(#1573) Day 19. A Praying Community Can Reach A Community 19/10/26)
Welcome to this Come to Jesus Daily Devotional (currently posted on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday) as we continue our 9-week series: Fresh Vision From Jesus' High Priestly Prayer from John 17.
This week, we begin our three-week focus on John 17:20-26, the third section of Jesus' High Priestly Prayer, where Jesus prays for us to effectively reach those outside of faith.
To watch this devotional, go to:
Please read John 17:20–26.
I wonder if you’ve ever had the experience of being involved in a tug of war competition. If you have, you may know, that the winners tend to be those who are not necessarily the heaviest and strongest, but those who are most united and pull in synchrony. There’s a method to winning.
Likewise, Christianity has a method for ‘winning’ - it’s prayer. In Eileen Crossman’s biography of James Fraser, the missionary to China and the Lisu people, she quotes Fraser on the importance he placed on intercessory prayer:
“We often speak of intercessory work as being of vital importance. I want to prove that I believe this in actual fact by giving my first and best energies to it as God may lead. I feel like a businessman who perceives that a certain line of goods pays better than any other in his store and who purposes making it his chief investment” (Eileen Crossman, Mountain Rain, OMF Books, 1982).
Prayer avails us of God’s heart, presence and power. So, when we talk about reaching our community for Jesus, we must use God’s methods - we must pray like Jesus:
‘“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”’ (John 17:20)
Having prayed for His disciples (vv. 6–19), Jesus now turns His attention to those who will one day believe through their message. He sets us the example of praying for those who do not yet know Him.
Jesus understood that salvation is not ultimately the result of persuasive arguments - important though they are - It is the miracle of the new birth by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, if we want to see people saved, we must depend upon the Spirit's power through prayer.
This is why Paul asks the church to pray:
‘Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.’ (Colossians 4:2-4)
If we want to be effective in evangelism, prayer must become both a personal and a corporate practice.
Prayer does more than open doors for the gospel; it also changes us. As we pray, God enlarges our love for Christ and fills our hearts with His compassion for those who are far from Him. If we are to bring people to Jesus, we must love both the Saviour and the people He came to save.
Tim Chester captures this well:
‘Everyone is an evangelist for the things they love.’ ( Tim Chester, Enjoying God)
Prayer deepens our love for Jesus, and as we spend time with Him, He shares His heart for the lost with us.
Psalm 126 beautifully expresses the promise of prayer to those who love God and seek to make Him known:
”Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.“ (Psalms 126:6)
It is only a praying community that can reach a community with the gospel, because only through prayer do we receive a deeper love for God, a greater compassion for people, and the power of the Holy Spirit.
Moment To Reflect
Jesus sets us the example of praying for those who do not yet know Him - an example we are called to follow.
Do you truly believe that prayer is essential to fruitful evangelism?
How is Jesus calling you to follow His example of praying for those who do not yet know Him?
Who could you begin praying for today by name?
Download the booklet
Below is the link to download the devotional booklet: Fresh Vision From Jesus Prayer. This is a series of 27 devotionals based upon Jesus' High Priestly Prayer in John 17.
This year we celebrate the 150th anniversary of the founding of CCP; to watch our anniversary video, please select the link below:
Community Group Study
1. Notices
It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News.
2. Icebreaker
You might want to use the icebreaker: How has God been speaking to you from His Word recently, and how has this helped you?
3. Worship together
Let’s begin our time together by lifting our eyes and hearts to worship our great God. Perhaps you have readings and songs that you would like to use together. Let’s be open to the gifts that the Spirit wants to give in order to encourage one another.
4. Study and pray together
Balanced Time Allocation - Please ensure a balanced focus on discussion, SIV (Serve, Invest, and Invite), and prayer so that each section is meaningful and fruitful.
On Sunday, we continued our series, Fresh Vision From Jesus’ Prayer, and began our three-week focus on John 17:20-26, the second section of Jesus' High Priestly Prayer, where we will see that Jesus wants to lead us in reaching our community with the gospel.
Read John 17:20–26 together and discuss:
What particularly spoke to you, challenged you or inspired you from Sunday’s message?
Jesus sets us the example of praying for those who do not yet know Him - an example we are called to follow. Do you truly believe that prayer is essential to fruitful evangelism?
Why is prayer so vital to the success of our mission to share the gospel and make disciples?
Read Colossians 4:2–6. What does this passage teach us about the relationship between prayer and mission? How should it shape the way we pray and share our faith?
How is Jesus calling you to follow His example of praying for those who do not yet know Him? Who are the ‘people of peace’ in your life - How do you, or could you pray for them?
Let’s pray together:
SIV (Serve, Invest and Invite)
Have you had any recent opportunities to Serve, Invest in, or Invite someone toward Jesus? Let’s encourage one another by sharing testimonies of God at work through us.
Pray for the ‘people of peace’ in our lives (see note below), asking God to open their hearts and give us the Love and boldness to share His love as He opens opportunities.
In our prayers together, let’s pray for a few themes together:
For our church to grow as ‘a house of prayer’ - a people devoted to praying together.
For our upcoming Alpha Course in January, and for Phil as he seeks to bring this together.
Our upcoming New Ground Sunday on the 8th November - that it would be a great morning that inspires vision for our family of churches.
General Prayer: Let’s also pray for one another based on our study, and bringing before God any other needs or requests for prayer.
Comments