Committing to Your Local Church
"Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common.” – Acts 4:32
“The converts to the gospel were ‘of one heart and of one soul.’ One common interest controlled them—the success of the mission entrusted to them; and covetousness had no place in their lives. Their love for their brethren and the cause they had espoused, was greater than their love of money and possessions. Their works testified that they accounted the souls of men of higher value than earthly wealth. Thus it will ever be when the Spirit of God takes possession of the life.” – Acts of the Apostles, 70
Heart Question:
There are times when we might get frustrated with our local church or even the global church. Yet, we know that the church is Christ’s bride. If Jesus is so committed to His church, shouldn’t we be committed to her as well? The early Christians were filled with the Spirit and willing to sacrifice all for God’s church and mission. Why not ask God today to forgive you any sinful attitude you might have against His bride, and ask Him to baptize you with His Spirit, empowering you to seek unity, and to live sacrificially in order to support and bless your local church community.
Praise Reports:
- We praise God for 900 new churches planted over the last few years in the North American Division.
- In the South American Division Bible study requests have increased 5x since this crisis began!
Day 55 - Prayer Focus
- Pray for the church in the country of Gabon. Pray for its members to have courage and wisdom in reaching their fellow citizen. Pray especially for a group in Akanda who is trying to minister to those with disabilities.
- Pray for your local church’s needs. Spiritual and physical needs. Pray for unity, healing, and a renewed commitment to outreach and mission activities.
- Pray for the pastors and church leaders of the Haitian Union. Pray for the churches in some regions of Haiti that are full of armed gangs. Pray for spiritual, physical, financial, and mental health of the members in Haiti.
- Pray for members who have embraced a wrong or twisted view of doctrines and are actively trying to deceive others.
- Pray for former members who have split away from the church and formed their own groups or denominations. Pray that they will be led into the truth.
Going Deeper: Additional reading suggestions for this week
• Ellen White, Steps to Christ, chapter 1 "God's Love for Man" Click Here to Read
• Derek J. Morris, The Radical Prayer
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