“A CALL TO PRAYER”
TO CHURCHES OF THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION
January 31, 2010
“Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the LORD, till He comes and rains righteousness on you.” Hosea 10:12
Hosea 10:12 was part of the message God spoke to Israel just a few years before judgment struck with full force. The door was open for the nation to repent and return to the Lord and His ways. Plow up the hard (hard-hearted) ground, plant seeds of righteousness—do what is right in God’s sight. He could bring a new day. We in Florida need to follow God’s Word. Our nation is experiencing a measure of God’s chastening—more as we ignore His signals calling His people to seek Him. His calls continue … through His Word, through fellow believers, and through circumstances, including calamities—storms, droughts, fires, earthquakes, economic and political turmoil, as well as dealing with wars and threats of terrorism. The well-known verse, 2 Chronicles 7:14 about God healing a land is connected to verse 13 which says, “If I shut up heaven so that there is no rain, or if I … [do other things], among My people, and My people… humble themselves and pray… seek My face…. turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear… forgive… heal their land.” God is speaking in our day. It is time to pray. Use these 5 pointers as you pray…
1. Humble Honesty. Ask God to show you (individually and as a church) anything that is sin in His eyes. Repent of that and turn to do the right thing. Thank Him for forgiveness (1 John 1:7-9).
2. Admit Needs in Your Community. Seek God for His working where you live. Of course, ultimately that means people coming to a personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior—how many problems that would solve in the heart, the home, the workplace, in businesses and in the halls of government. Pray for the work of His Spirit, convicting of sin, righteousness, and the judgment to come (John 16:8-11; Acts 24:25). Pray for the churches of your community to be diligent in making disciples.
3. Specific Individuals. Pray for people you know who need a personal relationship to Jesus or Christians who need to deal with sin or make things right with others. Ask God to work in their lives and hearts. Look for open doors to share His love and His call to come to Jesus, to repent of any wrong, and to begin a walk of obedience.
4. Great Commission Resurgence Task Force (SBC) and Florida’s “Imagine if…” Great Commission Resurgence Task Force. Pray for each group to have God’s mind and heart about ministry, to see HIS vision for ministry—received by grace and faith, not “achieved” by fleshly agendas or “the arm of flesh.” Ask God for His wisdom and insight. For further prayer ideas go to www.pray4GCR.org or www.flbaptist.org.
5. Search Committees of the International Mission Board, the North American Mission Board, and the Executive Committee SBC. Pray for wisdom and insight as these seek for God’s leadership for each of these agencies, for His vision and mission to be fulfilled. For further info go to www.imb.org, www.namb.net, or www.sbcec.org.
Timeless Words—“I have often said it would be a thing very desirable, and very likely to be followed with a great blessing, if there could be some contrivance, that there should be an agreement of all God’s people in America… to keep a Day of Fasting and Prayer to God; wherein, we should all unite on the same day… It seems to me, it would mightily encourage and animate God’s saints, in humbly and earnestly seeking God, for such blessings which concerns them all; and that it would be much for the rejoicing of all, to think, that at the same time such multitudes of God’s dear children, far and near, were sending up their cries to the same common Father for the same motives.” –Jonathan Edwards, 1742
Prayer & Spiritual Awakening /Florida Baptist Convention
For further resources go to www.flbaptist.org/i365
or call 1-800-226-8584, ext 3098.