Monthly Prayer Diary

annesmallDear all,

I have recently come back from Cedar Rapids, in Iowa, U.S.A.    There has been great devastation in this city due to never recorded flood levels.  Thousands of people lost their homes, and there was great suffering in the city.    I have witnessed first hand,  a miracle happening in the midst of all of this tragedy.    I saw the church unite together to serve the city in a most beautiful way.    For many years the combined churches of Cedar Rapids have been working together, and praying together.  This has included over 40 churches.   Unity was already well on the way when disaster struck the city.   The Combined Christian churches of the city were asked to help with sandbagging the city and volunteer work in the midst of the crises.  They did so well, that the government and city officials invited the combined churches to be in charge of volunteering for the whole of the recovery process.    This included such things as going into flood devastated putrid homes (sewerage mixed with water), to help people recover whatever possessions they could,  and pastors being available for entry into every home when access was granted.     The combined church’s  prayer centre, also sent teams out to pray with flood victims.  This was called “prayer patrol”, and I had the privilege of being part of this.   

There were many lessons for me.   In the context of the Uniting Church of Australia,  I have to confess over the last few years, my heart has hardened , and I have not been fervent in praying Christ’s prayer for unity  “That all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.  May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me”   John 17:21     

In Cedar Rapids not only was the church in unity, but the church was in purity.   The unity was in Christ,  aiming at 100 % undiluted Jesus.   That is why the love and compassion was so great, that the people in Cedar Rapids have come to believe more that Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the world.   

Let us pray fervently for unity,   unity in Christ alone.    As a jigsaw puzzle cannot be completed or brought to unity when there are pieces of other puzzles that are being forced into the puzzle,   so we cannot come to unity within our church, while there are pieces that are not Christ that hinder our unity.    But we shouldn’t stop praying for unity.  We shouldn’t stop  praying that the holy pure bride of Christ would rise up in our midst,  unified and beautiful, ready for Christ to return.

So let us pray for UNITY IN THE PURITY OF CHRIST ALONE.  
This Unity is powerful to transform cities,   churches,  nations, and even the world.
I have born witness to this in Cedar Rapids.

This month Max is  travelling to England and Europe, to unite with others who are facing similar issues to us in the Anglican, Methodist and United Reform Church. 
Max has asked us this month to pray for the various conferences and meetings that will be held in England in July.   Let us lift up our prayers and join as one with our brothers and sisters in Great Britain and they “speak the truth with love” in their different meetings, and be “salt” to their churches.

Blessings and love to you all
Rev Anne Hibbard                  
ACC National Prayer Coordinator    

2008 Prayer Diary

 

2007 Prayer Diary.