Prayers for a new church facility in your town
Written by Vivian Bricker
Bible reading:
“After all, what is Apollos? What is Paul? Just his servants, through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned each to his own task. I planted the seed, and Apollos watered it, and God caused it to grow. So there is no one to plant, nor one to water, but only God makes things grow.” – 1 Corinthians 3:5
Listen or read below:
In recent years, a friend of mine has established a new church plant in our city. She and her husband have been youth leaders at a local church for several years. The church plant they started was in a poor part of the city, and the neighborhood they planned to stay in touch with was not far from where I lived. I knew there was a need for some kind of service in this area, but I was surprised to learn that salvation would come from the people I went to college with. At first, I was really excited about the church facility, but then life issues arose and I was no longer able to be involved in church ministry.
As time went on, I thought the church had everything figured out and I didn’t feel the need to get involved anymore. No one asked me for help directly, so I moved on. But we now know that this church facility needed help from the community, even if it didn’t publicly ask for it. This can be a somewhat common problem that new church facilities struggle with. They try to do everything themselves rather than asking other established churches or local believers for help.
If there is a new church facility in your area, don’t wait for it to reach out to members in your community. Once established, be proactive in offering help and support. Even if you cannot donate financially or invest time in a church facility, make time to pray for your new church facility, its leaders, and your growing congregation.
The apostle Paul says to us, “After all, what is Apollos? What is Paul? Just servants, you have come to believe, as the Lord has assigned each one his own task. I planted the seed, and Apollos watered it, and God caused it to grow. So there is no one to plant, nor one to water, but God who causes it to grow” (1 Corinthians 3:5-7).
In this passage, Paul is talking about God causing all things to grow, including the current church plant that has sprouted in your community. There are various servants who take care of the seed, but only God can make it grow. Unfortunately, servants often have trouble asking for help and sometimes rely too much on their own abilities. Choose to pray for church facilities even if no one asks you for help directly.
God can use you to be part of the growing process of a seed to ensure that it grows into a beautiful plant. We need not doubt what God can do in our community because God truly can do anything. God is pleased when we care about others and offer help in the form of prayer.
Let’s pray:
Dear God, I am starting a new church facility in my community. I want to help, but I don’t know how to get involved. Help us not to become apathetic or turn away from those who need us. If this church facility needs help from members of the community, give them the courage to ask for it. And even if they don’t ask, please prepare my hands to help this church and be a source of encouragement to this church institution. Please bless this church plant and help it bloom. Only you can make it truly successful.
I give you all praise and glory, Amen.
Share your thoughts on today’s devotion in the Daily Prayer discussion in the Crosswalk Forum.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Wirestock
Vivian Bricker earned a Bachelor of Arts in Ministry and then a Master of Arts with an emphasis in Theology. She loves theology, ministry, and all things helping others learn about Jesus. Check out more of her content on Cultivate.
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