Our 2023 resolution was to move from a church culture that includes prayer, to a church culture that is rooted in prayer. Something like this doesn’t happen overnight, and is by no means confined to a single year, but throughout last year we got to see glimpses of the Lord transforming us from a church that prays into a praying church.
Part of this fruit can be seen in our 2024 resolution: As ambassadors of Christ, we will reorganize our life around the command of Jesus to go make disciples of all peoples and places.
It is natural that the growth of being rooted and grounded in prayer is the desire for others to join in communing with God with us.
Going back to the garden, we see the cultural mandate that was given to humanity – to rule and to reign over creation and to spread edenic blessings to the ends of the earth (Gen 1:26-28). From the beginning, the Lord has desired for His glory to spread over every inch of this world. His vision was, and still is, to fill the earth with His image.
We see this with Abraham, that all the families of the earth would be blessed (Gen 12:1-3). We see this in Psalm 67, that the saving power of the Lord would be known in all nations. We see this in the Great Commission and ascension of Christ, to make disciples of all nations (Matt 28:18-20) and to be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).
This is our mandate, our mission, our inheritance!
Our Gospel Conversations Training this weekend is for you. Evangelism is for you. Cultivating the kingdom across this city is for you. It's for all of us! This is not something that we have to do or something we check off our list of spiritual disciplines. It’s in our DNA as followers of Christ. We get to be a part of the Lord’s work on the earth. Our God in His sovereignty and mercy has chosen the lowly and the weak to proclaim His name throughout the earth. He doesn’t have to use us, and He certainly does not need us, but throughout the history of salvation He has used His people to call His people.
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news,
who publishes peace,
who brings good news of happiness,
who publishes salvation,
who says to Zion,
“Your God reigns.” Isaiah 52:7
The good news of the gospel is that our God reigns. He reigns and He saves and He will accomplish His purposes. Join me in praying that the Lord would posture our hearts to cry out, “Here I am Lord, send me” Isaiah 6:8.
In Christ,
Rachel Parker
