But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.

1 Peter 2:9-12

Prayer Points

Let’s aggressively pray out of our lives the self doubt and false humility that keeps us from taking our place in God’s plan. Pray that you will know more fully the reality of who you are in Christ.

Pray for your church and the whole Church that a new confidence will arise and that we will together take our place in declaring God’s praise to the world.

Pray for the Church to do exploits that are audacious, extraordinary, faith-filled and glorifying to God.

Pray for yourself to have an opportunity to share your faith this week.

     DAY 10 : ENLISTING

It would have been a momentous day. The elderly king David had made great plans for the future and he had enlisted his son to complete them. The plan was to build a temple fit for God. David’s leadership of the nation was being passed to Solomon. So on this special day, when the baton was being handed on, David said to Solomon, “The Lord has chosen you ... Be strong and do the work.” 1 Chronicles 28:9,10.

How did Solomon feel? Did he feel kingly? Did he feel up to the task? Would he have preferred to play football with the lads? We do not know. But he was the anointed child of the king and so he took his place.

On another occasion an elderly leader was writing to those who had become Christians. He wanted them to discover their true identity and fulfill their calling. Peter writes to say they are special, chosen by God in order to fulfill a great plan of telling the night and day difference that God makes (1 Peter 2:9-12.) This was written about us and for us, too.

Do we feel special, chosen by God? Would we rather take a back seat? The truth is, if we have received Christ, we too are children of the king. We also can take our place and live out what we are as Christians. What Peter writes is also for the Church as a whole. It is both our corporate task and our individual opportunity. We are invited to enlist in God’s great cause in the world – with its excitement, challenge and fulfillment.

“The Lord has chosen you ... Be strong and do the work.”

Pray

*    Pray for your ‘big issue’

*    Pray for your ‘three friends’

*    Pray for a new wave of revival.