Position Yourself for Relationship
(This Weekly Prayer Summary was written by Irene Sentosa, from the CBC English Prayer Ministry Core Team, and edited by Brigitta Tedja)
#relationshipseries
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“The Kingdom of God truly is built on Relationships... first with Himself, then with those He connects and puts assignments upon.” (Doug Stringer)
Jesus introduced God as the Father and He positioned Himself as a Son. Father and Son clearly showed the deep connection of relationship in God’s kingdom. Relationship is primary in God’s kingdom.
Luke 9:1-6 MEV: “Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases. And He sent them (two by two - Mark 6:7) to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He said to them, “Take nothing for your journey: no staff, no bag, no bread, no money... So, they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.”
Luke 10:1-9 MEV: “After this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them two by two ahead of Him into every city and place where He Himself was about to come. He said to them, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Go your ways. Listen, I am sending you out as lambs among wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no shoes, and greet no one on the road... Heal the sick who are there and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’”
How Do We Know that the Kingdom of God has Come Near?
The proof of the Kingdom of God has come near:
1. Proclamation of the GOSPEL
2. Manifestation of the power of the Kingdom
3. Invitation into the KINGDOM
Mark 16:17 MEV: “These signs will accompany those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
A Portable Kingdom
The Kingdom is always manifested through the believers.
God can do anything but He chooses to live and move through His people.
In the Old Testament, it is said that God lived in a “tent” and the Bible says that we are the “tent”.
The Kingdom of God is carried within this living and moving tent which is all of us believers.We are the carrier of God’s glory and His ambassadors. We carry not only the power and authority of God’s kingdom, but we also carry the portable kingdom with us.
In Luke 10, Jesus appointed seventy others to preach the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick and He said, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.”
Jesus wants the kingdom to be expanded through the believers, but many of us do not realize that we are part of the harvest’s laborers in the Kingdom of God; we think it is only the pastors or leaders who are the harvest’s laborers.
Harvest is always connected to the harvesters. God calls all of us, the believers, to be the harvesters.
The harvest is here and God will give us grace to be ready for the harvest and to be the harvesters.
Matthew 28:18-20 MEV: “Then Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.’”
The Good Samaritan:
Luke 10:25-37 MEV:“Jesus answered, “A man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing and wounded him and departed, leaving him half dead. By chance a priest came down that way. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise, a Levite, when he came to that place, looked at him and passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine. Then he set him on his own donkey and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day when he departed, he took out two denarii[c] and gave them to the innkeeper and said to him, ‘Take care of him. I will repay you whatever else you spend when I return.‘ Now which of these three do you think was a neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?’”
The priest and Levite refused to help because they did not want to take the risk, but the Samaritan moved in compassion for somebody he did not know or liked.
If we were in that position as the Samaritan, what will we do?
People tend to just walk away. Do not let your heart grow cold.
Matthew 24:12-14 NIV: “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
Jonah 4:1-3 MEV: “Then the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon dry land. The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time, saying, ‘Get up, go to Nineveh, the great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you.’ So, Jonah got up and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Jonah began to enter the city, going a day’s walk. And he cried out, ‘In forty days’ time, Nineveh will be overthrown!’ So, the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast. And everyone, great and small, put on sackcloth. When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself in sackcloth, and sat in ashes. When God saw their actions, that they turned from their evil ways, He changed His mind about the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it.”
Jonah 4:1-3 MEV: “Now this greatly displeased Jonah, and he became angry. He prayed to the Lord and said, ‘O Lord! Is this not what I said while I was still in my own land? This is the reason that I fled before to Tarshish, because I knew that You are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, abundant in faithfulness, and ready to relent from punishment. Therefore, Lord, take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.’”
Jonah is like us the church. Sometimes our hearts can grow cold when we see so many wickedness and negative things happening in the world, BUT GOD. . .
God is God. He is the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. “And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.” Exodus 34:6-7 NIV
Can you hear the heartbeat of God that He is a compassionate God
and that He calls us to be laborers of the harvest?
Prayer Points :
Pray for the change of heart, that our hearts will not grow cold, that we will have a compassionate heart and grace so that the message of the Gospel will be proclaimed through each one of us, through our words and our deeds.
Pray for understanding that the power and authority has been given to each one us to preach the Gospel; set the captives free; heal the brokenhearted, and perform signs, miracles and wonders. We carry the portable kingdom with us.
Pray that we will be the message of the grace and love of God in whichever community we are placed in; for us to be the light within our spheres of influence.
Pray that the church will be awakened and rise up to our assignment.
Pray for the laborers to rise up within the church and run with the vision. Declare that every single part of the body would be integrated and will say “YES” to be the laborers of the harvest, to be the harvester in the harvest of God
Pray that each person in His Church body will be at the right place, right time, with the right assignment.
Pray that God will accelerate us to be ready for the harvest; our nets will be strong and ready for the harvest.