Prayer Emphasis Week: HOPE CHAPEL / LOCAL BODY OF BELIEVERS

Daily Devotional October 27, 2020

Song for Reflection - “Start Right Here” Casting Crowns - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGvfagBOHJE

“There is one body, but it has many parts. But all its many parts make up one body. It is the same with Christ. We were all baptized by one Holy Spirit. And so we are formed into one body. It didn’t matter whether we were Jews or Gentiles, slaves or free people. We were all given the same Spirit to drink. So the body is not made up of just one part. It has many parts...You are the body of Christ. Each one of you is a part of it” (1 Corinthians 12:12-14,27).

If there is one thing that the coronavirus should have taught us as believers, it is that the church building in not ‘the church.’ The big ‘C’ Church is represented by all believers across the globe and across time–all who call on the name of Christ make up His body, the Church. We are also to be members of a church consisting of a local group of individuals committed to the Great Commission in a more immediate locale. It is this local group that I wish for us to focus our prayer time on today, all the while remembering that other church groups are still part of the body of Christ with us–we are all brothers and sisters in God’s heavenly kingdom and there should be unity of the Holy Spirit between us all...but that’s our focus for tomorrow.

Each group of individuals that make up a local body have a particular call within the Great Commission, determined by its location and the gifts of the individuals within the congregation. God has a plan for each individual’s life (Ephesians 2:10), and He is intertwining us with others so that the whole body is built up, made strong and effective for sharing God’s love to a hurting world. Or, as Paul puts it, “ He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love” (Ephesians 4:16). But during this time of global response to the coronavirus, I have noticed a disturbing trend. Too many believers have put their faith and/or commitment to serve their local church group on pause. This is problematic for both the individual believer and for the group as a whole.

God puts groups of His children together to fulfill His purposes, but when some choose to disengage, it’s as though the body has lost a limb or other part that is needed in order to continue to serve God unimpeded. This is not to say that believers cannot ‘switch’ churches...that too can often be God’s plan. The problem is when people pull back from The Church entirely and aren’t involved on the local level at all. The writer of Hebrews understood how this could be a problem, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (10:24-25). We may need to rethink how we connect with one another and what our service for God looks like, but we should still remain plugged into a church. We need one another to stay encouraged in our love for God and others and motivated to continue to serve Him and those He has called us to minister to.
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Today, take the time to pray for members of your local church group. Send someone a text or email for encouragement; call someone up to let them know you are thinking about them and praying for them. Those of you who make up Hope Chapel, please continue to pray for God’s leading. Pray for our influence in the lives of people in our community and especially the high school students across the road. Pray for our partnership with Youth for Christ and other churches in Collingwood as we seek to love our youth and all those we meet. Pray that God will provide all the resources needed as we seek to follow His call for our church. For those who are part of another local church body, may you know God’s blessing in your ministry as you find ways to obey God’s call on your church during this challenging time.
~ Pastor Jane
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Here’s some ideas to help you make the most of our week of prayer emphasis.
Prayerful Fast: Choose a meal or activity to fast from in this coming week to set aside more time to spend with God each day. A shift in our focus often requires us to forego set routines in order to make space in our day.
Verse: “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” Romans 8:26-27
“Spirit Lead Me” Michael Ketterer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABWnLjXer10