DAY 2
BEYOND

Why think BEYOND? Because there are multitudes of people in every one of our cities, towns and villages who have never heard the good news of Christ and are facing a lost eternity. This is why we need a new anointing and boldness to go beyond where we’re at. So, let’s ask the Holy Spirit to fill us afresh, and…

Let's REACH OUR REGION WITH THE GOSPEL

As a result of Paul’s two-year evangelistic ministry in the school of Tyrannus, something remarkable happened. Not only did the whole city of Ephesus and the province of Asia, hear the Word but this gospel ministry had a huge impact. A short while later a pagan opponent of Paul bemoaned the fact that Paul had, “…convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia.” Acts 19:26

Paul stayed in Ephesus for the whole time, ministering every day in the school of Tyrannus, and yet it says that the whole of Ephesus and Asia Minor heard the Word of the Lord and that large numbers had been converted! As well as many people gathering to hear Paul, the likelihood is that the whole of the city and the region were converted, became disciples, and took the gospel out, because of a viral spreading of the gospel.

This still applies to us today. If we’re going to reach our region with the gospel, it’s not enough to just come together in our groups, or invite others to our gatherings, as vital as that is. ‘And how can they hear about him [Jesus] unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go without them being sent? That is why the scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”’ Romans 10:14-15

We have to go like never before as viral carriers of the BEST news there is! First, it’s a call to every one of us. We’re all commissioned by Jesus to be witnesses and Kingdom ambassadors, ready to live out and share the good news to those around us ‘…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my witnesses.’ Acts 1:8

Secondly, we know from reading the book of Colossians that other churches were planted by pioneer leaders, like Epaphras, who were trained up and sent out by Paul, who writes, ‘We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people – the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you… You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, and who told us of your love in the Spirit.’ Colossians 1:3-8 Like Epaphras, there is a specific call to some among us to be pioneer leaders, trained and equipped to take the gospel out and form new missional communities all across our region. Let’s believe that as we do, we’ll begin to see the good news of Jesus spread virally, reaching multitudes of lost people across our cities and region, and that we’ll see many more people come to Christ and find a home in His church.

DEVOTIONAL

by Daniel Cole

Prayer points

When we pray for the salvation of souls, we are engaged in a battle because we know that the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers (see 2 Corinthians 4). We don’t fight this battle in our own strength but in the power of the Lord.

• Spend some time asking for a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit to help you as you pray.
• Pray for a spirit of wisdom and revelation – for keys to unlock hard hearts and to open spiritually blind eyes.
• Ask for an overflow of the Spirit within you, that you might be ready to share the hope that you have within you (see 1 Peter 3).
• Pray for divine opportunities to share your faith; for unexpected and unusual conversations to open up.
• Pray that angelic and Holy Spirit activity would be released across the region, drawing unbelievers to ask questions about faith in Jesus.
• Pray for your VIPs; that they would have soft and open hearts to the gospel, leading them to give their hearts to Jesus.
• Pray for those who have a sense that they are being called to pioneer new faith communities to help spread the message of the gospel across the region.