THY KINGDOM COME’: Praying Aldersgate (Day 1-5)

#DAY1- ‘Thy Kingdom Come’: Praying Aldersgate (1)

“Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin, and desire nothing but God, and I care not a straw whether they be clergymen or laymen; such alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the kingdom of heaven on Earth.” ― John Wesley.

The ten days global prayer initiative, Thy Kingdom Come’ starting from today Ascension Day to Pentecost Day 4th June, 2017 summons Christians to focus and pray that people might know JESUS CHRIST. The primary hope of this initiative is that people will be transformed through prayer by the Holy Spirit, finding new confidence to be witnesses for Jesus Christ. The relevance of continuous conversion as a core of Wesley’s Aldersgate experience resonates with ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ and significance in bringing all people closer to God the Father, through knowing and following Jesus Christ. Just as prayer is the engine of God’s Kingdom, Praying Aldersgate points to the order of salvation ‘Ordo Salutis,’ the basic component in world evangelisation liberating people from sin through the power of the HOLY SPIRIT. This evangelism project also raise the need to pray for our police today.

The first stanza of the hymn ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ by Lewis Hensley (1867) provides a prayer focus in breaking the tyrannies of sin (Ps 2:9). Praying Aldersgate as order of salvation starts with praying for preachers who fear nothing but sin, especially sin of unbelief. Reflecting on the encounter between Peter Boehler and John Wesley, let us pray for our preachers for humbleness and openness to spiritual counsel. The Kingdom of God tarries today because just as Pre-Aldersgate Wesley struggled with ‘spiritual dryness and homiletical burnout,’ there are many struggling preachers preaching faith in Christ alone in disbelief. ‘O Lord, help our unbelief.’ Let us pray for the renewal of the ordained ministry and the complementary (not competitive) roles of the lay preachers/workers in the Body of Christ.

#pray4manchester: O Lord, in Your mercy and power, grant strength and enduring faith to all who are bereaved, injured and traumatised in the Manchester Concert Attack. O Lord, let THY KINGDOM COME to the hearts of all who commit evil in Jesus name.

Day2: ‘Thy Kingdom Come’: Praying Aldersgate (2)

‘You have nothing to do but to save souls…’ – John Wesley

The greatest famine and decline today is the famine and decline of preaching and preachers in the saving ministry through JESUS CHRIST alone hence, ‘Thy Kingdom Come,’ prayer initiative is a call back to the Christian basics and essence. It is very timely and prophetic for today’s preachers, men and women called into the work of the ministry and sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The world is swimming, dancing and swimming in sin and the gospel is the power to save. Souls saved grows the church and renew the nation but souls unsaved, just warming the pews weekly, declines and disintegrates the church. The reflection is how shall they hear and repent without a preacher? It is a shame that people are dying everyday without Christ. In Wesley’s day, he constantly challenged his preachers to draw a clear distinction between divine and human wisdom. What was true of Wesley and his preachers 279 years ago is true of the church and we preachers today. Is it nothing to you that preaching and many preachers are turning aside to idle talk, “desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm” (1 Timothy 1:7).

Preachers are called to exercise a saving ministry through the preaching of God’s Word. God’s attitude to preachers inordinate ambition and intellectual arrogance has not changed Arrogant people trust in themselves. Let us pray for our preachers and preaching renewal using the words of Professor James Stewart that, preaching would exist ‘not for the propagation of views, opinions and ideals, but for the proclamation of the mighty acts of God.’ Let us pray for renewal of preachers as both steward and herald, announcing ‘God’s supernatural intervention, supremely in the death and resurrection of His Son, for the salvation of mankind.’ Let us pray, more preachers are urgently needed, men and women who are willing to dedicate their lives to live and proclaim the gospel beyond a professional career. Let us pray for preachers renewal as stewards of the mysteries of God (1 Cor 4). Let us pray using the words of John Stott that our sermons will no longer be ‘an end in itself, but a means to an end, the end being saving souls’ for eternal life with JESUS CHRIST.

#Day3‘Thy Kingdom Come’
Praying Aldersgate, Bible, a catalyst of new soul (3)

‘From a child I was taught to love and reverence the Scripture, the oracles of God’ – John Wesley.

The Bible, not only as a moral agent and cultural constant provides teachings, inspiration, correction, instruction and a map for new and growing soul. For new souls, the Bible is ‘a lamp unto their feet and light unto their paths’ (Ps 119:105). From his earliest day, John Wesley loved, believed, and referenced the Scripture. Wesley, man of one book, homo unis libri. with three other young men united together under ‘only one rule of judgement with regard to all their tempers, words, and actions, namely, the oracles of God.’ The beginning of Methodism with new souls were shaped and ‘determined to be Bible-Christians’ regardless of the reproach of men just as we encounter it today. Praying Aldersgate is a call to return to Bible again, Bible Christians, as a catalyst and moral agent of new soul, especially for our children. Wesley, with the Bible as the foundation for his faith and his practice was reading through a preface to the book of Romans when he felt his heart strangely warmed. What was true of Wesley’s salvation 279 years ago resonates with the spiritual need of the present generation.

As we live our busy lives in the 21st post-truth century, let us pray ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ in our homes, families, churches, and market places as people return to reading and studying ‘the Scriptures diligently and regularly pray for the Holy Spirit’s help in understanding what the Scripture mean.’ Let us pray that this present generation will love and cherish and study the Scriptures not for mere information or opinions but for their hearts transformation, counsel, direction, warning, and salvation. Let us pray that people and especially our youth would not only read and study the Bible, let us pray that they would encounter the Bible in a fresh way and show to them that the Bible alone show us the way to salvation. Let us pray for renewed interest and commitment in the teaching of Christian knowledge and doctrine in our schools and Christian uniform and voluntary organisations.

