Thinking ahead...

It's almost right around the corner!!! Do you have your VBS already planned? Do you have an outreach strategy? Let's share themes and ideas!

Praying for a blessing

When I was the leader of a ladies' prayer group a few years ago, I ran across a most helpful little tool. We, as Christian ladies who let our lights shine in the darkness around us, are often approached by someone groping for the light and asking for prayer. These dear ones may come to present a need in their own life, but more often, they come to ask you to pray for someone who is close to them and hurting. Sometimes we are given the reasons behind the request, sometimes not. In those cases, how do you send prayers heavenward that would seem to be "effectual and fervent?" Let me share something with you that was so helpful to me.By asking God to "bless" this person, I tried to follow an acrostic for the word and pray for the individual in 5 different areas of their life.

First, I would pray for their physical needs or the needs represented in their Body. Many times, that is the main reason for the request.

Next, I would pray for God to help them in their Labors. It seems during these tough times, we are praying for many to be able to find or keep their jobs!

As we continue in prayer, it is so important to ask for God to intervene in the Emotional avenue of their lives. It is so sad to see people consumed in sadness that turns to bitterness. Our emotions can be so fragile at times. We are continually running to the Lord for strength and help. When He holds us up, we can begin to rest in His care.

When praying for the 1st "S" in bless, I try to think about the Christians who might be a friend to this person -- those in their Social circle. You know, the Apostle Paul seemed to stress prayer for the Christians and their influence -- more than prayer for sinners. I had a friend who was called away to care for her unsaved daughter in a distant city. I prayed much for the daughter, then I became aware of Paul's admonitions, and started to pray even more for my friend and her influence in that home. When I told my friend about how I felt led to pray for her, it really seemed to bring a lot of encouragement to her.

Last, but most importantly, we should remember to pray for the Spiritual needs of those brought to our prayer list. They may be fully commited to the Lord, yet still have struggles and battles that we know nothing about! We also know that if this person doesn't know the Lord, how can they come to Him if the Holy Spirit does not woo them? How can the Holy Spirit reach out to them if we don't intercede?

When I shared this acrostic with the ladies in our prayer group, I printed it out on a bookmark they could keep in their Bible. Maybe this will be helpful to someone who is looking for a boost in the place of prayer.

Happy New Year!

Hello once again, Ladies. I trust you all had a wonderful holiday season, and are now settled into the new routine of 2010! I want to share something with you that really struck a chord in my heart. If you know me very well, you know how much I admire Oswald Chambers' book My Utmost for His Highest. Today's reading is exceptional! I will not even try to build on it, but I thought it was good food for thought - especially as we look forward to the next highlight on the calendar - Valentine's Day!

RECALL WHAT GOD REMEMBERS
"I remember . . . the kindness of thy youth." Jeremiah 2:2
Am I as spontaneously kind to God as I used to be, or am I only expecting God to be kind to me? Am I full of the little things that cheer His heart over me, or am I whimpering because things are going hardly with me? There is no joy in the soul that has forgotten what God prizes. It is a great thing to think that Jesus Christ has need of me - "Give Me to drink." How much kindness have I shown Him this past week? Have I been kind to His reputation in my life?

God is saying to His people - You are not in love with Me now, but I remember the time when you were - "I remember . . . the love of thine espousals." Am I as full of the extravagance of love to Jesus Christ as I was in the beginning, when I went out of my way to prove my devotion to Him? Does He find me recalling the time when I did not care for anything but Himself? Am I there now, or have I become wise over loving Him? Am I so in love with Him that I take no account of where I go? or am I watching for the respect due to me; weighing how much service I ought to give?

If, as I recall what God remembers about me, I find He is not what He used to be to me, let it produce shame and humiliation, because that shame will bring the godly sorrow that works repentance.

This was obtained from the website www.myutmost.org, where you can go for the daily readings. This may only require 5 minutes to read, but it gives you meat you can chew on all day long! May God help our lives to be saturated with Christ throughout this coming year.