If you’re reading this, my guess is that you are not a kid. So, I also suspect you understand basic anatomy and sexuality. Where do babies come from? And you know how that works. So what is behind spiritual new birth?

We adamantly believe that God alone is the Lord and Giver of life and of all spiritual life. John 1:12-13: “To all who… receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 3:3-5: Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”

Jesus called it birth from above. Other parallels in the New Testament call the experience of a converted heart new creation, or even resurrection. However it occurs, from God’s side of that experience, it is purely a gift. The other companion to that — on the earthly side — is prayer.

I do not know of anyone who was ever converted who wasn’t the object of real prayer. If you think of yourself as a Christian, you may be able to name several, if not many, who prayed for your conversion. I know that I can.

This leads me to a few connected questions: 1) Do you pray for others that they would come to Christ? 2) Do you have a strategy of prayer for others, particularly for those who do not yet believe? And 3) Do you have any partnerships in those prayers, so that you team up in praying for the lost?

This coming Sunday afternoon, we will resume our 4th Sunday at 4:00 prayer meeting. Every month, we have worked to develop the habit of gathering to pray. We took off the last 2 months because of the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, but now, we’re back on schedule. And this week, our plan is to pray for those in our lives, our neighborhoods, at our workplaces, and in our families who do not yet know the saving love and power of Jesus.

We meet at 4:00 and we are done by 5:00. We’ll be in Trinity’s sanctuary, so if you are new to this meeting, at least you likely know where that is.

Think of it as an opportunity to pay it forward. If you think of yourself as a Christian, someone prayed for your salvation — and now you believe! Come join us Sunday afternoon as we pray together for the Lord to continue His gracious work of giving new birth to others still.