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Day Five: Inspired By Hope

1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 (NIV)
2 We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. 3 We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

“Lastly, Paul is thankful for their ‘endurance inspired by hope.’ Dr. Gorman relates hope to ‘anticipatory participation in the future.’ Let’s say you’re a high school senior waiting to hear from schools. Since you’re unsure where you’ll be in the fall, you’re not sure about your plans for summer. But then you receive an acceptance letter from NC State. All of a sudden, you’re making plans, choosing classes, buying stuff for your dorm room, follow the Wolfpack Club on Instagram, bookmark all the places to get Howling Cow ice cream. This is anticipatory participation in the future. Because you know where you’ll be in the fall, it changes everything about how you spend your summer. Hope inspires endurance, it makes you resilient. The reality that I will live eternally with Jesus inspires me to not give up, to endure and overcome hard things… hope in Jesus pulls me through.” [P. Jason Park’s Message]

Let’s worship to “Let Revival In” by Kim Walker-Smith (click here) and let’s pray with fervor and passion for God’s kingdom to come in greater measure in our lives, in our churches and in our cities! Until we see Jesus, we have kingdom work to do. Let’s live fully for the Lord!

Prayer: Father, light the fire in us! Equip us and empower us for your kingdom work. Let revival come to our churches! In Jesus’ name, amen.

-DP

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Day Four: Made For Communion

Matthew 6:6 (NIV)
6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

James 4:8 (NIV)
8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
God has created us for communion with him. Prayer is relational. The secret place is where our hearts can be laid bare before God. It’s a space for honest prayer between us and God alone. God himself is the focus. His presence and he himself is our reward. In his presence we slow down, take time to listen, to grow in relationship and intimacy with God as he speaks to us and ministers to us.

When we come near to God, he promises us that he will come near to us. As we come into his holy presence, we are made aware of our need to be cleansed and forgiven. Our Father is faithful to forgive us and cleanse us. In his presence, we are being transformed again and again.

Let’s run to the secret place, to spend time with the Father who already knows us completely and loves us.

Let’s worship to “Known By You” by Gateway Worship (click here).

Prayer: Father, nothing is hidden from you. Thank you that you know me completely and you love me. Without fear, I come to you. I want to know you more. Reveal your heart to me today. In Jesus’ name, amen.

-DP

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Day Three: With This In Mind…

2 Thessalonians 1.11–12 (NIV)
11 “With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling,  and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith. 12 We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

What are the things to keep in mind as we pray for __________? Here is a summary from 2 Thessalonians 1 of what to keep in mind while praying:

– When Jesus returns, everything that is wrong will be made right. We will see the goodness of God’s justice in everything (v. 5–7).

– There are eternal consequences to defying God, rejecting the gospel, and persecuting God’s people. Those who refuse to know God and refuse to obey the gospel will reap what they sow. Their refusal will result in eternal exile from the Lord’s presence and the wonders of his power (v. 8–9).

– All are saved by grace through trusting in Jesus! On that day when he returns, the faithful will look upon the Lord with awe and amazement. All who believe the testimony of the apostles will be included. And we will be with him for eternity (v. 10).

With these things in mind, let’s pray for our brothers and sisters in our churches.

“Lord, we pray for ______________,

…that our God may make them worthy of Your calling (v. 11).

…that by Your power You may bring to fruition their every desire for goodness and their every deed prompted by faith (v. 11).

…that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in them, and they in You, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ (v. 12).

[Adapted from Agapé Conference Prayer Station by P. Jason Park]

Let’s sing “Yes Again” by Darlene Zschech (click here).

Prayer: Father, we commit to praying for our brothers and sisters. Help us to live lives worthy of the calling we received until we see you face to face! In Jesus’ name, amen.

-DP

 

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Day Two: Growing Faith

2 Thessalonians 1:3-4 (NIV)
3 We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing. 4 Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.

In these verses we see that the Thessalonians didn’t just stay true to the gospel in the midst of persecution, there were signs of growth and increase in faith and love.

The believers at Thessalonica became models of faithfulness that the other churches can follow. Paul boasts about them to other churches. He’s proud of how they persevered, their loyalty to Jesus in the midst of persecution and trials.

When we grow in faith and in love, it’s hard for others to not notice. Seeing faith and love grow especially in the midst of trials is a cause for joy and it will be contagious! It will impact our family members, our brothers and sisters in our small groups and missional groups and encourage their growth in love and in faith.

Let’s worship to “More Love More Power” by Michael W. Smith and make it a prayer (click here).

Prayer: Father, we trust that you will be faithful to continue to grow us. May there be an increase of growth in faith and in love in all of our churches as we live for you in the various cities you have called us to. In Jesus’ name, amen.

-DP

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Day One: Kingdom Thoughts

Let’s begin this day with kingdom thoughts as we proclaim God’s word out loud.

“The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23 NRSVUE)

18 “Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.  (Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV)

We turn to you, Lord God, Father Almighty. And with pure hearts we offer to you our best and truest thanks, as much as we can in our weakness. With all of our hearts we pray for your exceeding kindness. In your good pleasure, stoop down to hear our prayers, and drive out the enemy from our thoughts and actions. Increase our faith, guide our understanding, give us kingdom thoughts, and lead us to your spiritual joy—through Jesus Christ your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever, amen. (Augustine of Hippo)

Let’s praise God as we sing “Gloria” by Fernando Ortega (click here) and spend a moment thanking God for all that God has done this past weekend (click here).

