PLEASE PRAY
Dear Friends,
I begin a new sermon series tomorrow. We will go through the Book of Philippians. In the text that we will look at tomorrow, Paul talks a bit about how he prays for the church in Philippi. This got me thinking about how you and I can pray for Messiah in light of the pandemic. So here are five “strategic” prayer requests.
First, please pray that we will wisely evaluate what we are doing right now. The lockdown and social distancing measures happened suddenly. We had to pivot and adjust ministry very quickly. We had no models to follow, and we had done no advance planning. We continue to learn. Please pray we will know: what the Lord would have us keep doing; what He would have us adjust; what He would have us stop; and what He would have us add. Pray that we will keep a double focus in our evaluation: How are we as a church caring for each other and growing in Christ-likeness, AND How are we seeking to reach out with the Gospel and with compassion to Ottawa (and beyond).
Second, please pray that we will learn what the Lord wants to teach us, in and through the pandemic. Yes, I know that we learn definitively from the Bible. But it is good to pray to the Lord and ask, “Lord is there something you would have me learn from this pandemic? What should our church be learning during this pandemic? What do you want us to know more deeply?”
Third, please pray that we can begin to think and plan for the time when the lockdown begins to be lifted. This could happen sooner than we think. We need the Lord’s wisdom in all of these prayer requests. In fact, my five areas of prayer are really five different requests to receive godly wisdom from the Lord in five different contexts. This prayer request touches on a time of great uncertainty. How do we minister if groups of 10 can meet? Groups of 25? Will people rush to join social gatherings, or will many people be fearful and stay home? How do we include those with compromised immune systems? Which of our current ministry practises do we continue? Are there new ways of relating to small groups of people? Please pray that we will prayerfully ponder these matters.
Fourth, please pray that we can begin to think and about how to minister when the lockdown is significantly lifted. On one hand, I am talking about when groups of 250 can gather. On the other hand, I am talking about when there is a full lifting of restrictions, so that sporting events and Festivals are allowed. Please pray that we will think this through well, and be well prepared.
Fifth, pray that when the “new normal” comes, we will know how to minister well in light of what we have learned during the pandemic. Continue to provide a live YouTube Sunday service? Continue Zoom Bible studies? Continue lots of on-line resources? Regular phone check-ups? What should we continue? What should we drop? We should not expect to merely go back to doing everything the same way we did before the pandemic. Pray we learn and adapt well. Remember, we want to seek His will, and do His will for His glory.
One more thing. Please do not hesitate to email/call me, or the office, to share your best wisdom on any or all of these matters. I would love to hear your best wisdom and insights. Thank you for praying. Please pray that the Lord will use us to make disciples of Jesus gripped by the Gospel living for God’s glory.
George+