History is not old news. It is the vital link to the story of mankind.
B. T. Roberts, the key figure in our denomination’s history, was a man consumed by passion for the Lord. In the 1800s, he led a call to thorough-going holiness. Out of that passion a new church was formed — the Free Methodist church.
Watch and Pray
(B. T. Roberts, editor, The Earnest Christian, February 1862)
When does Satan get the advantage over me and lead my heart away from God? When I neglect secret prayer. When do worldly thoughts and desires rule in my mind, and thus crowd out thoughts of God, and holiness, and heaven? When does temptation assail, and overcome, and darkness cover the mind, and despair fill the heart? When is family worship a mere formal ceremony? When am I impatient under opposition? When do I neglect duty and conform to the world around? When I lack a prayerful frame of mind — when I cease to watch and be sober. When is the Bible to me a sealed book? When I read it without prayer.
When is the word of God precious and sweet to my soul? When I read it, praying, “Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law.” When does light, and joy, and peace attend me? When do the heavens smile to me with gladness, and all the promises of God become to me yea and amen? When do I subdue self and gain an easy victory over besetting sins? When is my conversation free from guile, and my head clear and my heart joyful and free? When can I diffuse a good and healthful influence around? When am I patient and compassionate towards those that oppose the truth, and when does success crown my efforts? When does my faith reach forward to the resurrection of the just with assurance of hope? When I watch and pray.”
For further excerpts go to: http://www.freemethodistchurch.org/sections/resources/free/classics/EC_61.shtml
As we celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Free Methodist church, let’s heed our founder’s call and pray — pray without ceasing so that the church can be filled with people brimming with purity and passion for the things of our Lord, saying, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
March 21 – March 27
The mission of the first ministry group for GC11 is “Every Person — Empowerment of the Whole Church.” Last week our prayers focused on asking the Holy Spirit to come fully and powerfully. Let’s continue those prayers as we now seek the empowerment of the whole church.
Ministry Group #1 is divided into three teams. Each team has part of the task to prayerfully consider. They are called upon to come back with action proposals. As you approach these times of prayer ask the Holy Spirit to:
- Help us have a hearts that yearn to go beyond salvation to the infilling and empowerment of His Spirit
- Help us truly seek Him and not depend on our own thoughts
- Help us to not fear what the Lord will ask us to do but to trust Him as children trust a loving father to give us only what is good
- Work in us His boldness.
Monday – March 21st Prayer Task: “Focus of Ministry Group #1”
This Group’s Focus: Every person “exercising their gifting and living their calling.”
Scriptural Call for the Church: “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love” (Ephesians 4:1-2).
Gratitude: Take time to think of five people in your church that are exercising their calling and thank the Lord for them and how their calling is exhibited.
Pray: Ask the Spirit to guide you in thinking about the needs of your local church. Pray that everyone in the church will take time to make sure they are following the Lord’s call. Ask the Lord that as a church we would possess the traits Paul lays out.
Tuesday – March 22nd Prayer Task: “A Holy People, Serving”
The Bishops Declare: “The call to belong to Jesus is a call to be a holy people, to participate in His mission, to serve. The church is the laboratory where people are formed for the real worship and ministry that takes place in the community arena where they live. We seek the recovery of vocation for all of God’s people in Christ and a more holistic expression of ‘the priesthood of all believers.’”
Scriptural Call for the Church: “It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up” (Ephesians 4:11-12).
Gratitude: Thank the Lord for the hearts of these leaders who want the church to discover and recover our vocation in Christ so that we would have a more holistic expression of the priesthood of believers.
Pray: Ask the Spirit to guide you in thinking about what it means to be a people seeking to recover the vocation of all of God’s people in Christ. Pray for those things to become true in our church.
Wednesday – March 23rd Prayer Task: “Subgroup #1a: Activating Disciples”
Fasting: Today is the monthly day of prayer and fasting set by our bishops. Consider fasting as a way to focus more on prayers for the church.
Activating Disciples: Every church can and must have discipleship at the center of what it does. Discipleship requires ministry engagement; it is not a subject to be studied in a classroom. The church forms authentic Christ-followers. When they follow, they also raise, form, and deploy leaders who lead others in following Christ. God’s plan is for all of his people to be in ministry. The church’s ministries belong to the people, not to a professional ministry class. There should be no functional separation between belonging and serving, between being saved and serving.
