Our vision as a church is to Know Jesus and Make Jesus Known.
We are a community who believes that true life, and what Jesus himself refers to as ‘life to the fullest’ (John 10v10), is only found in God and in relationship with him.
In John 17v3 we read: “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”
This is the very reason Jesus came to Earth. He lived the life we couldn’t live, and died the death we should have died, so that through the power of his resurrection we could have eternal life in him.
At a time where everything is so unpredictable and unsure, where our livelihoods are at stake, and where perhaps even our very lives are at risk due to the virus, we realize just how beautiful this gift of eternal life in Jesus really is.
It gives us confidence to know and to remind ourselves that although earthly things may perish, spoil and fade, we have an eternal, living hope that is secure in him.
There are many people, however, who do not know Jesus and who are hopeless at this time. They have been left wondering how they will make it through this pandemic when everything that was once a certain and sure thing in their lives has become a shaky foundation. Living in the tension and restlessness of the moment they are simply hedging their bets hoping for the best.
But we are a people who know the One who is the only sure foundation, his name is Jesus.
Jesus is the answer to the world’s greatest needs: to our problem with sin and our broken relationship with God, one another and ourselves.
Jesus himself is the answer we are looking for in the midst of this global pandemic.
Things in this world are not as they should be, but Jesus has come to make all things new. To restore, redeem and renew all of creation.
This is why we exist as a church, this is why our vision is to know Jesus for ourselves and make him known to the world around us.
Because we and the rest of the world are in desperate need of our Saviour, Jesus.
Through the practice of prayer we can grow in our personal relationship with God and in knowing him. Prayer helps us connect with our Father and grow in intimacy with him.
As we behold God in prayer we are also reminded of his character and of who he is. We remind ourselves of how he is a faithful, loving and good Father who will not abandon us in our time of need. Prayer brings us peace in a time of fear and uncertainty.
Prayer is also a powerful way that we can partner with God in his mission, to see people come to know him and be restored back into relationship with him. So that they too might share in his gift of eternal life and a hope that is certain and secure.
We partner with God in prayer as co-labourers with him, to see his Kingdom come on Earth as it is in Heaven. To see our world made new through his power.
PRAYER POINTS FOR THE WEEK:
Prayer for our Relationship with God
- We pray for followers of Jesus both in Harbour City and around the world, that they would grow in their relationship with God during this time.
- We pray that as followers of Jesus we would come to know God in new and different ways in this season. That God would reveal more of himself to us and show us different aspects of his character.
- We pray that even as the world around us shifts and changes, that we would continue to put God first in our lives.
- That we would live lives that are God-centered, and dependent on him.
- We pray that we would continue to walk with Jesus during this time of uncertainty and fear, and that our faith would grow and strengthen.
- We pray against the schemes of Satan to weaken our relationship with God, and to distract us from him.
- We praise God and give him thanks for making a way for us to know him and have a relationship with him through the sacrifice of Jesus. And that because of our relationship with him, we can have peace and comfort during this pandemic.
Prayer for our Discipleship to Jesus
- We pray that God would use this time and the difficulties we are facing to shape and transform us, helping us become more like Jesus.
- We pray that as we follow God, and abide in him, that the Holy Spirit would produce his fruit in our lives, helping us to shaped into Jesus’ image.
- We pray that the Gospel would be the foundation of our lives, and that Jesus would help us to continue to build our lives on this foundation.
- We pray that where this pandemic has revealed that we have been building our lives on other things (wealth, success, popularity, careers etc) that God would help us to rebuild our lives on the foundation of the Gospel, as we put our faith and trust in him.
- As the pressure around us begins to reveal our idols and sin, we come to God and repent of the sin in our lives, and ask for God’s forgiveness and the Holy Spirit’s power to overcome our sin.
- We thank God for giving us the gift of his son Jesus, so that through him our sins are forgiven.
- We thank God that despite our current situations and circumstances, in him we have a sure and steady foundation. That even in the storm and the realities of the Coronavirus, we know that we have a hope and a future that remains secure in him.
Prayer for the Gospel to Spread
- We pray that followers of Jesus would rise up at this time to proclaim the Gospel in word and deed. That they would be ready to explain the hope that they have in Jesus, despite the chaos and confusion being experienced in the world.
- As people search for hope in a time of despair, we pray that they would be drawn to the Gospel and that their hearts would be open to hearing about Jesus.
- We pray for many opportunities for the Gospel to be shared with people who do not know Jesus during this time.
- We pray for people who do not yet know God, that they would come to know him during this time and begin cultivating a relationship with him.
- We pray specifically for the friends, colleagues, neighbours and family members in our lives who do not know God, that they would come to know him.
- We thank God for the incredible privilege of knowing him and of sharing who he is and what he has done in our lives with those who do not know him.
Prayer for Renewal
- We pray that as followers of Jesus we would continue to see our everyday lives, even though in Lockdown, as an opportunity to partner with Jesus in his ongoing work, to influence our city, nation and the nations of the world and it’s people by the power of the Gospel.
- We pray that we would see his rule and reign – his Kingdom come – in every sector and sphere of life in our city and around the world.
- We pray that we would see our lives, families, friends and the city as a whole transformed and made new by the power of God.
- We pray for those who are sick, that God would heal them and help them to recover from the virus quickly.
- We pray for the poor, and for people whose livelihoods have been affected by the virus and the declining global economy, that God would regenerate our economy according to his Kingdom principals.
- We pray for the world leaders, business leaders and church leaders, that God would give them wisdom, ideas and creativity to help the world navigate this virus successfully, and in doing so that we would see God’s Kingdom come on Earth.
- We praise God for his renewing work in our own lives, for making us new creations in Jesus.