40 Days of Praying - Day 12

Church Plants: Ask God to help GCR be a church that plants churches. Ask Him to make church planting as natural to us as breathing.

Genesis 1:28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it.

Acts 13:2-3 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

I have been thinking about the dynamic benefits of church planting for years. When people think about church and growth, most think in terms of growing their church larger. They think of expanding the reach and ministry of the church where they are. And that is good. But it should not be to the exclusion of planting daughter churches around us. There are so many reasons why it glorifies God to plant a new church. I list a few:

1) New churches reach new people. There is something about the energy and clean focus of a new church that draws new people who wouldn't go anywhere else.

2) New churches allow people who are standing on the sidelines to get into the game in fresh and dynamic ways.

3) New churches invigorate and renew the churches they come from. It is almost weird how watching a daughter church grow can encourage the parent church to be more aggressive in ministry.

4) New churches can leave behind traditional hangups without hurting the people they come from.

I could go on. I spent this whole week with men from Stadia and couples who are looking to plant churches all over the country. It is so exciting to see what could happen. I am convinced that if God answers this prayer, we will see the population of heaven expanded. Pray for it.

O God of the harvest, raise up leaders who have a vision for church planting. Help us focus on the lost, not the cost. Raise up teams of people to go and help. Raise up leaders for the new church. And bring new people to Jesus Christ. Bring hundreds and hundreds. For Jesus' sake amen.

Grace.