Declaration of Gospel Prayer Alliance – Background & Purpose
The church is a vessel to spread the gospel to those who do not know it. The church is the chosen place by God to fulfill God’s purpose toward the mankind by carrying out the Great Commission of Jesus Christ for his return. The church is also the place where the Holy Spirit works to make his people holy, to discipline, and to mature to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13, 5:17). However, the church in the world is still inadequate.
Challenged Jesus Christ’s Uniqueness and Authority of Scripture
In the age of religious pluralism and postmodernism, the challenge to the uniqueness of Jesus Christ is clearly shown. Even within Christianity, the universalism, the idea that we can be saved by believing any god other than God, is coming to the surface. Even among those who self-claimed evangelical Christians often doubt in the authority and inerrancy of the Scriptures, and compromise with the world regularly. The thoughts, values, worldview of believers are being shaped not by the Scriptures, rather by culture, philosophy, superstitions, or local religions. This tendency alters the life of believers by using God as a tool for “prosperity gospel,” for solving problems and fulfilling self-wishes.
Growing number of Nominal Christians
Not only in the West but throughout the Christianized countries around the world, there are growing numbers of nominal Christians who attend churches but far from living a life of a Christian. Most of the countries in Western Europe became countries need of re-evangelization. Sadly, many Christians are completely ignorant about their personal faith, genuine repentance of sin, relationship with the living God, and so on. Many nominal Christians consider the fruit of the good deeds to be the way of earning salvation, rather than praying and enjoying the priceless gift of grace from God.
Nevertheless, God’s heart toward this world continues to be poured out through his church, just as God repeatedly raised up his prophets in the Old Testament to pour out his message that must be heard by his people, even while Israel was in ruin.
So then, let us turn our attention to the churches that remain and encourage the church to stand firm as a witness to this world. Once again, let’s turn our focus to the incomplete tasks in our generation.
Increasing number of Persecuted Christians Worldwide, and the Incomplete Task
In many parts of the world, Christians are becoming the target of persecutions and are rising in numbers. The Bible warned that those believers will be hated and persecuted with sufferings by this world and not to be surprised by this. Persecution against the righteous is inevitable, and persecutions and hardships purify the church. The victorious church that overcomes death even makes the enemy fearful. Recently, in the world of Islam, many Muslims who became disgusted and disillusioned by the radical Muslims’ merciless killings and terrors are converting to Christianity. With the rapid rising of conversions, those believers are standing firm even under the severe pressure and facing death. Slow flowing stream of salvation has now turned torrential river. The unreached are 2.84 billion, making up 41.1% of the world population. For those who live in most isolated, most difficult to be evangelized areas, they need the mission of ministers called by God, and at the very least, a church must be erected for the regional people.
The Gospel Fights Back
In every critical moment in history, what God has restored was his Word (covenant, gospel). Simply, God’s people responded by obeying God’s Word and praying for its fulfillment. The result was the revival of the Kingdom of God where “God being God” is revealed. God is working for the completion of the mission among all nations where the Kingdom of God is being built. Surely, it is for the historical fulfillment of the completion of the mission that God prepared the gospel of the Cross through Jesus Christ.
Through this eternal gospel of the Cross, history has found its meaning and direction, and our individual lives also found its ultimate purpose and stability. It was only by the eternal and perfect gospel of the Cross that made love for God possible, to walk the path of living new life (life of Jesus) of obedience by trusting God. The unity of the eternal love between God and us, this is the ultimate purpose of the covenant.
Return to the Gospel
Korean churches have rapidly grown, enough to send out over 20,000 missionaries throughout the world, taking second place after United States. However, behind this outward growth, the social credibility of the Korean church is low, and is criticized for its secularization, materialization, and weakness of spirituality and faith.
It has been over 100 years since God had poured his grace on Korean peninsula for its people who were lost and struggling. However, we the descendants became like the lustful Gomer, betrayed God’s infinite grace by worshipping Baal, indulged with worldly values and rejected God.
No faithfulness, no kind love, no knowledge of God, full of swearing, lying, murder, stealing, adultery, vicious, and yet, God still loved each life in this world and decided to renew His covenant. And he commands us to proclaim his will.
Come, let us return to the Lord; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up. (Hosea 6:1)
Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.” (Hosea 6:3)
When we look at the current status of the faith of Korean churches and all nations, it is a “crisis.” However, this cannot be the conclusion. We will pledge to fight united by embracing the gospel and prayer that God prepared for the revival of the Kingdom of God and the completion of the mission. And we pronounce the declaration with the conduct of our faith and life in it.
》Prayer Topic
1. Are we satisfied with the church and the eternal life as they are, which was bought with the price of the blood of Jesus Christ who came to the world as the only son of the Creator of heaven and earth and Lord of everything? Let us stand before this question and honestly come forth to God.
2. Let’s confess that the gospel of the Cross of Jesus Christ is the only answer to every question. Let’s seek God’s mercy by confessing that the church and myself will return to God by standing before the gospel.
