Rejoicing, Praying, and Giving Thanks to the One Calling Us
Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances. This is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast to what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
What would it be like to know a person who lived with unassailable hope? Brothers and sisters, we are supposed to be that person for the sake of one another and for the sake of the world; that we can be “salt and light.” And we can only do that if we are a spiritual people, pointed to heaven.
Now this portrait – a person with unassailable hope – can seem like an issue of a personality, or will, or character. it is not. Notice, it is the will of God in Christ Jesus. And, I would submit to you, it is not possible to live this way apart from Christ.
It is not wilful ignorance; it’s not stoicism.
it is hope – and a strong version of it. The Lord is with us as we go through this current trial (life disrupted, school disrupted, employment concerns, financial concerns, health concerns). But, the Lord’s primary concern is our salvation. If each of us has this as our primary concern as well, we can be confident that the one who called us is faithful, and He will do it. Our job in all this? Fix our eyes on the age to come – be a people of unassailable hope: rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks to the One calling us home.
We pray and expect this initiative to bear fruit: not just in removing spiritual obstacles that grace may flow, but also in helping our younger people catch a flavour of the international bulwark that is Kairos; that they have brothers and sisters in Christ all over the world.
The address by James Munk was delivered globally on Friday, July 24, 2020, at the end of the Kairos International 24 Hour Day of Prayer. Kairos International is a network of youth and college outreaches related through The Sword of the Spirit.
Report on KAIROS INTERNATIONAL 24 HOUR DAY OF PRAYER
On Thursday, July 23, we joined Kairos international for a global, 24-hour prayer chain. The intercessors were mainly our Kairos young people, around ages 16-23.
Kairos Europe & Middle East championed this international effort; men and women from all of our Kairos regions have been involved in the planning for several months, soon after the pandemic brought the world to a halt.
The young army of intercessors, united in prayer, also collectively were open to hearing the Lord for our Kairos mission in these unusual days. In particular, they prayed fervently for a renewed outpouring of the Holy Spirit and for the Lord’s protection for our Kairos network and for the wider people of God.
The 24 hours of intercession ended Friday, July 24, 8:00 UTC (coordinated universal time). Later that day Kairos hosted a one-hour digital event at 14:00 UTC (10:00 EDT). We worshiped together, summarised some of the prophetic senses of the 24 hours of prayer, and heard an uplifting word from James Munk, chair of Kairos International Coordinating Committee.
Top image of birds flying heavenward with cross background, from bigstock.com, © by Mike_Kiev , stock photo ID 12116657
James Munk and his wife Michelle and family live in Lansing, Michigan, USA. James is senior coordinator of The Work of Christ community in Lansing, and director of Kairos North America, regional youth program of the Sword of the Spirit.
Thank you James Munk, it was a great event.