Day 2 – Church and the Body
Today we are praying for churches, church leaders, and ministries of the Church. This includes pastors, teachers, evangelists, lay-ministers, staff members, and volunteers. These are the people who operate in specific settings that are set apart and sanctioned to carry the Good News of the Kingdom of heaven.
John 17:20-23
“My prayer is not for them (the disciples) 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. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that You have sent Me. I have given them the glory that you gave Me, that they may be one as we are one – I in them and You in Me – so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me.”
Jesus prayed for believers and above everything else, He prayed that we would be marked by unity that expresses love. As each of us encounters the Living God we are transformed. Unity comes first by hearing His voice and walking in oneness with God. Then, in this place, we understand our identity and gifts, as well as how to use them as we serve the Body and the world around us. This happens most effectively when we are free from comparison, judgment, or condemnation, and simply love God and those around us. When the Church lives this way, people are drawn to the message of Jesus.
Let’s pray together –
Pray that each of us is transformed by the Presence of God, knowing our true identity so that we can share His truths with the world.
Pray that the Body of Christ operates in one accord bringing the Church together in unity as it moves out of a building and into the world.
Ask God to teach us how to love religion out of our region, free from traditions, rules, and metrics, so that we simply live in a way that points to Him.