Did you take advantage of yesterday's challenge to be thankful and praise God as often as you could?? I hope so. I know I did and I was encouraged by the things that I was stretching myself to thank God for that I often don't take the time to.
Today's challenge relates to our churches. I want to start by saying that the Church is God's, not ours. When I'm talking about the church today, I specifically mean the local church.
Just to spice things up, let's not make it a "whenever you think about it" sort of challenge. Rather, let's make it a 10 minute challenge. 10 minutes. What is that really? one-third of most evening shows. The difference between 6:30 of sleep and 6:20 of sleep. So, take 10 minutes and spend some time in prayer today!
1. Do you attend a healthy church? Where things seem to be going alright. Sure, there are issues - it's full of people after all. But all in all you would say that your church is doing really well. Then you could pray that a) God will continue that health, b) that God will help you (individually or as a church) not to become complacent during this time, and/or c) that if you are or have become complacent that God will shake things up!
2. Are you at a church that doesn't have a pastor right now? I know that in our area there are three or four different churches without pastors. You can pray that God will direct the leadership of your church and give them wisdom during this time, that you (individually and as a church) will grow and learn the lessons God would have for you during this time, that God would be working in the life of the man/family that He has for your church, and/or that God would continue to be encouraging and uplifting your previous pastor.
3. Are you a missionary who is on the field (either here in the states or internationally)? You can pray for your own church/work (like I needed to mention that), you can pray for your sending church, you can pray for your other supporting churches, and/or you can pray for the other churches in your area or your previous hometown and the ministries that God is working through in those churches. (All of this applies to all of the rest of us too!)
4. Are you not currently attending a church? Then you can pray for the church that God has for you, pray for the church you last attended, and/or pray that God will work in your heart to give you the desire to be in church.
See, there are so many ways that we can pray for our churches. Some of these things fit into other categories and I certainly haven't covered everything.
So remember, 10 minutes. Anytime today.
To God be the glory.
Today's challenge relates to our churches. I want to start by saying that the Church is God's, not ours. When I'm talking about the church today, I specifically mean the local church.
Just to spice things up, let's not make it a "whenever you think about it" sort of challenge. Rather, let's make it a 10 minute challenge. 10 minutes. What is that really? one-third of most evening shows. The difference between 6:30 of sleep and 6:20 of sleep. So, take 10 minutes and spend some time in prayer today!
1. Do you attend a healthy church? Where things seem to be going alright. Sure, there are issues - it's full of people after all. But all in all you would say that your church is doing really well. Then you could pray that a) God will continue that health, b) that God will help you (individually or as a church) not to become complacent during this time, and/or c) that if you are or have become complacent that God will shake things up!
2. Are you at a church that doesn't have a pastor right now? I know that in our area there are three or four different churches without pastors. You can pray that God will direct the leadership of your church and give them wisdom during this time, that you (individually and as a church) will grow and learn the lessons God would have for you during this time, that God would be working in the life of the man/family that He has for your church, and/or that God would continue to be encouraging and uplifting your previous pastor.
3. Are you a missionary who is on the field (either here in the states or internationally)? You can pray for your own church/work (like I needed to mention that), you can pray for your sending church, you can pray for your other supporting churches, and/or you can pray for the other churches in your area or your previous hometown and the ministries that God is working through in those churches. (All of this applies to all of the rest of us too!)
4. Are you not currently attending a church? Then you can pray for the church that God has for you, pray for the church you last attended, and/or pray that God will work in your heart to give you the desire to be in church.
See, there are so many ways that we can pray for our churches. Some of these things fit into other categories and I certainly haven't covered everything.
So remember, 10 minutes. Anytime today.
To God be the glory.
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