Prayer For Fellowship With Other Believers

An Intercessory Prayer – Encouraging Others

Prayer For Fellowship With Other Believers

Have you ever felt an unexplained burden on your heart to pray for the masses, for unnamed others, for your community or the world at large? The Bible is filled with examples of men and women who lifted up others in prayer, and Ephesians 6:18 tells us to: pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people

What is Intercession and Intercessory Prayer?

The primary principle of intercession is simply to tell God what He tells us to tell Him as the means of releasing His power. He tells us what to pray in His Word. We can pray the Bible. It is profoundly simple. Intercession is God’s brilliant strategy for including the saints in ruling with Him in power. Its mystery is in its weakness, simplicity, humility, and accessibility to all.

God has chosen intercession as the primary means in which He releases His power now and forever. Jesus operated in the principle of intercession when He created the earth by speaking the Word to the Father (Genesis 1). He releases His power now and will rule the nations forever in partnership with His people through intercession.

  • Intercession causes us to internalize God’s Word and changes us.
  • Intercession unites our heart to people and places we pray for.
  • Intercession renews our hope and faith.
  • Intercession imparts life (John 6:63).
  • Intercession makes a long-term impact beyond this age (Rev. 5:8, 8:1-6).
  • Intercession humbles us.
  • Intercession changes the spiritual atmosphere of cities and nations.
  • Intercession causes multiple blessings to return to the intercessor (Luke 6:38). 

(Excerpt from The Revelation of Intercession by Debbie Przybylski)

Example Intercessory Prayer

Lord Jesus, I come to you today and thank you for the privilege of praying for others. I've been the recipient of others' prayers so often, I understand how powerful intercessory prayer can be.

I ask you first to cleanse my heart and show me if there is any unconfessed sin in my own life so that my prayers for others will not be hindered.

I thank you that through your name, I can come boldly before you and pray with confidence, according to your will and know that you hear me.

I lift up those in my neighborhood, in my city, and in my church. Begin with those who follow you, and help them influence others for good. Let them be salt and light, pointing others to you. Deepen their love for you and for the people around them. Guard them from hypocrisy or from giving in to temptations that could harm the cause of Christ.

Raise up leaders who will serve you faithfully at all costs. Turn the hearts of fathers toward their children, and families toward you. Help them to exemplify your values, and make them bold in their faith. Strengthen my own family, and those closest to me, Lord.

May our love for you help us to love and forgive others and make a difference in our world.

I pray for teachers, for students, and for all those in authority and leadership, both locally and throughout the world. Give them your mind, and surround them with godly counselors who will exercise integrity and work for justice, morality, and freedom. Help them to esteem you, not dismiss you. Send revival, Lord.

I pray for the lost, the hurting, the lonely, the sick, the bereaved, and those who are imprisoned—behind both visible and invisible walls. Send your comfort, your peace, and your calming presence to those who are without hope. Protect the defenseless, and hold them close to your heart.

I pray for laborers to tell the good news of Jesus to people around our world. Jesus, my heart cries out for persecuted believers, too. Make them brave, and give them your powerful protection. I pray you will bring swift justice to those who want to destroy the innocent and those who carry your name.

Bind the power of Satan, and strengthen believers everywhere.

So many needs, Jesus, but you are adequate for every need. Your name is powerful, and your power is great. So it's in your name that I pray—and believe.
Amen

Who are you seeking intercession for today? Join our amazing praying community in the comments below and see God move in wonderous ways!

Rebecca Barlow Jordan is an inspirational author, speaker, and passionate follower of Jesus who loves to encourage others heart to heart.

She has written 11 books and over 1700 other articles, greeting cards, and other inspirational pieces. Her daily devotional Daily in Your Presence is available for delivery through Crosswalk.com.

You can find out more about Rebecca at www.rebeccabarlowjordan.com.

Publication date: September 7, 2016

This article is part of our larger Prayers resource meant to inspire and encourage your prayer life when you face uncertain times. Visit our most popular prayers if you are wondering how to pray or what to pray. Remember, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us and God knows your heart even if you can't find the words to pray.

