Monday, February 15, 2010

To Change the World Campaign though Five Core Principles Part 7

Throughout my years of being in the Church, including Sunday School, Sunday morning sermons, small groups and Wednesday night services, I cannot think of one instance where someone offered up a prayer for Hollywood and the entertainment industry, whether that was for Christians working in the business or for nonbelievers to come to know Christ. Quite frankly, the entire concept of praying for Hollywood has not been a priority or even on the radar screen. But if Hollywood as we talked about earlier is the most influential mission field, why aren’t we praying? Prayer is the foundation of the Christian faith. Without prayer nothing happens. We must invite God to do His work in this world (Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven – Matthew 6:10.)

I think it is safe to say that prayer is the game changer.

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Philippians 4:6

Never stop praying. 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. James 5:16

I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. Matthew 18:19

You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.” Matthew 21:22

Matthew 21:22 says that you can pray for anything. That includes Hollywood, which brings us to our fourth principle.

Principle Four – Prayer is the foundation of the Christian faith. Without prayer, nothing is possible. Christianity currently faces a media crisis. Therefore, we must pray for both Christians and nonbelievers working in Hollywood and the broader entertainment industry as well as all other media fields. We must pray for God’s Kingdom to become a reality in the entertainment industry.

Of all of the five principles, prayer or the fourth principle is the most important. So why didn’t I make prayer the first principle? Because we won’t pray for Hollywood unless we understand why we need to. First, Unless we accept the first principle that we are currently in a media crisis and must be part of the solution, we will not pray for Hollywood. Second, if we won’t take the time to become media literate and understand the power and influence of media, we won’t pray for Hollywood. Third, if we are not willing to accept Hollywood as a valid mission field and recognize it as the world’s most influential mission field, we won’t pray for Hollywood.

The first three principles help us to understand why we must pray for Hollywood. They give us the motivation to act and become part of the solution. Can you imagine what would happen if every Christian would start to pray for Hollywood on a daily basis? Do you think we would see a change? Can you imagine God’s Spirit moving in Hollywood and throughout the entertainment industry? Can you imagine the impact of actors receiving Christ? This is not fantasy. It could happen if we choose for it to happen. Every Christian has a part to play in solving our media crisis. That part for all of us is to pray.

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