Giving God Room: Prayer Focus
Week #6.
Have we forgotten about the Church?
We live in a busy world. There are so many good and healthy activities we can participate in and so many ways we can engage with the world around us. Hobbies, sports, activities, books, and training opportunities all lie in front of us, just waiting for our attention. Family, friendships, and relationships of all kinds are only a text message away.
In the midst of all the good things seeking our attention, sits a wonderful, beautiful place called the church. It is the place where the body of Christ comes to meet with God and worship him. It is the physical meeting space where the body of Christ gathers to share food, and friendship and fellowship. It is the “Ministry Centre” from which the body of Christ serves the needs of the community around it. The church IS the body of Christ, but the church is also a physical space where the followers of Jesus gather for worship and shared ministry.
The earliest believers met in the Temple Courts, and in the synagogues (since most of them were Jewish). When the earliest believers were under persecution, they met in homes and even in large caves and caverns for worship an baptisms. When periods of persecution ended, these believers began to build their own church buildings where they met to worship the risen Christ. Historically, the body of Christ has always sought out a physical space where they could gather and worship. And, in our day, in an increasingly digital world, a physical space becomes even more important, as people continue to seek Jesus.
Jesus gave his life for the Church.
Paul reminds us that Jesus gave his life for the church.
For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. (Ephesians 5:25–26, NLT)
This is how much Jesus loves the church! This is how valuable the church is to Jesus. He gave his life up for her. He gave his life up for us. We are a church filled with people who are loved and valued so much that our Lord and Savior would give up everything so we could know him.
Jesus identifies with the Church.
When Paul was persecuting the church, Jesus appeared to him.
He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 9:4, NLT)
Jesus said to Paul, “Why are you persecuting me?” Paul was persecuting the church, but for Jesus it meant that Paul was persecuting him. This means that Jesus so deeply identifies with the church, that when the church is under attack, Jesus is also being persecuted.
Jesus prays for the Church.
The author of Hebrews tells us that Jesus lives to intercede for the church.
Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf. (Hebrews 7:24–25, NLT)
This means that Jesus prays for the church.
Let’s care about the Church.
So what about us? What is our response to this information? What does it mean for us to care for the church and to care about the church? What does it look like for believers in 2026 to care for the church in the same way the earliest believers cared about her?
It means we remember the church. It means we are ready to serve the church. It means we are ready to pray for the church.
So this week, let’s pray for the Church.
Here are four things you can bring before the Lord this week.
1. Thank Jesus for the gift of the Church.
Thank the Lord for his love for the church. He gave up his very life for you and me, and called us into his Kingdom!
2. Pray the Lord would strengthen the Church in Canada.
Pray the Lord would strengthen the church in Canada as we face increasingly challenging days in a secular world.
3. Pray the city-wide church in Medicine Hat would grow and prosper even as we face challenges.
Let’s ask the Lord to bless the city-wide church as we witness to Jesus’ resurrection in our city.
4. Pray the Lord would give us an increasing heart for our own local church body.
Let’s ask the Lord to renew our heart for the church. And that the Lord would give us a fresh vision for the church.
In His Grip,
Pastor Steve Pahl