BIBLE READING

CCC Staff 2/5/22 CCC Staff 2/5/22

Forty Days of Prayer - Day Thirty Five

WEEK 5 - REAWAKENING TO THE MISSION OF CHRIST

This week, we will look at some of the things Jesus has called us to do as we live on mission with Him in this world. He defines and assigns the mission we are to carry out. May we carry it out in obedience and dependence!

DAY THIRTY FIVE - GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES - TIM MEIER

Matthew 28:18-20

18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

In the familiar “Great Commission” text today, we have one primary temptation that threat- ens to weaken these verses and miss their point entirely. We may be led to believe that this commission is only for professional missionaries, a select few who are good at this sort of thing or simply crazy enough to move to another culture to spread the good news.

I, in no way, want to minimize the important call to leave one’s homeland and take the gospel to the least-reached places on earth. In fact, it’s this distinctive that I love about our Alliance family.

However, Jesus’ words in this passage are not to a few disciples on the top of a mountain or to those who have completed extensive cross-cultural training. His commission is for all of us.

It’s not easy to make disciples. It is uncomfortable at times, and feels downright impossible at others, to live our lives in such a way that brings light and truth to everyone around us, that invites people to follow Jesus, to surrender to Him, and then teach them about all that He has given to us.

Have we lost some discipleship fervor? Are we tempted to “outsource” this commission to someone else? May God give us new fire for those in our lives and new trust that it’s Jesus Himself who will draw them, do the work, and be with us forever.

PRAYER POINTS:

1. Ask God to give you discipleship opportunities with one or two specific people this week.

2. Ask God to stir in you a passion for this kind of ministry.

3. Thank Jesus for His constant presence in your life and for fulfilling His promises.

CCC Staff 2/4/22 CCC Staff 2/4/22

Forty Days of Prayer - Day Thirty Four

WEEK 5 - REAWAKENING TO THE MISSION OF CHRIST

DAY THIRTY FOUR - PREPARED TO GIVE AN ANSWER - JAVIER GOMEZ

1 Peter 3:15

15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

Being prepared to give an answer must begin with becoming the very occasion for the question. In other words, we start by becoming a riddle that the world simply can’t ignore any longer.

That’s why in the Sermon on the Mount, we are called to be a city on a hill unable to hide. And that’s why in the Great Commission, we are told to make disciples as we go. Because in the mission of God, we don’t push or argue with people into following us; instead, we pull them. Or rather, we attract them. In effect, we live a life that draws people’s attention and makes them wonder about our distinctive joy, love, peace, freedom, and hope.

The most compelling Christian witness is our very lives being led by the Spirit. The gospel promises that such a life erupts as I learn to die to my natural inclination to take all matters into my own hands by no longer trusting myself instead of God. Again, rather than taking charge by using every strategy and human strength at my disposal, I choose moment by moment to deny myself. Only then will I be able to pay attention to and follow the powerful presence of Christ within me. And through His personal care and wisdom, I will receive the very freedom, grace, and peace everyone seems to be looking for anxiously in all the wrong places.

In this messy and hurting world, such a life won’t go unnoticed, awakening deeply personal and life-altering questions. And surely, only the very pouring of that miraculous life will satisfy the questioner’s quest. I would call that discipleship.

PRAYER POINTS:

1. Ask the Lord to help you trust in Him more today and to fill you with His peace.

2. Pray that He will grant you the opportunity to be in life-giving conversations with others.

3. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in being a showcase of His goodness and mercy.

CCC Staff 2/3/22 CCC Staff 2/3/22

Forty Days of Prayer - Day Thirty Three

WEEK 5 - REAWAKENING TO THE MISSION OF CHRIST

DAY THIRTY THREE - YOU WILL BE MY WITNESSES - BRENNA VICKERS

Acts 1:8

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Jesus’ disciples were called to be His witnesses in the work of restoring and introducing His new Kingdom to all peoples. In Luke’s Gospel (24:45–48), Jesus tells His disciples what they are to be witnesses to: His suffering and His Resurrection alongside the message of repen- tance for the forgiveness of sins. As His disciples, we too are called to be His witnesses. This is accomplished through the power of the Holy Spirit.

