40 Days of Prayer | Week 4

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40 Days of Prayer | Week 4 Written by Pastor Eric Stiller

Day 19 | “Worship Is No Accident” | Sunday, March 23 Scripture 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:14-17 Devotional Paul spends a great deal of Colossians chapter 3 outlining what the church ought to look like. That is, he shows us who we ought to be as followers of Christ: people of purity, charity, forgiveness, and love. But then in verse 16, he shows us what our corporate worship is to look like: a time of word, song, prayer, and thanksgiving. Why? Because we do not become the people God wants us to be by accident. We do not fall into it spontaneously. As much as worship is the responsive overflow of hearts that are moved by Jesus more than anything else (what we may call “all-of-life worship”), it is also something that needs to be fostered, nurtured, and cultivated intentionally when we come together as a body (what we may call “corporate worship”). The things on which we focus most are the things that shape us most. In our gathered times of worship, we focus on God, telling and retelling the story of salvation, attending to it, imbibing it, letting it shape and mold us. We do this through prayer, song, confession, the reading and preaching of Scripture, the sacraments, and many other elements. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, yet surely, we become formed in the image of Christ, and the things we do in gathered worship begin to play themselves out in our daily lives, so that what we practice in church becomes second nature when we walk out the doors into the world outside. Prayer Gracious Father, your story is our story. You created this world in love and called it good, intending it to be a place of flourishing. Yet foolishly, we said in our hearts, “No! We will be gods unto ourselves, and we will provide for our own wellbeing.” But you came after us, you pursued us. Even though we ran from you, you met us at every step of the way, finally coming to earth yourself in the person of Jesus Christ, to die on the cross and rise from the dead. So © 2014 Central Presbyterian Church

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we now walk in the reality of what you have done for us, letting the redemption and power of your death and resurrection grow in us, until that day when you will come again and renew this world in perfect harmony and beauty. Let our gathered times of worship tell this story, O Lord, and help us to attend to it as we worship you together. And we pray that you would bring many others who need to hear this story, that they too may come to see who you really are, and what you have done for them. Lord, help us to be intentional and joyful as we let the gospel shape us. Renew us in your image, and make us shining beacons of the eternal, abundant life that only you can give.

© 2014 Central Presbyterian Church

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Day 20 | “Killing The Hostility” | Monday, March 24 Scripture 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. Ephesians 2:14-16 Devotional The third mark of a revived church that we see is rich fellowship. But as we consider what it is, let us first notice something that it isn’t: hostile. Hostility can manifest itself in many different ways. It does not need to be openly confrontational. It can also be sticky sweet or coldly indifferent. Unfortunately, we often see all of these at work in our relationships at church, but here Paul is telling us that Christ has killed it. In first century Palestine, Jews and Gentiles were not friends. They did not associate with each other. Ever. But the gospel absolutely shatters hostility. When we embrace the truth that we were living in hostility to God, it humbles us before each other. We realize that we are sinners saved by grace, no better than anyone else. What did it cost Christ to make peace? The dividing wall of hostility was broken down in his flesh as he hung on the cross. We were openly hostile to God, and yet his response was to love us and die for us in order to be reconciled to us. Who loves their enemies like that? God did, and when we see that, it destroys our hostility with each other. We may not see eye to eye on every single thing, but in place of the hostility, there is now respect, deference, honor, and a genuine wish for the other’s best.

Prayer Holy Lord, the system of this world teaches us to disparage those who are different from us, and to favor those who are like us. It teaches us to hate those who hate us, and to love only those who love us. If we have a disagreement with someone, the world system teaches us to pummel them, for they are unworthy of our respect, or to cut them off, consoling ourselves that their presence in our lives is no longer “life-giving”. Mighty God, to our unending shame, the broken relationships we have with each other only go to show just how far the world’s system has infiltrated even your church. But Lord, your gospel teaches us that we are all unworthy. Your death on the cross makes a sham of our pretensions to martyrdom so that we can justify remaining unreconciled to each other. Teach us to humble ourselves, to repent and to forgive, O God. Make our relationships and our church the one place in a fallen order

© 2014 Central Presbyterian Church

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where the system of the world is upended and reversed. Lord, we ask that you will do this all to the praise of your wonderful name, that the world may see your glory and worship you as the God who was broken so that our hostility could die forever.

