‘Thy Kingdom Come’ …

Do you pray this one?

Pete Greig (24-7 prayer) highlights Frederick Buecher’s words ‘go where your best prayers take you’.

Along with a few thousand other people, I thanked God for the present Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, speaking at Spring Harvest in Minehead this year. As Baptist Christians we are grateful for an unashamedly evangelical Archbishop who speaks our language, albeit with a posher accent than I hear in most Baptist Churches!

I want to encourage everyone to engage with the Thy Kingdom Come initiative Justin Welby has spearheaded. Anything which begins with it’s pledge to pray #ToJesus is surely right in the ball park for everyone who’s part of our seventy-two network. For any Baptists with a sensitive disposition, can I remind you that our own Lynn Green has also called us to prayer via her Beacons of Prayer initiative.

The sharp focus of Thy Kingdom Come is praying for those not yet Christians to come into a living relationship with Jesus.

Prayer changes things and when we gather in the name of Jesus we are together in the presence of the one true living God. I’m sure we all need to be reminded regularly of Jesus’ words ‘all things are possible with God’ (Mark 10:27). Praying with others does that for me.

If there’s a Thy Kingdom Come prayer event near you, try and get along.

If the church you’re a part of is not planning a focused prayer event why not

ask people to join you?

If your church does call everyone to prayer, why not invite the other Baptist Churches nearby?

Do please join in praying the 11 Prayers of Thy Kingdom Come:

• 25 May #ToJesus
• 26 May #Praise
• 27 May #Thanks
• 28 May #Sorry
• 29 May #Offer
• 30 May #PrayFor
• 31 May #Help
• 1 June #Adore
• 2 June #Celebrate
• 3 June #Silence
• 4 June #ThyKingdomCome

I realise it’s not down to us, but let’s ensure we’re not simply observer’s of God moving in the UK in spite of us.

If you want to join others in praying for the evangelisation of the UK, join the global wave of prayer ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ – for more information and some inspiration click here.

Now is also the time to be praying and planning for 2018: Hope 2018 is a good place to begin.

If you want to start meeting with others to listen to God’s word, pray for other people to come to know Jesus and make yourself accountable, why not start your own DNA group: Christian DNA Groups.

Nigel Coles

Nigel is Regional Team Leader of the West of England Baptist Network. He facilitates the life of the webnet team and oversees the missional strategy for the region. He also works to develop missional strategy over a wider geographical area with our partner Associations and Baptists Together. Nigel believes that when Jesus sent out seventy-two others, he meant everyone who was there, and this passion to help everyone find their way in the mission of God is what inspired the development of Seventy-two.