30 Days - Day 1

It's Here! 30 Days starts today and our journey through Acts begins here as well. We will have an opportunity to see the role of prayer from before the day or Pentecost (traditional birth of the church) thru the spread of the gospel "to the uttermost parts of the earth". Thank you all for journeying with us and praying with us.

Day 1

Acts 1:4-8

4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

After His resurrection the disciples spent 40 glorious days with the risen Jesus basking in His teaching and epecting that He would put all things right. Now having gathered them together, and just prior to his ascention He gives them a mission. It was not what they thought. It was not what they expected. “Your will receive power... you will be my witnesses...” But, they had to wait! It was not a long wait even in human terms, just 10 days. They were guarenteed two things: power and witness. There was nothing further that they needed to do except wait for it. However, what is perhaps most interesting is how they waited. They waited in an attitude of expectant prayer. They were given a time of waiting on the Lord and they used it to prepare... they used it to pray.

Often whenI am waiting I am anything but expectant. I am more likely to be anxious, bored or at a loss to know what to do. Unfortunately, my first reaction is not to pray and prepare, to watch and wait expectantly, but to fuss and fume. It is easy for me to get caught up in the daydreams of what might be. “Lord, now will You restore the kigdom?” And behind that lie all the dreams and desires of my heart rather than the heart that beats to worship God and see His glory rise.

When we have been given the honor of receiving the oracles and promises of God it is important that we watch, pray and prepare that we will be ready when God says, “now is the time, here is the power, witness to the people”.

Prayer Requests Day 1

1) The tearing down of spiritual strongholds that keep people apathetic/closed to the gospel
2) Preparing of hearts to seek, hear and respond to the gospel of truth
3) Contact and relationships with those whose hearts God is preparing
4) Formation of Bible study groups 1. with students 2. with young families 3. post abortion
5) Team - Jim & Olya, Phil and Yvonne Brewer, Nathan & Dawn (joining us 2009), Calvary Chapel Celje: for wisdom, formation of effective ministries, protection, provision (contacts, language, resources, finances), health, new workers