PRAYING FOR THE CHURCH
“How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity!” - Psalm 133:1 NIV
Three of the enemy’s biggest attacks against the church are deception, distraction and division. The Bride of Christ, the church, is called to be radiant, without spot or wrinkle (Ephesians 5:27), and as believers we have to stay alert, awake, sober-minded and vigilant because we have a very real enemy who prowls around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). Being aware of the enemy’s schemes and staying vigilant in prayer are both powerful keys for keeping the body of Christ pure.
Deception runs rampant and is not easily detected. We have to be people who know the Word and are able to rightly handle/divide it (2 Timothy 2:15). We have to know His voice and be so anchored in His truth so that we are not deceived. Ephesians 4:14 says “We must not let deceitful people trick us by their false teachings, which are like winds that toss us around from place to place.” There are a lot of teachings that are not rooted in the truth of God’s Word, so we must know His Word to be able to detect when something we are hearing doesn’t line up with scripture.
Distraction is anything that takes our eyes off what God is calling us to and onto things that don’t really matter. Colossians 3:2 instructs us to set our minds on things above and 2 Corinthians 4:18 encourages us to fix our eyes on what is unseen and eternal. It’s easy to fill our calendars with a lot of good things, but are the things we give our time and attention to what God has actually called us to? We have to avoid plans and programs that are man-driven and not Holy Spirit-inspired and refuse to live our lives distracted.
Division is “the action of separating something”. The enemy knows full well that when believers exist in unity that it’s dangerous to the kingdom of darkness, so he will target the church through works of the flesh (jealousy, competition, unforgiveness, offense…) in an effort to divide believers. 1 Corinthians 1:10 instructs us to not have any division among us, and repeatedly in the Word we are admonished to live in unity. We must commit to loving our brothers and sisters in Christ and remaining in unity with them.
A few years ago, the Lord challenged me to not only pray intentionally for the church I attend, but to also pray for churches that I pass while driving. It’s so important to pray for the church globally as well. Intentionally praying for and declaring His Word over the body of Christ and refusing to give in to the enemy’s schemes will help us remain victorious, radiant and ready for His return.
Prayer Declaration:
Deception, distraction and division have no place in my personal life, my church or the church globally. I declare that the church will be alert, awake, sober-minded, and vigilant. We will exist in unity and will not allow division in our midst. I will set my mind on things above and fix my focus on eternal things. I will read, know and apply His Word to my life. I will love the body of Christ and do my part to build her up and be ready for the return of Christ.
Questions
What are some ways you can pray intentionally for your church?
What are some ways you can pray for the church globally?
How can you stay intentional to avoid distractions in your life?
