We are focusing on baptisms this week at PromiseLand San Marcos and expect many to be baptized.  We are praying.

Why and for what reason are we lifting up prayers?

When someone is baptized, that is cause for celebration.  When many people are baptized that means the celebration is bigger.  So, we pray for many people to be baptized.

However, we are not praying for people that have not repented or surrendered to God to get wet (buried under water).  We do not want to convince people in the seats that they should all get wet in baptism because that will magically transform them.

Instead, we are praying that God’s Spirit calls people to Him. That when they are drawn to God, they see their own sin and put their faith in His power. Then, they repent before God and we will be ready for the next step…baptism. Peter commanded believers to be baptized in Acts 10.  But, he wasn’t commanding wanderers or ‘casual’ by-standers.  He was commanding people that had sincerely given their heart to God in repentance.

It is tempting to simply get as many people into the waters of baptism with whatever sales tactic we can muster up.  That way the numbers are high and we all look like winners.  We say that God has won, but all the while we like the way our church looks because many people ‘got baptized’.

As a church we are preparing for a record number of people to come to the Lord, “repent and be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of their sins” (Acts 2:38).  We want it to be the beginning of authentic conversion.

We will prepare the water, the towels, clothing, changing rooms, service schedule, and anything else humanly possible.  But, we pray that God prepares hearts!

+Robin