Praying Scripture for 2024
As we enter 2024, here are four passages of Scripture I’m praying for Emmaus Road Church. When we pray God’s Word back to him, we know that we are asking God to do what he wills. As John tells us, “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him” (1 John 5:14-15).
Since we know this is God’s will for us, I invite you to join me in asking God to work in us what is pleasing to him.
Philippians 1:9-11 — Love
“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”
Here, Paul prays for ever-increasing, overflowing and abounding love. Love fulfills every one of God’s commandments (Gal 5:14), which means that growing in love is God’s will. Notice also that Paul prays for ever-abounding love that is marked by knowledge and discernment. Knowledge without love leads to arrogance (1 Cor 8:1), and love without knowledge of God’s will is actually cruel (Prov 12:10). Godly love is always informed by God’s Word. And as we grow in discerning love for one another, we will increasingly enjoy God’s sanctifying work in us as he prepares us for the glorious day when Christ returns. None of this comes from us. It is the fruit of Christ in us, producing the fruit of righteousness and resulting in more praise and glory to God.
By God’s grace, may our love increase in 2024.
Ephesians 4:1-3 — Unity
“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
Humility. Gentleness. Patience. Loving forbearance. Eager unity. That describes a community shaped by the gospel, where people are living in a manner worthy of the gospel.
Not only is it possible to be more or less united. It’s possible to be more or less eager to put in the maintenance and upkeep work needed to stay united with one another. The unity we enjoy is the work of the Spirit, who joins us to Christ, tears down hostility, and gives us fellowship with God and with each other. It is our responsibility to maintain that unity. We do that by being quick to confess our sins to each other, quick to forgive one another, and quick to consider the needs of others as more significant than our own.
By God’s grace, may our unity in the Spirit be deeper and stronger at the end of 2024.
Matthew 28:18-20 — Mission
“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’”
The words of Jesus in the Great Commission define the mission of the church. Therefore, it is appropriate for us to pray for the fulfillment of the Great Commission. Jesus told us to disciple the nations; in Jesus’ name, we ask the Father to bring the nations under the rule and reign of Jesus. God invites us to pray this way: “Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession” (Psalm 2:8).
Here are four specific ways to pray the Great Commission.
Worship Jesus as Lord. The Great Commission begins with Jesus’ claim of “all authority in heaven and on earth.” Pray that we would grow in our love for, obedience to, and reliance on him as Lord in every aspect of our lives.
Pray that we would be filled with more love for the lost. Ask God to give us a burden for those who don’t yet know him and an appropriate sense of urgency to share the gospel with them.
Pray for conversion growth. There are tens of thousands of people in our city who don’t yet know Jesus, and we want to reach them with the gospel. In faith, we hope to see hundreds and thousands of people baptized, discipled, and added to our number (Acts 2:47).
Pray for Spirit-empowered boldness in witness. Jesus promised, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses … to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Ask the Spirit to fulfill that promise by making us faithful witnesses.
By God’s grace, may our witness increase and may God save many who are lost in 2024.