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Praying for Laborers for the Harvest

Luke 10:2 is a reminder that the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. We are to beseech the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into His harvest.

What does beseech mean? It means to ask urgently and fervently.

Today in our series inspired by the book The Battle Plan for Prayer, by Stephen and Alex Kendrick, we are being asked to urgently and fervently pray for people to serve in some form of ministry.

Jesus was moved by a deep compassion for people, because all of us experience times where we are hurting, empty, wandering and searching for purpose and meaning.  Matthew 9:36-38 says Jesus had compassion for the crowds, because they were like “sheep without a shepherd.”  That’s us, sometimes, and maybe more than we want to admit.  We’re wandering.  And so many people we come into contact with are also wandering.  So we need ministers of the gospel committed to shepherding the sheep.

Jesus’ solution to overwhelming needs was always prayer.  If we are praying for God’s kingdom to come, then we must also pray for more people to seek that kingdom FIRST and serve that kingdom.

——-

Remember that just one person committed to serving the kingdom and bringing the gospel and God’s Word to people in need can impact marriages, families, businesses, churches and a culture. The books of Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther are examples of this from the bible.

Too many times we are too caught up in our own personal needs and entertainment and we forget about the spiritually lost. Millions still need to hear the gospel.  Yes, the task seems enormous, but nothing is impossible with God.  His kingdom calling should be a high priority for our prayer life.

Any follower of Jesus is called to be a laborer in God’s harvest field. That labor can take the form of praying, serving, giving and going. When we obey this global mandate, we become part of an army of others who are doing the same.

——–

So, how does this work practically?  Locally, we need to be praying for our pastors. The work they do is eternal and vital, but also draining and demanding. The expectations we sometimes place on them are endless.

But we also know the enemy is constantly on the attack against them.  He tries to wear them down.  Wear their families down. Tempt them. Many of their responsibilities are private – like study and preparation, spiritual counsel and dealing with conflict.  We can pray that the Holy Spirit is their partner in these times that are quiet or confidential.

Ephesians 6:19-20 says:

“19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.”

So we can pray for protection around our pastor’s heart, marriage and home. That he or she can confidently, freely and unapologetically fulfill his or her ministry. That the Holy Spirit will help them draw many to the Gospel.

You can also pray for pastors from other churches locally, regionally or globally.

——-

Locally and globally, we can also pray for other types of ministries like family counseling ministries, Christian schools and colleges, humanitarian aid ministries and YES, Christian media!  Pray I Corinthians 15:58 over them:

“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”

Pray for present and future missionaries – both domestic and foreign.  Pray that His word and salvation will be known and embraced.  You can ‘pray the word’ again over them – Colossians 4:2-6:

“2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. 5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”

Pray for the lost in the nations around the world – God has a heart for ALL the nations!  America and its 320 million people only represent 5% of the global population of 7 billion!

——–

This week’s prayer:

Lord, give me your heart for the nations.  A heart of love and compassion for the lost. A renewed love of the gospel and a deep admiration and concern for those who are already giving their lives in service to you. Provide for them, encourage them, prosper their work and embolden their hearts. Raise up and equip more workers for Your harvest fields. Fill them with your spirit, deliver them from the evil one and empower them to boldly proclaim and represent You and Your Word to the world, until you return. Help me to be obedient to your voice and do my part in advancing your kingdom on earth.  In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Thanks for listening!
– Joe

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Festival of Sleep Who Knew!

Welcome to the first Who-Knew Wednesday of 2018!
Today, we’re celebrating the Festival of sleep!

The Festival of Sleep day was founded by someone who had a profound and deep love of sleep. Sleep is a basic human function, and helps our bodies to regain energy for the next day, keeping our mind alert and ready for action. During the holidays, things can get crazy, so this holiday was created to let you catch up on those post-holiday Z’s.

Having a lack of sleep can be fatal to the human body and mind, effects caused by little to no sleep over an extended period of time are as follows.

Effect One: Lack of sleep in the modern world can cause people to get into vehicular accidents, which happen daily in large numbers.

Effect Two: Lack of sleep can in fact, dumb you down. As we all know, sleep plays a critical role in our thinking and learning processes. We also know that a lack of sleep hurts these cognitive processes in many ways. First, it impairs attention, alertness, concentration, reasoning, and problem solving. This makes it more difficult to learn efficiently. Secondly, sleep helps to retain memories of the day’s experience. Meaning that with a lack of sleep, we would not remember much of the previous day’s experiences. This makes sleep incredibly important for students, from those in college to those simply trying to learn a new language on their own.