Prayer for Healing
Prayer for Strength
Prayer for Protection
Morning Prayers
Good Night Prayers
The Prayer of Jabez
Short Prayers
The Lord's Prayer
The Prayer of St Francis
Serenity Prayer
A Birthday Prayer
Sinner’s Prayer
Prayer for Forgiveness
Prayer for Guidance
Intercessory Prayer
Irish Prayers and Blessings
Advent Prayers
Christmas Prayers
Thanksgiving Prayer
Holy Week Prayers for Each Day
Easter Prayers
Mother’s Day Prayer
Prayers for My Husband
Prayers for My Son
Prayers for My Daughter
Prayer Quotes

Now available is our new Daily Prayer devotional! An easy way to find start your day with prayer, read today’s prayer and sign up to receive by email.

Источник: //www.crosswalk.com/faith/prayer/a-prayer-of-intercession.html

What is the Meaning of Fellowship in the Bible?

Prayer For Fellowship With Other Believers

When I was a young believer, I thought that Christian fellowship simply referred to a group of Christians coming together to share some common interests, possibly eating together and enjoying one another’s company.

Later, I had an additional thought that fellowship referred to conversations among believers in seeking to know God’s will and understand spiritual matters.

But whether an activity can be considered genuine “fellowship” according to the Bible depends on something deeper. That is, is the spiritual nature of the divine fellowship as revealed in God’s Word actually there?

In this post we’ll consider what is the genuine Christian fellowship revealed in the Bible. Then we’ll focus on how we can experience such a fellowship in our daily Christian life and church life.

What is the meaning of fellowship in the Bible?

First John 1:2-3 says,

 (And the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and report to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us); That which we have seen and heard we report also to you that you may have fellowship with us, and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.

1. Real fellowship is of God’s eternal life.

The genuine fellowship revealed in the Bible is the fellowship of God’s life:

First, real fellowship is the flow of eternal life in all of the believers in Christ—1 John 1:2-3.

Second, fellowship is the imparting of the Triune God as life—the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit—into us, the believers in Christ, to be our portion for our enjoyment—2 Cor. 13:14; 1 Cor. 1:9.

Third, to be in the divine fellowship, we need to put aside our private interests and join with the apostles and the Triune God for the carrying God’s purpose–Acts 2:42; 1 John 1:3.

Fourth, real fellowship is carried out by the Spirit in our spirit and is called the fellowship of spirit—Phil. 2:1.

Fifth, real fellowship is realized by the sense of the divine life in our spirit and is preserved by this sense—Romans 8:6.

2. Real fellowship is the flow of the divine life within us as illustrated by the circulation of blood in our body.

Consider. Your physical life is in your blood and your blood is not stagnant. It’s continuously flowing and circulating. Every minute or so, your blood circulates throughout your entire body. It’s this normal circulation that keeps you physically healthy.

Similarly, the fellowship of life is the flow of God’s life within us. The Lord Jesus promised that whoever would believe into Him would have the flowing of His life, that is, His Spirit flowing within them. The Lord Jesus said,

“He who believed into Me, as the Scripture said, his innermost being would flow rivers of living water. But this He said concerning the Spirit…” (John 7:38-39a)

3. Real fellowship issues from our receiving Christ as the eternal life.

The Gospel of John reveals Jesus Christ is the embodiment of the eternal, divine life. Jesus said,

 “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes into Me, even if he should die, shall live.” (John 11:25).

 From the moment we believe into Him, we receive this divine life into us. In 1 John 5:11-12 it says,

“God gave us eternal life and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life…”

 You can receive Him right now!

If you haven’t yet received the Lord Jesus as the eternal life, please take a moment to pray,

“Lord Jesus! Lord, I believe into You as the eternal life given by God. Lord, I thank you for dying for my sins and becoming a life-giving Spirit in resurrection to impart Your eternal life into me. Lord, I receive You as my Savior and life. Forgive me of all my sins and fill me with Yourself as life.”

Anyone who receives the Lord Jesus, believing into His name is born of God with His divine life and has the authority to become a child of God (John 1:12-13).

The entering of God’s flowing life into us brings us into the fellowship of this life.

4. Real fellowship is both vertical and horizontal.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, 1 John 1: 3 says,

 “…that you may have fellowship with us, and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.”

“The fellowship with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ” is vertical.  While “fellowship with us” is horizontal—with the apostles who proclaimed the eternal life to them and with the other believers who also have received this same life.

We can illustrate this vertical and horizontal fellowship by the flow of electricity within the electrical lamps in our home. On the one hand, the lamps have “fellowship” with the power plant “vertically.” On the other hand, they have “fellowship” with all the other lamps “horizontally.” Though they are all separate lamps, the flow of electricity makes them all one.

How can we experience this genuine divine fellowship?