© 2014 Central Presbyterian Church

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Day 21 | “Intimacy In Unity” | Tuesday, March 25 Scripture 20 "I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.” John 17:20-23 Devotional One of the most distinguishing marks of Christian fellowship is unity, the unity of all Christians with each other, and their unity with God. But unity is not static. Jesus prays here that the unity of those who follow him will be dynamic. One of the ways we see that expressed is through intimacy. Jesus prays that believers may be “in” him, just as the Father is “in” him and he is “in” the Father. There is a closeness and reciprocity of love that is at the core of the Trinity, and this is to be manifest in Christian fellowship as well. It is a give and take, a comingling, what many Christian writers have described as a “dance”. C.S. Lewis once wrote that “union exists only between distincts.” Just as the distinct and unique persons of the Trinity exist in a state of eternal self-giving and deference, so also Christian unity is to be expressed by the self-abandonment and sacrificial love that we render to God and to each other. Our unity does not mean we are “lost” in each other and in God. Unity is actually heightened by the dynamic interplay of distinct persons who have been joined together into the mysterious dance of the Triune God. Prayer Heavenly Father, Gracious Lord Jesus, Powerful Holy Spirit, O Mighty and Triune God, the mystery of your being is beyond comprehension, unfathomable and inexpressible. And yet you give us a picture of yourself in order that we might lay hold of something to help us understand who you are and what you are like. At the heart of your being is self-giving love, a love that expresses itself in an eternal dance of giving and receiving, each person of the Trinity bowing to the other, crying out “You first!” O Lord, renew us ever more in your image, that our unity and intimacy with you might also show forth the love and joy in giving that you embodied in the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. Make us one, Father, even as you are one, that we may be in you, and you in us.

© 2014 Central Presbyterian Church

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Day 22 | “That The World May Know” | Wednesday, March 19 Scripture 20 "I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.” John 17:20-23 Devotional Christian unity is dynamic, and another way we see that is in its power to instill belief among the watching world. When people see Christians in union and concord with one another, they see something that is utterly unique in the world. When they see that unity expressed in selfgiving love, generosity, and deference, it presents something to their minds that has hitherto never crossed their path: a group of people living in a way that is completely at odds with the world’s system. We all know intuitively that we’re supposed to live that way. The problem is, none of us can. Not consistently. To see not just random individuals but a whole community caring for one another and the world around them as a unified whole is a powerful testimony to the power of the gospel, and the God who is at the center of it. Prayer Holy Father, you have called us to be one in you, even as you are one with the Son, and he is one with you. Lord, it is your desire that our unity should be a powerful witness to the world around us, but we confess that all too often we get mired back in the selfishness, selfcenteredness, and self-absorption that are at the heart of this present world order. We snipe and complain and criticize, and the world around us doubts because they do not see in our lives the love and unity we profess with our lips. O Lord, renew us by your grace. Give us eyes to see and hearts to perceive ever more clearly and passionately the gospel that alone can make us the people you want us to be. Help us to seek you and cling to you, praising you for your work on the cross, and reveling in joyful wonder at a God whom death could not contain, but who rose from the dead in order to bring the life of heaven here to earth that we may become partakers of the divine nature.

© 2014 Central Presbyterian Church

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Day 23 | “No Categories” | Thursday, March 27 Scripture 32 Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. 33And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. 34There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold 35and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. Acts 4:32-35

