RENEW

The call to renewal:

Come, hope-filled prisoners.
Take off your dirty rags,
Toss your sins away
And allow God to clothe you anew
In fine garments.
As we gather to pray today
We acknowledge that you are
At work renewing us
As we submit to you in obedience.
May we never despise the day of small things
But acknowledge you as Lord of all the earth.

The need for renewal:

In Zechariah 3, we see the picture of the High Priest Joshua standing in his filthy clothes. The angel of God tells him to take them off and instead to be dressed in the fine garments God supplies. Renewal requires taking off the garments of a previous way of life and embracing what God has for us. Notice that in this process, the prerogative is on Joshua to obey. As a result, he will find his place in God’s service and witness the renewal of the land. This is reflected throughreconciled relationships and the extending of hospitality (3:10). Leaders who are committed to renewal will be able to lead others to safety.

A prayer for renewal:

• Pray for the leaders in your local church, in light of Zechariah 3&4. Pray the words of 4:6 for them, that they willrely not on their own strength, but on the Holy Spirit.
• Although we may feel like the ‘day of small things’ (4:10) describes our ministry, pray for a sense of God at work and a renewed perspective on the local and global ministries..
• Spend time focusing on Psalm 139:23-24 and the image of taking off the filthy clothes to dress anew in God’s garments.