Apr 4 – The following prayers are written by Pastor Leslie, and are again developed from his previous blog series on The Essence of the Church of Christ [January 2021].
Father, thank You that You call Your Church to be Missional and Evangelistic in its outlook on engaging with the world. As Christ’s light shines through Your Kingdom minded people, that light exposes the darkness of this world, and the darkness cannot overcome it.
Lord, it is only Christ’s light shining through our words, actions, attitudes and spirituality that has the power to transform our Society. Empower us to be Kingdom minded people living out the biblical principles and power of the Kingdom in our everyday lives.
Holy Spirit, enable us to overcome the Dark, Evil Culture in the world – partnering with You to replace it with a biblical Culture which honours Christ, brings His Moral base to Society, and fills our Society with His love and saving grace. Amen
Apr 5 –Father, You call us to interdependence, to work together with each other and to partner with Your Spirit, in His mission reaching out with the Gospel, in love and by His power. You also call the local Church to be a people, and place, to which we commit who we are, what we are, and what we have to worship and serve Christ, to fellowship, sacrifice and give, and participate in Your mission, through Christ, by the Spirit, to the world.
You love the world! And through Your Church, including Telford Elim, in person and online, You are calling the world to repent, believe in Jesus the Saviour, and follow Him making Him Lord. We pray that the Spirit will train us and guide us in how best to reach our local communities with the Good News.
In praying this, we thank You for the privilege of joining with You in Your mission, and serving Your purposes in this world through us – Your Church. We offer our unique gifts, our precious commodities of talents, time and treasure, and our lives to Your mission.
Equip and train us in Telford Elim, our local church, to raise up many missionaries and evangelists, and many who will step up and do the work of an evangelist in their homes, relationships, workplaces, schools, colleges and universities, and communities. Give us souls for Jesus’ sake and His glory. Enable us all to see ourselves as Your missionaries on the frontline in Your service. In Jesus’ name. Amen
Apr 6 – Father, as we join You in Your mission to the world – thank You that You are Yahweh Jireh, the Lord who provides for all coming need in this mission (cf. Genesis 22:14). Therefore, just as Hudson Taylor looked to You for the China Inland Mission’s need – we look to You for the provision of people, finances and resources needed to reach Telford, and beyond, with the Gospel.
Holy Spirit, lead us forward teaching us how to be both more dependent on Your provision of that which is needed – growing in faith, and more engaged in our commitment to mission – willing to take the sacrificial steps needed as we follow Jesus making disciples.
We pray that we will be a local church filled with the word and Spirit’s power, and engaged in Your Kingdom work, in Christ, and by the Spirit. We pray that Telford Elim will be a House of Salvation with many men, women, young adults, young people and children being born again.
That it also will be a House of Redemption where many find freedom in Christ and deliverance from bondage to the world, ‘self,’ Satan and sin. A godly, holy centre where Discipleship, Worship, upholding and caring for the Creation, and Social Justice are all revealed in and through us. That we will reveal the joy of a local church filled with the word and Spirit’s power, and engaged in Your Kingdom work. In Jesus’ name. Amen
Apr 7 – Father, we pray that we will both have the joy of seeing Your hand at work through us, Your Spirit at work in every one of our lives, and also of many being obedient to Your word and call stepping out in faith to follow Jesus, represent Him in loving service and care for the poor and needy, and in sharing the Good News.
We pray that as people step out – they will see righteous fruit from their commitment to Your mission and making disciples. Empower Telford Elim, each one who is a part of it in person and online, to take responsibility to proclaim Christ, reveal Christ, and glorify Christ through our faithfulness to Your call, loving worship, service and mission – being obedient to Your purposes for our church at this time and in our world.
Lord, as we renew our minds in Your word – lead us into a new way of thinking about the essence of Your Church and what its purpose is. Empower us to be able to present You as the God who invites us to participate in Your Mission to the world – the God who sends His people into His work. In Jesus’ name and for His glory. Amen
Apr 8 – Father, You sent Christ and the Spirit into the world to open a pathway of hope, salvation and renewal for all who will believe; and through Your Church, the Gospel is still being sent into the world. Hallelujah!
Thank You that Christ and the Spirit sent Christ’s Disciples out to proclaim the Gospel living authentic Christian lives – and they are still sending Christ’s Disciples, people like us, out into the world to proclaim the Gospel and to live authentically as Christians should. Empower us to live this life – endow us with the godly wisdom and leadership needed to lead people along this pathway.
We submit to Christ’s Lordship in this mission, but also the Holy Spirit’s Lordship recognising that it is Your purposes in Christ, and His Kingdom, we are serving – not self-interest, nor the Church’s own religious priorities.
Ephesians 5:18-21, CSB, ‘And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be [being continually] filled by the Spirit: 19speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord, 20giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21submitting to one another in the fear of Christ.
Lord, You command us not to be filled with the world’s spirit, but to be continually filled with Your Spirit. To speak out of the overflow of the Spirit, and live thankful lives loving each other with humility, grace and honour. We pray that this will be how we live as a church out on Your mission field. In Jesus’ name. Amen
Apr 9 – Father, thank You that the old order of Missio Ecclesiae – the Church seeking to determine its own priorities and primary focus, has been replaced by Missio Dei Trinitatis – The Mission of God the Trinity: Christ as Lord, the Spirit as the Church’s power and teacher, and You as its Creator and Father – God, Father, Son and Spirit. You have a Church for Your mission – we offer ourselves to Your mission.
You are already out there ahead of us in the world, through Your Spirit, challenging and convicting people of their wrongdoing and awakening them to their need of Christ the Saviour, Redeemer, Baptiser in the Spirit, Healer and King. Teach us how to get in step with your missional Spirit and Your missional purposes.
You are blessing in ways we cannot even imagine through Your common grace, and in extraordinary ways through Your redeeming grace in Christ and by the Spirit’s power. Hallelujah! We pray that we will always draw upon that grace, and step out in the Spirit’s power. In Jesus’ name. Amen
Apr 10 – Father, the Church is Your construct, You are its founder and sustainer. The Church is Your special treasure – the habitation of Your Spirit here on earth – Your Temple.
The Church is not Your second best, it is Your perfect plan for Your people to represent Christ’s name in the world, the vehicle through which Your Spirit continues His mission to the world establishing Christ’s Kingdom reign among the nations.
The Church is imperfect because it is made up of imperfect people like us, but it is perfectly designed by You to take into account those imperfections and yet fulfil Your purposes through it. We should never speak ill of Your Church, because, in spite of human weakness, You count it as Your perfect Bride.
The Church, through all its genuine local fellowships and expressions, still works and is growing across the globe – even in spite of the impact of Covid-19, the War in the Ukraine, the cost of living crisis, many wars, troubles and challenges.
Bless Telford Elim, in person and online, and may we continue to grow, learn and step out in faith following Jesus by the Spirit’s leading and in His power. Enable us to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. In Jesus’ name. Amen