But what does this mean? The work of the Spirit in the apostles throughout Acts is under- stood as the extension of work begun by Jesus and now carried on by His Spirit in us. The Spirit provides the power that enables us to be faithful witnesses of Christ, demonstrating the universality and unconditionality of the gospel for all peoples. The regenerating power of the Spirit is to be seen in our changed, Christ-like lives. Through our witness, the Spirit moves others to believe.

The focus of our message is not the Spirit and His gifts, but rather Jesus—His suffering, His Resurrection, and His sacrificial love for all peoples. The Spirit’s actual evidence is His power in us to point people to Christ. Jesus Himself is the demonstration God intends in the world, and we are the vehicles He has chosen to communicate the reality of Jesus.

PRAYER POINTS:

1. Keep your focus on Jesus on a moment-by-moment basis each day (Hebrews 12:1–2), and do not be distracted by temporary lures of our culture.

2. Ask the Lord to help you exhibit the reality of Jesus through a changed life to our generation, which has lost its way.

3. Actively look for ways to communicate Jesus with your friends, coworkers, and neighbors.

CCC Staff 2/2/22 CCC Staff 2/2/22

Forty Days of Prayer - Day Thirty Two

WEEK 5 - REAWAKENING TO THE MISSION OF CHRIST

DAY THIRTY TWO-PREACHING THE GOSPEL TO THE WHOLE WORLD- HENDY SIU

Matthew 24:14

14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

When Jesus was asked by His disciples what the sign of His coming would be, He said that “this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” They probably hoped that Jesus would say, “today is the end of the age,” but He did not. Instead, He invited them to participate in spreading the good news of His Kingdom to all the world.

Forty years ago, I thought that my life was ending because I was frightened all the time and living in the darkness, but I heard the gospel and accepted Jesus’ salvation for my life through the preaching of one of His servants. Thirty years ago, I thought my life was ending again because I was on my death bed with a brain tumor, but the Lord healed me, allowed me to live, and invited me on a journey with Him to spread the gospel to the world.

We are to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to our dying world. We are to be His witnesses to all people around us who have never had a chance to hear God’s Word and about the glorious coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, as we participate in this concentrated season of prayer, we must remain faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ and diligently study God’s Word and preach His living Word as a testimony to all nations until the day of His coming.

PRAYER POINTS:

1. Pray that God will allow His Word to be preached through you.

2. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you live as a testimony to His goodness.

3. Pray that the Lord will strengthen the Alliance family to pray faithfully and to bring the gospel of the Kingdom to all nations.

CCC Staff 2/1/22 CCC Staff 2/1/22

Forty Days of Prayer - Day Thirty One

WEEK 5 - REAWAKENING TO THE MISSION OF CHRIST

DAY THIRTY ONE - CARING FOR HURTING PEOPLE - CATHY SIGMUND

Matthew 25:31-46

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers,[a] you did it to me.’

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Our Father has entrusted us, His people, to care like Christ—especially for those who are hurting. At its essence, such caring is an act of worship to a loving Savior who embodies the heart of our loving Father. We too embody His heart to care like Christ—He who is love is in us and seeks to love through us ( John 17:21–26). Caring like Christ is not just a good idea, it is a heart directive for those who are His.

Matthew 25:31–46 describes the return of Christ and the final judgment. King Jesus, the enthroned Lamb of God (John 1:29; Rev. 5:6, 6:16, 12:11), separates those who bear His heart likeness, the sheep on His right, from those who do not, the goats on the left. The difference between the two groups is their hearts and how they cared.

Christ’s people care like He cares. Moving in His incarnational presence, we feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, visit the sick, come to those in prison, and minister in all sorts of other ways to the hurting. As He has loved us, we love them; as we love them, we love Him.

PRAYER POINTS:

1. Ask the Lord to forgive you for missing opportunities to minister His love and kindness to those who are hurting.

2. Pray that the Holy Spirit will give you eyes to see hurting people as He does and to refresh your heart to care like Him.

3. Ask God to empower you to glorify Him and to minister to hurting people.

CCC Staff 1/30/22 CCC Staff 1/30/22

Forty Days of Prayer - Day Twenty Nine

WEEK 5 - REAWAKENING TO THE MISSION OF CHRIST

DAY TWENTY NINE - BEING SALT AND LIGHT - TERRY SMITH

Matthew 5:13-16

13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.

