iPray: Day 20

A Prayer for the Body of Christ offered by Jaycee

King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, I worship you today. The Uncreated Creator, the One who was, who is, and who is to come. I have searched within my heart as far as I can go, and I can feel your omnipotence all around me. Your power goes beyond gods that are created by wood, stone, or metal. They cannot speak or change the world, but by Your mighty right hand the whole earth was formed. Just by Your word, the universe came into existence. Because of that Father, I praise and glorify Your Name and lift You high above all the earth and above every living creature, so that all men may be drawn towards You.


Thank You for one more day and one more breathe of life. For the unmistakable opportunity to pray to You today. When Your Son died on the cross, the curtain of the temple was torn into two all the way from the top to the bottom (Mark 15:38) to symbolize direct access to You rather than through a sacrificial lamb. Thank You for this access Father. You said that we should call upon the Name of the Lord, and we will be saved (Romans 10:13). You said we should ask, and we will be given what we ask for. That we should knock, and the door will be open unto us. And that we should seek, and we shall find (Matthew 7:7). This is exactly what I am going to do today Father. So Papa, I will ask of You today, and I receive my answers already. I will knock on heaven’s door, and I expect a down-pour, and I will seek Your face amidst the chaos, and I will find You.


Today, I come boldly to You to pray for the Body of Christ. For those who pledge their allegiance to You, and dedicate their lives to Your purpose. Father, not for the walls of buildings that people call churches, but for the children therein who truly are Your own. I pray that the virtue of patience be imparted into the body of Christ. Many have lost their focus and their hope. They wonder if Your word still stands, or whether they are lost. They ask, “why do bad things happen to good people?” Father, they are becoming like the 12 disciples were after the death of Your son, wondering if what they had seen or experienced when He was still alive was real. They doubted. They gave up hope, until He rose up from the dead and showed them the holes in His hands due to the nails that pierced them. Father, my prayer is that the Body of Christ will be soldiers without needing any proof. Soldiers of faith and of a powerful God. That they will not need to see before believing. But for this Father, we need Your patience. Patience for the hardships and persecutions as a result of Your Name. Patience to know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and that You will never leave us nor forsake us. Help us to give You glory, praise, and worship even in tribulation. Because tribulation produces perseverance (patience), and patience produces good character, and character leads to hope. And hope will never disappoint (Romans 5: 1-4). It is hope that will keep the Body united, and also keep it strong and unrelenting, till the very last day.


Father, I also want to pray for the existence of those greater things You said we will do more than Jesus did. Oh Lord, didn’t You say we will do greater works? (John 14:12) Most of what I can see today in the Body of Christ is “lesser works.” Where are the Elijahs of our times? Where are the Daniels who will do only what God says rather than kings of the earth?; the Davids who will kill giants with unheard-of tools or what the world considers to be mediocre, the daughters of Zelophehad who will boldly claim what is due them, the Peters who will walk past the sick and heal them with their shadows, the Pauls and Silases who risked their lives by preaching to the custodian of the jail even when they broke bail, the Jesus who will raise the dead everywhere he goes. Where are they Father? I am almost in tears when I think about how the Body of Christ does not think miracles are possible anymore. Father, there are only a few here and there who still do. Please I pray for the strength to do greater works than Jesus did. I pray that You will not use the stones in our place.


Father, I also want to pray against LUKEWARMNESS in the body of Christ. These days, the church has been reduced to four walls or merely buildings. Buildings where swarms and swarms of people pour in and sit on pews ready for the message on Sunday mornings. But what do they do with the message? Nothing Father, nothing. Oh Lord, my heart cries out for the body of Christ, that they will go back to You. That they will see through the pews and the stained windows on cathedrals. That they will see past the statue of the virgin mary and the confessions of the saints. That they will not just leave the buildings without zeal or fire. Lord, I pray for strength to be HOT for You. I pray that the body of Christ will RISE UP and do your will. That we will not just be hearers, but doers. Father, Your word says in Revelation Chapter 3: 15-17, “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—.” Father, I rebuke the spirit of lukewarmness that the enemy wants to infiltrate into the church. I pray that Your spirit will revive the church, and that mighty men will begin to wake up and do exactly what You sent them to do. The church will no longer have bench-warmers, but team players.


