Advent: the appearing

Today is the first day of the Advent season – the four weeks leading up to the celebration of Jesus’ birth. It’s an acknowledgement of Jesus’ incarnation – his coming – his appearing in human form. This is a wondrous mystery. The Advent season orients us to receive this mystery. It also beckons us to see Jesus’ appearing in the present world around us. At the same time it also points us towards his final appearing when he comes again.

The Challenge:

Where will you perceive Jesus today? Ask God to open your eyes to his presence in your life and in the lives of those around you. As you pause throughout your day, reflect, and look for his hand at work, his face reflected, his heart expressed.

 Healing

Healing does double duty. It is both a sign pointing towards the Kingdom of God, and it is also part of its in-breaking reality. When healing happens, whether physically or any other kind of healing, it points to the day when Jesus will return at which time there will be no more tears and no more pain. It’s a sign pointing us forward. At the same time it is also part of the reality to which it points. In other words, when healing happens, God’s Kingdom comes in the here and now!

If that’s not enough good news, followers of Jesus are commissioned and given authority to heal the sick.

What Jesus did, we get to do!

The Challenge:

As you go about your day, keep your eyes and ears open to those around you who are sick. They may be friends, family members, colleagues, or complete strangers. As someone tells you that they are feeling unwell or sick, take it as God’s invitation to pray for them. Be brave and ask Jesus to heal their body and bring his kingdom to them, right then and there.

“Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near.  Heal the sick…” Matthew 10:7-8

A Call to Prayer: relationships

Is there one person with whom you can’t seem to get along? Of course there is – we all have someone like that in our lives! Jesus came to restore relationship, not only with our creator but also with each other (and creation too). The first thing that happened when sin entered the world was a severance of relationship. Adam and Eve were ashamed and had to hide themselves from each other and they also tried to hide from God. There was a relational breakdown that occurred.

The Challenge:

Today, pray for healthy relationships in your life. Pray for breakthrough in your most difficult relationship. Also, pray for the relationships in WCV. Pray for strengthened marriages, healthy mentoring relationships and positive healing friendships across economic, cultural, and generational lines.

“Healthy relationships are the best medicine.” Adrian Jacobs

Gratitude

As we near the end of this prayer challenge, I’d like to encourage us in the direction of thanksgiving. Here are a few wise words from well respected Vineyard worship leader and liturgist, Dan Wilt:

“Christ helps us attain, maintain, and retain a thankful heart.

Expressing thanks is often viewed by the culture as simply one component of a fulfilled life. For the Christian, however, our capacity to express gratefulness to God and to others, through our thoughts, statements, and actions, is central to our emotional and physical health. It is the new way to be human.

Some say that learning a new habit or virtue means you fake it until you make it. As a Christian, we do it until we become it.

We don’t need grateful feelings to lead the way. Our practiced attitude of gratefulness leads us into a new set of emotions that become the norm as our second nature of gratefulness (in all things) overtakes our first nature of self-fixation and complaint.

Thankful people see God at work everywhere and triumph over every manner of soul-sickness.“

The Challenge:

Today, find something to be grateful for, and then find some way to express it. Not only that, but throughout your day look for opportunities for gratitude and give thanks in the moment.

A Call to Prayer: leadership

If Aliens were to land and say “take us to your leader”, we’d have to point them to Jesus. He is the chief shepherd; the head of the church. He is our leader. However, his leadership is exercised through humans. Every organization and organism needs visionary, servant-hearted leadership. In WCV, leadership is expressed in many ways, from the pastoral and elder teams to house group leaders – from the worship and prayer oversight teams to the Flatlanders leadership team – and in many other ways.

The Challenge:

Today, let’s pray for all those who lead in WCV. Please pray for the pastoral team and for the elders as they look to include new people. Pray for all the ways leadership functions in our body, whether there is a title associated with it or not. Also, pray for the holes in our leadership. For example, as we look at our team we see a need for a youth pastor. As we look at the expanding numbers of kid’s, there will be a greater need for leadership among them as well. Also, pray for leadership among those who are poor.

“Dear brothers and sisters, pray for us.” (Paul and his team to the church in Thessalonica) 1 Thes 5:25

A Call to Prayer: provision

Jesus taught us to ask for what we need. Paul said that our Father would supply all our needs from his glorious riches in Christ Jesus (Phil 4). As we look around our community, we can see many needs. Throughout this Prayer Challenge, we’ve turned our attention to many of them. Today, we invite you to consider some of the practical needs WCV has right now.

The Challenge:

Let’s pray for the following needs in WCV:

• Provision to cover our financial deficit.
• Provision of workers for our children & youth.
• What else do you see…?

“Give us this day, our daily bread.”

Prophetic Witness

It is in the very nature of light, to dispel darkness.  A candle doesn’t have to be convinced to shine – it just does.  It is the same with goodness, truth and love.  Their very existence dispels evil, deceit and indifference.  However, there are powers that work to extinguish the light.  Like we’ve seen in Daniel, there are those in positions of power who weaken under the weight of darkness – some give in completely.  The powers of greed, apathy, violence, fear, jealousy and hopelessness need to be confronted. This means holding the light of love and truth up to their ugly faces to declare, “you don’t have power here!”

