"I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me."
John 17:23, KJV
Suggested Format for the Prayer Time
Praise (approximately 10 minutes)
- Begin your prayer time by praising God that He is joy, peace, and patience, etc.
- Praise God that He has called His remnant church to be a light to the world.
- Praise God that He will finish the work He has started in the church.
Confession and Claiming Victory Over Sin (approximately 5 minutes)
- Ask God to show you the sins that you need to confess privately. Claim His victory over those sins.
- Ask God for forgiveness for times when you allowed envy, suspicion, or faultfinding toward your brothers in your heart. Pray for a new heart, filled with love and compassion.
- Thank God that He forgives you according to 1 John 1:9.
Supplication and Intercession (approximately 35 minutes)
- Ask God to prepare your heart to receive the Holy Spirit.
- Pray for your family to be united and that peace and love would rule our churches.
- Ask God to purify the church so visitors will sense the presence of the Holy Spirit.
- Pray that church leaders (your local pastor, conference, union, division, and General Conference leaders) will work in love, compassion, and unity to finish the work Christ gave us to do.
- Pray for worldwide unity in every congregation and church entity, based on respect for God's Word, humble prayer, the Holy Spirit's power, respect for accepted church policy/process, and full engagement in the mission of the church.
- Pray for humility in our lives so we will be united in our submission to God's leading and the process of the church to make commonly agreed-upon decisions and accept whatever is voted at the General Conference Session level.
- Pray that we will devote more of our time to eternal values through Bible study and prayer, allowing God to fully direct His people according to His will and not our will. This will help keep us close to God and allow the power of the Holy Spirit to reverse trends of worldliness that threaten God's church and our daily lives.
- Mission to the Cities—Pray for the East-Central Africa Division and the cities they have chosen to work in: Kinshasa, Dar-es-Salaam, Addis Ababa, Kampala, Kananga, Lodwar, Kigali, Lubumbashi, Goma, Magara, Juba. Pray for the strongholds of Satan to be broken and relationships with Christ to be established.
- Pray for the protection of our young people and all of us from ever-increasing worldly influences. Pray that we will focus on the Word of God and service to others. Pray that the local churches will sponsor young people in mission outreach and service opportunities.
- Pray that the seven (or more) people on your list will see their need and open their hearts to the Holy Spirit.
- Pray for any personal needs you have.
Thanksgiving (approximately 10 minutes)
- Thank God for what He has done in His church and will do through the church.
- Thank God that He is willing to cleanse, purify, and lead the church.
- Thank God that Jesus prayed for the church that we might be one.
- Thank God that He is working on the hearts of the people you are praying for.
Suggested Songs to Sing
"Built on the Rock" (SDA Hymnal #347); "The Church Has One Foundation" (SDA Hymnal #348); "I Surrender All" (SDA Hymnal #309); "I Would Be Like Jesus" (SDA Hymnal #309); "I Want Jesus to Walk With Me" (SDA Hymnal #624).
Christ Reflected in the Church
"I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me." John 17:23, KJV
There is nothing that can so weaken the influence of the church as the lack of love. . . . The people of the world are looking to us to see what our faith is doing for our characters and lives. They are watching to see if it is having a sanctifying effect on our hearts, if we are becoming changed into the likeness of Christ. They are ready to discover every defect in our lives, every inconsistency in our actions. Let us give them no occasion to reproach our faith.
It is not the opposition of the world that will most endanger us; it is the evil cherished right in our midst that works our most grievous disaster. It is the unconsecrated lives of halfhearted professors that retard the work of the truth and bring darkness upon the church of God.
There is no surer way of weakening ourselves in spiritual things than to be envious, suspicious of one another, full of faultfinding and evil surmising. . . .
When you are associated together, be guarded in your words. . . . If the love of the truth is in your heart you will talk of the truth. You will talk of the blessed hope that you have in Jesus. If you have love in your heart you will seek to establish and build up your brother in the most holy faith. If a word is dropped that is detrimental to the character of your friend or brother, do not encourage this evil speaking. It is the work of the enemy. Kindly remind the speaker that the Word of God forbids that kind of conversation. We are to empty the heart of everything that defiles the soul temple, that Christ may dwell within. Our Redeemer has told us how we may reveal Him to the world. If we cherish His spirit, if we manifest His love to others, if we guard one another's interests, if we are kind, patient, forbearing, the world will have an evidence by the fruits we bear that we are the children of God. It is the unity in the church that enables it to exert a conscious influence upon unbelievers and worldlings. (That I May Know Him, p. 153)
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. (John 13:35, KJV)
The religion of Christ means more than the forgiveness of sin; it means that sin is taken away, and that the vacuum is filled with the Spirit. It means that the mind is divinely illumined, that the heart is emptied of self, and filled with the presence of Christ. When this work is done for church members, the church will be a living, working church. (Ye Shall Receive Power, p. 318)
When we will bring our hearts into unity with Christ, and our lives into harmony with His work, the Spirit that descended on the day of Pentecost will fall on us. We shall be strong in Christ's strength, and be filled with the fullness of God. . . . We shall give ourselves to Christ, making an unreserved consecration of all our property, all our capacities, to His service. We shall make good our profession of faith; we shall serve God by serving those who need our help. Then we shall let our light shine forth in good works. (The Review and Herald, Dec. 16, 1884)
As the disciples, filled with the power of the Spirit, went forth to proclaim the gospel, so God's servants are to go forth today. Every one on whom is shining the light of present truth is to be stirred with compassion for those who are in darkness. From all believers light is to be reflected in clear, distinct rays. A work similar to that which the Lord did through his delegated messengers after the day of Pentecost He is waiting to do today. At this time, when the end of all things is at hand, the zeal of the church should exceed even that of the early church. Zeal for the glory of God moved the disciples to bear witness to the truth with mighty power. Should not this zeal fire our hearts with a longing to tell the story of redeeming love, of Christ and Him crucified? (The Review and Herald, Jan. 26, 1905)
Questions for Personal Reflection
1. How can you, a member of Christ's living church, encourage unity and love for your brothers?
2. Consider prayerfully whether you need to forgive, apologize to, or reconcile with anyone in or outside the church.
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Thursday, January 14, 2016
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