““As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.””
Paul is very descriptive here how he expects us to walk in this Christian journey especially as Leaders.
1. We are prisoners for the Lord, thus we have to follow rules. Following these rules will help;
2. Live a life that is worthy of the call we have received- serving the purposes of God and bringing him glory. Living such a life make it easy to display the fruits of the spirit;
3. Humble, gentle,patient, bearing with one another in love etc;
4. Hence we receive the grace to walk in and keep the unity in the body of Christ because we are bond together in the Spirit and this brings peace among us;
5. Finally, we walk, serve, and live with the understanding that we are: one body, one spirit, called into one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
The devil understands the power of unity and we must not allow him to win.
Pray that the ministers of the Gospel in Malawi will walk in the path allocated for the church in the word of God as stated in these 5 points listed above.
John 17:23 “I 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.”
Jesus himself understood the importance of oneness. He prayed not just that they be one but for a perfect one so the world may see and know. Pray that these leaders will strive for oneness.
1 Corinthians 1:10 “I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.”
Pray that the ministers of the Gospel will walk in agreement with each other. Cast out the spirit of division and ask that the spirit of the Lord will unite his church leaders.
Romans 12:4-5 “4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.”
Pray that the ministers will come to the understanding of the fact that they may all be called but every one is unique under the same power of the Holy Spirit working in them. Pray that they will look at the common good and encourage one another.
Acts 4:32 “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.”
Pray for the grace of oneness as in the days of the apostles.
Philippians 1:27 “Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.”
As Leaders, we must come to the place where we ask ourselves if our way of life is worthy of the Gospel of Christ? Are we standing side by side each other to strengthen, encourage, build and support one another? We must pray and ask God for forgiveness and the grace to live according to the gospel
Romans 15:5 “May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus.”
Pray this verse upon the leaders
Colossians 3:13-14 “13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”
Can you imagine what the disciples of Jesus had to put up with? They came from different backgrounds and daily they were together. Pray for the grace to bear with another as well as forgive where there has been hurt, pain, betrayal, and mistrust. Above all pray that the love of God will abound.
2 Chronicles 31:21 “And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.”
We cannot serve God with hate towards one another. Serving God with the whole heart must have love towards one another. Doing anything with the whole heart must have love for the people. Pray that God will give them a heart of love.
Thank God for hearing us.