Revelation 2: 4-5:
“Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.”Revelation 3:15
“…These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm-neither hot nor cold-I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”
Dear God in heaven, the Body of Christ needs You. We come to You today for the sake of the Church, your Bride. Many have drifted, having been lulled into thinking they can navigate the world and today’s culture by living for self, choosing from a menu what satisfies their emotional, physical, political, or spiritual taste buds. Others in the body have grown apathetic and are no longer hungry for the things of God, having lost their “first love” as written in today’s verse from Revelation. Others, who claim to be members of the Body of Christ,” see themselves as rich and self-sufficient, but You, Lord, see them as wretched, pitiful, poor and blind. Jesus calls them lukewarm Christians—or pretend Christians—who are so distasteful that He said He would spit them out of His mouth! We repent of our hardened, tepid hearts, O God. Forgive us and have mercy on us. May we, the Body of Christ, seek You as we did from the first—with a whole-hearted love, devotion, faith and trust in Jesus Christ, our Savior. May we, the Body of Christ, your Bride, your Holy people, who are set apart for your chosen purpose, live out our faith each day as we wait for your coming.
Dear God in heaven, the Body of Christ needs You. We live in such a dark world, where sometimes the only Light we experience, besides the one living in our hearts, is the light that shines within the walls of the church building, our “sanctuary.” And, now with restrictions in our nation brought on by the pandemic, for some even coming to church is not an option. We ask that your Light, the Light that shines from within us, be sufficient—when all else is taken away—for us to sense your presence, to illuminate, encourage, and strengthen our world, even if only in our small space.
Dear God in heaven, the Body of Christ needs You. For other believers, the presence of the Holy Spirit is all that illuminates their lives, for they are experiencing persecution, intimidation, ridicule and attacks for their beliefs. Their voices may sometimes be silenced, but your love and light live on in their hearts. Please be with them who so desperately need our prayers for courage, power and strength to combat the forces of wickedness in our nation.
Dear God in heaven, the Body of Christ needs you. We lift up every leader in our churches that You would give them a fear of God, wisdom, discernment, patience, kindness and listening hearts. May their faith in God never waver, and by their daily living, actions and words, may they model servant leadership to their families and the Body of Christ.
Dear God in heaven, the Body of Christ needs you. We ask for unity of the body: to be unified in prayer, unified in belief in the Triune God, unified in belief in the inerrancy of God’s Word, unified in the belief the union of marriage according to your design, and unified in the belief that all life is sacred. May we all set aside any differences we have for the greater good and the cause of Christ. We ask you, dear Father, to impress upon each member of the Body of Christ that we must consider unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace as sacred, to the glory of God. We honor You, our Father, and pray in the name of your Son, Jesus. Amen.
~ painting by Medana Gabbard
