Friday, March 26 – Day 38

Seeking His Peace Among All Peoples
Seek God…to gather all peoples in worship

One day all believers in Christ will worship Jesus together. John described this glorious scene, “After these things I looked, and here was an enormous crowd that no one could count, made up of persons from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb dressed in long white robes, and with palm branches in their hands. They were shouting out in a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God, to the one seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!’” (Revelation 7:9–10 NET).

I was able to experience a glimpse of such worship when I was in India earlier this month. I was with fellow Christ-followers who literally had nothing. They were the poorest of the poor. They have nothing in this world but Jesus, and Jesus is enough! I experienced worship with such joy and happiness because of God’s love and grace.

I am so glad that we are beginning to experience such worship in our community. This is happening as Serve The City churches unite together to reach our community for Christ and proclaim the praise of the One who saved us. We are linking arms for the cause of Christ regardless of denominations, traditions or differing cultures.

May we continue to move out of our comfort zones and reach out to every person both locally and globally. May you and I pray for God to break down barriers in our hearts that keep us from unconditionally loving those who are “different” from us. Pray for unity among God’s people that is so obvious that people in our communities take notice. Pray for God to be glorified as we gather together to serve Christ by serving the city.

Bob Westfall
New Covenant Bible Church

Sunday March 14 - Day 26

Seeking His Righteousness In Our Communities
Seek God…to bring blessing through righteousness.

Today’s OT prayer concerning Sodom is both inspiring and convicting. God will show grace and mercy to SO many if only a FEW would walk in righteousness! Of the hundreds and hundreds in Sodom, God would spare the city if only 10 righteous could be found. So sad! Lot had not been a believable witness of the Living God…even to his two future son-in-laws who found him to be “jesting” when he warned them to flee the city…and they perished in the city.

Over the last 30 years I have traveled the eastern half of Iowa calling on business after business. I was always amazed at the grace God had given so many businesses to actually still be “‘in business.” Their ethics were questionable, their business practices were lacking, morale down…..and yet they were still operating. Why? I would always find Believers that were praying for that company. Some were employees, some were family members of the employees while still others were connected to that company in various manners.

The Lord is calling us to a more active roll these days; prayer, then care while being ready to share when appropriate. We recently heard a report of two companies located in Houston Texas. In company A the employees that were many Believers did not connect with each other, may have prayed, but were mostly silent in their day to day lives. The company closed at a great loss to the city, to so many families and to investors across the nation.

In company B, two employees that were Believers (from different congregations) began to meet and pray for their company that was in trouble. The asked this question: “Why are we here?” Slowly their numbers grew. They asked God for His wisdom to bring proposals to management at the right time and with the right attitude. Their proposals were adopted and the company made a complete turn around. In the right time, they presented a proposal that would allow employees to volunteer on a project in the community during company business hours with no interruption to their pay. The proposal was agreed to. This company continues to prosper. The company is serving their city.

Locally, in Linn County, one man praying is the reason (my perspective) that the company he works for is still holding on. One man!

Can we ask the question? What are we here for? Why not look for others in our work place that are Believers and begin to pray for our companies, supervisors, owners and investors? Why not?

As we do so, we become an answer to one of the sentences in our OT prayer for today. “As You transform our lives in Christ’s righteousness, even though we are few, bring about some of the great, long-promised blessing upon the entire city.”

Indeed! Why not?

Charles Daugherty
Serve The City

Tuesday, March 2 – Day 14

Seeking His Light to Awaken the Lost
Seek God….for the word of God to be understood.

As I read today’s message I thought about how easy it is to want to fix myself. I know the Lord is busy with important issues and if I fix myself he won't be bothered. When I start to think like this I remind myself that God is so big that I cannot understand how big he is, but since he is this big he can keep track of everyone and everything. His desire is to be with each of us at all times wanting to know the details of our lives. We need to think in terms of accepting his grace and following him boldly.

Dennis Spencer
Stonebridge Church

Thursday, February 25 – Day 9

Seeking His Life to Revive the Church
Seek God....for His people to love and obey Him

"I have set before you life and death...so choose life in order that you and your children may live..." Deuteronomy 30:19-20

How many choices do we make every day? Do we choose daily to live boldly as a people saved by grace? A people saved to live a life of love? Some choices are more earth shattering and more life changing than others. Yet God shapes our lives through the choices we make.

Choices can be personal, every day decisions. Some are on a larger scale, made in community. As a nation, we choose men and women to lead us and to make choices that affect the whole nation, and even the entire planet. Lord God, Your church makes choices on a national level, regional level and congregational level. Have mercy on us and those who lead us...together may we be obedient to You alone, and not fall prey to foolish distractions.

When face to face with a choice, should we rely on our own wisdom and intellectual prowess, or do we rely on unsearchable wisdom from a higher, infinite source? Romans 11:33 is one of my favorite doxologies...Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!

Let us choose to pray, to have a conversation with this God who sets before us life and death, and gives us the freedom to choose...life with Him or death! Let us believe that prayer makes a difference. The Lord our God is always near to His people, His chosen ones. God speaks to all who will hear.

As a mother with young adult children in a conflicting world where a battle is being waged for souls, my most passionate prayer from today's prayer guide is for each of my children to love God with all their heart, hear God’s voice directing their lives, sense the touch of His hand, and cling to Him every day. O Lord, may they stand firm in their faith, that worldly pleasures and the ruler of this age have no power over them. Let us all pray for today's generation, tomorrow's leaders.

Every day, I pray God will help me to make life-giving, love-giving choices. Father in heaven, may each and every one of us, Your beloved people, choose life today! May we turn our affections daily away from worldly treasures and “the seductive powers of this age” we live in, and toward You, the One who still comes to be at the heart of us and to lead us in finding our way. Amen.

Kim Drischell
St. Mark’s Lutheran

Friday, February 19 – Day 3

In Exodus 33 and 34, Moses asks God to show him His name and God responds that He will show His glory. God then revealed seven characteristics of His glory: compassion, grace, patience, abundant lovingkindness, truth, forgiveness, and justice. Some argue that God's purpose in creation was to display His glory, these seven characteristics, to the universe.

Habakkuk 2:14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

The very first two requests in the Lord's Prayer are that God's name, his glory, be hallowed and that God's kingdom come. Today's prayer asks God to keep on changing us so that we will reflect His love and His glory, so that many will behold glory in our land. There can be no higher prayer.

As Christians, our every action will be measured against this standard: Does it demonstrate the glory of God? Does it advance God's kingdom or does it advance mine? Will the world see God or will it see me?

Jesus told us in Matthew 5, “You are the light of the world.” and "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

Lord, give me your Holy Spirit so that that I may be a light to the world, showing your glory to a lost generation.

Mike Pearson, New Covenant Bible – also serving His Hands Free Medical Clinic and Serve The City