14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that[a] they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Jesus uses two metaphors to describe our mission. He tells us that we are “the salt of the earth” (v. 13) and “the light of the world” (v. 14). Both indicate that our Jesus-assigned mission involves being influential to those around us who do not know Him.

Salt adds flavor and acts as an agent of purification and preservation. Jesus is calling us to a distinct lifestyle marked by His character that has a positive moral and ethical influence on the people around us. Our lives should point people to the Christ who alone enables us to live in a way that avoids the moral and ethical deterioration of the world. If we’re just like the world, then we’ll never be able to reach those in the world.

Light pushes back the darkness, enabling people to see more clearly. Jesus reminds us that light can’t be hidden but must be displayed to benefit those who are still in spiritual darkness. Our witness—both in words and in lifestyle—must be displayed in a way that helps others see Jesus. 1 John 1:5 reminds us that “God is light.” His character is perfect in holiness. As we go deeper in our relationship with Jesus, His Spirit conforms our character more and more to be like His. People are attracted to Jesus by what they see in us.

PRAYER POINTS:

1. Ask the Holy Spirit to identify any areas of your life that are a hindrance to pointing people to Jesus. Repent of what the Spirit reveals.

2. While we aren’t to be like the world, we are to be in the world.

If you’ve withdrawn from the people who need to be reached, ask the Lord to give you the courage to let your light shine.

3. Make a list of the people in your neighborhood, workplace, or school who do not seem to have a relationship with Jesus. Pray for these people and your witness to them.

CCC Staff 1/29/22 CCC Staff 1/29/22

Forty Days of Prayer - Day Twenty Eight

WEEK 4 - REAWAKENING TO THE CHURCH OF CHRIST

The Church was purchased by Christ, initiated by Christ, and is under the ownership and leadership of Christ. He is in the position to tell us the purpose and function of the Church, and we are to submit to His ownership and headship. Think about Jesus’ intent for the Church and how we are to live into that intent. Pray for an open heart.

DAY TWENTY EIGHT - THE CHURCH AS THE PILLAR AND FOUNDATION OF THE TRUTH - JULIA OROZCO

1 Timothy 3:15

15 if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.

On December 23, 1972, the capital city of Managua, Nicaragua, was filled with joyful antic- ipation, ready to celebrate Christmas. However, at 12:29 a.m., a 6.3 magnitude earthquake with destructive intensity sifted the entire city. My mom’s family was one of many who found themselves without a dwelling place. Lovingly, her uncle stepped in and built a house for the family. As he worked, he taught my uncles the importance of a strong foundation, support beams, and load-bearing walls. He also shared that in ancient cities, pillars were commonly used to make proclamations by pinning important messages directly on the pillar itself. That house still stands today. It has withstood other earthquakes, civil war, and the wear and tear of life.

Jesus is central in the analogy Paul used regarding God’s dwelling, the pillar and foundation of the truth. John 14 clearly conveys that truth is a person, and that person is Jesus Christ. He is the truth, the master builder, the pillar that proclaims the truth of salvation, the firm foundation, the solid rock that will withstand any storm, and the cornerstone that holds it all together. There is both a mystery and a beauty that Christ would become one with His Church and graft us into being part of the dwelling place of God where the foundation that we firmly rest on is Jesus. As pillars, we proclaim the message of truth with His words written on our hearts to those around us.

PRAYER POINTS:

1. Ask that the Lord will reveal to you how the truth of Jesus is upholding your life through various seasons.

2. As a pillar, is the message of Jesus, the truth, being proclaimed to those around you? Ask the Lord to reveal areas of your life where you might be able to reflect and exude more of Him.

3. Ask Jesus to make the truth fresh and beautiful in your heart if it has become dry and stale.

CCC Staff 1/28/22 CCC Staff 1/28/22

Forty Days of Prayer - Day Twenty Seven

WEEK 4 - REAWAKENING TO THE CHURCH OF CHRIST

DAY TWENTY SIX - THE CHURCH AS CHRIST’S AMBASSADORS OF RECONCILIATION - KELVIN WALKER

2 Corinthians 5:19-20

19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling[a] the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

The dictionary defines the word “ambassador” as: “An accredited diplomat sent by a country as its official representative to a foreign country . . . a person who acts as a promoter of a spec- ified activity.” As ambassadors for Christ and citizens of heaven, we are His representatives on earth and have been given “the ministry of reconciliation.”

