Pastor Susan…
Good morning. Welcome to morning prayer.
This is the day that the Lord has made. We’re rejoicing. We’re glad in it. Right? So you at home, I hope you’re rejoicing.
Notice about Labor Day holiday…
I have a notice to give; due to this coming Monday, being Labor Day, which is a national holiday here in the US, we are not going to be meeting in here live for prayer. They’re going to show a restream of a previous morning prayer. So for those of you that join online, you can join an online as normal and you’ll have an opportunity to pray and worship. And it’ll be a good day for you and those of you that are holidaying on Labor Day, you can pop in online too. But don’t show up here. You won’t be able to get in.
“We’re to go, we are to make, we’re to baptize, we are to teach…”
We’re going to go to Matthew 28:18, and it says this, “Jesus came and he spoke to them saying all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.” And then he said this: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
So he says “to go,” he says “to baptize” and he says, “teaching them to observe all the things that I have commanded you for lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Did you know we’re coming to the end of the age? And with all the craziness going on in the world around us, Jesus’ words to us are still true. “Behold I am with you to the end of the age.” And I want you to make note of those things that I mentioned. There’s some action words in here, right? And that is that “we’re to go, we are to make, we’re to baptize, we are to teach.”
And these signs will follow them that believe…
And then we’re going to go over to Mark chapter 16:15. We’re going to read another account of this. “And he, Jesus, said to them…” here we go again. “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved. He who does not believe will be condemned.” And this isn’t like a verdict. Jesus is just stating the facts. He’s warning people, right? “And these signs will follow them that believe.” We could say it this way: those who have faith in God more than what’s going on in the world… You know, our eyes are on Him. But these are the signs that are going to follow them that believe. And you know what? Signs can’t follow… like Kevin can’t follow me if I’m not going anywhere. So we see another action word. “Signs follow.” Christians who are active, doing the work of the Gospel. So not sedentary, but active. “These signs will follow those that believe in my name. They’ll…” Look at this! “…cast out demons. They’ll speak with new tongues. They’ll take up serpents and if they drink any deadly thing, it will by no means hurt them. They will lay hands on the sick and they shall recover.”
Participation is required…
So when we read these scriptures and this is setting where we’re going to pray today, you know, what we see is participation is required. Participation. And so for this to happen, for disciples to be made and nations to be reached, and very often the church is like, “Oh, we need the world to be changed. We need nations to be reached.” Well, who’s going to do that? Christians have to be activated. Right? It’s not going to happen with us just sitting around. So participation is required for this to be accomplished.
This is the time for activation…
I’ll take it a step further. We have to engage with people, right? We’ve gone through a time, the world has gone through a time where the message has been, you know, “Isolate! Stay away! Don’t engage! Be afraid to engage!” That’s not for us. These signs shall follow them that believe. This is activation. This is a time of activation. And you know what I love Jesus said, “I’m with you. I’m with you in this.” So the Gospel isn’t meant to be stationary or exclusive. In other words, it’s not just about me. I’m glad for the Gospel. And I’m glad that I’m saved. And I’m glad that I get to hear the Word. But it isn’t just about me. The Gospel… the power of the Gospel is that it not only saved me, but it’s perfecting me. You know what that word means: maturing me to do something, to be activated, to not be a spectator, to not sit on the sidelines, to not be okay with disengagement, but to actually be engaged and participating and to be active in the mission God has given to the church. Jesus said all authority has been given to Me and I’m telling you to go and do something, not to stay and watch stuff. But to go and do something.
Some assembly is required…
So you know what this says to me? Some assembly is required! Right? Assembly is required. I’m going to say it one more time. Assembly is required. Ephesians 4:11. It says about Jesus, “He gave, he himself, gave some…” Some, some, some… This isn’t all. This isn’t most of the body. This is some of the body. So “some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers.” Here’s what they were given for: “for the equipping of the saints.” That’s for everyone. That’s for the whole body. Equipped, you know, you don’t have to be equipped to spectate or to sit and watch. You have to be equipped to do, right? To be activated.
So “for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry.” So the work of the ministry is making disciples of the world. That’s why we’re being equipped. But here’s the other part of it that people forget. It’s also for the “edifying of the body of Christ.” This is why assembly is required. And sometimes people say, “I don’t need to go to church because I can listen online.” And I understand that sometimes there’s reasons for that. I get that. So I’m not taking jabs at anybody. But when you can come, you should come. Because assembly and the edifying of the body is not just what I get. It’s what God wants to give through me. And that can’t happen when you’re at home by yourself. Assembly is required “for the edifying of the body of Christ.”
Paul called their fellowship participation and engagement…
Last scripture that we’re going to look at is in Philippians 1. And you might think, “I feel like I’m getting preached to this morning.” But we are going to pray about this and we are going to pray… Oh! I want to look at this. This is the one I want to look at in the Amplified Classic. So I want to read verse four. Paul said this to the Philippian church: “In every prayer of mine, I always make my entreaty and petition for you with all joy and delight. And I thank my God for your fellowship that is your sympathetic cooperation, contributions, and partnership.” That sounds like engagement and activity. They were engaged in what Paul was doing and he called it a partnership and it helped advance the Gospel. Participation, engagement, assembly—it promotes the Gospel in the earth. If we want to see the world reached, then we’re going to have to do it the Bible way. Right?
