Awake. Arise. Stand. Walk: My Prayer for the Church

I awake. Soon, it’s morning coffee, dishes from last night, and a missions podcast. It’s become my new routine as my kids settle into their virtual classes for the day.

In sharp contrast to what I see and experience in my stateside Christian community, most days the world I hear through these podcasts includes stories of persecution. Discipleship-making movements.

I long for the Holy Spirit to fan into flame a great awakening in the American church.

I want to see greater urgency for God’s global mission and a return to the commands of Jesus–a simple church that is reading, believing, experiencing, and obeying the God who created the universe.

Recently after a prayer time with others for the church in our city, I sat down and wrote the words in my heart. My prayer is that it would be an encouragement to you that it would resonate and speak to your inner person as well.

Care to join me?

AWAKE. 

Alert. Attentive. No longer asleep.

Awake.

Open your ears to hear the sounds of God. Tune your ears to hear his still small voice.

Awake. Open your eyes. Rub away the stardust and look outside. Ask for eyes to see the spiritual at work around you. Ask for eyes to see others the way God sees them.

Stretch your spiritual muscles, and open your mouth. After all, you are His hands, His feet, His voice, His love.

You are his body to a hurting world around you. 

ARISE.

Fling off the covers. Swing your feet out of bed. Take a deep breath and rub your eyes again.

Let your mind rise to anticipate the events of the hour, the day, the season. Rise to anticipate what your good Father has in store.

Raise your hands to stretch again and say a prayer of surrender. Choose to surrender now to His plan, to His steps, to His way.

Rise up in Him, in His power, in His strength.

STAND.

Appointed, anointed, dearly beloved. Set apart, equipped and filled.

Stand up! Take your place!

His calling is sure, his mission, clear: Go and make disciples! Go and baptize them in my name! Go and teach them to obey.

Rise up and embrace your gifting. Use your talents. Glean from your experiences. Stand on His promises. 

You are a noble vessel designed for acts of righteousness. Position yourself to be used by Him today and every day. 

WALK.

Step out in faith. Fear, go. Courage, come.

Take the Good Shepherd’s hand. Look in His eyes and keep in step with the author and perfector of your faith: the one who longs that none would perish but that all would come to know Him.

The One whose kindness leads to repentance, the One who reveals himself in all of creation. He’s the One who makes level paths for our feet so that we won’t stumble. He takes us by the hand so that all we have to do is stay with him and follow his lead.

Pick up your feet and do a little jig. Let’s get to it. The harvest is ready!

Rebecca Skinner is an MK and adult TCK from Central and South America. Don’t miss her post, We Were Missionary Kids. Here’s What My Parents Did Right.

Fun fact: Rebecca and her husband were one of the first couples to met on eharmony.com and get married! This August, they’ll celebrate 18 years of marriage, They have twin boys.

The Perspectives on the World Christian Movement turned Rebecca’s world on its head! She desires to see local churches strategically collaborate to take the good news of Jesus to every people, tribe, and tongue.