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Focus

Shift the Nation: 24/7 Prayer 12–22 May 2023

Intention

To understand the incredible gospel Jesus commanded us to proclaim!

Scripture

“Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you… For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures…”

– 1 Corinthians 15:1a, 3-4

Reflection

What is this gospel that Jesus commanded us to preach in all the world? 1 Cor 15 shows us the heart of the gospel is the death and resurrection of Jesus. There are three parts to the gospel, which are an easy way to remember what needs to be communicated so someone can be saved.

1. Why we need to be saved. We have gone our own way, turned from God’s perfect way, broken His laws, and ignored and rejected the One who gave us life and breath. We have fallen short of God’s intention for us – to walk in relationship with Him, to love others, to look after His planet and to reflect Him to the world around us. We will face God and be judged.
2. How Jesus can save us. Jesus came to earth, as a human being, lived a perfect life and then died a cruel painful death on the cross in our place – taking on our punishment for us. We have done the crime; He has done the time! Then He rose from the dead on the third day, showing that He is God, and has the power over death and evil. We can now be restored back to our original design, back into a relationship with God, forgiven and set free.
3. What we need to do to be saved. Firstly, turn – make a commitment to turn from the wrong in our lives (we can never be perfect, but it is about a heart attitude change). Then, surrender – put your faith in Jesus and what He did for you by dying on the cross. Commit to living life God’s way from now on, making Him the number one priority of your life. Then you will know forgiveness and receive eternal life!

If you miss out #1 above, then people don’t realise their need for a saviour. You become an annoying Christian pushing your beliefs on others – because they don’t understand why they need to be saved. Miss out #2 and there is no hope of being saved. Miss #3 and people are left not knowing how to respond. A great way to share these three points is to download the G7 App from your App Store. It has instructions and a 30-minute tutorial video inside the app. Mainly it is just reading and tapping – give it a go!

Saturday 27 May is GO Day. Last year over 50 million Christians were involved in sharing the gospel with hundreds of millions of people! Will you be a part of the team this year? You could arrange a coffee with someone who doesn’t know Christ and share how Jesus has changed your life. What about sharing a gospel video on social media?

Video

Prayer

Father, we thank You for the hope of the gospel. We thank You for the opportunities that we have at this time to pray, to share Jesus and to get better equipped in sharing You with others.

We pause and surrender afresh to You, and to all You are calling us to do. Give us courage and wisdom as we seek to lovingly share Your wonderful gospel with others. Amen.

Author Bio

Stuart is the Australian Coordinator for GO Movement and the founder of Train to Proclaim Inc. He is passionate about equipping Christians around the world to share the gospel in a loving and jargon-free way. He has produced a number of training videos, a free downloadable evangelism course, and gospel resources including the G7 (Gospel in 7) app. Stu resides in Brisbane with his wife Maria and four children.

Prayer Points and Purpose for GO 2023 in May

1. To worship Jesus and give extravagant praise to God. Heb 12:28–29
2. Pray that the Lamb who was slain might receive the reward for His suffering. Rev 5:6–14
3. Pray for revival for Australia and for millions to find Christ. Isa 64:1–2
4. Pray for revival for Israel and millions to find Christ. Rom 10:1
5. Pray for five friends to find Christ and share the gospel with those five in May. Matt 28:18–20

We invite you to support this prayer campaign to multiply prayer in Australia for revival and see millions come to Christ. Every donation to the Canberra Declaration helps us promote prayer and make a stand for Family, Faith, Freedom, Life, and the Good News of God’s love through Jesus Christ His Son.

Join us for our nightly Zoom prayer call:

DATES: Every night for the month of May

TIME: 8pm AEST

ZOOM URL LINK: https://zoom.us/j/776881184

ZOOM MEETING ID: 776881184

ZOOM TUTORIAL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFhAEoCF7jg

May Daily Devotionals: https://dailydeclaration.org.au/tag/go-2023-prayer

Daily devotions are brought to you by the Canberra Declaration.