1. Spend a personal time with the Lord each morning to strengthen your “vertical” fellowship with the Lord; here are ten short morning prayers to help you enter into such a fellowship with the Lord (Matt. 6:6).

2. Spend regular times each week with other believers to practice “horizontal” fellowship, the “fellowship of spirit”—your spirit touching their spirit (Eph. 5:18-19).

3. Care for the inner flowing of life in your spirit by going along with the sense of life and peace in all the details of your daily life (Romans 8:6).

4. Confess and deal with any sins or offenses so that neither your “vertical” fellowship with the Lord, nor your “horizontal” fellowship with your fellow believers is interrupted (1 John 1:7-9).

Have you been helped to know this genuine fellowship of the divine life? Share your appreciation in a comment or join in the conversation on the Holding to Truth page.

 References and Further Resources:

Источник: //holdingtotruth.com/2014/04/27/meaning-fellowship-bible/

Praying to Have Fellowship with Other Believers

Prayer For Fellowship With Other Believers

One evening, years after we were married, Michael and I had a heated argument as we were getting ready to go to a friend’s house for dinner. We had misinterpreted each other’s intentions and said words that were hurtful and pain-provoking. I was reduced to tears and he to silence.

Great! I thought. The last thing I want to do feeling this is be with other people. I silently ran through a list of reasons we could possibly cancel, but they sounded too feeble so I resigned myself to the evening.

During the entire drive to our host’s home we sat in silence, except for Michael’s asking, “Are you not going to speak to me all night?” To which I cleverly replied, “Are you not going to speak to me all night?”

I started thinking about the couple we were going to visit. Bob and Sally Anderson were one of the first Christian couples Michael and I had befriended after we were married. We had a lot in common, including our children.

Their daughter, Kristen, and our son, Christopher, were born about the same time and had become good friends.

We loved being with them because they were solid in their relationship as well as their faith, and we knew there weren’t going to be any weird surprises in store for us.

From the moment we arrived at their home I felt the tension between Michael and me dissipate. Throughout the evening our hearts softened, and by the time we went home we were laughing.

It was as if the goodness of the Lord in the Anderson family had rubbed off on us and we were strengthened by it.

This kind of thing happened so many times that when Pastor Jack exhorted us to “be in fellowship with other believers” and waved his hand across the congregation as if to get his sheep moving, I understood the need for it.

More Than Just Friendship

The word fellowship sounded strange and “churchy” when I first heard it. It reminded me of tea and cookies after a missionary meeting or a potluck dinner in the church basement.

I’ve since discovered it’s much more than just coffee hour. The dictionary definition is “companionship, a friendly association, mutual sharing, a group of people with the same interests.” In the biblical sense, it’s even more than that.

“Fellowship has to do with a mutuality in all parts of your life,” Pastor Jack taught us. “You bear one another’s burdens and fulfill the law of Christ.

You pray for one another, you love one another, you help one another when there is material need, you weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice.

It’s growing in an association with people who are moving in the same pathway you are and sharing with each other in your times of victory or need or your times of trial or triumph. It’s growing in relationship.”

Fellowship is instrumental in shaping us.

The Bible says that we become those we spend time with and good friends sharpen one another just as iron sharpens iron (Prov.27:17).

This is reason enough to spend time with other believers, but there is even more to it.

Inside the Church

First and most basic of all, it is very important that you find a church home and spend time with that body of believers in Church.

I certainly understand if you have been hurt or burned out by a church, but please hear me out. No two churches are a. Each has its own personality. Some are great, some good, and some not quite what you hoped they’d be.

Somewhere there is a church that is right for you, and you need to ask God to help you find it.

Contrary to what some people think, the church doesn’t have to have a fancy building. You can find a good church wherever a body of believers meet with a pastoral leader who is also submitted to other pastoral leadership. They must believe the Bible is the Word of God and offer good, solid teaching from it.

The next important indication of a good church is that you sense the love of God there and you receive it in abundance from the people. Some churches make an outgoing display of love, yet others who are more reserved may be just as genuine.

If you pick up feelings of pride, competition, selfishness, self-righteousness, or coldness, determine whether that is the overall atmosphere or an isolated case. Remember that in any church you could find someone to exemplify these traits. Ask yourself if you generally feel love and acceptance there.

You also need to be aware that you can’t go into a church and demand that people love and care for you. You can communicate your needs, but you can’t dictate how others should relate to you.

If you go to a church that doesn’t believe in being born again or being baptized, you need to find a church that does.