Paul prayed that our love would abound more and more…
All right, then we’re going to go down to verse nine. This was something Paul prayed inspired by the Holy Spirit. And we’re just going to kind of take off from this today because I really want to pray for the body. You know, that’s like a big thing with me. I think I come every two weeks and I’m always praying about the body. I’m always praying about the mission of the body because this is how God’s equipped us and how He’s anointed us is to help raise up the body and equip the body so that people can step into their places, take their places. Right? But we’re really passionate about this. And Paul inspired by the Spirit prayed these kinds of prayers consistently for the church. “And this I pray that your love may abound more and more and extend to its fullest development in all knowledge and keen insight. And that your love may display itself in greater depth of acquaintance and more comprehensive discernment.” There’s a reason why he wants them to have a greater understanding of the love of God and the love that God has for people. “So that…” Here’s the reason. “So that you church…” church of the living God, not just church at Philippi, but all of us. “So that you may surely learn to sense what is vital and to approve and prize what is excellent and of real value, recognizing the highest and the best and distinguishing the moral differences and that you will be untainted and pure and unerring and blameless. So that with heart sincere and certain, you may approach the day of Christ, not stumbling or causing others to stumble and that you would abound in and be filled with the fruits of righteousness, which come through Jesus Christ to the honor and praise of God that His glory would be both manifested and recognized.”
He’s going to work through His body…
So Paul said, I pray that you get such a revelation of the love of God that it will change you, that it will change me. And it will cause us to become engaged with what God is doing… to be activated, to be participators, to assemble together, to get God’s work done. The work of the Gospel will not get done if we all keep an individual mindset and we sit at home expecting God to do something apart from His body, separated from His body. He’s going to work through his body. And that’s not others, that’s you. We have to take it personal. Right? So we’re going to pray about this this morning. Yup, that’s a lot of scripture to have as a good platform, isn’t it?
Prayed…
Father, we declare your majesty, your greatness, the greatness of your plan. We know that it’s your desire that all people would be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.
Father, as we join together this morning, we begin to pray for the body of Christ.
This is the age that you have chosen to work through the church.
We’re praying today that there would be this great deep saturation and revelation of the love of God… the love that you have for a lost and dying world.
Father, we’re praying that hearts would be flooded with light… Fill the church with the revelation of the love of God.
We pray for Christians that are in ditches off on the side, those that have been hurt or wounded or going through difficult times, we’re praying for a manifestation of your love in their lives.
Father, I pray that we would be so compelled to take that love to the world, the same love that we come to know in you. We would not turn a deaf ear, a blind eye, but we would be moved with compassion… that we would not afraid to engage with people, but moved with compassion to release your love, to release your power, to release signs and wonders to see the captive set free.
Father, we pray that for the body that there would not be one sick or feeble among us… restored to health… mental health, emotional health, physical health.
Oh Father, we pray for the victorious church, that the church would rise up in the victory that you have given us in Christ…
And, Father, we’re praying for the persecuted church around the world… we’re lifting them up, those that are being tortured for their faith. Those that are being imprisoned for their faith. Those that are under harsh and fierce persecution… We come alongside them and we pray that they would be strengthened with all might in their inner man, that they would be full of faith… that their confidence in you would not waiver… that their witness would not waiver … Father, we pray for them that they would be delivered from evil people from evil plots and plans. We pray for their deliverance.
We pray that those that are being denied the staples that they need to survive and live, we thank you that you send provision.
We pray for miraculous provision for those that are in the trenches… meet every need.
Father, we’re praying for leaders in the body in these countries… those that are leading underground churches.
We pray that they would be filled with your wisdom… We thank you for the ministry of the Holy Spirit in their lives that you show them things to come… you show them, you give them divine strategies.
Father, we pray into the Great Commission this morning, the making of disciples… in our nation and around the world. Not people who practice a convenience Christianity, but those that are genuine disciples that are fully committed to you…
We lift up this end time work… the work of this age… making disciples…
We are calling for the body to awaken to their destiny, to their plan, to their call, their part of the making.
We pray for the body that there would be a sensing of what is vital, that they would approve and prize what is excellent.
We pray for the body of Christ today that we would not be asleep… that we would not be captivated by the world around us, that we would not be lured away from you…
We pray for the body that we would be spiritual, that we would discern the will of the Lord. We would discern the truth.
Father, that it would overwhelm the body, such a sensing of destiny, such a sensing of purpose.
Oh, Father, we’re praying for all that have lost their way. Father, we don’t condemn them. We love them because you love them. And we’re praying for them that there would be a reconciliation and a restoration and a coming back…
Father, you are the Father of spirits and you have a way of reaching hearts… and we’re asking you to do it.
Many are in the valley of decision, Father. I’m lifting up decision. Decisions… Father, those that are in the valley of decision, when it comes, “Do I make Jesus Lord? Is God really real?” We are praying for those that are in the valley of decision and we pray for their full salvation, their full deliverance from the kingdom of darkness…
