Gospel Progress

Our Lord and God, you are faithful! You keep your promises. You are true to yourself, to your nature. You fulfill the prophecies you speak through your servants. You uphold your people. You vanquish evil and produce good in every place.

So we then, heavenly Father, pray for faithfulness among your children. Our times see widespread abandonment of the Way. Christians and churches are giving up the pattern of teaching which foments spirituality and progress in the kingdom. Influences pull many way, both from within and without.

We intercede for those who feel these influences. May the erring see the tragic end of their ways. Stop the exodus, Lord, by those who throw off restraint to give place to personal preference and cultural values. In drifting churches make men and women rise up who will stanch the flow toward ecumenism and denominationalism.

Strengthen those who seek fidelity in the midst of betrayal, oh God. May love for souls and desire for your glory motivate all who want to remain in the  true paths of righteousness. We know that in response to your great mercy, to the salvation offered us in the blood of Jesus Christ, obedience is necessary, submission is essential, discipleship — following Jesus — is our driving force. And not only when we want to follow, but even in the moments of stress and doubt.

May softness on the part of friends or family not pull us away. Keep sin from our door, that we not lower your demands because of our own failures. Let not fear of opposition or retaliation bridle our words.

You are our Master, so let not churches fall away from your commandments, nor disciples leave off following our Savior. Let us understand clearly our mission to preach the Good News. Open our eyes to the reality of sin and death. Keep us focused on the spiritual goal. Let us proclaim your grace which procured redemption and our necessary response to receive salvation.

May the desire for numbers not overwhelm our need for faithfulness. Bless the brotherhood, Father, as your family, that we might be your true people in every respect. May we return to being people of the Book, the proclaimers of the Word, disciples who always, everywhere, preach Jesus as only Lord and Savior.

When we must struggle on alone, oh Lord, remind us that whoever may abandon us here, you are with us, beside us, in our commitment to be loyal to you. For you are ever loyal to us, as we know in your Son, God in the flesh. Amen.

Many congregations are slipping away from the pattern the Lord set down in the New Testament for the body of Christ to follow. Influences from popular culture and from denominational religions are quickly moving many to abandon the will of God for his people.

Pray on June 5, at 16:00 UTC (11 a.m. CDT), that churches and Christians will submit themselves to the divine plan for faith and work, that they will resist the subtle pressures and pervading influences, that all will value faithfulness to God above acceptance by the world, that we will commit ourselves to understand the will of God and acting in wisdom for the salvation of as many as possible.

Please indicate in the comments area below your level of participation in this moment of united prayer:

• Yes, I’ll personally pray.
• Yes, I’ll pray and ask 10 others to pray as well.
• Yes, I’ll pray and our congregation will be praying also.