Pray With Me

I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me

                           John 17:20-23

 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.  Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.  Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.  Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.

                           Romans 12:12-16

We are now in November, almost six months into a pandemic for which there may be some relief in the form of a vaccination sometime next year, but there are no guarantees that everyone is going to even get the vaccine. This pandemic has taken a toll on everyone, regardless of whether one chooses to admit it or not. Add to that the political upheaval the presidential election has caused, as well as the difficulties exacerbated by health concerns, financial woes, plus other stressors, and you have a ground that are quite ripe for the seeds of division to be sown, even within the body of Christ. The enemy has had a field day poking his proverbial finger into people, causing a maelstrom of angst, hurt, and heightened sensitivities. I have been sensing that angst for a while, across a variety of different groups of folks I interact with, and I have been praying for those different groups, both individually and corporately.

I am now calling on you to join me. It’s not that I don’t think that my prayers are effective, because they are – James 5:16b tells us that “The effective prayer of a righteous person has great power.” I am asking you to join me because of the effect prayer has on you and on those for whom you pray.

If you are hesitant to join me because you are unsure of how to pray, allow me to allay your fears. There are prayer models (mnemonics that will help you remember how to pray) like ACTS: Adoration (praising God for who and how He is), Confession (repenting of those sins you committed, and asking Him to reveal those secret sins you didn’t realize you had and asking forgiveness for them), Thanksgiving (thanking Him for what He has done for, in, and through you), and lastly Supplication (presenting requests to Him on behalf of others and yourself). Or you can use the Lord’s Prayer as a framework. However you to choose to pray, just do it. Spend time with our Almighty God—sincere, unadulterated time with Him—and He will honor it.

Join me in praying for the following:

·      For our Pastor: Lord, I lift up Pastor Wayne to You. Thank You for His servant’s heart that offers so much love to You and to Your sheep. Uplift and protect him during these unprecedented times. Help him continue to deliver the messages You want us to hear, and be with him as he goes through the process of becoming an ordained Cumberland Presbyterian minister. Thank you for bringing him to our church! We thank You also for Jody and her sacrifice, love, and support.

·      For our Worship leader and Youth Director: Lord, we are thankful for your work in Skylar’s life and ministry. Continue to watch over him and his bride Erica, as they dive into building those ministries that You brought him to Stone Oak Church for. Thank You for his passion and love for You.

·      For our Session: Lord, it is a challenging job to be an active elder, as it is purely a volunteer workforce! Give them the direction to make the decisions that are accordance to Your will and the wisdom to curate the spiritual health of the congregation.

·      For behind-the-scenes workers: Lord, we are so very thankful to have those who are willing to give of their time and talents, all of which run the gamut in their service to You and this church. Continue to fill them with joy as they serve You, and add to their numbers, if it is Your will, so that they do not become burdened in their service

·      For the lost among us: Lord, if there are people who sit among us who are lost, we pray that their hearts, ears, and eyes would be opened by the Holy Spirit through Your inspired Word, preaching, and the love of the body of Christ. Use us, please, to present the gospel to them and to those in this world who need to know Christ.

·      For connection: Lord, these are tremendously challenging times. There are members of Your body who are hurting, who are feeling disengaged and forgotten, and may not feel like they are a part of Your church right now. We praise You for what You’ve accomplished thus far from a technology point of view and sharing the service, meetings, Sunday School and the like; please show us what else we can do engage our brothers and sisters who are unable to fellowship in person.  

·      For unity: Lord, the turbulent times we’re in right now are a breeding ground for the seeds of division. Help us to empathize with each other; help us to understand the impacts of the words that we use and how they might be interpreted or misconstrued; help us to assume positive intent in all things. Protect us from the fiery darts of the enemy whose sole purpose is to divide and distract us from true worship of You by pitting us against each other.

Friends, this is not an exhaustive list. These are those things the Lord has put on my heart right now, the heaviest being the last two. Those two have been on my heart for a while, and I’ve struggled with how to even address and share them with you, especially when I don’t have a silver bullet fix for them? The Lord, in His abundant wisdom, patience, and love, led me to understand that although He made me a problem solver, there are some things that I can’t solve alone. Hence the need to involve you guys—the body of Christ—and ultimately Him, the One to Whom we will pray.

This concept is a work in progress—I reserve the right to continue to add to the list as the Lord leads, so watch out for possible sequels to this devotional topic.

Quotes

“Prayer does not change God, but it changes him who prays." - Soren Kierkegaard

“Church isn’t about where you meet, how often you meet, or how many or what types of songs you sing. It’s about coming together as a family of believers in Christ and worshiping the God of the universe.”