The Challenge:

Today, let’s pray for those in our lives who hold institutional power – who are charged with the weighty responsibility to make decisions on our behalf.  Our Mayor, Brian Bowman; our city councilors; our Premier, Greg Sellinger; our Prime Minister, Stephen Harper.  Pray for those involved in the judiciary and law enforcement.  Pray for our elders, influencers, and storytellers.  Pray that they would hold steadfast in light of truth and not cooperate with the powers of darkness.

“Truth loves the light, and is most beautiful when most naked.” George Baxter

Prophetic Ministry

The chief aim of prophecy is to strengthen, encourage and comfort others. Paul encourages the church in Corinth to let love be your highest goal, but also to eagerly desire the gifts of the spirit, especially prophecy. It’s because, when done in love the person on the receiving end will feel loved. Who doesn’t want to be encouraged, strengthened or comforted?

Paul also says, that now, we know in part and we prophesy in part. This means that usually nothing we say will be 100% from God. We will get it wrong sometimes, and we may get it partly right other times. That’s why we remain humble, test words and keep the whole enterprise low-key and in community. Naturally supernatural as the Vineyard has come to describe this approach.

The Challenge:

Today, let’s ask God for an encouraging, strengthening or comforting word for someone. You can do this at church as we gather, or anywhere else you happen to go today.

“But one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them.” 1 Cor 14:3

Prophetic Ministry

Prophecy is one of those highly misrepresented activities in Christianity. We either have ideas of some crazy from the Old Testament hurling warnings from God on a godless people (no offence to the OT), or big-haired men on TV making some kind of pronouncement about the end of the world (no offence to big hair). In reality, prophecy is usually far less dramatic and much more accessible to the average Joe (big, small, and thinly haired alike).

Simply put, prophecy is hearing God’s voice for someone else, and telling him or her what you’ve heard. It doesn’t have to be weird or full of drama, and it certainly doesn’t have to include King James English for it to work. It can be as simple as an answer to the question, “God, what do you think about this person?”

The bible teaches that the sheep will hear the shepherd’s voice. When we hear his voice and tell others, we’re being prophetic (skip the “thus saith the Lord” attitude though).

The Challenge:

Today, ask God to bring someone across your path whom you can give a word of encouragement to. When you find that person, simply ask, “God, how do you see this person?” and then tell them what you hear (be nice about it – more on this tomorrow).

Prayer that Listens: God’s list

Making lists can be a great way to get things done. Grocery lists help us shop – school lists help keep track of when assignments are due – Christmas lists ensure we’ll have at least one favourite toy under the tree (hey, a kid can hope).

We often approach God in a similar way. We have our various wish lists that we present to God like that cute kid on Santa’s lap at Portage Place.

Could it be that God has a list too? Do you ever wonder what would be on it?

The Challenge:

Today, let’s listen to the Holy Spirit and humbly ask God to show us what’s on his list. Tell him that, today, you want to listen to him and get to know his longings and desires.

“Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of God, and listening to His voice in the depth of our hearts.” Mother Teresa

Prayer that Listens: God’s surprises

Sometimes God throws curveballs – loopers – puts us in unexpected situations. This was the case for Philip in Acts 8. Philip had begun preaching in Samaria with great success. Crowds were coming to Jesus, signs and miracles performed, and demons were being cast out. By all accounts, it was a pretty successful ministry trip. You can imagine Philip’s surprise when an angel (messenger) showed up and told him to go to a stretch of deserted wilderness highway. He might have thought, “really, Lord? Are you sure you have this one right?”

As it turned out, this unexpected change in plans was a set-up (they usually are when God’s involved). Philip runs into a eunuch from Ethiopia – likely the treasurer of the Queen of Ethiopia. This powerful man was in his chariot reading the scriptures. The Holy Spirit whispered to Philip, “go and walk alongside the chariot”. Philip obeyed and the man was eager to hear what he had to say and was baptized immediately.

The Challenge:

Sometimes when we listen, the Holy Spirit whispers unexpected instructions to us. Ask God if there is something out of the ordinary for you today.

“I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.” Psalm 32:8

Intercession: seeking the good of the city

Jeremiah gave a prophecy to the exiled people of Judah in Babylon. It wasn’t a sweet message promising their quick return to Jerusalem (like some other false prophets were doing). Instead, Jeremiah’s letter told them to buckle down. He said, build houses, plant gardens and build lives for themselves in Babylon.

For some Winnipeg may feel like a land of exile (especially as we head into winter!). It’s not, really, and it’s certainly nothing like Babylon for the Jews. However, in one sense we are in exile. We are separated from the quality of life that we will have once Jesus returns and makes all things new (“all things” includes Winnipeg, by the way!).

We are to seek the peace and prosperity of the city we are in. And we are to pray for it, because, as Jeremiah reminds us, we are all connected. When those around us do well, we do well. When there are people in our city who are hurting, in some sense we all pay the cost of that hurt.

The Challenge:

Today, let’s ask God to bless our city. How can you work for the peace and prosperity of Winnipeg?

“…work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you…” Jeremiah 29:7