PRAYING FOR THE CHURCH: LOCAL, ASSOCIATION, AND UNIVERSAL

A globe in a fountain, International Learning Center, Rockville, VA

Becky and I had the pleasure of being here twice, both with events connected with the International Mission Board (IMB) of the Southern Baptist Convention.

 

Many of you know that Becky and I are in a Southern Baptist Church. Maybe a few less of you know that the Southern Baptist Convention will be taking place in Nashville June 13-16, 2021. 

Outgoing SBC President J.D. Grear has called for prayer and encouraging fasting on the the three Wednesdays leading up to the Convention. Today is Wednesday #2. There is an on-line prayer meeting. They also posted a prayer guide.

In the first paragraph, I mentioned I'm a member of a SBC church. You may notice I didn't say I was a Southern Baptist. I have no problem being one, but those who know me know I've considered myself a Christian first and a member of a Denomination second. A large part of my life have been in two Baptist groups: The SBC and the Conservative Baptist Association of America (in which I went to a Bible College). However, I've been involved in various different churches, including General Conference Baptist, Independent Baptist, Assembly of God, Nazarene, Calvary Chapel, and independent churches varying from mild Charismatic to Fundamentalist. 

Thus, I'm sharing the areas of prayer and would welcome prayers for the Southern Baptist Convention. But could these requests be applicable to your local church, whichever denomination it is? Could it be a guide to pray for your denomination even if it's a different one? How about for the entire body of Christ across the U.S. and even around the world?

Here are the three areas of prayer they're focusing on:

1. FOR GREAT COMMISSION MOBILIZATION. Under this heading, they're asking for prayer for their missionaries and church planters. They're encouraging college people/young professionals to give two years for the mission of God either here or abroad. And the best part: they're praying that every church would judge success by sending capacity and not seating capacity. In other words, their goal is for each church to actively be involved in missions.
2. FOR UNITY IN THE GOSPEL. "Pray that our Convention would reflect the beauty in the diversity of all peoples in our nation." They also ask prayer to stand steadfastly on the inerrant and all-sufficient Word of God while celebrating our distinctiveness in geography, style, and culture, valuing all image bearers (Gen. 1:26-27). And again an important point: That we love one another as Christ commanded as a witness to the world of our redemption and reconciliation by Christ.
3. PRAY FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT TO ANOINT OUR MEETING AND OUR MINISTRIES AROUND THE MEETING. This quote is not from the prayer guide, but I believe Billy Graham said it: "If the Holy Spirit was taken from this world, 90% of church work would continue unaffected." That is not the desire of SBC leadership.

Please pray for your local church. Pray for your association, and if you feel led, for the SBC as well. Pray for awakening in the Church around the country and the world.

But finally, let me ask you three questions:

1. What are you personally doing to fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8)?
2. What are you doing to promote unity among fellow Christians? (I've heard it said often that unity is not uniformity - we should be unified with all who are seeking God's Kingdom.)
3. Are you seeking to be filled and led by the Holy Spirit, to live for the glory of God?