Praying Globally with Gratitude
Do you ever find yourself in a prayer rut? Perhaps, even if you pray regularly or often, you find yourself traveling over familiar terrain: worries, sicknesses, family members, and the church prayer request list. These are all good things, worthy of bringing before God. Frequent, regular prayer is a way of abiding in the presence of God and allowing our thoughts and desires to be shaped by the Holy Spirit as we listen.
As we enter a season of offering thanks in the United States, consider what proportion of your prayers express gratitude. Think creatively on this topic: for what, around the world, are you grateful? Do your prayers of thankfulness include what the Holy Spirit is shaping in the worldwide church?
Here are some prompts to help expand your prayers of gratitude for the global family of faith.
Join us as we thank God for:
*The worldwide fellowship of sisters and brothers in Christ who we will never meet in this lifetime
*Those who are being called into ministry on continents other than your own: Asia, North America, South America, Africa, Europe, and Australia.
*Christians around the world of traditions different than your own – Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Coptic, Pentecostal, Reformed, Lutheran, and so on.
*Faith-based non-profits and NGO’s that partner to provide humanitarian relief in times of war and natural disaster in places like Syria, South Sudan, and other places of upheaval.
*Bible translators, missionaries, international workers, teachers, and professors from a variety of nations who share their calling, gifts, and talents with others in cross-cultural contexts.
*Christians who have been martyred for their faith in the past few years, particularly in circumstances such as in encounters with ISIS and other groups.
*The continued flourishing of the Wesleyan Methodist family of faith around the globe, embodied in over 80 denominations and numbering over 80 million people in dozens of nations, and the beautiful work of the World Methodist Council in continuing to connect people of different languages, ethnicities, races, and cultures.
What else comes to mind as you consider the world and the ways in which you’re grateful for being a part of the international family of faith? Share them with us and allow us to give thanks alongside you.