Week 2: Working through Difficulties
Whenever people come together for a shared purpose, they should acknowledge potential difficulties. Each person has ways of communicating, expectations, or baggage from the past. These might be traditions, or unspoken ways of handling problems. They might be differing communication methods, or past hurts that people have buried. What are the difficulties that might be facing the new church?
8. Pray for an awareness of the potential difficulties that may hinder the church.
“Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” John 13:35
Competing values and desires of what the church should be like can have the potential to cause struggles in the merging churches. Unity is necessary for the growth of this new church.
• Pray for discernment to recognize the difficulties the churches may be facing.
• Pray for wisdom to address the differences effectively and lovingly.
• Pray for courage to move into this new relationship despite the unknown issues ahead.