Summer of Prayer

A Summer of  Prayer

            Here is prayer our church for the month of June, which I believe will be a wonderful time at HillSong.

This is an adaptation of Ephesians 1:15-23.  Pray this prayer for our church and for the way God is at work in us.  Imagine the Apostle Paul saying the following.

¹⁵ I have heard of HillSong’s faith in the Lord Jesus and your love^[a] toward all the saints, and for this reason ¹⁶ I do not cease to give thanks for HillSong Church as I remember you in my prayers. ¹⁷ I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you, HillSong Church,  a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, ¹⁸ so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, ¹⁹ and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. ²⁰ God^[b] put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹ far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. ²² And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, including HillSong Church²³ which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Pray for HillSong and then worship, serve and enter into relationships in the church and do all of it with the expectation that God is at work and we are joining in the work God has begun.

If you read my blog but do not attend our church, pray this scripture passage with your faith community in mind. 

Sometimes as human beings we get caught up in successes or failures.  If a lot of new families attend and our church gains new members and the number of people on Sunday mornings goes up and up, we think, “Wow!  We’re doing great.”  On the other hand, if people move away, and the number of Sunday morning attendees declines and we say less people, we are tempted to give in to discouragement.  “Uh-oh!  We are losing people.  What’s wrong?”

Instead of either response, I am calling on Christians to pray.  Whether at HillSong or elsewhere, look to the scriptures, look to the Holy Spirit, and pray.  Pray with great expectations.  We pray as if we actually believe God is real, is listening, and is going to do new and wonderful things in our midst.  We pray because we believe God is active and we really want to be in on what God is doing. 

I hope Summer 2015 will be a summer of prayer.  I believe if it is then we will have great joy and flourishing, fruitful ministry.  Does that mean more people on Sunday mornings?  I do not know.  I pray we as a church will seek the face of God as we proclaim the Lordship of Jesus in the world.  Let 2015 be a Summer of prayer.  We will see God at work and it will be amazing.