In a world that tries to define the role of the Church in worldly, unbiblical ways, let us not for- get that our calling as Christ’s ambassadors is to proclaim without apology that: the Kingdom of God has come; the way of salvation and reconciled relationship with the Father is through the atoning work of Christ on the cross; anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved; a reconciled relationship with the Father makes way for reconciled relationship with one another; and “all this is from God, who reconciled us to himself though Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:18).

We are Christ’s ambassadors. We carry the ministry of reconciliation! The Church is the answer to racial unity and racial harmony in a world that is filled with racism, discrimina- tion, and division. This ministry of reconciliation starts with the gospel, is at the heart of the gospel, and reaches beyond the walls of the Church as we take the gospel to the world. So, in the words of the apostle Paul, I “implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God” (2 Cor. 5:20).

PRAYER POINTS:

1. Pray that the Church, as citizens of heaven, will be Christ’s ambassadors first and foremost.

2. Pray that the Church will preach and live out the ministry of reconciliation—to God and to those who bear His image—for the sake of the gospel.

3. Ask the Lord where you might have blind spots as His ambassador that need to be corrected by His Spirit.

CCC Staff 1/27/22 CCC Staff 1/27/22

Forty Days of Prayer - Day Twenty Six

WEEK 4 - REAWAKENING TO THE CHURCH OF CHRIST

DAY TWENTY SIX - THE CHURCH AS THE BRIDE OF CHRIST - KEN BALDES

Ephesians 5:22-33

22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.[a] 28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

The heading in my Bible for today’s passage of Scripture reads, “Wives and Husbands,” so it’s not surprising that most of the time we read this section of Scripture through that lens. But as I read today’s passage through a different frame of reference, the Church as the Bride of Christ, the passage is even more convicting.

Christ’s love for His Bride, the Church, and His desire to see its beauty and splendor is front and center. Do you see it?

Christ’s sacrifice on the cross makes it possible for His Bride to be purified and purged from sin. Today’s passage aligns with John 17:17–19 when Jesus prays in the garden, “sanctify them in the truth, your word is truth.” If Christ’s heart for His Bride is to be set apart, dedicated, and made holy, how are we to prepare for that glorious day?

Preparation is key with weddings. I’m reminded of this again as my son, Jeremy, and his fiancée, Sydney, prepare for their wedding in June. They have spent a lot of time intentionally choosing a venue, photographer, wedding party, and guests.

How are you intentionally preparing the Bride of Christ for His return? Perhaps, like me, your heart is broken with this sobering reminder.

PRAYER POINTS:

1. Ask God what wedding attire you need to put on (see Colossians 3:12–14).

2. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you the sanctifying work that He wants to do in your church or ministry.

3. Pray that the Lord will open your eyes to the truths He wants you to teach or speak about in 2022.

CCC Staff 1/26/22 CCC Staff 1/26/22

Forty Days of Prayer - Day Twenty Five

WEEK 4 - REAWAKENING TO THE CHURCH OF CHRIST

DAY TWENTY FIVE - THE CHURCH AS THE DWELLING OF GOD’S SPIRIT -

DAVID GILMORE

Ephesians 2:21-22

21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by[a] the Spirit.

Recently, as I was driving, I saw a handwritten sign posted by the road. It said: “Repent or Hell.” It immediately triggered frustration within me. Why would those three words create frustration? As I pondered and prayed, I realized this reductionist message was missing the entire gospel work of Jesus Christ and His love for all people.

Ephesians 2:21 says that our identity and position in this life and for eternity is “in Him.” Those two powerful words are centered on the work and love of Christ. God chose us to be His Church, His Body. Then, He sends His Holy Spirit to empower us.

The Holy Spirit is not weak, timid, or tired, so when we, or the church, are weak, timid, or tired, it often reflects that we are not being fully surrendered to the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit doesn’t force Himself on us. He waits for the invitation; He longs for us to fully surrender to Him. We need to daily surrender to the Holy Spirit and invite Him to take charge of our lives and every trial we face.

