A Prayer of Renewal
Christians are in constant need of renewal. If we are in Christ, we are new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17), but we still depend upon the daily ministry of the Holy Spirit (Romans 12:2; Ephesians 4:23; 2 Corinthians 4:16). Throughout our lives, the Spirit is renewing us in the image of our Lord Jesus Christ (Colossians 3:10).
And the Lord has given us different rhythms of renewal. We have daily rhythms of prayer, Bible reading, and fellowship. We have weekly rhythms of Sabbath rest and corporate worship. We have annual rhythms that the Lord uses to grow us in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. And occasionally in Scripture, there are significant moments when the Lord impresses upon His people their need for corporate renewal. We believe the Lord has led our church into a significant season, and we’re praying that He would do a great work in renewing us.
Look up “renew” in the dictionary, and you’ll find these definitions:
- to make new or as if new again; to restore
- to take up again; to resume
- to repeat so as to reaffirm
In one way or another, each definition applies to this moment in our life together. We want the Lord to make us new again in Christ. We long for Him to restore to us the joy of His salvation. We desire to take up again the wonder of His story in Scripture and in our years as a church family. We’re hungry to resume our life together after profound interruptions. And we long to repeat and reaffirm our commitment to live by His grace and for His glory.
We’re inviting all of our members to reflect upon the vows they once took as a member of PCPC. We want to be filled with gratitude for the gift of Christ extended to us, and we want to be filled with zeal to bring Him glory by extending His kingdom to others. Our denomination’s fourth membership vow poses the question: “Do you promise to support the church in its worship and work to the best of your ability?” As we reflect upon that promise and all that it means, we want the Lord to renew us!
In response to what the Lord is doing in this RE|ENTER season, we’re inviting you to write a prayer of renewal. We need time to process and pray about what we’ve heard so that we can respond to the Lord’s call to connect to Christ and to one another, to abide in Christ, and to extend Christ. We hope that every member will take advantage of this opportunity. If you feel led to share your prayer with others, there’s a form on this page to submit it. In your submission, you can include your first name, first and last name, or no name. We are confident that other people will be encouraged to hear how the Lord is working in you!
Here are some questions that may be helpful prompts as you write your own prayer of renewal.
- By God’s grace and for His glory, how is the Lord leading you to support the church in its worship and work to the best of your ability?
- What do you need to turn from and what do you need to turn to?
- How do you feel called to connect, abide, and extend?
- How do you long for the Lord to renew you and our church?
- Why do you long for the Lord to renew you?