Effect Three: Probably the most dangerous effect from having a long term lack of sleep is it can cause many and deadly health problems. Here are some examples of these problems.

• Heart Disease
• Heart Attack
• Heart Failure
• Irregular Heartbeat
• High Blood Pressure
• Stroke
• Diabetes

Here are some more fun facts about sleep!

  1. In general, most healthy adults need seven to nine hours of sleep a night. However, some individuals are able to function without sleepiness or drowsiness after as little as six hours of sleep. Others can’t perform at their peak unless they’ve slept ten hours.
  2. We naturally feel tired at two different times of the day: about 2:00 AM and 2:00 PM. It is this natural dip in alertness that is primarily responsible for the post-lunch dip.
  3. Sleep is just as important as diet and exercise.
  4. The higher the altitude, the greater the sleep disruption. Generally, sleep disturbance becomes greater at altitudes of 13,200 feet or more. The disturbance is thought to be caused by diminished oxygen levels and accompanying changes in respiration. Most people adjust to new altitudes in approximately two to three weeks.
  5. In general, exercising regularly makes it easier to fall asleep and contributes to sounder sleep. However, exercising sporadically or right before going to bed will make falling asleep more difficult.
  6. Snoring is the primary cause of sleep disruption for approximately 90 million American adults; 37 million on a regular basis.
  7. Scientists still don’t know — and probably never will — if animals dream during REM sleep, as humans do.
  8. People who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to have bigger appetites due to the fact that their leptin levels (leptin is an appetite-regulating hormone) fall, promoting appetite increase.

Thanks for listening!
-Lilly

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Praying for Authority

Actions and decisions made by people in authority create a significant impact on those within their sphere of influence- both good and bad. Think of a business owner who leads with integrity and excellence, as opposed to one who cuts corners, breaks laws, and routinely passes blame. Think of a father who loves, supports, and wisely trains his children, compared with one who ignores or abuses them. Think of biblical examples like Moses and Aaron, the leaders of Ancient Israel, whose different ways of responding to God at Mount Sinai resulted in the Ten Commandments on one hand and a golden calf on the other. Our authorities can either help us in doing the will of God or they can make it harder for us to pursue.

Since the influence of people in these positions can cause such a ripple effect, and because and because their various roles are fraught with hard choices and difficulty, the Bible commands us to pray for all those in leadership over us.

Prayers for their salvation, for their ability to lead or govern, for their commitment to the highest standards and priorities, both professionally and personally.
But while each of us, in one way or another, answers to authorities higher than ourselves- supervisors, parents, officials, law enforcement- most of us also represent some kind of authority over others: children, employees, students, anyone who looks to us for guidance, direction, and instruction, So this biblical command of prayer equally applies to these relationships as well – prayers for both them and for ourselves, that we who ‘keep watch over their souls” will take responsibility seriously and perform it with great care and honor, knowing we will give an account for how we handle the job.

We tend to think of authority in terms of organizational charts and the ordinary tasks of each day. But it’s more importantly a God-ordained arrangement. “For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.” So prayer creates a revolutionary spin on the natural tendency to resist or resent authority. God’s call for us is to realize that unless they are asking us to sin our obeying of authority (in all other situations) is actually obeying Him. And by praying for those in authority we are working in the best interest of everyone.

Authority basically orbits around the four centers of activity: family, church, government, and employment. In our families, for instance, children should be praying for their parents; parents for their children; wives for their husbands; husbands for their wives. This is all part of how God works within a family both to bless its individual members and to make it a force of kingdom influence. Families operate best when following God’s design.

The proper ordering of authority within the home, combined with prayer for one another, strengthens every ligament of relationship while leading each person to see themselves as ultimately submitted to the Lord. Caring and helping one another. Praying for one another. All out of obedience to Him.

In the church we’re not only called to submit our pastors and leadership but also to steadily pray for them, praying for the hearts and their submission to Christ so that we and others can imitate their faith and example. What a change from the all too typical dislike and disapproval of church leaders, whispered and overheard in homes and back hallways. Our love and support of them is meant to make their work a joy, which in turn blesses the entire church and its ability to stay focused on its true calling.

But like Jesus did for his disciples and like Paul did for the churches, even so pastors, too, should be praying for their people, feeling a burden of concern for them. They must recognize the gravity of their authoritative role in teaching people faithfully, guarding their hearts, and leading them well under the lordship of Christ, who is the “head of the body” – the one who takes “first place in everything”.