PRAYER POINTS:

1. Take a moment today to thank the Lord that He chose you and purchased you to be His Body. You are the Church.

2. Surrender to the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit so that His work can be done in you and through you for His glory.

3. Ask God for opportunity and boldness to proclaim the love of Jesus Christ to those in your world who desperately need our Savior.

CCC Staff 1/25/22 CCC Staff 1/25/22

Forty Days of Prayer - Day Twenty Four

WEEK 4 - REAWAKENING TO THE CHURCH OF CHRIST

DAY TWENTY FOUR - THE CHURCH AS GOD’S FAMILY - BECKY McCABE

Ephesians 2:19

19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens,[a] but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,

Have you ever experienced what it feels like to be a foreigner, a stranger? As a new worker overseas, I did. It took a friend welcoming me into her household and giving me her family name before I felt like I truly belonged. To this day, many of my dearest friends know me as Bintou Diallo.

As Christ-followers, one of our greatest blessings is being a part of God’s family. We no longer go through life seeking to belong because we’ve found our rightful place. Our Abba knows us by name, and we are His cherished children.

In God’s family, we are all on equal footing. It’s a running joke in my family—made up of four girls and one boy—that my brother is the favored one. To prove it, he has a coffee mug that says, “I love how we all know that I’m your favorite child.”

Unlike my parents, God doesn’t play favorites. We were all unworthy, each of us saved by grace, and we are all equal heirs.

God’s household is a global family. On that great day when the multitudes gather, there will be peoples from every nation, tribe, and language worshiping the Lamb. What a glorious family reunion it will be!

PRAYER POINTS:

1. Spend some time thanking God for the gift of being a part of His family.

2. Ask the Lord to reveal to you someone who’s estranged, left out, or feeling marginalized and needing to find their rightful place in God’s family.

3. Search your heart. Have you looked at a brother or sister in Christ and felt they were unworthy of their equal place in God’s household? Repent.

4. Pray for our global family. Pray especially for persecuted brothers and sisters whose earthly families have abandoned them.

CCC Staff 1/24/22 CCC Staff 1/24/22

Forty Days of Prayer - Day Twenty Three

WEEK 4 - REAWAKENING TO THE CHURCH OF CHRIST

DAY TWENTY THREE - THE CHURCH AS CHRIST’S BODY - ANYA HOLCOLM

Ephesians 1:23

23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Christ’s Body—what a powerful image to describe the Church. Think about your body and all that happens in and through your skin, bones, muscles, brain, and heart. With our bodies, we move; we touch; we speak; we see; we eat; we rest; we hear; we smile; we weep; we embrace; we serve; we feel pain; we show compassion; and we love. And the Church is collectively described as the living, moving, breathing Body of our Lord and King.

This is both a wonderful and sobering reality—one we must acknowledge with joy and re- sponsibility. What a privilege it is to be the arms and legs and voice of Christ in the world. What an honor that, despite our deep brokenness, He chooses to manifest Himself through us. This honor comes with great responsibility. We are to reflect Christ at all times and in all things—in how we love one another, navigate conflict, serve our communities, celebrate, lament, care for “the least of these” among us, and in how we proclaim His good news.

If we become overwhelmed by the seeming impossibility of this calling, let us remember that Christ is the one who “fills all in all.” It is only through His filling, the indwelling of His Spirit, that our bones come to life, that breath fills our lungs, and that He is made known through us.

PRAYER POINTS:

1. Praise God for the honor of being Christ’s Body.

2. Ask His forgiveness for the ways you have relied on your own

3. Pray for a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit to empower the Church to live as His Body.

CCC Staff 1/23/22 CCC Staff 1/23/22

Forty Days of Prayer - Day Twenty Two

WEEK 4 - REAWAKENING TO THE CHURCH OF CHRIST

DAY TWENTY TWO - THE CHURCH WITH CHRIST AS ITS HEAD - PANG FOUA RHODES

Ephesians 1:22

22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church,

Christ as the Head of the Church is not so much about the Church’s subordinate position as it is about Christ’s supremacy in everything, including the Church. A focus on a church’s duty to submit emphasizes what we are doing, but a focus on Christ’s supremacy fixes our eyes on who leads the Church.

