Today I would like us to begin a time reading through Luke’s book of The Acts of the Apostles. I would like us to use this time as we begin the New Year, to as a community a spend 28 days of prayer and fasting over The Church in the World. our individual churches that are part of the body of Christ, and each of us as its members.
Yesterday my sermon was on Epiphany, the revelation and manifestation of Jesus Christ to the world. I am asking all of us as a church, as a family, as a community of faith to come together as we begin 2022 and pray over a new revelation, a new manifestation of Jesus into the vision and ministries of our churches and our lives. I would like us to dedicate ourselves to pouring ourselves into his word and prayer as we seek God’s will and direction for our lives. To aid us in this I am asking us to commit to one another and join together in these 5 things:
1. Starting this Monday, Jan 1oth, spend the 28 weekdays that follow reading through the Book of Acts of the Apostles. There are 28 chapters in Acts, so we will read one chapter a each week weekday for the next 28 weekdays.
2. Start up/join in a Band Group. A band group is the Wesleyan name for accountability groups of 2-3 people of the same sex that meet weekly. We need to both encourage and hold each other accountable to time in the Word, Prayer, and our daily walk with Christ and to discern what we hear Christ speaking into our lives.. Do not delay, pray to God who to ask you which one or two persons to invite to join you, and do it. Ne excuses, no delays.
3. Set aside just one hour a week (you can do more than one) away from distractions and spend that hour in solid prayer.
4. Fast one day a week in prayer.
5. Daily Lunch + prayer: Everyday when you sit down to lunch, you pray over your meal. After your prayer over the meal, and a 30 second prayer over your church and its ministries for God’s vision and leading.
I pray your will join in covenant with each other in these 5 things. I desire us to see and be part of amazing transformation of our lives, our churches, and those in our community. This is God’s desire as well.
If you have any questions or comments, please get with me and I would be more than happy to discuss them with you.
PIntro to Acts:
The Book of The Acts of the Apostles, or as commonly simply called “Acts” picks up where Luke’s Gospel leaves off, recording the birth of The Church and the early progress of the gospel as Jesus’ disciples took it from Jerusalem throughout Judea, Samaria, and the rest of the Mediterranean world. The story begins with Christ’s ascension and the events of Pentecost. As Gentiles begin responding to the gospel, the focus shifts to Paul and his missionary journeys. Acts forms a bridge between the four Gospels and the rest of the New Testament, showing how the apostles carried on Christ’s work and providing a historical background for Romans through Revelation. The Acts of the Apostles is the second of two New Testament books written by Luke. Like his Gospel, Acts was a letter to Luke’s friend Theophilus, written sometime in a.d. 62–64.
Today, as we read Acts chapter 1 and pray, some thoughts to pray on:
Pray over and into your personal, and church’s collective "Baptism of the Holy Spirit." v.5
Pray into the the power each of you received by the Holy Spirit v.8
Pray over your personal and our collective call as a church to witness to your community, the surrounding communities, our state and country, and unto the nations.v. 8
Pray for the return of Jesus. v.11
Pray that every member of your church will take seriously and embrace this call to pray and fast, and we will seek with one mind God's anointing and calling on us. v.14
Pray over your personal call to be a witness to the resurrection of Jesus. v.22
Pray over the leadership role in your church God is calling you to take up and step up into. v. 24