[Declaration of Gospel Prayer Alliance]
We declare that we are the “soldiers of gospel prayer alliance” by confessing that the “gospel” and “prayer” are the only “principle of life” we hold on to. This states that we are determined to return to God.
Let’s proclaim and meditate on “Declaration of Gospel Prayer Alliance” and pray.
[Declaration of Gospel Prayer Alliance] One!
| The Lord has called us to the complete and whole “gospel of the Cross” which is revealed in the Scriptures, surrendering our “life of self” to death with Jesus Christ and reborn with the “life of Jesus.” Luke 24:44-48/Romans 6:1-7/Romans 16:25-27/1Corinthians 1:17-24/1Corinthians 2:2/ 1 Corinthians 15:3-4/ Ephesians 1:3-14/1 Peter 1:23-25 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. (Ephesians 1:3-6) |
》Prayer Topic
Let’s reflect on the love of God and the glory of his grace. Let us sing and praise the joy of God for saving us through the gospel. Let us give everlasting gratitude and glory to Father who revealed this amazing secret to us.
[Declaration of Gospel Prayer Alliance] One!
| By this grace, we who now have become witnesses of the gospel, considering the Cross as our sole purpose and pride in life, the gospel as our all, and Lord as everything, not as nominal Christians who only confess and acknowledge the infallible gospel, but as Christians who were born again to live out the “life of Jesus” by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Galatians 6:14/ Ephesians 2:1-10/ Philippians 1:20-21/ Philippians 3:7-16/ Philippians 4:13/ Titus 1:16 But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. (Galatians 6:14) |
》Prayer Topic
The complete death of myself and to the world is evidenced through the resurrected life united in Jesus. Let’s pray for God to raise up the witnesses of the gospel who deny themselves and live in Christ, and participate in the death on the Cross and resurrection. Also, pray that God may take away all impurities that hinder our faith.
[Declaration of Gospel Prayer Alliance] One!
| The gospel of the Cross is not limited to joyfulness of myself. Therefore, we will not leave the “house of prayer” until all nations return to the Lord of all for worship and till the day when our groom, Jesus returns with a great cloud of witnesses for the New Jerusalem and for us to participate in the wedding banquet of the Lamb. Psalm 2:7-9/ Isaiah 62:6-7/ Matthew 24:14/ Matthew 28: 18-20/ Romans 10:11-15/ 1 Thessalonians 4:14/ Revelation 19:6-9/ Revelation 21:2/ Revelation 21:10 On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have set watchmen; all the day and all the night they shall never be silent. You who put the LORD in remembrance, take no rest, and give him no rest until he establishes Jerusalem and makes it a praise in the earth. (Isaiah 62:6-7) |
》Prayer Topic
God’s dream is the same as our dream who possess the life of Jesus. Let’s pray for all of this Truth to be engraved in our hearts. Let us pray that we will stand as the bride who prepares the glory of that day by becoming the house of prayer that is not silent day and night.
[Declaration of Gospel Prayer Alliance] One!
| The “gospel of the Cross” that the Triune God has completed, and the revival of the Kingdom of God and the completion of the mission where only the gospel’s glory, power, and blessings are revealed: For this gospel, we will race to the end of the earth as one by uniting unconditionally and serving each other at the Cross where I died, and Jesus lives in the name of “Gospel Prayer Alliance.” Psalm 133:1-3/ John 17:20-26/ 1 Corinthians 12:12-14/ Galatians 2:20/ Galatians 6:2/ Ephesians 4:1-6/ Ephesians 2:20-22/ Philippians 2:1-2/ Philippians 4:2/ Colossians 3:3 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. (Ephesians 4:15-16) |
》Prayer Topic
The power of the gospel has made it possible for us to become one where we could not be one. Let us keep the unity that the Holy Spirit has made, and pray while destroying Satan’s lies that promote distrust and division. Let’s also pray for the advancement of God’s Kingdom through the united Gospel Prayer Alliance in love with knowing the heart of Father God that rejoices in our unity.
[Declaration of Gospel Prayer Alliance] One!
| We declare to move forward to finish the war against Satan and the evil that makes our generation reject God and destroy humanity with sin because we believe without any doubt in the promise of the Lord’s swift return with anticipation of the Victory Flag being lifted high in the hands of the Lord. Matthew 16:28/ Matthew 24:34/ Ephesians 6:10-17/ Colossians 2:14-15/ 2 Peter 3:12a/ Revelation 17:14/ Revelation 19:11-16/ Revelation 22:10-16/ Revelation 22:20 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:10-17) |
》Prayer Topic
Let’s praise the victory of the Cross by fixing our eyes continuously on that Cross that disabled all Satan’s governing authority. Also, let us pray for God to raise us as soldiers fighting solely with the Word and prayer to confront Satan’s schemes that make us fearful through the seen situations.
》 Urgent prayer requests around the world need your prayer!