Paul reminds the Ephesians that Christ is seated at God’s right hand “in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet . . . ” (Eph. 1:20–22). It is this high and exalted Christ whom God has appointed to be Head of the Church.

The Church with Christ as its Head does not need to worry about political upheaval, eco- nomic downturns, or crumbling religiosity. There is absolutely no need for mudslinging, handwringing, or doomsday-ing when we know “his incomparably great power for us who believe” (Eph. 1:19). No matter how dire or disastrous things may appear for the Church, we do not need to be riled up with anger or overwhelmed with despair because we know that with the high and exalted Christ as its Head, the Church will prevail.

In our current times of scandals, sociopolitical schisms, and declining church attendance, let us fix our eyes once again on Christ, the Head of the Church, who is seated at God’s right hand.

PRAYER POINTS:

1. Turn your gaze upon the high and exalted Christ, worshiping Him in His supremacy and thanking Him for His leadership of the universal Church and your local church.

2. Confess any anxieties you may have about the Church’s position in society, power in politics, or reputation in the world.

3. Ask God to open the eyes of your heart so that you will know His incomparably great power for us who believe.

CCC Staff 1/22/22 CCC Staff 1/22/22

Forty Days of Prayer - Day Twenty One

WEEK 3 - REAWAKENING TO SPIRIT OF CHRIST

Jesus did not leave us as orphans; rather, He sent His Holy Spirit to indwell and fill those who put their trust in Him. This week, we will explore various aspects of the Spirit’s ministry to us. Pray for the Holy Spirit to be present and to open up your eyes and heart.

DAY TWENTY ONE - FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST - WANDA WALBORN

Ephesians 5:18

18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,

The story goes that when evangelist D.L. Moody was asked why he needed to keep being filled with the Spirit, he replied, “Because I leak!” Ephesians 5:18 reads that we are to “be filled with the Holy Spirit” as an ongoing need in our lives. At salvation, we receive all of the Holy Spirit, but He doesn’t receive all of us because there are still areas of our lives that need to be surrendered to His lordship. The leaking problem is not on God’s end. The leaking problem is that we are fallible human beings who get hungry, tired, and emotionally depleted.

We need the continual impartation of His Spirit to willingly choose to say no to sin and yes to Him. He lovingly points out areas of our lives that are taking up room that belong to Him—areas of fear, anger, pride, or self-righteousness. When these areas are surrendered to the Lord, we make room in our lives for more of Him. It is not just sin that needs to be surrendered, it is areas of pain, wounding, grief, disappointment, and loss that need a fresh touch of His Spirit. This is the process of sanctification.

Many people say that they want more of God and then try to qualify how He can come to them. Surrender means giving up control; so when we open ourselves to the filling of the Holy Spirit, we trust Him to choose the way He wants us to experience His presence. It is an act of intimate love to dare to give ourselves to the Lord; therefore, our yes to Him is the doorway to more of Him.

PRAYER POINTS:

1. Give the Holy Spirit permission to come to you in any way that He chooses.

2. Pray that the Spirit will increase your heart’s capacity to receive more of Him.

3. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you again and again.

CCC Staff 1/21/22 CCC Staff 1/21/22

Forty Days of Prayer - Day Twenty

WEEK 3 - REAWAKENING TO SPIRIT OF CHRIST

DAY TWENTY - ENLIVENED BY THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST - PAUL SMITH

ROMANS 8:11

11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus[a] from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

As Christians, we are not called to a life of superhuman effort. We are called to a life that, humanly speaking, is impossible. Listen to the words of Jesus: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matt. 5:44)—humanly impossible. Hear also the words of Paul: “Forgive one another just as God in Christ has forgiven you” (Eph. 4:32)—once again, humanly impossible.

So where does this leave us? Are we destined for a life of discouragement? No. We are des- tined for and called to a life of dependence on the Holy Spirit who makes the impossible possible in the life of the believer.

Romans 8:11 says, “and if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to our mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.” The context of the verse is victory over sin for the believer through life in the Spirit. As we know, there is no victory over sin in the Christian’s life through human effort. God provides the victory that He desires for us through Himself, through the gift of the Holy Spirit who lives in the heart of every believer in Christ Jesus.

What challenges are you facing today? Where do we turn when the issues around us or the challenges within us overwhelm us? As Christians, we are called to a life of dependence on the Holy Spirit who makes possible the impossible. Praise be to God.

