Week 3 of Kingdom Goals: A Month of Prayer & Fasting

Greetings!

Welcome to Week Three of our month of prayer and fasting. This week, we will focus on listening and talking with Jesus about the third of St. Albert Alliance’s (StAAC’s) four growth areas: Multiplying Disciples. At StAAC, we desire to equip, empower, and release people to reproduce disciples, leaders, and churches. This email and the enclosed videos will guide you through the third week of this church-wide initiative. One video will introduce the prayer engagements for the week, and the other will introduce. You will need a piece of paper to fully engage in this week’s activity.

In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus gave his disciples one more thing to do before he ascended to heaven. Jesus said to his disciples,

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Jesus’ desire for his disciples, both then and now, is that we would be disciples of Jesus who make disciples of Jesus. Being disciples of Jesus is not a passive activity; it is not just about learning. We are to be people who learn the way of Jesus and then pass on what we have learned. It is about being sent and sending. We are to be people who are sent to constantly seek out new people, new disciples, to teach the way of Jesus. At StAAC, we desire to become a multiplying movement, which means becoming disciples who make disciples who make disciples. We are sent to make disciples, and we are to send those disciples to make disciples themselves. We are sent people who are to send others. Sent and sending is how the way of Jesus changed the world; a group of people heard Jesus say, “Go and make disciples,” and he took him seriously and made disciples who made disciples, who made disciples. I wonder if we are taking Jesus just as seriously today? Becoming a multiplying movement is about taking what Jesus said in Matthew 28:19-20 seriously.

As we seek to become a multiplying movement that makes disciples, I invite you to join me in reading and meditating on the following Scripture passages this week.

• Monday – Acts 1:1-11
• Tuesday – Acts 3
• Wednesday – Acts 10
• Thursday – Acts 11:19-26
• Friday – Acts 17:16-34
• Saturday -- Acts 19:1-22

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

1. What does this passage reveal about Jesus’ plan for spreading the Good News?
2. What do I need to do in response to Jesus’ plan for spreading the Good News?
3. Who needs to hear what I have learned about Jesus and his plan through this passage?

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, who are you sending me to today so I can be Good News? Then, about halfway through your time of listening to Jesus, ask this question: Jesus how can I live as a sending person today? (To understand more about these two questions, please watch the videos above)

After you’ve listened to Jesus, take some time to contend for St. Albert Alliance Church in prayer that we would become a multiplying movement, people who make disciples, who make disciples, who make disciples. Here are some things you can pray for this week:

• Pray for the leaders of our church. Pray that our leaders in every ministry will embody this goal and become equippers, empowerers, and releasers. That the multiplying movement that Jesus envisions for StAAC would begin in our leadership community.
  
  
• In prayer, commit yourself to becoming a multiplying disciple and a disciple of Jesus who makes disciples. Ask Jesus to bring to mind one person he wants you to help grow in their faith. Ask Holy Spirit to give you the courage and boldness to approach that person and ask them to walk with you as together you grow in your faith and love of Jesus.
  
  
• We want to be a church that equips, empowers and releases 1000 multiplying leaders into the capital region and beyond. Ask Jesus to help us become this. Ask Jesus to begin identifying those who will be sent. Maybe there’s a young person attending Bible College or thinking of going into vocational ministry. Pray for them that Jesus’ call on their life would be clear. Maybe there is someone in university or working in the marketplace that Jesus brings to mind because he wants them to think about going overseas to work and embody the Gospel in the marketplace in another country. Pray that that person will hear the call of Jesus to be a marketplace missionary.

One last thing you can do is find a piece of paper. Any piece will do. Because this week is about being a sent and sending person (sent to make disciples and sending others to make disciples in places you will never go) take the piece of paper and fold it into a paper airplane. Then, take that paper airplane and put it somewhere that you’ll see it throughout your day. Whenever you see your paper airplane, I want you to pray about making disciples and becoming a sent and sending person. Then, when you are done praying, give it a toss, just for fun. You’ll have to go and pick it up and bring it back to the place of prominence you keep it in so it can be a reminder later on in the day to spend more time in prayer.

May Jesus lead you and our church in becoming a movement of people who make disciples who make disciples.

Peace be with you,

Pastor Kirk