1. Pray for the Church
In John 17:20, Jesus prayed for all believers, “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You.” Our Lord longs for His people to come together under His Lordship in spiritual unity.
What more does God need to do for the Church to come alive in Christ and fulfill its purpose for being here? God has defeated the devil, sent Christ to die for our sins, given us eternal life, equipped us with the Holy Spirit and provided the Manufacturers Operating Manual which explains all the hows and whys. The missing ingredient is our response in repentance and faith. So what are we waiting for? Ephesians1:18,19 and 6:10–12
The Church is often relegated to the sidelines, considered irrelevant and out of touch. Though we sometimes deserve that critique, God has a completely different perspective on what His people are to be and how we are to function. In Ephesians 3:10, the Apostle Paul writes, “His (God’s) intent was that now, through the Church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known….”; the Church to the degree it is spiritually united, portrays the wisdom of God. Though seemingly powerless in the eyes of the world, the Church – through righteousness, prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit – releases the wisdom of God into any and every culture!
Pray today for the Church in America, that:
• our eyes will be opened to see the hope to which we are called (Ephesians1:18).
• we will experience in a fresh, new way the Presence of Christ in revival.
• believers will be given the faith to believe that their votes will make a difference.
• a spirit of repentance and humility will be poured out upon the people of God.
(from Rivers of Revival, Anderson and Towns; 2012 Prayer Guide, David Butts, Harvest Prayer Ministries.)
