus will continue to bless them, and that through them, the Lord's Gospel will be clarified and His name will be glorified
- Lay Directors - that the Lord Jesus will continue to bless them, and that through them, the Lord's Gospel will be clarified and His name will be glorified
- Music Directors - that the Lord Jesus will continue to bless them, and that through them and their gift of music, the Lord's Gospel will be clarified and His name will be glorified
- Assistant Lay Directors - that the Lord Jesus will continue to bless them, and that through them, the Lord's Gospel will be clarified and His name will be glorified
- table leaders - that the Lord Jesus will continue to bless them, and that through them, the Lord's Gospel will be clarified and His name will be glorified
- angels - that the Lord Jesus will continue to bless them, and that through their work the Lord will be glorified
- board representative - that the Lord Jesus will continue to bless her or him, and that through them the Lord will be glorified
- speakers - that the Lord Jesus will speak to Pilgrims through them and that each talk will be a blessing to all those who will hear it
- sponsors - that they will lift up the Pilgrim-attendees during this weekend and provide spiritual support after the Emmaus weekend
- there will be no problems encountered in matters that compromise the safety or comfort of the Pilgrims and team members
- our Lord Jesus will reap a harvest of souls due to the efforts of these Pilgrims after they return to their lives
- our Lord Jesus will be blessed by all that is done in His name throughout the weekend
- ALL that is done over the weekend will be done in our Lord's name
May God bless you abundantly for your prayer time for this Emmaus weekend and for the Emmaus Ministry.
Glossary of Terms
Agape is a Greek word translated into English as love. In Christian theology it is the love of God or Christ for humankind. In the New Testament, it refers to the covenant love of God for humans, as well as the human reciprocal love for God; the term extends to the love of fellow men and women. Many have thought that this word represents divine, unconditional, selfsacrificing, active, volitional, and thoughtful love.
Assistant lay directors (Emmaus team member) – as the title implies, these team members assist the lay directors with every aspect of the three-day weekend.
Board representative (Emmaus team member) – this person serves in an advisory position for the weekend team. This person makes the final decision regarding any Emmaus program questions which may arise during an Emmaus weekend.
Closing ceremony – this is the final activity (ceremony) during the three-day weekend where the Pilgrims are told that Christ is counting on them. The Pilgrims share what the Emmaus weekend has meant to them.
Dying moments – this is a spiritual activity (similar to and prior to Communion).
Fourth days – a symbol of all the days that follow the three-day experience – it extends each Pilgrim’s experience beyond the weekend and into life in the world. In living their fourth days, they are encouraged to continue to grow in relationship with Christ and live as faithful disciples in all aspects of their lives.
Angels (Emmaus team members) – this is a team of 25-35 people who take care of all of the behind the scenes chores including serving meals and snacks; meeting room and chapel set-up and clean-up; supplies, agape, and much more.
Lay director (Emmaus team member) – the term “lay” implies the person is not clergy. This person has complete responsibility for everything necessary to facilitate a three-day Emmaus weekend at a facility. There is one for the men’s team and one for the women’s.
Music directors (Emmaus team member) - This team is responsible for the flow of the weekend by teaching songs and helping to set the tone of the weekend through praise and worship music.
Emmaus weekends - The Walk to Emmaus is a spiritual renewal program intended to strengthen the local church through the development of Christian disciples and leaders. The program’s approach seriously considers the model of Christ’s servanthood and encourages Christ’s disciples to act in ways appropriate to being “a servant of all.”
Pilgrims – refers to those who are participating by experiencing their three-day Walk to Emmaus.
Pilgrim's sponsor – refers to a Pilgrim who has attended a prior Walk to Emmaus, is now supporting another Pilgrim to take their Walk to Emmaus, and will minister with that Pilgrim, and to others after the weekend is over.
Speaker – The talks on a three-day Emmaus weekend are essential in demonstrating God’s love for each of us through personal testimony. This person is typically a member of the team serving one of the team positions, but could be a guest Emmaus speaker.
Spiritual directors (Emmaus team members) – This team is an integral part of the team and provides support, direction and spiritual leadership for the team. They are available to the Pilgrims for counseling and prayer.
Table discussions – during the three-day weekend there are talks given by the speakers. These series of talks examine the state of the Pilgrim’s life. The table leaders lead the Pilgrims into discussions based upon these talks. These may lead the Pilgrims to the conclusion that he or she could achieve a more fulfilling life by drawing nearer to Jesus Christ.
Table leaders (Emmaus team member) - Table Leaders develop friendships and a level of trust with the Pilgrims, lead the discussion, and encourage each person at the table to participate. They will pray with the Pilgrim and guide them during the weekend.
Team – the members of Emmaus who have offered to serve at the three-day event. The team is comprised of 35–45 Christian men and women, from a variety of denominations that fill a variety of roles over the weekend.
Agape letters – these are letters that provide an opportunity for the Pilgrim’s family, friends, Christian groups, etc. to express their appreciation of the Pilgrim and tell them what their relationship with him or her means to them. These letters of love are read only by the Pilgrim and will be presented to him or her as a surprise on the last day of the three-day weekend.