22 April 2015 - urban planning

There was great joy in that city.

What a difference you can make, Jesus. It seems like persecution would hurt your Church and slow its growth. When your Church is dispersed and scattered how can that be helpful? But you make all things work together for the good of those who love you and are called according to your purpose (cf. Rom. 8:28). You transform the forces that scatter us into winds which spread the seed of your word. You move us from static situations to places where there are new conversations to have. You move us from places where people have made up there minds about us to places where the people are open. They see unclean spirits cast and people cured and they actually pay attention.

There was great joy in that city.

May you bring that joy into our cities, LORD. There are places in our daily lives where your seeds have not yet been sown. Your winds constantly change the landscape of our lives and open new possibilities for people to pay attention to us as we go about preaching the word.

There was great joy in that city.

You yourself are the source of our joy. You are the bread of life which sates our hunger for all times. The will of the Father is that you will not lose anyone whom he sends you. That means persecutions won't loosen your grip on us. Circumstances won't prevent the spread of your kingdom. Rather than being an obstacle to belief your power is revealed precisely in our own weakness (cf. 2 Cor. 12:9). You do not lose anything of what the Father gave you. You reject no one who comes to you. We can have great confidence!

May our cities come to see you and believe. 

He has changed the sea into dry land;
through the river they passed on foot;
therefore let us rejoice in him.
He rules by his might forever.

You have the power to transform not only persecutions and adversity but death itself.

and I shall raise him on the last day.

So, "Let all the earth cry out to God with joy"!