Everything pertaining to life and godliness - 2 Peter 1:3

When we consider the above verse, Paul is adamant that all has been done for the Church and the bride to be all God intended his bride to be. Yet in prayer meetings we hear the strangest of prayers made on behalf of the church. One such prayer that is commonly heard, of which I know I have also prayed, is Lord, sovereignly move in our land. And whilst at it's core is a wonderful concept that God will override those whom He has placed as the authority, at least in regards to spiritual matters, this kind of prayer is contradictory to God's own plan for His bride or body.

Again, I can hear the cry of our Lord Jesus on the cross, it is finished! And whilst he most certainly gave further instruction and will continue to do so throughout the ages, he put everything in place with His resurrection and ascension into heaven that was needed for the church to have the utmost success for the task at hand. We can see this at work in the lives of the apostles and those whom had gathered in the upper room as described in Acts 2. Though ordinary and simple men and woman entered the upper room to tarry for the outpouring of God's Spirit upon them, it was by no means ordinary but rather extraordinary believers that emerged. He we can recount, as I have done in previous blogs, some of the most powerful words ever written in the logos, "then Peter stepped forward", four what we might say ambiguous words but which demonstrate such a powerful change of those present in the room.

As a result of this change which came via God's Spirit, 3000 souls were added to their number that very day. Throughout the ages, it is the same kind of people, ordinary, who enter prayer rooms right across our world, only to emerge changed by God's own Spirit to later go on to do marvellous works in God's name. People whom I have known who dared to believe God by His promises and who were transformed by His Spirit like the very famous Gordon Gibbs who I had the honour of working alongside for a number of years. A profoundly humble man who understood the extent of his humanity but who also understand what God's Spirit more powerfully could do when we dared to believe in Him.

What then should we be praying for in our own upper rooms? We must pray for ourselves, that we will lay down our own idols and desires to do our own will, that we would as Luke says, "take up our cross daily, deny ourselves and follow Him". Do we need a sovereign move of God? Yes, but we need it for ourselves to be all Christ said we could be through Him who strengthens us. Not pray that God should do the work that He asked us to do in His name, not pass the buck or responsibility to the next generation or lay the blame with others, but accept our own personal calling in Christ and corporately as His Church on this earth and fulfil the great commission.

We must pray, Lord use me, send me, empower me, help me, so that all can see You in me!!!