The Church requires followers of Jesus who are growing in every way more and more like Jesus!
One of the passages of Scripture that drives my understanding of ministry is Ephesians 4.11-16. In this passage, Paul describes church leadership in terms of equipping God’s people for ministry, and includes a phrase that I have come to love …
growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. (Ephesians 4.15, NLT)
That’s our goal, to grow in every way more and more like Jesus!
O God, thank you for loving the world so much that you gave your only Son, so that everyone who believes in him won’t perish but will have eternal life. Thank you for revealing your Son Jesus—the way, the truth, and the life—to us. Thank you for the gospel—Good News!
Forgive us for taking you for granted, for not being intentional about our relationships with you. Please forgive us for not growing more like Christ! And, please forgive those of us who are leaders for not forming and equipping your people for your work!
Help us to be intentional about our spiritual growth. With great discipline (being a disciple requires discipline!) help us to practice those spiritual disciplines that will enable us to grow in every way more and more like Jesus. Help us to simply put ourselves in a place where you can mold and shape us through your grace!
Thanks you again, O Lord, for inviting us to be in relationship with you and for all you are doing through your disciples! Amen.
(I invite you to pray with me for the Church. Previous prayers include: awakening, transformational leaders, urgency, hope, health, compassion, action, unity, power, favor, endurance, trust, discipline, courage, vision, provision, humble & hungry, patience & persistence, unpredictable & uncontrollable, and receptive hearts).