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My Life Prayers




My prayers are especially for the Church, the Body of Christ, the Bride of Christ.  For if the Church is set right, the lost will automatically be saved – as revival history attests.

A.  First, I pray for three revaluations within the Church:

1.  Devalue self, envalue Christ (in self & others)

*  To de-emphasize personal achievement and the ‘resumé mentality’, and strive instead to affirm others in their accomplishments (Ro. 12:15; 1 Th. 2:19-20)
*  To strive for Christian works which are truly “Christ’s work through me”, not “My works for Christ”. (Romans 15:17-18, Luke 17:10)
*  To derive satisfaction in the accomplishment, whether or not Christ chooses to accomplish through me.
 

2. Devalue and de-emphasize man’s construction, envalue and appreciate  God’s creation

*  Our works can never match God’s.  There is no comparison between a house and a living tree – yet we destroy whole forests to build houses!
*  Our ultimate job was to care for God’s creation, not to reshape it in our preferred image.
*  Consider the doctor’s role in the healing process.  The doctor does not heal the body -- rather, the doctor creates conditions so that the body can heal itself.  Our role vis-à-vis the environment should be of a similar nature -- but currently, it is not so.   We create environments which require continual chemical and mechanical  intervention.  Our lawns and gardens always need fertilizing, weed- and bug-killing, mowing, and watering.  We do not create self-sustaining natural environments, because we are dissatisfied with what comes naturally: this is characteristic of our entire lives (Proverbs 27:20), not just our treatment of the environment.
*  Instead of paving over everything, we should make way for God to express His glory through His living creation.
*  We need to rearrange our lives so that we require far less infrastructure: and then tear down  unnecessary buildings, rip up excess concrete, and return to life and nature as much of our surroundings as possible.
 

3.  Devalue and de-emphasize possession, envalue and take joy in sharing & efficient use of resources

* ‘Man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions’ (Luke 12:15).
*  To share means to make good, efficient use of God-given resources (Matthew 25:21).
*  The results of efficient sharing are:  Simplicity of lifestyle, clarity of thought,  removal of distractions (Mark 4:19), proper alignment of priorities (Matthew 6:33).
 

B.  Second, I pray for an overall restructuring of the Church

The Church must become a community within the community, not a separate community.  ‘Churches’ as we know them should cease to exist.  Instead, they should be replaced by a network of groupings of believers; where each community (i.e. neighborhood, workplace, interest group, etc) should have its own believer group or groups  (1 Tim. 2:8; Matthew 5:13-15)  which meet, worship, pray, and support each other as a part of (and not apart from) their daily life’s activity (Heb. 3:13, 10:24-25, Gal. 6:2).
 

C.  Third, I pray for a motivational and sociological revolution in science and technology, to be spearheaded by the Church.

1.  Motivational:

*  No more science for science’s sake.  This has destroyed science, just as art for art’s sake has destroyed art.
*  Science and technology driven by a vision for positive spiritual change:
*  Scientific inquiry moved by compassion and concerned awareness of human needs and environmental possibilities
> The desert shall bloom like the rose (Isaiah 35:1-2).
 > Springs in the desert (Isaiah 41:17-20)
*  Technology which truly extends human potential, and enables us to live in right relation to world: (Isaiah 11:6-9)

2. Sociological

*  Scientific and technical learning via the discipleship or atelier model  -- a “waterfall” approach to technical education where young people learn, and then immediately teach to the next level what they have learned.  Implement this especially in the Third World.
*  Practicing scientists and engineers educating students on a regular basis (semester sabbaticals), especially in the Third World.
*  Retreat centers where scientists and engineers can withdraw for inspiration, but also to have contact with young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, to encourage them in science.
 



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Copyright © 2002 CrossPollen
Last Revised: November 9, 2002

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