Scriptural Call for the Church: “… until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming” (Ephesians 4:13-14).
Gratitude: Thank the Lord for those who will be serving in Ministry Group #1a. Thank the Lord that we all have the privilege of partnering with Him in the work of the kingdom.
Ministry Group #1a Members: Pray for the team members as they prepare to come and serve. Pray that they will spend time in prayer and the Word preparing themselves to hear the Lord’s direction for the church.
Pray: Ask the Spirit to guide you in thinking about what it means to disciple and how the church can form authentic Christ-followers. Pray for those things to become true in our church.
Thursday – March 24th Prayer Task: “Subgroup #1b: Engaging Leaders”
Engaging Leaders: Leadership’s primary function is to engage all people in ministry. Every church must (re)orient its life around true discipleship (i.e., true formation of persons and the community in the image of Jesus), which leads to profound participation in the mission of Jesus. Church leaders guide each person to embrace his or her calling.
Scriptural Call for the Church: “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work” (Ephesians 4:15-16).
Gratitude: Thank the Lord for those who will be serving in Ministry Group #1b. Thank the Lord that we all have the privilege of partnering with Him in the work of the kingdom.
Ministry Group #1b Members: Pray for the team members as they prepare to come and serve. Pray that they would spend time in prayer and the Word preparing themselves to hear the Lord’s direction for the church.
Pray: Ask the Spirit to guide you in thinking about what it means for leadership to engage all people in ministry and how church leaders can guide each person to embrace his or her calling. Pray for those things to become true for our church.
Friday – March 25th Prayer Task: “Subgroup #1c: Transforming Holiness”
Transforming Holiness: Holiness of heart and life requires ministry engagement precisely because Jesus — the clearest picture of a holy life — came as to serve. Holiness affects both character and community, transforming both individuals and society. True holiness goes communal with its transforming impact and then viral as people are set apart for God and compelled to radically follow Christ. The power of the Holy Spirit leads them to bring goodness and mercy in multiple directions.
Scriptural Call for the Church: “Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds. …” (Ephesians 4:21-23).
Gratitude: Thank the Lord for those who will be serving in Ministry Group #1c. Thank the Lord that we all have the privilege of partnering with Him in the work of the kingdom.
Ministry Group #1c Members: Pray for the team members as they prepare to come and serve. Pray that they would spend time in prayer and the Word preparing themselves to hear the Lord’s direction for the church.
Pray: Ask the Spirit to guide you in thinking about how the church can develop the understanding and reality that holiness is both personal and social and pray for those things to become true in our church.
Saturday – March 26th Prayer Task: “Group Leaders”
Group Leader: Alex Shootman
Keynote Speaker: Larry Walkemeyer
Exemplar: Brandon Hatmaker
Scriptural Call for the Church: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Ephesians 4:29).
Gratitude: Thank the Lord for how He is working and will work through these men at GC11. Thank Him for their willingness to serve in these vital roles in addition to very full ministries at their home churches.
Pray: Ask the Spirit to guide you in thinking about what these men will need in order to lead. Pray for their families and for their churches. Pray that they will spend time in prayer and the Word to prepare themselves for the role they play in guiding the church to discover the Lord’s direction.
* Action Prayer: Go to www.gc11.org. Select “Contact.” Then select “General” from the drop-down menu. Write these leaders a note to tell them that you are praying for them and their ministry group.
Sunday – March 27th Prayer Task: “Ministry Group Assignment”
Ministry Group Assignment: To develop proposals, including action plans, for presentation to the plenary regarding the three subgroups described above.
Scriptural Call for the Church: “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:31-32).
Gratitude: Thank the Lord that He will answer as we call on Him to direct us.
Pray: Ask the Spirit to guide you in thinking about what kind of preparation and engagement will be needed by those involved in this ministry group. Pray that those things will occur as they meet.
Giving the Lord More of Your Sabbath: Take time today and go to Ministry Group #1’s page. Prayerfully read through all the questions they are asked to consider. http://www.gc11.org/group-one
* PLEASE NOTE: “Action Prayer”
On occasion there will be an action cue. This is intended to help us as a church to incorporate prayer in different ways throughout our day.
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