1 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:15,080 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Thank you for listening to your daily prayer, 2 00:00:15,200 --> 00:00:17,439 Speaker 1: where we help you find the words you need to 3 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:20,560 Speaker 1: connect to your Father in Heaven. No matter what's happening 4 00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:23,440 Speaker 1: in your life today, you can trust that God wants 5 00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:26,160 Speaker 1: to hear from you. Right after this short word from 6 00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:29,080 Speaker 1: our sponsors, we'll pray through today's prayer for the new 7 00:00:29,280 --> 00:00:49,720 Speaker 1: church plant in your town. A Prayer for the new 8 00:00:49,920 --> 00:00:53,720 Speaker 1: Church plant in your town written by Vivian Bricker, read 9 00:00:53,720 --> 00:00:58,200 Speaker 1: by Leah Gerard. What, after all, is Apollos and what 10 00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:02,240 Speaker 1: is Paul? Only serve through whom you came to believe 11 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:05,200 Speaker 1: as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I 12 00:01:05,360 --> 00:01:08,880 Speaker 1: planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been 13 00:01:08,920 --> 00:01:12,479 Speaker 1: making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor 14 00:01:12,520 --> 00:01:16,120 Speaker 1: the one who waters is anything but only God who 15 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:21,839 Speaker 1: makes things grow First Corinthians three five. Over the past 16 00:01:21,920 --> 00:01:24,920 Speaker 1: few years, a friend of mine started a new church 17 00:01:24,959 --> 00:01:27,720 Speaker 1: plant in our city. She, along with her husband, had 18 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:30,240 Speaker 1: been the youth leaders of a local church for several years. 19 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:34,080 Speaker 1: The church plant they started is in an impoverished area 20 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:36,680 Speaker 1: of the city, and the neighborhood they would be connecting 21 00:01:36,720 --> 00:01:39,920 Speaker 1: with was not far from where I lived. While I 22 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:43,320 Speaker 1: was aware the area needed some sort of ministry. It 23 00:01:43,360 --> 00:01:45,640 Speaker 1: was a surprise to know that deliverance was going to 24 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:48,760 Speaker 1: come from people I went to college with. At first, 25 00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:51,080 Speaker 1: I was really excited for the church plant, but then 26 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:53,800 Speaker 1: life problems rolled in and I was never able to 27 00:01:53,800 --> 00:01:57,920 Speaker 1: get connected with their ministry. As time passed, I no 28 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:00,360 Speaker 1: longer felt the need to get involved anymore because I 29 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:04,520 Speaker 1: figured the church had everything figured out. Nobody was directly 30 00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:08,520 Speaker 1: asking me for help, so I moved on. However, I 31 00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:10,840 Speaker 1: know now that this church plant did need help from 32 00:02:10,880 --> 00:02:14,320 Speaker 1: the community, even if they weren't outwardly asking for it. 33 00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:17,600 Speaker 1: This can be a somewhat common issue that new church 34 00:02:17,639 --> 00:02:21,600 Speaker 1: plants struggle with. Rather than reaching out for help from 35 00:02:21,600 --> 00:02:25,040 Speaker 1: other established churches or community believers, they try to do 36 00:02:25,080 --> 00:02:28,200 Speaker 1: it all on their own. If there's a new church 37 00:02:28,240 --> 00:02:30,520 Speaker 1: plant in your area, don't wait for them to reach 38 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:33,800 Speaker 1: out to believers in the community. Be proactive to offer 39 00:02:33,880 --> 00:02:36,760 Speaker 1: your help and support as they get established. Even if 40 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:40,480 Speaker 1: you can't give financially or invest your own time with 41 00:02:40,560 --> 00:02:43,760 Speaker 1: the church plant, make time to pray on behalf of 42 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:47,040 Speaker 1: the new church plant its leaders, and they're growing congregation. 