Jesus,

Make a miracle of us.

The world’s a sinking ship and we hear it from every continent:

There’s nowhere safe or solid. Nowhere left to jump.

But You said that on a rock You’d build Your church, and all the powers of hell wouldn’t conquer it.  

So, keep us from thinking that it’s up to us with our bands and our baristas to build Your church.

Keep us from embarrassing ourselves and You with doom-and-gloom fear-mongering because a watching world mocks, Where is your hope?

Keep us from wasting energy on doctrinal one-upmanship instead of spending it on getting Kingdom dirt under our fingernails. Break our hard hearts so we can love like You.

Where there are incriminating emails, accusations, secrets and lies, let us be integrity and stability, truth and light. Where there’s ignorance, arrogance, injustice and poverty, make us wise, humble, fearless and generous.

You’re no sinking ship, and we’re all aboard.

We Are All In.

So God we’re asking –

Strengthen our faith, so we won’t forget that if You are for us, who can be against us?

Remind us that overwhelming victory is ours, and that nothing – neither death nor life, neither drought nor downpour, neither sleazy politicians nor violent riots nor strung-out elections – nothing seen or unseen can separate us from Your love.

Strengthen our faith, so we won’t forget that nothing is beyond Your Kingship and that nothing undermines Your majesty or throws off Your plans for Your glory.

Strengthen our faith, so we won’t forget that we have this treasure – You – in jars of clay – us. And so much greater are You in us, than anything, anyone, on offer from the world.

Strengthen our faith, so we’ll live radiant with expectation – eager to see You show up in splendour to lead, protect and provide.

Jesus, we want to be the peace not the panic. (Tweet that.)

Let it never be said that the church of Jesus Christ drowned and floundered and clutched at wreckage. Rather, let the records reflect that when storms raged and waves drenched, we got braver and happier in the hope we possess, because You alone are our rock and our salvation, our fortress where we will not be shaken.  

Let us, Your people, be the starlit way that leads the world to Christmas and into an unlit New Year.

Jesus, make a miracle of us.

And let this be our finest hour.

For the sake of Your Kingdom and in Your matchless name we pray,

Amen.

. . .

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Thanks so much for reading. Love and strength to you for a new week.

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