Scripture for December – But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. I Peter 4:7 NKJV
Quotation for December – If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our bodies. If they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees. Let no one go there unwarned and unprayed for. Charles H. Spurgeon
Director’s Message: One of the most precious intercessors at our church, Sister Lula Thompson, likes to pray that we would all be found "RAPTURE READY." Peter told us to pray always with the Lord’s imminent return in mind. When that Day takes place, only those who know Jesus as their Savior & Lord will be found ready. For the rest, it will be—as Bishop Leon Stewart once put it—Too Late. We need to live—and we need to pray—in the long shadow of the Second Coming. This is what Peter means by being “serious and watchful” in our prayers. The compound word in Greek that is rendered here as “serious” can also be translated “sober minded” or “right thinking,” but its most literal meaning (based on the root words it brings together) is “salvation-minded.” In the quote above, Charles Spurgeon shows us what it means to be serious—to be salvation-minded.
The thought occurred to me yesterday, the first Sunday of Advent, that we would do well in the weeks ahead to be less focused on wrapping & more focused on the Rapture. How easily we can let the pressures of family & church holiday expectations sap our time & energy. But the baby we are celebrating came to die. He came destroy the works of the devil. He came to restore to sinners to right relationship with His Father God. He came to save souls from Hell. With great intentionality, we must keep our prayers “serious and watchful” during the Advent Season. Jesus came once. This we celebrate at Christmas. But He also is coming again. And this we must be ready for. Let us pray that everyone with whom we celebrate Christmas this year will be found RAPTURE READY when Jesus comes back again.
Daily Prayer Emphasis for December:
MONDAY – Pray for the Lord to guide and empower our Cornerstone Conference officials and our local pastors as they lead us forward in Kingdom Expansion. May we be a “Spirit-fed” & “Spirit-led” people.
TUESDAY – Pray for Biblical values to be respected by our national, state, and local politicians—and pray that each of them will know Jesus as Savior & Lord.
WEDNESDAY – Pray that our “Sunday Morning Only” folks will develop a desire to attend mid-week Bible studies, prayer meetings, and discipleship classes.
THURSDAY – Pray that President Obama and the members of the 111th Congress will prove to be friends of Israel and friends of the innocent.
FRIDAY – Pray for new IPHC churches to be birthed and for like-minded unaffiliated churches to seek fellowship with the IPHC.
SATURDAY – Pray that this Christmas season will be a time of great conviction, repentance, salvation, & deliverance.
SUNDAY – Pray that our people will be more unified & utilized in the work of the Gospel.