In government, as well as in the workplace, the same sort of praying applies. Be faithfully praying for your country’s top leaders and elected officials, even those whose views differ from yours, knowing their leadership touches the lives of many people under their jurisdiction. God still uses imperfect authorities to carry out His perfect purposes. The Lord, of course, is able to turn the heart of a ruler and our impassioned prayers and petitions are part of how He does it.

Pray also for your boss and management at work. Like all those in authority, they are charged with these four overarching responsibilities, among other things 1. Providing direction, instruction, and an example to follow. 2. Protect with boundaries and rules. 3. Praise those who do right and 4. Punish those who do wrong. Let these areas of influence guide your praying. You might even add a fifth- pointing others to Christ – because any leader in any job, in dedicating his or her position to God, can be used as a force of spiritual change, both in the lives of the individuals as well as the culture at large.

Prayer and authority are a powerful combination. Prayers targeted upward in support of those who lead us, as well as prayers targeted downward for those under our care.

Ultimately, Christ is the reason all things were created, “both in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things have been created through Him and for him.” So even in praying for people in our offices, schools, and other everyday settings, we are living out a holy calling. It is both highly practical and exceedingly eternal. God is honored by this kind of praying. And because of it, His will is more readily and pervasively done.

“Father I acknowledge that all authority is from You and that all of my authorities only have power because of You. I choose to pray for the biblical, governmental, family, employment authorities You have placed over my life as a demonstration of my submission to you. Please draw them to salvation and give them a fear of the Lord in all their decisions. Use them to guide, protect, praise, and discipline me in order that I might do your will even as I do the same for those under my authority. Use me to be a blessing. Grant me favor so I can daily help people live out their full potential under Your total authority and Lordship.”

Thanks for listening!
-Lilly

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‘Twas the Day After Christmas…

Well, Merry Christmas from our family here at WNZR to yours!
Today for Game Time Tuesday, Eddie Dilts and I got back in the groove with Game Time Tuesday! We played Song Poetry and Name that Tune!

Our Song Poetry Lyrics today were…

“But we know that you are God
Yours is the victory
We know there is more to come
That we may not yet see
So with the faith you’ve given us
We’ll step into the valley unafraid”

Congrats to Jennie of Howard! The song was Lauren Daigle’s “Come Alive (Dry Bones)”

And our Name that Tune song today was…
“King of the World’ from Natalie Grant!
Congratulations to Andrea of Mt. Vernon!

One of my favorite parts of Christmas is the food, and it wouldn’t be the Afternoon Drive unless we shared some recipes now would it?
With food, naturally, comes leftovers. Here are a few delicious and fun ways to use up those Christmas leftovers!
Triple Chocolate Peppermint Kisses 
Ham Filo Roll
Ham and Rice Chowder

Now, I don’t know about you, but my dog is very important to me, and I would do anything to keep her safe. The same thing is the case with Natasha Wallace. She rode her bike with her 70-pound pit bull in her backpack to keep him safe from a neighborhood fire. Wow that’s awesome. Read the whole story here.

Thanks for listening!
-Lilly

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A Tuesday Filled with Games!

Welcome to the 12 Days of Christmas, ladies and gentlemen!
We love giving you chances to win, and we did that today here on the Afternoon Drive!

It’s Game Time Tuesday so we played some games!
For song poetry today we gave the lyrics to a familiar Christmas song!
Here are the lyrics…

“Oh how they pound,
Raising the sound,
O’er hill and dale,
Telling their tale.”

That’s the lyrics to ‘Carol of the Bells’!
Congrats to Rochelle from Mt. Vernon!
She’s taking home that $5 from Troyer’s of Apple Valley!

My suggestion for the lyrics were as follows…
“Ding, dong, ding, dong”
But Joe said no, so maybe next time.

We also exchanged some gifts today for the WNZR Christmas Gift Exchange!
Congrats to Robin from Mt. Vernon!
She won a gift certificate for a dozen carnations from Flowers for You!
and also congrats to
They won

We also like to do a little uplifting news for your Tuesdays!
Here’s a story about Tyler Perry! In the midst of the hustle and bustle of this life and the sadness that comes with day to day. Check out what he clings to in these times!

Image result for partridge
Partridges are medium-sized non-migratory gamebirds, with a wide native distribution throughout the Old World, including Europe, Asia, and parts of Africa.