If the pastor can’t bring himself to talk about the Holy Spirit working in power in your life and the members of the congregation don’t praise and worship the Lord, you haven’t found the right place yet.

God can’t work as powerfully in a church that limits Him and doesn’t practice certain basic steps of obedience.

Continue to look until you’ve found a solid church you can call home.

If you are in a church where you’re miserable, get out. It’s hard to receive God’s love and life from a church you detest. This is not license to “church hop” whenever the pressure to grow is on, but don’t fall for the “Now we gotcha!” trap either. Leave any church that tries to control your every breath.

Ask God to lead you to the right place. When you find it, make a commitment to stay and watch yourself grow. Go as often as you can. If once a week feels a major commitment, start there. If once a week is easy, then go to midweek services also.

Once you accept Jesus, you have eternal life whether you ever go to church or not, but I’m talking about living in the fullness of all God has for you. I’m talking about expelling the pain from deep within and living in love, peace, and joy. I’m talking about doing God’s will.

Certain visitations of God’s power happen only in the midst of such gatherings of believers. Make it a point to be a part of that.

Outside the Church

There is also strength in being with believers outside the church. When you make friends with people who follow the Lord, there is a strong bond of love that makes other relationships seem shallow. Such friendships are the most fulfilling and healing. They can also be the most frustrating because we expect Christians to be perfect when in reality only Christ is perfect.

It’s helpful to think of all fellowship with believers as beneficial: the pleasant encounters are healing and the unpleasant ones are stretching. When you run across believers who stretch you more than you feel you can handle, don’t turn away from God. Remember, He is still perfect and good even if some of His children aren’t.

God always loves and respects you, even if a few of His offspring don’t. I know that nothing hurts worse than a wound inflicted by a brother or sister in the Lord. Having been wounded many times that myself, I am forced to remember that we will be imperfect until we go to be with Jesus. So we need to be merciful to those who “stretch” us and forgive quickly.

Besides, we are probably stretching others ourselves.

The Bible says we should “not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers” (2 Corinthians 6:14), but this doesn’t mean you have to avoid them.

It just means that your closest relationships, the ones that deeply touch and change your life, need to be with believers. Ask yourself, Am I a godly influence in the lives of my unbelieving friends? If so, then consider the relationship good.

However, if they influence you away from God and His ways, then cut off the relationships immediately.

If your spouse is not a Christian, don’t let his or her negative response to Jesus keep you from receiving the Lord’s restoration for you. Check around for a Christian prayer group, Bible study, or a group with similar interests. I know someone who joined a Christian arts and crafts group and found great healing.

Start somewhere. Make a phone call to another believer and ask for prayer. Meet someone for lunch and talk about what the Lord has done in your life. Open up and extend yourself in some way. You may feel you don’t have anything to share, but if you have the Lord, He’s all you need.

If our first goal in any relationship is our own fulfillment, we will ultimately be let down or disappointed. As painful as it is, we have to give up that desire and lay it at Jesus’ feet.

However, there may be times when we have done all we can do in a relationship and it is still filled with problems. As hard as we try to make things good, a certain person may always leave you feeling depressed, angry, insecure, frightened, or hurt.

When that happens, it is best to let the friendship go and give it to God to restore or remove as He sees fit.

Fellowship is a step of obedience that expands our hearts, bridges gaps, and breaks down walls. It encourages, fulfills, and balances our lives. All of this is necessary for spiritual well-being and a fruitful life in the will of God.

Prayer

Lord, I acknowledge my need for other people. I ask You to lead me to relationships whereby I might grow in You and Your will might be fulfilled in me. Show me what steps to take to see that come about.

Tools of Truth

Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another. — Hebrews 10:24-25

Practice hospitality. — Romans 12:13 NIV

Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. — 2 Corinthians 6:14

But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. — 1 John 1:7

Excerpted with permission from Praying God’s Will for Your Life by Stormie Omartian, copyright Stormie Omartian.

* * *

Your Turn

We need the fellowship of other believers in our lives! Do you have a church home? Church family? If not, start today! Come share with us on our blog. We want to hear from you! ~ Devotionals Daily

Or learn more in the FaithGateway store >

Источник: //www.faithgateway.com/praying-fellowship-believers/

Поделиться:
Нет комментариев

    Добавить комментарий

    Ваш e-mail не будет опубликован. Все поля обязательны для заполнения.

    ×
    Рекомендуем посмотреть