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Seeking Peace

“Seek peace and pursue it…” Psalm 34:14
 
We all know how illusive relational peace can be.  Significant offenses left unaddressed and confessed, over time, will result in distrust, distance and indifference.  Along with a good dose of self-deception!  Because, the more we remain within echo chamber of our own ‘rightness’, the more we will paint ourselves ‘the victim’ and so minimize our own contribution to the problem. 
 
This is just one of the many reasons we are commanded in Scripture to actually seek peace!  Because our fleshly nature wants to head the opposite direction: to retreat out of fear; to punish out of our hurt; or to react/attack out of our anger.  The ultimate result is further distance and division every time.  And, over time, a marriage, a home, or a church family dividing against itself will not stand. (Mark 3:25).


I have been privileged to enter into another peace-making intervention/opportunity involving a mid-sized Michigan church. Increasingly, the pastoral staff team has been experiencing some significant relational breakdowns that has now spilled over onto the elder team (but, thankfully, not yet into the church).  My involvement began 10 days ago but the next 2-4 weeks are the most critical.  If God so directs, would you pray with me and for me in my involvement with this church?  These are some specific Scripture based prayer targets I have shared with this leader team:

 
Pray for spiritual protection – that God’s work and will would be fully accomplished within your pastoral staff and leader team and the enemy’s designs to divide and confuse would be completely thwarted (Ephesians 6:12).

Pray that this peacemaking process would be characterized by frequent, focused, and fervent prayer (in your life; on your leader team; and within the church culture) as an ongoing declaration of your dependency on God (Col. 4:2).

Pray that God would clearly “lead you in the path of His righteousness for His name sake” (Ps. 23:3) throughout this peace-making process. Pray that you would know, individually and corporately, the right next step to take - and to do so in the power of God’s Spirit and in the confident assurance of His sovereign plan (Ps. 27:11; Gen. 50:20).
 
Pray for each involved in this peacemaking process to become increasingly aware and confessional to where they have wronged versus where they have been wronged.  Pray for a God-confidence to trust Him to defend their reputation and to ultimately reveal the truth (Prov. 28:13; John 16:13).
 
Pray that, through this process, God would increase the greatness of His name and fame within this congregation; throughout our community; and beyond (Malachi 1:11).
 
Pray for a genuine and lasting spiritual awakening within our city and surrounding communities – including among the ‘religious lost’ who may know about who Jesus is but lack a saving faith in Him (I Timothy 2:3-4).
I shared with these leaders that prayer is what ultimate ‘wins the battle’.  How I have so witnessed the reality of this in other church interventions!  To pray before we prepare; as we proceed; to the end.  And God will so work His peace-making wisdom and ways in all of us.

SO EXACTLY WHAT DO YOU DO?

So, occasionally, I am asked: “So exactly what do you do?”  In brief, how do I explain it – even to my non-Christian Pickleball playing friends.  I simply tell them: I assist churches in becoming spiritually vibrant and relationally healthy.   
Perhaps even a better question (one I’ve rarely been asked) is “why do you do what you do?” Now that an answer right on the tip of my tongue because it burns so deep within my spirit: I long to see churches spiritually thrive – not just functionally survive.  To thrive In all the ways that eternally matter: to grow as disciples, making more and better disciples; to increasingly experience abundant realities through Spirit empowered living; to be fervent in prayer, passionate in their worship, and practicing ‘truth in love’ in their relationships one toward the other. 
 
The older I get, the more my passion increases to see the fruition of these very realities within the individual churches we serve.  Especially the more I see and hear of how so many of our evangelical churches are literally dissipating and dividing by the day.  How it grieves me!  As it does many of you!
 
This is the problem. What is the biblical solution? It begins with targeted, fervent prayer for our churches.  Thus, would you also consider praying these very things for your own church (leadership and congregation)?  For God’s great work of revival in our churches and for a great spiritual awakening in our communities as well as in our country?
May God's peace be yours in abundance, my friend...
 
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