Thursday, 11 March 2010 23:21 Written by Bob Flack

Author's Note: When I went to the site to save today's (Thursday's) prayer blog, I noticed that Tuesday's post appeared twice and Wednesday's not at all. Below is a "reprint" of Wednesday's article, Day 22 of Seek God for the City.

As the week progresses in Seek God for the City more and more human figures appear in the graphic circle at the top of each page. The week’s theme is world evangelization. No force has stopped the spread of the gospel in the twenty centuries since Christ exaltation. His cross continues to tower over more cultures by humbling sinners one at a time to repent and trust Jesus. Even as formerly Christianized peoples decline, the church thrives even in places where there is open persecution and more poverty than in the West.

These realities strengthen our determination to pray for the governments of the world. Each has been established by God for a particular purpose in his eternal objective. He calls his people to pray for those in authority because He desires all to be saved and He has ordered the world such that governments set the conditions under which the gospel thrives.

Lord, nothing government leaders do can thwart your ultimate purpose to glorify Christ in saving sinners and purifying a people to worship Him forever. We ask for your mercy in giving us and all nations leaders who are better than what the governed deserve. Raise up truly godly leaders not merely politicians who use religious language to captivate people.

It appears that some of the Christian influence in Africa has been muted by scandals involving professing Christian leaders or conflicts between officially Christian tribes. Guide your true sheep in the way of peace so that there will be a marked difference between those who claim Christ in name only.

Today’s theme reminds me to pray for people like Dave DePue and the Capitol Commission, teaching the Scriptures and praying directly with and for state government leaders. Give Dave discernment about how and when to proclaim the gospel. He must balance both prophetic and priestly ministry.

Our national leaders are poised to pass a bill changing the way we access and pay for our healthcare. Proponents and opponents agree that the shifts created would be seismic. The inclusion of abortion funding changes the moral shading of this legislation. God we have not protected and loved the unborn. We have not honored the mothers who think they can’t bear to bear them. But it is a great shame to facilitate the wrongs others perpetrate through our tax dollars. Keep us from this multiplied tragedy.

Thursday, 11 March 2010 23:13 Written by Bob Flack

Regretable Responses

Romans 1:16 declares that the gospel is the power of God. Today in Seek God for the City we pray that throughout Manhattan and this whole region, God will cause his power to be known and received through the proclamation of the gospel.

When it comes to the gospel, the church acts cowardly, ashamed of it and uncertain that it will, united with God’s gift of faith, save sinners and transform them. We cave into fears that people will reject us, or that it will take to much time to talk about Jesus well, or that we don't know what to say.

The church is also confused, substituting other good things like social compassion or apologetic presentations or personal testimonies in place of the clear gospel. We lose touch with the message that Jesus lived to keep the law of God and died to accept its punishment so that sinners could have the righteous pardon they do not deserve and be welcomed into God’s family as forgiven.

The church also becomes careless with the gospel. We appeal to people as consumers in search of a good deal instead of sinners in need of truly good news. We reduce the essential gospel response to mere interest or self-righteous participation in a human activity like praying or joining a church. We skip repentance and cut down faith to mere mental assent. Those who don’t do this are so turned off by those who do that they cease to be intentional about propagating the news of Christ.

The church also becomes cold to the gospel. We forget our own sinfulness and so think of the gospel as something we needed long ago but now we’re on to better things. We may preach it to others but feel no need to preach it to ourselves.

The church also becomes cliquish with the gospel. We act as if it were only good for Americans or people who look and live like we do. We rob the gospel of its universal quality, diminishing the reality that it answers to the deepest condition which people share across the world as sons and daughters of Adam and Eve. We construe missions as importing the “good life” from our culture rather than announcing the good news that will be for all the peoples of the world that a Savior has been born for them who is Christ the Lord.

Renewing Request

Father, bring us back to the gospel and first lead us to fall in love with it again. Then lead us to share it with integrity and authenticity wherever we can. Expose our ridiculous excuses for not being bold as followers of Christ. May our identity as Christians become the defining descriptions of our lives, more so than what team we follow or what job we do.

We thank you for the vast outreach of Christian media of all kinds. But we acknowledge as in the reading today, that You will often raise up one person who will witness in his circle of family and friends and soon a whole city knows the message of Christ and forgiveness of sins. Cause that to happen in neighborhoods and extended families all over our region. Do this in Africa where tribal loyalties are such a strong element in their societies.

Prompt Prayer

Prompt your people to pray earnestly for those who remain outside of Christ. Press down on our hearts the eternal realities of heaven and hell. Fill us with an overflowing joy through your salvation that we will want to talk about what You have done and how others may know You in a personal way through faith in Christ. Fill your churches with genuine believers, those who have been truly born again and who will demonstrate that through public baptism. May we see hundreds or thousands converted to Christ in this year.

Tuesday, 09 March 2010 23:51 Written by Bob Flack

I’ve just left a very long elder meeting. I am so grateful for the men who serve this church as shepherds. They guard, counsel, admonish, teach, and encourage this congregation in ways that most of the “sheep” of this fold do not realize. May the Lord sustain them as they must pursue their calling tomorrow on less sleep than they would get on most nights.

The prayer for today’s leg of the See God for the City journey is for God to display his love and power through answered prayer. Pray for answers to prayer. Sounds redundant. Lord, we’re asking you to do what only You can do. When we ask, we glorify You because we’re admitting our dependence on You. We’re acknowledging that we are looking to You and cannot do anything of eternal significance unless You empower and direct us.

When You respond You continue to glorify Yourself. We often do not even know how to pray. We belittle You with small requests. You are prepared to do beyond what we can imagine. We pray as if we were in control instead of recognizing the Majesty of the One who truly is.

Our prayer-lessness is troubling. We need a spirit of intercession to break out upon the church in our nation and our church in particular. You intend prayer to be a delightful duty and we have turned it into drudgery. Give fortitude to those who expect prayer to be easy. Give joy to those who find prayer difficult. Send answers to prayer in such unmistakable ways that it will move us to pray even more. Strengthen us to keep on asking, seeking, and knocking. As a Father, you love to see your children come and humbly ask.

Tuesday, 09 March 2010 23:51 Written by Bob Flack

I’ve just left a very long elder meeting. I am so grateful for the men who serve this church as shepherds. They guard, counsel, admonish, teach, and encourage this congregation in ways that most of the “sheep” of this fold do not realize. May the Lord sustain them as they must pursue their calling tomorrow on less sleep than they would get on most nights.

The prayer for today’s leg of the See God for the City journey is for God to display his love and power through answered prayer. Pray for answers to prayer. Sounds redundant. Lord, we’re asking you to do what only You can do. When we ask, we glorify You because we’re admitting our dependence on You. We’re acknowledging that we are looking to You and cannot do anything of eternal significance unless You empower and direct us.

When You respond You continue to glorify Yourself. We often do not even know how to pray. We belittle You with small requests. You are prepared to do beyond what we can imagine. We pray as if we were in control instead of recognizing the Majesty of the One who truly is.

Our prayer-lessness is troubling. We need a spirit of intercession to break out upon the church in our nation and our church in particular. You intend prayer to be a delightful duty and we have turned it into drudgery. Give fortitude to those who expect prayer to be easy. Give joy to those who find prayer difficult. Send answers to prayer in such unmistakable ways that it will move us to pray even more. Strengthen us to keep on asking, seeking, and knocking. As a Father, you love to see your children come and humbly ask.