Week 2 of Kingdom Goals: A Month of Prayer & Fasting

Greetings!

Welcome to Week Two of our month of prayer and fasting. This week, we will focus on listening and talking with Jesus about the second of St. Albert Alliance’s (StAAC’s) four growth areas: Growing in Community. At StAAC, we desire to create space in our lives to experience authentic relationships and grow in community. This email and the enclosed videos will guide you through the second week of this church-wide initiative. To fully engage in this week’s activity, you will need a piece of string, yarn, twine or something that can be tied into a loop.

In John 17:20-23, Jesus is praying for his disciples, both those in the room that night and us today, and he prays, “I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” Jesus desires you and me to experience an uncommon unity, a unity in connection and a unity in mission. This uncommon unity reflects the unity of the Trinity—one God eternally united and existing and collaborating as three persons in community:  Father, Son and Spirit. As we pursue unity with each other, we fulfill the prayer of Jesus, reveal the wonder of our Triune God to each other and partner with the Spirit in expressing the love of the Father to the world.

As we seek to grow in our experience of unity and community by creating space in our lives for authentic relationships, I invite you to join me in reading and meditating on the following Scripture passages this week. Each passage reveals God’s heart for unity and community amongst his people.

• Monday – Matthew 12:46-50
• Tuesday – John 17:20-26
• Wednesday – Acts 2:42-47
• Thursday – Romans 12:3-8
• Friday – Hebrews 12:14-17
• Saturday – 1 John 4:7-21

As you read and meditate on these passages, ask the following questions:

1. What does this passage reveal about God’s plan for community?
2. Does how I live reflect God’s vision and commitment to community, as expressed in this passage?
3. What is Holy Spirit saying to me through this passage about being part of the community of St. Albert Alliance Church?
4. What do I need to do in response to what I have read?
5. Who can I share what I’ve learned with?

After reading and meditating on the Scripture passages above, spend 5-10 minutes listening to prayer. As you begin your time of listening prayer, light a candle to remind you of the tangible presence of Holy Spirit as you listen and to help you focus on listening for the Spirit’s whisper. During your listening prayer time, ask the following questions: Jesus, what would you like me to do to experience greater community today?

After you’ve listened to Jesus, take some time to contend for the community of Christ that we call St. Albert Alliance Church; intercede in prayer for the community that is your small group or the ministry you are a part of; contend for your community of friends. Here are some things you can pray for this week:

• As believers in Jesus, we are one family, but sometimes, there are differences, disagreements and disputes within families that threaten the oneness of the family. When we experience differences, disagreements, and disputes that threaten to tear our family apart, we must commit to the unity of the church and the unity of the family of God. Pray that everyone who is part of StAAC will commit themselves to the unity of the family. Commit yourself in prayer to the unity of the church. Ask Jesus to draw us together as one people, united in him and growing closer in community.
  
  
• We are to be people with a common unity around the mission of God. Will you pray for our church that we would grow in our common unity and be witnesses of Jesus everywhere we go and invite the spiritually hungry to come and see Jesus? Then, commit yourself in prayer to the common unity of the mission of God.
  
  
• Pray for your small group or the ministry you serve in. Ask Holy Spirit to reveal himself in your group and to make his presence known every time you meet so that together, you will grow to be more like Jesus.
  
  
• Lastly, pray for those who are new or not connected to community in St. Albert Alliance. Ask Holy Spirit to work in the lives of those who are not connected so that they would find acceptance, belonging and connection in the church. Then, ask Jesus what you can do to partner with the Spirit to help the unconnected find community and commit yourself in prayer to do those things.

There’s one last thing I’d like you to do this week. I’d like you to take a piece of string or a rubber band and tie it around your wrist. As you go through your day, each time you feel the string or rubber band around your wrist, take a moment and ask Holy Spirit to help you and our church family grow in unity and community.

May you experience deep fellowship with the Spirit this week. Peace be with you.

Pastor Kirk