Transforming Church and community
Jesus calls us to not only make new disciples, but in the process to transform the world. That starts with transforming our church and our community into a more loving, Christ-centered, grace-filled place.
29. Pray that our community would be transformed.
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free. . ..”
Luke 4:18
Not only are we to make disciples of Jesus Christ, but we must transform the world, and specifically our community, to reflect the Kingdom of God.
• Pray for the specific needs of your community.
• Pray for the powers that promote injustice to be exposed and or courage to help bring change.
• Pray for God’s peace to move through the community and change lives.
30. Pray we could grow as missionaries and evangelists.
“Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you.”
2 Timothy 4:5
Missionaries and evangelists take the Good News of the Gospel to the people in their community. Each Christian is called to be a missionary and an evangelist.
• Pray for the people of our church to be bold in telling what God is doing in their life.
• Pray for divine appointments to share our faith journey with others.
• Pray for openness and a softening of the heart as people hear the Good News and respond.
31. Pray for enthusiasm in worship.
“Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy.”
Psalm 100:1-2
John Wesley gave this instruction about worship: “Sing lustily and with good courage. Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half asleep; but lift up your voice with strength.”8 Our faithful worship can transform our church and community.
• Pray for openness to the Holy Spirit’s presence and action in our worship services.
• Pray for music and worship practices that connects to our mission field.
• Pray for the message to be relevant and meet the spiritual needs of the people, both members and guests.
32. Pray for enthusiasm in hospitality.
“Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!”
Heb 13:2
True hospitality in the church shows guests that we welcome them to our church. As Bishop Schnase writes in Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations, “Christian hospitality refers to the active desire to invite, welcome, receive, and care for those who are strangers so that they find a spiritual home and discover for themselves the unending richness of life in Christ.”9
• Pray for a spirit of hospitality to be evident in the people at our church.
• Pray that our hospitality will go beyond a cordial greeting to show God’s love to others.
• Pray that when guests attend our church they will experience our openness and hospitality.
33. Pray for generosity in our giving.
“Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous.”
2 Cor 9:11
The Bible is full of stories of giving, possessions, and wealth. God is the giver of every gift, and we are to respond with a giving attitude. John Wesley said, “Gain all you can, save all you can, and give all you can.”10
• Pray that the people of the church will have a willingness to give generously.
• Pray that the church leaders will be good steward of the money entrusted to them.
• Pray that the new church will give generously to the community and world.
34. Pray for involvement in Risk-taking mission and service.
“But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.
James 1:22
Being in mission means that we become conscious of the needs of those around us and reach out to make a difference. “Risk-taking” moves us beyond doing that which is comfortable to respond with compassion and love.
• Pray that the people of our church could be involved in hands-on mission projects.
• Pray that we could be aware of the needs of our neighborhood and find ways to meet people’s real needs.
• Pray that the people of our church will take risks for the sake of the Gospel.
35. Pray for an openness to try new things.
“For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.”
Isaiah 43:19
Time marches on. Communities change. The church must be involved and relevant.
• Pray that the church is attentive to the changes happening in the community.
• Pray that the church takes risks to reach unchurched people.
• Pray that the people in the community respond favorably to the many ways the church reaches out with God’s transforming grace and love.
What specific areas of transformation did God lead you to pray for?