Lastly, I commit the leaders (pastors, evangelists, prophets, missionaries, teachers e.t.c) into Your hands, oh Lord. If the foundations are destroyed, what can the people do? If the head is bad, what can the rest of the body do? So Father, I seize this moment to ask that you guide our leaders. That the word will be a lamp unto their feet. That they will not move unless you tell them to move. That they will not lie to those who are under them, and that they will not be under the influence of anything other than You, Oh Lord. I come against the spirit of homosexuality both in our leaders and in the Body. I rebuke the will of pastors to rape young women and little boys, and to lie to them that that is what God wants. I come against the sins that are passed on from the leaders to the people. I pray today that when the enemy comes to them like a flood, You, Oh Father, will lift up a mighty standard against the enemy. No, these acts will no longer be found inside the body of Christ. I refuse them today. Affliction will not rise up in the lives of our leaders a second time. They will be men and women after your own heart. They will lead people to your heart, Father…and many lives will be restored because of them. I also pray that You teach each and every one of us to walk according to our callings. We are the body of Christ, different parts (talents) make up a whole, and we thank You for our unity.
All these I have asked and receive by faith in Jesus’ Name. Amen (so be it).

Jaycee
http://light-her-lamp.blogspot.com/

Excuse me! Your faith is showing..

In the same way, let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven Matthew 5:16 (NIV)

This post's title is an adaptation of a slightly embarrassing story that occurred when quite a number of years ago. I remember looking wistfully at my mum and older sister when they were dressing up because in my eyes they had reached the 'advanced' stages of wearing more interesting undergarments than my plain white vest. Lol! Anyway I decided that I too was going to join the club by hook or crook and went to wear one of my mum's slips (dunno what you call them, the one that looks like a skirt) under my cloths. I felt good, was in my own cloud nine, until someone tapped me and said, "Excuse me, your slip is showing", that brought me back to earth quickly! Obviously my mum had a bigger waist so my pretty skirt had somehow slipped down a bit and created a second hemline for my clothes. Lol, I don't even remember what made me think of this but it got me thinking that in that situation, something that was to remain on the inside had somehow made an appearance on the outside, that which should have been hidden was now exposed.

This is true of ourselves as individuals and believers, who we are on the inside will eventually show up. So, if you were to look within what would you see and vice versa. Would what you see match up to my claim about myself or would it be a facade. I can't remember where I got a quote that says, who you are screams so loudly in my ears, I can't hear what you're saying. These days, I've been meditating on what it really means to be a believer, an uncompromising child of God in a compromising world. I look within and around me and if I'm a bit honest have become a bit disillusioned with the 'schizophrenic Christianity' syndrome, where I want to have it all. I want both God and the world, I nurture and nourish both my spirit and my flesh. Father, help me. Joshua told the Israelites to choose, choose whom they would serve but he made a decision, "as for me and my house we will serve the Lord". Father, this is my prayer today as well.

I recently had a minor disagreement with a friend of mine and I sensed the Holy Spirit telling me to accept the responsibility to patch things up. Why me? I didn't do anything (or so I thought) but He made me understand that even though I may not be in the wrong, I'm the one who 'claims' to read the Bible, who 'lives' according to Scripture, who goes to church, who knows that love is kind, love forgives, love takes the higher way even when it means swallowing some pride. He said "your faith is showing, what does it look like"? In every altercation you have and especially with unbelievers, it is your responsibility to work towards conflict resolution because you have me and you have the word. Hmm.

Who we are shows up one way or the other, usually on the days of adversity. I may say I love you but you'll know for sure on the day you need me! When a grape is crushed, blood does not come out. Our faith is showing, when we are crushed, what comes forth? A glass filled with dirty water is placed on a table, the table is hit, water is spilt, lo and behold what has spilled out is clean water! Not so!

Heavenly Father, I lift my hands to you, I lift my heart to you. Help me to live for you and when my faith shows, let it be in consonance with your truth in Jesus name. Sometimes, the most effective evangelism is the way we live our lives, winning them over without words!

So what are you showing?

Selah!