A famous reference to the partridge is in the Christmas carol, “The Twelve Days of Christmas”. The first gift listed is “a partridge in a pear tree”, and these words end each verse. Since partridges are unlikely to be seen in pear-trees (they are ground-nesting birds) it has been suggested that the text “in a pear tree” is a corruption of the French “une perdrix“.

There is a huge theory behind this and it’s really neat.
The partridge is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Who comes to us on the first day of Christmas. He is fittingly represented as a partridge, a bird which will feign injury in order to draw predators to itself and away from its young. By offering Himself on the Cross, “He hath delivered me from the snare of the hunters. He will overshadow thee with His shoulders: and under His wings thou shalt trust.” (Psalms 90:4)
The pear tree is the Cross itself. When King David wished to free his people from the scourge of the Philistines, the Lord told him that the moment would come “when thou shalt hear the sound of one going in the tops of the pear trees, then shalt thou join battle: for then will the Lord go out before thy face to strike the army of the Philistines.” (II Kings 5:24)”
Neato, right?

Also! A partridge in a pear tree costs $209.99.
That’s just one. But if you got all 12 of them… it would cost $2,519.88
With that cost, that makes up 1.6% of the total cost of the gifts.
The most expensive gift? The Seven Swans a Swimming.
For 1 of them… $1,875.
For 7 of them… it’s $13,125.00.
If you want the 42 times they’re mentioned in the song? Well…
That’ll run you $78,750!
That’s 50% of the total cost for all of the 12 days of Christmas, for every time they’re mentioned. That’s 364 gifts for $156,507.88.

Thanks for listening!
-Lilly

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Praying for Family

This week, as we continue our series inspired by the Kendrick brothers’ book. The Battle Plan for Prayer, we’re focusing on how to do pray for family.

So how do we engage in praying for the ones we love?

If you are married, you start with your wife or your husband. Your marriage is to be a real-life application of the gospel to your children, friends and everyone else who knows you.

Ephesians 5:25 reminds husbands to “love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” Wives, in verse 22, are asked to support and honor the leadership of their husbands as they would honor the Lord.

What this all means is that we run to Christ for love, joy and peace, then take all of that and pour it into our marriages.  We pray for each other, asking for God to direct when disagreements happen, which they inevitably will.  When that happens, we should be committed to listening respectfully, confessing openly and extending patience and kindness. We should be hard to offend and quick to forgive!

The example we are setting in our marriages is too valuable to let the voices of other people become more important than our spouse’s voice.

We can also pray that our spouse is devoted to Christ, surrendered to following His Word and His lordship. We can pray that each of our spouse’s relationships are marked by love and unselfishness, especially the ones that are strained.  We can pray for peace, healing and restoration where things are broken.

We can pray that God would keep our spouse clearly aware of God’s desires, knowing how to handle each day’s decisions. We can pray that God keeps us, as their partner, attuned to their needs so we can be a voice of clarity in their lives.

We can pray David’s prayer in Psalm 20:4 for our spouses: “May He give you what your heart desires and fulfill your whole purpose.”

The Lord will guide our marriages as we are more specific in our praying for them.

Satan is in the business of causing confusion in our families, so we must pray against that.

The enemy also wants to confuse our kids, distract them, apply unneeded pressure to them and doubt their sense of worth and identity.

Our role as a parent is to stand in the gap of these areas, listening to our children and knowing the condition of their hearts.  Praying with our kids, with our arms around them and then praying for them even when they are not physically with us.

We are to intercede for our children in prayer for their protection, their friendships, their character and their ability to stand up to temptation.  Our children may not realize the level of spiritual opposition to claim their eyes and their interests.  Ephesians 6:12 says, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

But WE KNOW the level of opposition. We’ve felt it. So…defend your kids in prayer. Claim God’s promises of victory in their lives. Pray for God’s spirit to go ahead of them wherever they may be. That they may draw others to Him.

If your kids are older, then pray that they will remain faithful to God in their generation, love him and keep His commands, like it talks about in Deuteronomy 7:9. Oh, and all of this also applies to our grandchildren!

Alex and Stephen share in this chapter that the Psalmist was thinking about multiple generations when he wrote:

“so the next generation would know them,
even the children yet to be born,
and they in turn would tell their children.
 Then they would put their trust in God
and would not forget his deeds
but would keep his commands.”

Just like we’ve shared throughout this series, we can ask God to ‘unlock’ the Word so that we can pray specifically for our family and future generations.

