As part of our Summer Worship Gathering in July we spent time praying. What a moving experience to be in a room full of women, pouring their hearts out to the Lord.
We prayed for prodigals in our life, for our city, our church, our world, and each other. We covered some territory! That is the powerful gift God has given us in prayer. No matter where we are—in a cubicle, a hospital bed, a corner office, on a walk, in a public school or in prison, we can communicate with the God of the Universe, who has the ability to affect people and situations anywhere.
In the days ahead, we’ll be sending out specific ways to pray which are in keeping with how we prayed at the Summer Worship Gathering. Today, our focus is on The Church.
A few weeks ago, I was having lunch with a friend who was a member of our church years ago before being transferred with her husband’s job. She heard of all the booming development along FM 1464 and said, “Wow! It’s like Grand Parkway was an ark that God plopped down in the middle of nowhere because he knew the people were coming.”
We went on to visit about a thousand other things, but my mind kept coming back to that image. In many ways, Grand Parkway is like an ark. Our church was built along the 1464 Corridor smack dab in the middle of prison property, a couple of unfinished housing developments, a golf course and very little else. Then God started bringing the people. Now, there are a dozen developments just between Grand Parkway and West Airport. If you go further north on 1464, there are even more.
The story of Noah and the ark is in many ways a call to readiness. Something was coming and Noah was called by God to be ready.
The same is true for us as a church. We can ready ourselves through plans. We can ready ourselves through training and teaching. We can ready ourselves through staffing. However, the greatest way we can ready ourselves for what God is planning to do in our midst is through prayer. The people have come from all over the country and from all over the world. Will you join with me by praying so that our church will be ready?
HERE ARE SPECIFIC WAYS YOU CAN PRAY FOR OUR CHURCH, ACCORDING TO THE ELDERS WHO SHEPHERD US:
- Presence, provision, and progress.
- Know, Enjoy and Glorify God: That we would individually and collectively have a growing passion for discipleship.
- Gospel: That we would have a renewed amazement surrounding the Gospel and the sharing of this amazement with others.
- Community: That community groups would gain life, and expand in number and participants.
- Mission: That we would go where we can serve the needs of the kingdom.
- Blessing: That we would listen for and respond to ways to bless others.
- We need prayer concerning Bible study involvement. Every week we have less than 10% of our adults participate in a Sunday morning adult Bible study.
- Pray that our people would desire to grow deeper in their understanding of the Bible, and hear from God through his Word, in addition to and not only from a sermon.
- Pray for GP leadership to have wisdom, discernment, and courage to challenge our people to go deeper into study of God’s Word.
- Pray for the missionaries in our midst. We have missionaries who are members of our church who currently reach people from all over the world who have come to Ft. Bend county.
- Thank God for his blessings on GP. Our staff, our finances, our facilities, and our people. We are truly a “blessed church.”
- Pray for Travis Dunham, our new Connections Pastor. Pray for a smooth transition for him and his family. Pray for renewed vision, direction, and leadership for Community Groups.
- Pray for us to be faithful, strategic, and obedient to reach the people (of all nations) around our church with the gospel. For the people of GP to have a burden for the lost and a zeal for God. For the Holy Sprit’s empowerment to witness be realized. For increased reach and influence in the schools. For souls to be saved. For GP to be a people of prayer, faith, and works. For focus and concentration inconsequential ministry. For leaders to be raised up. For believers to be encouraged, discipled, and equipped to fight the fight, run the race, and reach the lost. For the perseverance of the saints. For sinners to be drawn to the Lord. For a harvest of souls.
In addition to these specific prayers, another excellent exercise is to pray along with Scripture. The Apostle Paul prayed fervently for the churches he loved and shepherded. To see a list of his prayers, click HERE.
For a deeper understanding of prayer for the church, Praying with Paul: A Call to Spiritual Reformation by D.A. Carson.
My dear brothers and sisters, let’s pray for the Church that meets at 12000 FM 1464, Grand Parkway Baptist Church.
May we be a body of believers who glorify God and shine brightly in the darkness.
— Marcie McClendon