PRAYER POINTS:

1. Ask the Lord to open your heart to the ways you need to lean on Him today.

2. Pray that He will open your eyes to what He wants you to see and experience.

3. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal areas of challenge. Pray for strength to lean on Him and not yourself.

CCC Staff 1/20/22 CCC Staff 1/20/22

Forty Days of Prayer - Day Nineteen

WEEK 3 - REAWAKENING TO SPIRIT OF CHRIST

DAY NINETEEN - POINTED TO JESUS BY THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST - OMEE THAO

John 15:26

26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.

We are here to testify for Jesus (John 15:27); however, Jesus made it clear that it will not be easy (John 15:18–25). The provision for our inability to testify for Jesus is the Advocate or Counselor—the Holy Spirit.

First, the Holy Spirit is the one who can and will testify about Jesus because of who He is. Jesus said that He will send the Advocate from the Father, and He is going out from the Father to us. He is a part of the Trinity or triune God. He has full knowledge of Jesus and can best testify about Him.

Second, the Holy Spirit is the one who will testify about the work of Jesus and the role He plays in our lives and in this world. Jesus knew about our inability and weakness to testify about Him, so He promised to send us the Helper or Advocate—the Holy Spirit. He is the one who will make Jesus known to us and the world as Lord, Savior, and Messiah.

Therefore, let us be strong in our witness for Jesus because we are not alone. We have the Holy Spirit on our side who will help us in every way as we share Jesus with others. All we need is a heart of faith and obedience.

PRAYER POINTS:

1. Ask that the Lord will help you grow in your understanding and willingness to yield to the guidance of the Holy Spirit in your witness for Jesus.

2. Pray that He will make His presence known in your church through the Holy Spirit.

3. Ask that He will anoint your pastor and elders with the Holy Spirit so that they can lead your church in the testimony of Jesus to your community.

CCC Staff 1/19/22 CCC Staff 1/19/22

Forty Days of Prayer - Day Eighteen

WEEK 3 - REAWAKENING TO SPIRIT OF CHRIST

DAY EIGHTEEN - HELPED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT OF CHRIST - HA HO

John 14:16, 26; 16:17

John 14:16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper,[a] to be with you forever,

John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

John 16:17 So some of his disciples said to one another, “What is this that he says to us, ‘A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’; and, ‘because I am going to the Father’?”

In the upper room during the final week of His life on earth, Jesus knew that His near departure would cause great distress to His disciples. He promised that He would not leave them alone in this world, but that He would send the Holy Spirit as the Helper to be with them forever.

Jesus fulfilled His promises, not only to His disciples but to all of us today.

The Holy Spirit gives wisdom, power, and boldness to God’s children. Jesus also promised that the Helper would teach them and remind them what He has taught them.

The Messiah, according to the prophet Isaiah, was given wisdom, power, and boldness by the Spirit of the Lord God to carry out His ministry and bring great results. The Holy Spirit gives wisdom to God’s servants and gives God’s people the ability to boldly proclaim the gospel to the lost and fulfill the Great Commission with great results.

PRAYER POINTS:

1. Pray that the Lord will remind you of the ways the Holy Spirit is within you.

2. Ask Him to continuously give you wisdom and boldness to proclaim the good news throughout the world.

3. Pray that God would give you strength to expand His Kingdom for His glory.

CCC Staff 1/18/22 CCC Staff 1/18/22

Forty Days of Prayer - Day Seventeen

WEEK 3 - REAWAKENING TO SPIRIT OF CHRIST

DAY SEVENTEEN - TAUGHT BY THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST - JOSE AHMED

John 14:17; 16:13

John 14:17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be[a] in you.

John 16:13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

One of the greatest challenges we face in the times we live in is the battle for truth. The world is constantly pushing us to believe the lie that truth is relative and self-determined. It is not hard to see the effect of this thinking in our culture—people clamoring for others to accept their “truth” no matter how contrary or different it may be from someone else’s.

Christ has revealed Himself as the Truth (John 14:6), and all who have recognized this have been forgiven and accepted as they are. In turn, the Spirit of Truth has come to dwell only in them.

