Come Together And Pray For Revival
17 November 2020
Dear Pastors and Leaders,
It’s hard to believe that we are now in our eighth month of this global pandemic. This is certainly not what most of us would have anticipated when it all began, and yet, throughout this time, God has continued to lead us. Jesus reminds us that we are to bring our burdens to Him: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). We take these words to heart and we put all of our trust in Him.
The northern hemisphere is currently in the throes of a new wave of COVID-19 infections. Many of our churches and districts have been affected and communities are struggling.Churches that had reopened are finding themselves needing to close again, and this, along with illness and death, is discouraging. Please know that we are praying for all of you and for God to lead us out of this season with grace.
If your community is one of those experiencing a rapid rise in cases, we ask you to revisit your protocols and practices. To show the love of God to our congregations, family members, neighbors, and friends, adopt best practices of wearing masks, social distancing, and frequent hand washing. Take good care of yourselves and your own health so that you can be of assistance to those who may need your support.
This is the time that God’s people need to remember to put God first in all things. We are calling the church family to a time of prayer and self-reflection. Would you take a day this week to pray and fast for God’s peace and healing to come to the nations? God has promised us:
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).
As God’s people who bear the name of Jesus, may we seek the face of God and reflect the Nazarene in all that we do. May we join together and pray for revival to come to our church and our communities.
Finally, we invite you to join us this coming weekend in a service of thanks. The Apostle Paul reminded the church in Philippi that they were to always rejoice and have hearts full of thanksgiving, even in the midst of trials.
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:4-7).
For this reason, we want to take time, in the midst of a pandemic, to praise the Lord. The service will be provided in five languages and includes beautiful worship from musicians across our six regions. You can click here for further information. Consider showing this as your Sunday worship service or hold a watch party together with your congregation.
Brothers and sisters, we thank you for your faithful ministry throughout this time. We are not through it yet, but we know that God is by our side.
Grace and Peace,
Board of General Superintendents
Filimão M. Chambo, Eugénio R. Duarte, David W. Graves, David A. Busic, Gustavo A. Crocker, Carla D. Sunberg
*Note: The text in red took place this past weekend, November 21 & 22. Perhaps it is taped and can still be found.
Published: 11/23/2020
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