I Corinthians 10:31 “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”
Matthew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
Matthew 22:37-38 “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment”
In the midst of wildly successful revival meetings, there were strong pressures to make the 1857 Prayer Meeting Revival into something more, diverting them from their primary mission. Yet, Jeremiah Lanphier and the other leaders kept the focus on where it needed to be – a time for prayer, renewal, and evangelization. Specifically, they committed themselves to the following:
“The glory of Christ, the progress of his kingdom, the wants of perishing souls, the need of the Holy Spirit, the desirableness of greater consecration to the Master – these and kindred themes furnished sufficient occupation to mind and heart.”
This past week, we rightfully celebrated Veteran’s Day, honoring those who have sacrificially served our great nation. Yet, this day provided a chance to celebrate another set of veterans: those who braved the 66-day journey across the rugged northern Atlantic ocean in 1620 to come to the new world. On November 11th, these pilgrims found themselves within the safety of Cape Cod. Before setting foot on dry ground, realizing that there would come strong pressures that could divert them from their primary mission, they codified their mission statement in our nation’s first constitution – the Mayflower Compact. Similar to Lanphier’s mission, it started with the following reminder of the purpose of their voyage: “for the Glory of God, and advancement of the Christian faith and honor of our King and Country.”
PLEASE PRAY THAT AMERICAN CHRISTIANS WOULD REFOCUS OURSELVES BACK TO OUR PRIMARY MISSION FOR CHRIST. We are placed here in this land and this time to bring glory to Christ, progress His kingdom, meet the wants of perishing souls and the needs of the Holy Spirit, and to be molded for greater consecration to the Master. We are here for the Glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith. Any other focus prompted by the strong pressures around us is a diversion from our primary mission!
ADMIN NOTE: The quote about the 1857 Prayer Revival above is from the Talbot Chambers book “The New York City Noon Prayer Meeting: A Simple Gathering That Changed the World.”