#prayAGAINSTterrorism: O Lord, in Your mercy and power, grant strength and enduring faith to all who are bereaved, injured and traumatised in terror attacks. O Lord, let THY KINGDOM COME to the hearts of all who commit evil in Jesus name.

#Day4‘Thy Kingdom Come.’
Praying Aldersgate, overcoming failed mission (4)

‘‘I went to America to convert the Indians, but oh, who shall convert me?’ – John Wesley.

The failed mission John Wesley experienced about 300 years ago speaks to us today on reason behind church decline. ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ prayer initiative summons us to divine action, praying for the salvation of human soul beyond the acts of human task. What a ministerial paradox, a converter who need conversion, a preacher who need preaching? John Wesley returned from his failed mission in Georgia, asking the question, ‘l went to America to convert the Indians, but oh, who shall convert me.’ Thy Kingdom Come’ prayer initiative is about praying Aldesgate, asking God to send preacher like Peter Boehler for the conversion of preachers for fruitful mission.
A migrant group of Moravian Christians lead by a 26 year old gifted and highly intelligent man, Peter Boehler born on 31 December 1712, the son of a brewer, at Frankfurt-on-Main and a student of Moravian leaders, Count von Zinzendorf and A G Spangenberg arrived London on 7 February 1738 en route to America. Boehler had an instantaneous conversion and joined the Moravians. Boehler successfully filled and fulfilled the role of evangelist and spiritual mentor to John and Charles Wesley, teaching them the basics of Christian faith and the necessity of prayer and faith.

In contrast to the Wesleys spiritual depression and failed mission, Boehler’s deep sense of Christian peace in Jesus Christ provided a source trust and healing through Jesus Christ. ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ and praying Aldersgate to overcome failed mission summons us to pray and humbly embrace the twin forces of migration and globalisation. It was the friendly migration and integration of the Moravians that influenced the 18th century revival including the Wesley Aldersgate experiences. The Moravians brought fresh zeal with spirituality ‘to doing church and evangelism in Britain.’ ‘Thy Kingdom Come,’ by praying Aldersgate in overcoming failed mission calls us to pray for preachers ‘to focus less on what they wanted to achieve for God, and more on what God could do for them.’

To overcome failed mission and decline in souls conversion, Thy Kingdom Come’ prayer initiative calls us to pray for our preachers to have personal trust in Jesus Christ for salvation and open to be taught the way of faith. To overcome failed mission, Thy Kingdom Come’ prayer initiative calls us to pray for people to stop viewing themselves as being worthless as to be beyond God’s grace. To overcome failed mission, ‘Thy Kingdom Come ‘ prayer calls us to pray and preach with plain simplicity and renewal of ‘small groups of Christians for intensive fellowship and mutual examination of the soul.’ To overcome failed mission, Thy Kingdom Come, prayer initiative summons us to pray for the media especially today.

#Day5‘Thy Kingdom Come’

Praying Aldersgate, more prophetic than philosophy (5).

‘that philosophy of yours must be purged away,’ – Peter Boehler to John Wesley.

‘Thy Kingdom Come’ prayer initiative goes beyond the prayers of all religions because it points people to Jesus Christ as the ONLY Saviour (Jn 3:16). Using the words of Samuel Chadwick, God has never put His thoughts into a thesis of philosophy or metaphysics. He has interpreted in life and set forth His ways in precepts, principles, and example.’ God’s mind about prayer is prophetic, pointing to God’s promises and wonders. Chadwick explained that ‘in the estimate of God prayer is more wonderful than all the wonders of the heavens, more glorious than all the mysteries of the earth, more mighty than all the forces of creation.’ Thy Kingdom Come’ prayer initiative in the spirit of praying Aldersgate is prophetic because, ‘God interprets prayer as a sign of all that happened to Saul of Tarsus on the Damascus road. … To the Churches of Judea, it was a conversion that turned their arch-persecutor into a preacher’ (Gal 1:22-24). ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ in the spirit of praying Aldersgate calls us to pray for the conversion of every traveller on the Damascus road.

Peter Boehler, the leader of the Moravian migrant group said to John Wesley, ‘that philosophy of yours must be purged away.’ John Wesley, an Oxford scholar was in ‘the habit of applying logic to new ideas which he heard, and which disturbed him.’ The narrative and conversion of Aristotle, student of Plato, teacher of Alexandra the Great shows how he moved from the ‘very theoretical mode of reasoning’ to embrace ‘the gospel as the truth.’ John Wesley was also convinced of his unbelief and thereby acknowledged ‘the want of that faith whereby alone we are saved.’

John obeyed Boehler advise to ‘preach faith till you have it, and then because you have it you will preach faith.’ The conversion of John with the help of the Holy Spirit empowered him to pray for the salvation of William Clifford an Oxford prison inmate who was about to ‘be hanged for assault, burglary and desertion from the army. … Clifford responded positively: ‘I am now ready to die. I know Christ has taken away my sins, and there is no more condemnation for me.’ John noted, ‘in his last moments he was enjoying a perfect peace.’ Thy Kingdom Come’ in the spirit of praying Aldersgate summons us to pray for a total purge of the church and its leadership from any philosophy that does not embrace the truth of the Gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ. Using the words of Aristotle, let us pray for the church and preachers ‘Thy Kingdom Come,’ to find our true self through the lens of the Gospel, shatter our deafness and drive away our blindness in Jesus name.

#pray4srilanka: Sri Lanka is affected by floods (2 Cor 1:4-7). Let us pray for wisdom, speed and efficiency in the execution of relief efforts.