Devotional A revived church is one of the oddest groups of people the world will ever see. It doesn’t fit neatly into any of the world’s categories. How is that? One of the most significant marks of the early church is that they were sharing their material goods with each other, not just voluntarily, but joyfully! The church gives and cares for people in a way that puts the rest of the world to shame. It is socially and economically inclusive. So, on the one hand it looks incredibly liberal. But on the other hand it looks incredibly conservative. It is socially inclusive, but it is also theologically exclusive. They “were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.” Until our modern day, there has probably never been a more pluralistic age than the ancient Greco-Roman world. There were more gods than you could count, and it was public policy to honor them. Today, Christians confess Christ at the risk of their name. But in those days, Christians confessed Jesus at the cost of their life! Socially inclusive, theologically exclusive. The church is a category-busting community, but that is because the God that founded it is a category-busting God! The world can hear the exclusive truth we proclaim only if the lives we live back it up. Prayer Lord God, you are not a tame God. You are not a God who can be figured out, or wrapped up in a neat little package, or claimed as the exclusive province of any interest group. And all praise to you because of it! You called your church and empowered it through the death and resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ. While the truth we proclaim is radically exclusive, it can be heard because it is a radically inclusive word about a God who took what he had and poured it out on a people wholly undeserving and ungrateful. Lord, we ask that you will indeed give us grace that the lives we live may match our proclamation. The world will never hear us if our actions constantly give the lie to what we profess. Help us to rejoice in the cross, the ultimate act of self-giving, that we may be witnesses for your kingdom to the world around us, all to the praise of your glorious name!

© 2014 Central Presbyterian Church

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Day 24 | “Not A Needy Person Among Them” | Friday, March 28 Scripture 32 Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. 33And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. 34There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold 35and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. Acts 4:32-35 Devotional The picture of community we see here is impossible by any human standard. Utopian ideals have always floundered on the rocks of selfishness and corruption. Indeed, one of the most powerful arguments against Christianity is our failure to live out the gospel in the way that we see here. But this community did it! Their attitude toward their own possessions was not: “What I have is for my own benefit,” but, “What I have is for your benefit.” It isn’t so much a disavowing of private property as it is a radical shift in the way we view that property. We all have resources (not just material, but intellectual, spiritual, physical, social, etc.) – some less and some more. The question is not whether we should get rid of our resources, but how are we going to use them? The gospel is the ultimate call to put our own wishes aside and use our resources for the wellbeing of others, but it is also the power we need to do it, because only the gospel gives us a God who did it himself. Prayer Lord of heaven and earth, Maker of all that is, and Creator of everything that ever will be, far too often do we look at the gifts you’ve given us as actually coming from our own strength and hand. Inevitably we see the resources with which you’ve blessed us as being for our own use and benefit. And sadly, the world looks at us and sees the same thing. Father, when we think of all you’ve done for us and all you gave us in Christ, forsaking your riches and becoming poor so that we who are poor might be made rich in Christ, we are rightly humbled and dismayed at our appalling hardheartedness and callousness toward the needs of others. We are so afraid and anxious that you will not take care of us! Father, forgive us for this, we pray. Strengthen and encourage our hearts in Christ, so that we may actually be the community of selflessness you have called us to be, and miraculously empowered us to be! We ask it for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray.

© 2014 Central Presbyterian Church

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Day 25 | “In Step With The Gospel” | Saturday, March 29 Scripture 11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. 13And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, "If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?" 15We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. Galatians 2:11-16 Devotional Yes, community means love, unity, serving each other, caring for the world around us, and a host of other goods. But loving each other also means speaking into each other’s lives. Peter (Cephas) had fallen back into a mindset that was more concerned with what others would think of him than with the gospel. But notice how Paul holds him accountable. Our notion of love is one-sided and impotent if it cannot embrace the call to speak truth when we see a brother or sister wandering. But notice also how he does it. He does not shame Peter into compliance (wielding guilt), nor does he threaten him with punishment (wielding fear). He reminds him of the gospel, which is neither guilt nor fear but our reverent and joyful response to the one place in all history where truth and love come together in perfect harmony: the cross of Christ. Our fellowship devolves into codependency if we cannot speak truth to each other, but it hardens into tyranny if the truth we speak comes from any place other than the gospel. Prayer Lord Jesus, though we are guilty, you took our guilt upon yourself. Though we are fearful, you faced the wrath of God that we might escape it. Such is the wonder of the gospel, that it delivers us from both fear and guilt, and yet produces the power to do consistently what they can only achieve for a moment. Our obedience, our service, our compassion, and our commitment to each other’s wellbeing will fail unless we are finding the power we need to live like this in the gospel. As we live in community, O Holy Lord, we ask that you would give us an ever greater apprehension of the gospel, that our deeds may be in line with its truth, and that it would so shape our hearts that we would have not only the courage to speak, but the grace, humility, and love that alone can give us the words we need when we see our brothers and sisters struggling with sin.

© 2014 Central Presbyterian Church

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