Editor’s note: Prayer metabolizes the gospel, enacts the gospel, and transforms and empowers gospel movements. Prayer is and must be the heartbeat of China Partnership’s work to serve, train, and resource Chinese house church leaders. As believers in China face increased pressure from a hostile world and an inhospitable government, we ask you to join with us and kneel before God in praise and petition for our brothers and sisters there.
Paul Tripp is a pastor, author, and conference speaker. He works to connect the transforming power of Jesus Christ to everyday life. This prayer comes from China Partnership’s prayer event at The Gospel Coalition 2019 in Indianapolis.
As you read, we invite you to pray with us for the Chinese church as she navigates new and uncertain times.
“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”
Psalm 27:1
We come to you this evening with confidence, because your Word convinces us of your love for your church, your unstoppable zeal for your gospel, your love for your people. The cross teaches us that you are able to take the worst things ever, and out of them, bring the best things ever. We pray for China: that the instruments intended to harm the church would be the things that you use to grow the church, to deepen the church, to expand its influence in its ministry.
We don’t pray for the Chinese churches to survive; we pray that they would thrive, that all around China your name would be known and your gospel would be preached. We pray that boys and girls and moms and dads and single people and politicians and policemen and store owners would come to know the Lord Jesus Christ, surrender their lives to the lordship of Jesus Christ, and become tools of your saving grace.
We pray that you would raise up, throughout China, spiritually knowledgeable and spiritually healthy leaders. We pray for spiritually healthy families who would disciple other leaders. We pray, not just for the saving work of the gospel, but for the transforming work of the gospel. We pray that people’s sense of identity and meaning and purpose, their sense of well being, would be rooted in the work and the grace and the presence and the power of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We pray that that would not just happen for China, but that China would be a force for your gospel around the world. We pray that you would raise up Chinese leaders that would make a multicultural and a multi-generational impact for the sake of and for the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. We would be so bold as to ask that, in weeks and months and years to come, we would look at your church in China with wonder and amazement and say, “Look what our God has done.”
We pray these things, not for the sake of your people, but for the sake of your glory and the sweet and strong name of Jesus. Amen.
Want to pray for China, but uncertain how or for what to pray? We would love to help guide you.
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