Prayer: All glory to you Father, all glory be to the Son and all glory to the Holy Spirit for all that you have done in our lives and in our churches! You have done great things and we look forward to all that you will do through our churches.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

-DP

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Day 5: Found with Faith, More to Come

1 Peter 1:6–7 NRSVUE
In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith—being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

We are to be “God’s eschatological people in a world gone mad.” (Gordon Fee, Paul, the People, and the Spirit of God)

God has wonderfully marked us as his people with the Holy Spirit in a world gone mad. When the “heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements destroyed with fire” (2 Peter 3:10), not everything will be destroyed. What will last are those who live in faith, leading lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for the Lord. We are Holy Spirit filled people who are doing God’s holy work. God is looking for genuine faith in his people, so that when tested, even through fire, or to their very last breath on earth, faith in Jesus will be found. Let’s be a people who are ready in this way, hungering for more of the Lord.

Prayer: Lord, we humbly pray that we would be found with faith in Jesus in the end. Thank you for your Holy Spirit, empowering us to live without fear, and in faithfulness to Jesus Christ for all our days. Thank you for the more that is to come. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

In worship and in prayer, let’s sing “Yes Again” by Darlene Zschech & Mitch Wong (click here).

-JLiu

 

 

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Day 4: Salvation For Others

2 Peter 3:8-9, 14-15 NRSVUE
But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance. 

Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation.

“The delay is due to the merciful goodness of the Lord’s patience in holding back the day of judgment, which gives every possible opportunity for unbelievers to come to a knowledge of salvation before it is too late.” (Norman Hillyer, 1 and 2 Peter, Jude in the Understanding the Bible Commentary Series)

God’s delay is not just for us to be blessed to grow up into our salvation, but for more people to be saved. God’s heart is that he doesn’t want any to perish but for all to come to repentance. Therefore God’s delay gives opportunity for his salvation for others. We know some of these people who are in need of God’s love and salvation, as the Holy Spirit has placed them on our hearts. They may even be those in our families or those in our ministries and workplaces. God’s love for them is our confidence, and why we can keep on praying and not give up.

Prayer: Lord, we praise you and thank you that your love is greater! We pray for salvation for those that your Spirit has already placed on our hearts, and we pray that more people would be saved. Thank you that you have us participate in your salvation for others in this way. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Let’s pray for those that the Lord places on our hearts as we sing “Your Love Never Fails” by Jesus Culture (click here).

-JLiu

 

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Day 3: He Gives Us Time

2 Peter 3:9, 15a NRSVUE
The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance…regard the patience of our Lord as salvation.

1 Peter 2:2-3 NRSVUE
Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

N.T. Wright states this about God’s patience – “God’s delay is in fact God’s moment of fresh vocation. There are tasks to do in the meantime.”

So when God delays his coming, he is giving us time.

God gives us time to go to the Lord, and to live for the Lord.
God gives us time to become His holy people.
God gives us time to work for things that will last.

Therefore God is waiting for us. He gives time for his people to do the things of the Lord, which have to do with salvation. The wonderful thing about being a child of God is that we never have to stay the same. He loves us and gives us time to continually grow into the salvation that we have received in Christ, living holy lives and loving one another deeply.

Prayer: Father, thank you that you are patient with us and give us time to grow into the salvation that you have already given to us in Christ. No matter our present life circumstances, help us to continually embrace your salvation and your Spirit’s work in us, so that we can participate in doing the work of the Lord more and more. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Let’s worship the Lord as we sing “Forever & Amen” by Cody Carnes & Kari Jobe (click here).

-JLiu

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Day 2: Holiness, for He Lives in Us

2 Peter 3:10-12 NRSVUE
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be destroyed with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and destroyed and the elements will melt with fire?

And let’s proclaim this verse aloud together:

Romans 8:11 NRSVUE
If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.

We do not know when the Lord will return, and in the meantime, what sort of persons ought we to be? How are we to live as we wait for the Lord? Brothers and sisters, we are God’s people, called to live our lives in God’s holiness and godliness, and without fear. The ability to live in holiness is already given to us, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. We have power to live for the Lord in our current life situations, and in fact, every stage of our lives! When we have the Spirit of God living in us, he even gives us a hunger and longing for God’s kingdom. If we ever feel a lack of hunger for God, we can trust in the Spirit of Christ who lives in us, and go to God again to help us realize our need for him.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for loving us and giving us your Holy Spirit to help us live our lives in holiness as we hunger for your kingdom and wait for your return. Thank you that we do not need to fear or feel overwhelmed. Help us today to look forward to your return and live in holiness as we do all the things we need to do in our current life situations. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

In worship and thanksgiving, let’s sing “Fall Like Rain” by Passion (Kari Jobe & Rachel Halbach). Click here.

-JLiu

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Day 1: People of God, Be Ready

2 Peter 3: 13-15 NRSVUE
But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home. Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation. 

Let us be reminded today that as God’s people, we are looking forward to so much more and waiting for the new heaven and new earth, untouched by sin and evil and selfishness. Our waiting is not a passive waiting, but a Spirit-powered active participation in things of eternal impact, such as praying and helping others to know Jesus. There is no better way to live, and may we be found ready and hungering for God and his ways more and more!

Prayer: Father, we thank you for saving us and giving us your Holy Spirit to live as we wait for you. Fill us again today so that we may look toward eternity and share Jesus with others. Thank you that you are patient with us and give time for more people to be saved.  In Jesus’ name. Amen.

In worship, let’s express our longing for the Lord as we sing “Waiting Here for You” by Martin Smith (click here).

– JLiu

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