The battle plan for prayer for your family is simply awaiting your dedicated attention to it!  To make it a priority…to make your family a prayer target.  Prayer is the most effective investment we can make along with all the other ones, like love, time, physical and emotional support, sweat equity and financial generosity.

Today’s prayer:

Lord, I bring my family before you today – their needs, struggles, their goals, their concerns, their present and their future.  These loved ones of mine are actually yours, Lord, and you have graciously shared them with me. Help me to best express my gratitude to you by never failing to pray for them, to seek your will for them, and to ask for your wisdom as I relate in love and loyalty towards them.

Give me discernment as to their physical and spiritual needs in each season, and help me faithfully lift them up to you in faith, love and in the power of the Holy Spirit. May many generations be blessed because of my prayers.  In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Our Christmas Gift Exchange winners are Jeff from Mount Vernon and Brenda from Fredericktown – congratulations!

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Hannah

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Who Knew? – Christmas Songs!

Today on Who Knew Wednesday we shared some background on Christmas carols, hymns and songs.

ANGELS WE HAVE HEARD ON HIGH – today’s version by Casting Crowns

The lyrics were written in 1862 by James Chadwick, Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle in the Northern Province of England. It was inspired by a French song that follows the storyline of the ‘angels in the countryside’ singing to the shepherds.

‘Gloria in excelsis deo’ is Latin for ‘glory to God in the highest.’

Popular artists to record the song include: the Carpenters, Chris Tomlin, Mercy Me, Josh Groban, the Brian Setzer Orchestra and Sixpence None the Richer.

CHRISTMAS TIME IS HERE – today’s version by Erin O’Donnell

Most people recognize this song from the TV special ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas,’ which features the version by the Vince Guaraldi Trio.  It was released in 1965.  A second version of the song features vocals from children at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in San Rafael, California.

TV historians note that the song and program made its debut on CBS Television on December 9, 1965. In the special, Charlie Brown finds himself depressed during the holiday season. Lucy suggests he direct a neighborhood Christmas play, but his best efforts are ignored and mocked by his peers. After Linus tells Charlie Brown about the true meaning of Christmas, Charlie Brown cheers up, and the Peanuts gang unites to celebrate the Christmas season.

In casting the characters, the producers hired child actors. The program’s soundtrack was also different: it featured a jazz score by pianist Guaraldi. Since there was no laugh track, the tone, pacing, music, and animation led both the producers and network to think the project would be a disaster preceding its broadcast.

BUT…A Charlie Brown Christmas received high ratings and acclaim from critics. It has since been honored with both an Emmy and Peabody Award.

JOY TO THE WORLD – today’s version by Avalon

This carol or hymn was written and published in 1719 by English writer Issac Watts. It is based mostly on Psalm 96: 11-12:

Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
    let the sea resound, and all that is in it.
Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them;
    let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.

It is the most published Christmas hymn in North America.

The origin of the music normally is credited to a tune called “Antioch’ and to George Frederick Handel since it resembles some choruses in the Messiah.

HOW GREAT OUR JOY – today’s version by Phillips, Craig and Dean

The origin of the text for “How Great Our Joy” is not known, but  The New Oxford Book of Carols says it may date back to as early as 1500 AD in Germany. In 1623, the tune was modernized and given an echo setting, where one group or individual repeats the lines of another. There is speculation that the song may have been designed for a Christmas play in which the shepherds’ lines were followed by an off-stage echo.

The first two stanzas of the song were translated by American born Theodore Baker (1851-1934) who studied music in Germany, and the tune is based on an arrangement by Hu­go Jüngst (1853-1923). In the U.S., we generally only sing between 2 and 4 of the original 9 stanzas:

While by my sheep, I watched at night
Glad tiding brought an angel bright

“For you,” he said, “this blessed morn
In Bethlehem a child is born.”

“Go where he lies within a stall
The infant Redeemer of us all.”

There in the stall he sleeping lay;
There by his side I longed to stay.

Sweetly he gazed into my face:
I in his hands my heart did place

Gently I kissed his tiny feet,
Which to my lips were honey-sweet.

Then to my home I made my way:
Yet still that Child with me did stay

Within my arms that Child did rest:
Oh! how my heart with love was blest.

Close shall I guard this darling Boy,
Thus shall my heart be filled with joy.

CHRISTMAS GIFT EXCHANGE:
today’s winners: Kristina from Fredericktown and Jessica from Mount Vernon!

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Hannah

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Christmas Game Time!