43 00:02:48,200 --> 00:02:51,239 Speaker 1: The Apostle Paul tells us in one Corinthians three five 44 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:54,520 Speaker 1: through seven. What after all is Apollos and what is Paul? 45 00:02:54,760 --> 00:02:57,640 Speaker 1: Only servants through whom you came to believe as the 46 00:02:57,680 --> 00:03:01,120 Speaker 1: Lord had a sign to each his task. I planted 47 00:03:01,120 --> 00:03:05,079 Speaker 1: the seed, Apollo's watered it, But God has been making 48 00:03:05,120 --> 00:03:08,200 Speaker 1: it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the 49 00:03:08,240 --> 00:03:11,560 Speaker 1: one who waters is anything but only God who makes 50 00:03:11,600 --> 00:03:16,120 Speaker 1: things grow. In this passage, Paul is talking about how 51 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:19,320 Speaker 1: God is the one who makes all things grow, and 52 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:22,240 Speaker 1: that includes the present church plant that's sprung up in 53 00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:25,960 Speaker 1: your community. There are many different servants who are tending 54 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:28,760 Speaker 1: to the seed. However, it's only God who can make 55 00:03:28,840 --> 00:03:33,480 Speaker 1: it grow. Unfortunately, the servants often struggle to reach out 56 00:03:33,520 --> 00:03:36,160 Speaker 1: for help and rely too heavily on their own abilities 57 00:03:36,200 --> 00:03:40,920 Speaker 1: At times, even if nobody has directly asked for your help, 58 00:03:41,280 --> 00:03:44,720 Speaker 1: choose to pray for the church plant. God can use 59 00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:47,600 Speaker 1: you as part of the seed's growing process to ensure 60 00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:50,800 Speaker 1: it grows into a beautiful plant. God can truly do 61 00:03:51,480 --> 00:03:53,840 Speaker 1: all things, and we never need to doubt what He 62 00:03:53,880 --> 00:03:57,080 Speaker 1: can do in our own communities. He's pleased with us 63 00:03:57,120 --> 00:04:00,160 Speaker 1: when we're concerned for others and when we extend to 64 00:04:00,240 --> 00:04:06,360 Speaker 1: help in the form of prayer. Let's pray. Dear God, 65 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:08,920 Speaker 1: I lift up the new church plant in my community. 66 00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:10,560 Speaker 1: I want to help, but I'm not sure how to 67 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:13,760 Speaker 1: get involved. Help me to not become apathetic or to 68 00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:16,840 Speaker 1: turn away from those who need it. If this church 69 00:04:16,880 --> 00:04:19,800 Speaker 1: plant needs help from believers in the community, give them 70 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:22,120 Speaker 1: the courage to ask for it. And even if they 71 00:04:22,200 --> 00:04:25,520 Speaker 1: don't ask. Please equip my hands to help this church 72 00:04:25,880 --> 00:04:28,680 Speaker 1: and to be a source of encouragement to this church plant. 73 00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:31,960 Speaker 1: I ask that you help bless this church plant and 74 00:04:32,120 --> 00:04:36,440 Speaker 1: help it to bloom. Only you can truly give it success. 75 00:04:37,279 --> 00:04:51,880 Speaker 1: I give you all the praise and glory. Amen. Your 76 00:04:51,960 --> 00:04:55,680 Speaker 1: Daily Prayer is a production of Life Audio and Salem Media. 77 00:04:56,320 --> 00:04:58,599 Speaker 1: If you liked what you heard today, be sure to 78 00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:02,520 Speaker 1: follow our sister show your nightly prayer. You can find 79 00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:06,080 Speaker 1: your nightly prayer at lifeaudio dot com or in your 80 00:05:06,120 --> 00:05:10,719 Speaker 1: favorite podcast app. By following your daily prayer and your 81 00:05:10,839 --> 00:05:14,480 Speaker 1: nightly prayer, you can be sure that your day begins 82 00:05:14,839 --> 00:05:19,039 Speaker 1: and ends centered on the Word of God and prayer.