Fuel for prayer from 1 Thessalonians...

Today we saw the amazing and powerful effects of the gospel when God blesses to the hearts of people.

They gained assurance of being “chosen” (1:4) because of how the gospel came to them (1:5) and the product of that was that the Thessalonians began to “imitate” Paul, Silas, and Timothy (1:6) despite “severe persecution”; welcoming the gospel “with joy from the Holy Spirit.”

Which led them to become “examples” (1:7). So we learn that discipleship is helping others to follow Jesus which is something that flows from being a disciple of Jesus. Disciples are called to follow Christ, and following Him means helping others follow Him.

Disciples Follow Jesus

9Marks Journal, January–December, 2012 Disciples Follow Jesus

DISCIPLES FOLLOW JESUS

When we encounter Jesus, we meet a man who calls us to come and die (). And He calls us to follow Him and learn from Him (; ).

Kell, G. (2012). Discipleship according to the Scriptures. 9Marks Journal.

Kell, G. (2012). Discipleship according to the Scriptures. 9Marks Journal.

Let’s pray...

That as a church, our wills will die and surrender to the will of Christ in the Word.

That we are all about the Great Commission of calling others to repentance of their rebellion against their Creator and cling to Him by faith (; ).

(Jesus is calling people to die so that they might live).

Disciples Imitate and Mirror Jesus

At the heart of following Jesus is Jesus’ call to imitate Him and mirror Him.

Pray that our church will imitate Jesus’

Love ()

Mission ()

Mission ()

Humility ()

Humility (Phil. 2:5)

Service ()

Suffering ()

Obedience to His Father ()

Pray that our journey would be fueled by the hopeful expectation that we’ll see Him face-to-face ().

Disciples Help Others Follow Jesus

Kell, G. (2012). Discipleship according to the Scriptures. 9Marks Journal.

Disciples Help Others Follow Jesus

As we follow our Lord, we quickly learn that part of imitation is replication. Having a personal relationship with Jesus is magnificent, but it is incomplete if it ends with us.

Pray that we will begin telling others who don’t follow Jesus what it means to follow Him.

Let’s pray for our families, neighbors, and circles of friends that we’d proclaim the gospel of grace to those who are bound for hell apart from Christ.

Pray that we’d help people to learn how to begin to follow Jesus.

Pray that we’d help others in our congregation to grow and mature in Jesus.

Pray that we would be a kingdom of citizens and a family who actively builds each other up into the fulness of Christ (; ,).

Pray that we would be a church that intentionally pours into other disciples who would intentionally pour into others ().

Disciples Intentionally Build Relationships

Discipleship does not just happen.

Pray that our church will be intentional about cultivating deep, honest relationships in which we do spiritual good to others in our congregation.

Pray that our relationship would be as God intended:

meeting regularly to spur each other on in Christ-likeness and

protect each other against sin (; )

Disciples Depend Upon Grace

While it is true that a disciple of Jesus ought to help others follow Jesus,

pray that we would always remember that apart from the sustaining and empowering grace of God we can do nothing ().

Let’s praise God, that as we make disciples, that God’s grace abounds over our failures and sins and struggles.

This is good news as we seek to follow Jesus together and daily be transformed into his glorious image (). May we faithfully follow Christ and help others to do the same until we see his face. Come soon, Lord Jesus!

Kell, G. (2012). Discipleship according to the Scriptures. 9Marks Journal.