Today we played a special Christmas Song Poetry with a chance to win a $5 gift certificate to Troyer’s of Apple Valley.  The lyrics were:

Can You feel the weight of Your glory?
Do You understand the price?
Or does the Father guard Your heart for now
So You can sleep tonight?

Congratulations to Brittney of Howard who correctly guessed “Joseph’s Lullaby” from Mercy Me.

Our Christmas Gift Exchange winners were, Scott from Mount Vernon and Jane from Howard.

Thanks for listening!

-Joe and Hannah

 

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Praying for Other Believers

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“Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.” (Philemon 7)

Perhaps some of the most commonly spoken words from one Christian to another are “I’ll be praying for you. “And perhaps the most commonly unspoken words are the prayers that would have been said if those promises were truly kept.

This week in our series inspired by The Battle Plan for Prayer, Alex and Stephen Kendrick remind us of the importance of praying for other believers.

We need each other‘s prayers. It’s one of the most loving things we can do for each other. Your brothers and sisters in Christ, at any challenging point in their lives, need to be able to take a deep breath and realize they’re not alone; that their Christian family has their back. They need the assurance that you and others are praying. Especially if you said you’d be praying.

Paul described this as being “on the alert. “Something we do “at all times.” We pray “with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.” (Ephesians 6:18)  Notice how all- encompassing this command and expectation is.

The early church in Acts was so involved with one another they were constantly “taking their meals together,” enjoying what the Bible describes as “gladness and sincerity of heart”.  As a result, despite a rash of persecution and life-threatening challenges in the days that followed, we see God’s spirit working miracles among them. We read about bold witnesses for Christ. We read about people coming to faith by the dozens. We see sin exposed and repented of.  We see teamwork. We see abundant generosity and unselfishness. We see regular demonstrations of God‘s power. We see everything we wish happened in our day, in our churches…

…And one of the ways we can contribute most effectively to a revival of church unity today is through the active practice of praying for each other as believers. It heals us. It unites us as one.

Almost all of Paul’s letters in the New Testament were written to different churches. But no matter how close his personal relationship with them, he wrote assuring them that he was genuinely, consistently, perfectly, praying for them.  Romans 1: 9-12, Philippians 1:3-4; the book of Colossians, they all show examples of this.

Our routine should follow the faithful footprints of this example. Encouraging other believers. Thanking God for them. Worshiping with them. Bringing their concerns before the Lord, both physical and spiritual.

You can use The Lord’s Prayer as an example of how to pray for others…

“Father in heaven, I pray for my brother (my sister),  praising your name for them, asking you to fill their hearts with worship for you today. May their primary desire always be to advance your kingdom, wherever they happen to be, whatever they happen to be doing.
May they align themselves on the earth with your will, just as surely as you’re will is followed and accomplished in heaven.
Provide them, I pray, with their daily bread – with everything you know is required for them to thrive and be cared for. And grant them repentance, forgiving them of their sins even as you forgive me of mine.
Keep their relationships free from bitterness and difficulty as we forgive those who sin against them. Please, Lord, protect them from temptation, from allowing them to be overloaded with adversity.
I deliver them from all evil, from every scheme and attack of the enemy, from every weapon intended to defeat and discourage them. For yours, Lord, is the kingdom,  The power, the glory, forever. You have already given them victory through the finished work of Christ. So I pray for them today, and I pray in his name, amen.”

Now that’s strategically targeting a prayer.

Too often, prayer request times between believers become: “Pray for my aunt’s kidney condition. Pray for my cousin’s colon cancer. Pray for my brother’s big toe.” And while we all need and appreciate prayer towards physical health, we must be careful not to prioritize temporary physical needs over eternal spiritual ones.

The apostle Paul prayed for God to reveal his will and love, to strengthen and equip people toward spiritual fruitfulness and for them to increase in their knowledge of God and faithfulness to God. We can learn so much about how to pray for one another.

Think of how a commitment to prayer for our fellow believers could energize our relationships and our shared sense of mission.

 

CLOSING PRAYER: “Lord, thank you for the church you’ve given me, and for the friends and families you’ve enabled me to know shared faith in Christ. I pray you would cement our relationships even further by helping us commit to pray for one another. Lord, be pleased by how we love and care for each other. May your name be glorified as you work in our midst. We will be watching you, and we will be praising you. Bless us, I pray, that the world would see your power and the difference you make in our lives. Amen!”

Thanks for listening!
-Joe, Hannah and Lilly

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