As we devoted last week to prayer, we were seeking God to worship Him and pray for the year ahead, but also expectant that God would speak to us prophetically. Over the week God spoke often to us and I’ve tried to organise the words into four themes. We haven’t captured everything, so let me know if there’s something important we’ve not recorded.
Loving One Another
Undoubtedly, the biggest theme that came through often during the week was the theme of loving one another. Since God is Trinity, the Father has loved the Son eternally. And God’s love overflowed to us in creation and salvation. Therefore, as followers of Christ, we must love one another within the Church.
On Monday evening, Jeff brought a call to love others within CCF how God loves us. Maybe the challenge for 2025 is how do we love each other more. Love isn’t just a fuzzy emotion. It is loving through service and sacrifice. A direct challenge of how can we show love over the next few weeks?
Jackie shared a picture of a pond with a huge lily pad in the middle. In the middle of this was a brown bud that looks ugly, but it opens up to be a beautiful white lily. And Ann brought an interpretation of this being a picture of CCF, focusing more and more on the love of God, such that our love for another becomes beautiful like a lily. And then the pond around the flower being impacted positively as well.
Wendy shared 1 Peter 4:8, that love covers a multitude of sins. She added “I told my children growing up I don’t get everything right, but I do love you.” So we won’t be perfect, but must do our best to love one another.
Beverley read 1 John 5:3. Love is a command and God’s commands are not burdensome but that doesn’t mean it isn’t difficult at times.
We heard and responded to these words praying that God would help us through His Holy Spirit to love one another better in 2025.
The words on this theme continued throughout the week. Temi shared a word “I was reminded of the waterfall in Zimbabwe, Victoria Falls. It was so vast, and you could hear it from miles away. One day I asked a local if it ever runs dry and they surprised me by saying yes it does. God’s love is like the waterfall in its vastness but different in that it never runs dry.”
Richie felt God saying 2025 will be a season of giving ourselves, as an expression of our love. Who are we going to give ourselves to?
Loving People Outside the Church
There were also several prophecies calling us to be more radically loving to those outside the Church, especially those who are less well off than many of us in the Church.
Graham shared an exhortation to look for people to love. Love by its very nature looks for things to love. God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – has demonstrated this in His love for us and World. Let’s look for things to love.
Steph was reminded of Jesus touching the leper and stirred to think who are excluded or on the fringes of society who we will reach out too.
Lori was reminded of Jackie Pullinger loving the worthless gang members in HK.
I brought a word and prayer from Isaiah 25:4 about God “being a stronghold for the poor” and therefore a hope and challenge that CCF would become like our God in being a place of refuge for the poor.
Encouragements for Evangelism
There are a number of words which encourage us for evangelism and give us hope that God will do amazing work in reaching the lost around us this year.
Graham said:
“The word I had was “2025 will be a year of high tides” – I saw waves washing in: only small, gentle ones, almost caressing, but insistent, persistent, unstoppable as the water continued to rise; the unstoppable love and power of God at work, overtopping and circumventing human resistance. A year of softening of hearts – unexpected people, that you might not think would be receptive. A year to be bold, and to be surprised by what God is already doing, and will do.
Andi shared:
“I also had a picture as we were praying. We have been studying Isaiah and today was this passage which is one through which God has spoken to me many times.
“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.
3 You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy;
they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest,”
“I saw a thick dark grey cloud over us but as I watched holes appeared and suddenly the light was shining through as spotlights over the whole land. The light shone in unexpected places on unexpected people. They were surprised by the light but stood up in response and turned to the source with excitement and expectation. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it”
Dayo shared that CCF would become a place where people experience the manifest presence of God. he said “To get a wireless signal you need a 2nd hotspot. God wants to make this place a hotspot.” A day later Dayo received a 2nd picture with different people sending signals. The Lord said “many have lost direction and he is upgrading different centres to bring direction to peoples lives.” He linked this to Psalm 119:105.
Jason shared that the start of 2025 was a “Commissioning” moment, as we say “Here I am. Send me!” from Isaiah 6. It’s a moment to go deeper with God, as individuals and together, as we reach out for Him.
Joy
At our Leaders Meeting just before the week of prayer, Lori shared a picture of the leaders in CCF riding a banana boat, having a great time. The joy we shared was infectious, leading to many others on the shore wanting to dive in and get involved.
On Monday evening, Jackie was reminded of her when the choir director often asks “are you happy? Well tell your face that.”
I felt therefore there was an encouragement to seek joy and express it outwardly more and more.
Heavenly Father, thank you for speaking to us. Increase our love for one another in CCF. As you have loved us, help us love one another better this year. May each of us take real practical steps to show love to the Church. Help us love others as well. May we reach and welcome many people, especially the poor and needy into the Church. May we look for people who need loving and reach out. Please give us doors of opportunity to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ this year. I pray your light would shine in many dark and unexpected places and the tide of live and faith in Jesus would rise higher and higher this year. Give us the joy of the Lord as a Church and may many see our love for each other and joy in serving you and may that be infectious to grow the Kingdom I pray. Amen.
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