Joining Hearts & Hands in Prayer

Thursday, May 3, 2012

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord”
- Psalm 33:12

Did you know:  The National Day of Prayer was founded 61 years ago to remind us that our true solid foundation is from God and His Word. Every President since the early 1950’s has signed a National Day of Prayer proclamation. And records indicate there have been 965 state and federal calls for national prayer since 1775 and counting.

Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States, is quoted as saying, “It is fit and becoming in all people, at all times, to acknowledge and revere the Supreme Government of God; to bow in humble submission to its chastisement; to confess and deplore their sins and transgressions in the full conviction that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; and to pray, with all fervency and contrition, for the pardon of past offenses, and a blessing upon their present and prospective action.”

Some people may argue the fact, but prayer is an important element of our country’s well-being. The power of prayer should never be under-estimated. James 5:16-18 tells us,

“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.”

God listens to prayers, answers prayers, and moves in response to prayers. Here are just a few of the prayers we can pray for our country:

• Pray for President Obama and his Cabinet as they deal with domestic issues like the economy and immigration

• Pray about the manner in which government uses taxpayer dollars

• Pray for the judges and justices in our nations’ courts as they rule on constitutional issues

• Pray for those in Congress who are looking for means of both increasing revenue and reducing expenses

• Pray for our military – those in the U.S. and in foreign countries, and their families

Father, thank You for the United States and its government. I pray for the president, the national and local government, the judges, the policemen, the business leaders and all those who are in leadership positions in this country. Please protect them from the evil that is in the world and keep them safe and free from all harm.

You have promised to bless any nation that follows after You. Help us to live quiet and peaceful lives so that we can continue to spread the Good News of the Gospel throughout our land. In Jesus’ name. Amen.  (from Presidential Prayer Team)

Mark your calendars and make plans now.  Let’s join our hearts and hands together in prayer ... One Nation Under God.   Peace & Love, Donna Weaver

Links for more information on the National Day of Prayer:
http://nationaldayofprayer.org/
http://www.presidentialprayerteam.com/national-day-of-prayer/

Life is Fragile, Handle with Prayer

 “Commit your actions to the LORD,

and your plans will succeed”

- Proverbs 16:3

The New Year is underway and hopefully we’ve all got our “one word,” resolutions, or goals defined. The easy part is done.

This weekend I read something and realized the long journey is just beginning. The revelation was “Deep prayer – real communication with God not only changes things, but it changes us from the inside out!”  Changing from the inside out is a slow process. It doesn’t just happen in the blink of an eye!

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I get so excited about the possibility of something good happening, I forget that hard work and dedication are also involved. And once again I am reminded why my word for this year is self-discipline (ie. will-power, restraint, strength of mind, discipline, self-control). It’s amazing how one word, a simple change, or a new goal can affect every area of your life. I already know that my prayer life, Christian study, health, finances, relationships, my school work, my home, and the work the Lord has called me to, will be affected. I’m beginning to think this might end up being a five-year plan.

I can’t do this (alone) ... BUT with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).

No matter what plans we have, or commitments we’ve made, we need to lay it all before the Lord. And that does not mean asking for a one-time blessing - it means communicating with Him daily.

Pray without ceasing.

We need to pour our heart out - asking God to reveal new things, to give us perseverance and steadfastness in our 2012 journey, AND we need to take time to listen.

Here are a few Tips for Praying, that will help us remain committed to our challenge for this year:

• As we continue reading and studying God’s word, we need to gain a deeper understanding of our commitment (word, resolution, goals) in relation to its context in the Bible. Pray for clarity. God gives understanding to those who seek Him (Psalm 53:2). “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5).

• Let God know how serious you are about your commitment.  Ask Him to search your heart, your thoughts, desires, and actions (Psalm 139:23). “Those who seek the Lord abide in Him” (Psalm 119:45).

• Use the promises found in God’s word, as prayers spoken back to Him. He loves nothing more than for us to meditate on His word, store it in our heart, and put our trust in Him. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

• God has a plan for us and whatever happens, He is in control. Pray that this year will be all about what He will do in and through you. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11).

Three hundred and sixty five days is a long time to walk alone on any kind of journey. A lonely traveler could get discouraged, lost or harmed ... but we are blessed. We know the One who offers words of encouragement, the Shepherd who can guide us along the path, and the Protector who can keep us safe and remove obstacles. He has given us PROMISES for such times as this!

Seek Him Daily (and BELIEVE).
God’s Peace, Donna Weaver

Easter Eggs and Holy Boldness

“The story of Easter is the story of God's

wonderful window of divine surprise.” - Carl Knudsen

Easter is one of those times for me that brings back such fun childhood memories. We have seven kids in our family and when we were growing up, we loved to color eggs. There was lots of laughter and creativity, and when we were finished we looked as colorful as our eggs. The result was baskets loaded full of eggs of every color of the rainbow. One of my favorite parts of the process was writing on an egg with a white crayon and then dipping the egg in coloring so the words would magically appear. I always let my eggs soak extra long so that the colors ended up being very bold, but some of my brothers and sisters preferred to make theirs pastel colors.  Thank God for individuality.... the results were so beautiful!

A few weeks ago I wrote about Lent being a time of preparation... not only for Easter but for the fulfillment of God’s promises. The first step in my Lenten journey began with some questions of “Self Reflection.” As I have been examining the changes that I have been working on this year, I praise God that I am not in the same place I started, but also thank Him for opening my eyes to the areas where I still need work.

The second step in my journey of preparation has been my “Prayer Life.”  Second Corinthians 13:5 tells us to “Test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the faith. Don't drift along taking everything for granted. Give yourselves regular checkups. You need firsthand evidence, not mere hearsay, that Jesus Christ is in you. Test it out. If you fail the test, do something about it.” What I know for sure is that God is faithful to hear my prayers. I also understand that the purpose of prayer should go beyond my own personal daily struggles.

As I was thinking back to our family baskets of Easter eggs, the words “Holy Boldness” came to mind. David Wilkerson, founder of World Challenge Inc., had this to say about Holy Boldness, “The more someone is with Jesus, the more that person becomes like Christ, in purity, holiness and love. In turn, his pure walk produces in him a great boldness for God.”

Just as I chose bold colors for my eggs, I am reminded that God is calling me to be bold like Jesus. Boldness doesn’t require an education or degree, but it relies on one’s ability to stand firm in their beliefs. Ephesians 3:12 says, “In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.” This verse reassures me that I can go to Him in prayer, anytime...  how awesome, but if I say I am a Christian and I am secure in my identity in Christ, I need to remember that He hasn’t given me a spirit of fear, but one of power through my faith in Christ. So, these days I am using my Lenten devotions to draw me closer to God and also praying that He will help me step out in faith, to share the celebration of Resurrection with others. My prayer is that as I am fixing my eyes and thoughts on my Savior, I will be filled with a peace-ful spirit that is ready to choose Holy Boldness.

May your week be filled with blessings as we share Christ’s journey to the cross.
God’s Peace, Donna Weaver

Prayer: Lord, Teach me to walk with the confidence of Your Spirit's power.
Make me a humble servant that will speak out boldly as the witness
You have called me to  be. Help me to recognize and resist
Satan's efforts to obstruct me.  May You be glorified in all that I do.  Amen.