By indwelling us, the Spirit constantly reveals our present condition, guides us into all truth, enlightens our hearts and minds, teaches us to know God, and helps us understand the depths of Christ and His Word—the truth, which sanctifies us ( John 17:17).

The danger is that we might forget that our greatest teacher lives in us and longs for us to sit in His classroom. He has inspired the authors of the Bible and, in turn, helps us to under- stand, apply, live, and teach it to others. Yet, we continually face the temptation to rely only on our own understanding, searching for quick answers to our needs and questions in other books, places, or people, while forgetting that they are merely substitute teachers for a period in our life.

Jesus is calling us to a deeper life, to abide in Him. Knowing our limitations, the Father has given us everything we need to achieve it: His Word, His Church, and His Spirit, our guide and teacher in the journey.

PRAYER POINTS:

1. Pray the Word—read Ephesians 1:17–19. Make this prayer your own.

2. Pray for the world—that they may know the truth of Christ.

3. Pray for yourself in the world—that you may respond in obedience to Christ’s calling and the Holy Spirit’s guidance in your life.

CCC Staff 1/17/22 CCC Staff 1/17/22

Forty Days of Prayer - Day Sixteen

WEEK 3 - REAWAKENING TO SPIRIT OF CHRIST

DAY SIXTEEN- CONVICTED BY THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST - DAVID SMITH

John 16:8-11

8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me;10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

I love math. I love numbers and how they seemingly show up in everything. I can count my steps, cups of coffee, miles per gallon, activity time on my cell phone, and on and on. In college, I took a high-level math class and got behind, became discouraged, and just quit trying. We get behind, and we tend to give up.

The same seems to be true in our spiritual lives. We get behind in obedience, in maintaining spiritual disciplines, in our walk with Jesus, and we give up. We begin to live with a low-grade guilt that lurks around everything.

The good news is that Jesus tells us, through the apostle John, that we have a Helper—one who will “convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.” The very Spirit of Christ points to our wrong (sin), our thinking (righteousness), and our decisions ( judgment).

Conviction can expose our sin, our righteousness, and our judgment. The Holy Spirit con- stantly sheds light in dark places to bring reconciliation with God when we get behind or feel like giving up.

Conviction can also convince us that God is pleased when we do not sin, when we think rightly, and make decisions to follow Him. The Spirit’s conviction, surprisingly, can be posi- tive—God affirming us when we give into Him rather than giving up.

What a Savior!

PRAYER POINTS:

1. Is the Spirit exposing an action, pattern of thinking, or decision that needs changing? Ask Him to reveal it to you.

2. Pray that the Lord would bring to light areas of your life that are pleasing to Him.

3. Ask the Lord to reveal ways you can better serve Him.

CCC Staff 1/16/22 CCC Staff 1/16/22

Forty Days of Prayer - Day Fifteen

WEEK 3 - REAWAKENING TO SPIRIT OF CHRIST

DAY FIFTEEN - INHABITED BY THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST - HAZAEL MORELL

ROMANS 8:9

9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

When we meet someone for the first time we often ask, “Where are you from?” In some ways, perhaps, this is an icebreaker, a tool we use to have something to say to a person we are just getting to know.

But, it may be also a way for us to identify certain traits about that person that help us to get to know them more quickly. Knowing where a person is from might help us to understand them better, or it might allow us to better connect with them.

As believers, the question of where we’re from takes on a different meaning. Paul tells us that we are not in the realm of the flesh but rather in that of the Spirit. We may think of a “realm” as a physical place, a literal kingdom, but the implication is that we are “in” and “of” someone—under their control—while we are somewhere else.

We are here, physically on earth; and as such, the realm of earthly things would seem to rule. We are not “in” that realm, but rather in the realm of the Spirit. Our worldview, our values, our hopes, our allegiance, and our obedience are in the Spirit of Christ who inhabits us. It is what we’re in—not where we’re from—that defines us.

The next time someone asks where you’re from, tell them who you’re in.

PRAYER POINTS:

1. Pray that you might understand clearly that you are here on earth, but not under the control of the earthly realm.

2. Pray that the Holy Spirit will reveal to you greater understanding that Christ defines you as a believer.

3. Ask the Lord to open your eyes to better understand that your obedience is to Christ and to the Spirit, not the worldly realm you inhabit.