My 13 hopes for God’s People in 2023

I have hopes and dreams for Compelled Church, but also for God’s people, “The Church” today. I know we are made up of a whole lot of broken people recovering from a plethora of backgrounds, trauma, sin, family of origin issues, and the pressures of this world and current culture. God wants to continue to heal us and make us whole. As I read John 17, I see the heart of God and Christ for His church. May we be less divided and more in unity with each other as Christians and churches than ever before. May this be a year of great fruit for Jesus. Here are some of my hopes, prayers, and dreams.

1. I pray God’s people would make it a priority to spend time with Jesus to know him, and be like Him. (When I say this, I mean communion, prayer, silence to listen to the Holy Spirit, reading and studying God’s Word, practicing the spiritual disciplines to be transformed to be more like Jesus).
2. I pray we know we are part of a Kingdom and Jesus is the King. We are not of this world and it’s godless systems, just part of it for a season.
3. I pray and hope we would stop attacking and condemning each other over petty beliefs and pet doctrines. That spiritual arrogance and judgmental legalism would cease and we would work together for the Gospel and stop being distracted and angry gossiping, slandering and hurting each other.
4. I hope and pray we would be a people of of greater Compassion.
5. I hope and pray we would be a people filled with the Holy Spirit and have the loving courage to live our faith publicly.
6. I hope and pray we would encourage the next generation to give their lives to missions, pastoring, church planting, and full-time ministry as spiritual leaders. I don’t believe God is calling less young people to his full time service than in years past.
7. I hope we stop judging other peoples walk with Jesus and their spirituality.
8. I hope and pray we would have joy in Jesus. That our joy would not be dependent on circumstances and things.
9. I hope and pray we continue to be generous sending missionaries, funding church plants, helping other ministers and our local church will continue with greater urgency.
10. I hope and pray and we are known for our love for Jesus and everyone else. I don’t mean in just word, but also action and treatment.
11. I pray and hope The Shepherds and pastors would be encouraged and not quit when attacked, stay close to Jesus during struggles, stay the course when judged and not backdown when in despair. May God help us to lead in faith. I pray when we are so busy, that we will still take our time with Jesus and grow in our interior life. That we will take our Sabbath, to help us stay the course and finish well.
12. I pray God’s people would have a burden for those lost, and have compassion on those that are perishing.
13. I pray we would live in our true identity in Christ and who Christ is in us, not being known for what group or ideology we are part of that is of this world.

Let me close with the words of Jesus in John 17 are powerful.

““They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.“Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.“As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.“For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.“I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word;that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.” (John 17:16–21, NASB95)