Day 5: 12/1/23: The Enemy of the Church- Religion

“ “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul”.”

— Deuteronomy 10:12

God’s expectation for the church has not changed; fear him, walk in his ways, love him and serve him only. Deuteronomy 10:12 is straight forward and does not need any explanation. Man has however chosen a path that does not bring God glory. As intercessors we must train our spiritual senses to pick up these things and pray against them.

2 Timothy 4:3-4 “3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” People have become lukewarm and not ready for the word to challenge their life style any longer. Their ears are itchy for something else but unfortunately there are only two paths-God and the world. Since they left God, the only other option is the world. It’s unfortunate that these are “ Christians”. They have been enticed due to their itchy ears. They have invited the trouble to themselves. Luke 16:15 “”He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.” We can only pretend before man but never before God, He created man and knows everything about man. He knows even the intention of the heart. Jeremiah 17:9-10 “9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? “10 I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”

How can the church defeat this enemy?

1. Divorce from the world and tear down anything that belongs to the world: Colossians 2:8 “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.” The only way the church can stay away from this kind of captivity is by dwelling in the word and not in the world. James 4:4 “You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” Why will God use the term adulterous people? Simple because we are his bride but we have committed adultery with the world. We want to be in two places but the Bible says in Revelation 3: 16 “So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”

Pray for the deliverance of the church from this spirit. Pray that the church must divorce from the world and tear down anything that is attached to the relationship. Jeremiah 1:10 “See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”

2. Renewed mind and be transformed by the word of God: Romans 12:2 “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” The way to remind the mind is by the word of God. Joshua 1:8 “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” Pray that the church will go back to the word of God so the mind can be renewed.

3. Seek God in the place of prayer and worship while he may be found: Psalm 27: 4 “One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.” The psalmist was a dweller and he understood the secret to bring down God’s presence and blessing. Jeremiah 29:12-14 “ 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the LORD, ‘and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,’ declares the LORD, ‘and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.” Pray that the church will go back to seeking God in worship and prayer.

4. Dwell in the word of God: Colossians 3:16 “Let 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.” This can be done by studying the word of God. 2Timothy 2:15. Pray for a desire to study the word of God. 1 Thessalonians 2:13 “And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.”.

5. Walk in the spirit: Galatians 5:16-18 “16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” Pray that the church will walk in the spirit.

Day 4: 11/30/23: Holding the Hands of Ministers of the Gospel and Church Leaders

““ 5 So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 3not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.””

— 1 Peter 5:1-5

Why pray ???? If you deliberate on 1 Peter 5:1-5, you can tell it seems difficult to live and walk in what God is saying. Jesus is the greatest Shepard and every Shepard under him must follow his lead. So the church must embark on serious and consistent prayers for the ministers to keep them in line with God’s word.

Why pray????? So they are daily committed to God and his work. Acts 14:23 “And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.”

Why pray?????? Ministers are expected to cry the word of God on their lips and delivery to the church. The Church must pray that the word will not be contaminated. Malachi 2:7 “For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.”

Why pray??????So that they will be devoted to the word of God and prayer. Acts 6:4 “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

Romans 12: 1-2 “ 1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect”

Pray that ministers and church leaders will on a daily basis present themselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God and that they will be transformed by the word of God not by the world. The only way this can be done is to daily surrender to Jesus and dwell in his presence.

Titus 1: 9 “He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.”

Pray that Ministers/church leader will receive the grace for the word of God and not walk their imagination.

Ephesians 4:11-13 “11And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ. 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ”.

The ministers/church leaders have been called by God and given a task to build the body of Christ. God has also given the tools needed for the work; THE WORD AND PRAYER; these two has the power to shaper the other tools. Pray that ministers will be students in the school of the Holy Spirit and the word of God so that the word may dwell in them so they are able to build the church.

2 Timothy 4: 2 “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.” Isaiah 52:7 “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”

Ministers of the Gospel must be prepared at any time to preach and teach the word of God irrespective of time and circumstances according 2 Timothy 4:2. For it is the power in the word of God that is able to transform a man.

Hebrews 13:17 “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.”

There is so much lack of respect for the church leaders, yet it’s a command from God that we obey our leaders. Many church people talk to and about their leaders much more than they pray for them. Pray that God will grant the church grace to walk in obedience and respect for the church leadership.

Acts 20:28 “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.”

Pray that the grace that was upon the Apostles of old will rest of the modern day ministers of the Gospel to take care of the church.

1 Peter 3:15 “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.”

Pray that the ministers/Church leaders will walk in the fear of God in their hearts so that Christ will be honor.

Colossians 3:12 “Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience”. Micah 6:8 “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

Pray for the grace to be holy, have compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.

Philippians 4:19 “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

Finally, pray that God who has called them will provide all their needs; family, children, spouse, physical spiritual, emotionally, etc