Are you praying for them?

If you are joining us for the first time, please see my previous post.  JEng, Geoff and I are addressing ways in which English Ministries in particular can fight for a church-wide gospel unity.

Are you praying for them? (part 1 of 2)

Ouch! Frankly, I lacked the godliness to pray for other congregations. With my jaundiced view of the “one church, multiple language-specific congregations”, I grumbled about how the other congregations hampered our English Ministry (or how I perceived they did at least). I struck an “us versus them” battle stance. Thank God for sanctification! According to the Word, gospel maturity and wisdom leads not to disunity, but to unity in faith and Spirit. True gospel maturity and wisdom brings gospel cooperation despite disagreements, legitimate differences, and even sins committed against one another. As I reflect on those days, sadly not once can I recall strategizing for their spiritual good in Christ! In relation to prayer, why didn’t I pray for their growth in Christ? Why wasn’t I going to God on my knees for them, my brothers and sisters, Christ’s blood-bought children? (Ugh!  As I write this, I’m ashamed of my immaturity and foolishness! Thank God for the blood of Christ!)

I wish I would’ve stopped grumbling about them and started praying for them.

If you are already fighting for church-wide gospel unity through prayer, praise God! If not, let me encourage you to pray for their faith in Christ.

For some of you, it’s odd to think about praying for those in the other congregations. Perhaps you think this spiritual initiative falls on the shoulders of the older generation. Or perhaps it’s odd for you to conceive of praying for those people you don’t/can’t even communicate with! But friend, if you have wedded yourself to that church, with its warts and all, laboring for their faith through prayer is your privilege! It’s your responsibility, and it is our- dare I say the word we’re all too familiar with- duty!

Could you be praying more for the other congregations in your church?

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