Author: Tom

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Giving THANKS — Give SELF!

This is the sixth and final part of  the “Giving THANKS” sermon series that I am preaching on Sunday evenings at the Deer Run Church of Christ. So far we have looked at messages of “Give TIME”,  “Give HONOR”, “Give ACTS”, “Give NOW!”, and “Give What You KNOW”.  The final sermon of the series was, “Give SELF!”.

God gave me the framework for this sermon series on the drive to work a few weeks ago and now He is giving me the opportunity to preach it!  Paul writes in second Thessalonians 4:16-18, “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  We are never told to be thankful for all circumstances, but we are told to be thankful in all circumstances.  As we approach a season of Thanksgiving followed by the Christmas holiday, many people turn to thoughts of thankfulness and giving.  This series will give you some great tips on being thankful and some great gift ideas as you give thanks not only to God, but also to the people in your life!

As we wrap up this series on giving thanks, we finish with the very core of our ability to give true thanks, giving self!  When we give Time, Honor, Acts, Notice, and what we Know, we do so with integrity when we give them as a part of our self.

We give thanks when we give Sacrificially!  David understood this important concept when he stated he would not offer to God that which cost him nothing.  How much we are willing to sacrifice for something, or someone, is a pretty good indication of the value we place on the item or that relationship.  True thanks are given when we are willing to set aside, or give, something of value or importance to us for the benefit of the recipient of our thanks.

We give thanks when we give Extra!  While at first it may seem like the same thing, giving extra does not necessarily mean we need to sacrifice anything.  When I think of giving extra, I think of giving more than is requested or needed.  Peter and John did this as they were passing by a lame man.  The man requested help — the only help he could imagine was money to get him through another day so this is what he was seeking.  Yet Peter and John gave extra — they gave the man the gift of healing through the name of Jesus Christ!  We give thanks when we live with a “and then some” attitude — going above and beyond to not only give what is requested but to look for the real need and give the extra.

We give thanks when we give Last!  Are you a person who always has to have the last word?  Can you imagine how things could change if everyone lived with that same drive to be the last to give?  So often we give to people in ways that help maintain the status quo, keeping us even.  Jesus says that if we give to people based on their ability to give back, we are no better than those of the world that are not in relationship with Him.  When we seek to give last, we seek to give in ways that cannot be repaid.

We give thanks when we give First!  While this sounds like a contradiction to the previous point, we must also give first!  The ultimate example of this is the fact that we know what love is because God first loved us!  We also learn that in the matter of giving self, the Macedonians exceeded Paul’s expectations as they gave themselves first fully to God.  When we start out by giving ourself fully to God then the rest of our giving catapults to a new level.  The Macedonians could give generously out of their extreme poverty and hardship because everything they were giving was not their’s, but God’s.  When we first give ourself fully to God, we are able to give thanks to others using all of God’s resources that He has allowed us to be stewards of because it is then that we recognize that we can give only because He first gave to us.

I pray that you and I are living lives that give SELF to God and then to others!  I pray that our thanks is expressed as we give self through giving  of Sacrificially, Extra, Last, and First!

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Pure In Attitude

This is part of a series of writings I am working on to expand the post I published earlier, Pure In HEART.  This series will be taking a more detailed look at each point of that post.  Today I look at part three, Pure in Attitude.

Again, the seeds for this series came from God through a song that took up residence in my mind for the better part of a week.  🙂   I think the song may be titled, “Highway To Heaven”, but the line that stuck with me is, “it’s a highway to heaven . . . none can go up there . . . but the pure in heart . . . well, it’s a highway to heaven . . . walking on the King’s highway!”

The phrase that continually jumped out at me was the idea of “pure in heart“.  I believe God has given me another acrostic to provide the framework for a sermon He has been giving me — and thus a series of writings.  What does it mean to be pure in heart?  I want to look at five areas that should help lead us toward being pure in heart and I begin with this post focused on the attitude we live with and view life through.

“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”  Ephesians 4:22-24 (NIV)

We’ve all probably said it at some time or at least heard it said, “Boy, do they have an attitude!”.  How many times have you heard a parent, or someone else, say, “Drop the attitude now or you’re going to find yourself in big trouble!”?  Typically when we think about attitude or talk about attitude, more often than not it is going to involve a bad attitude.  Is that because they are more common, more noticeable, more in need of correction, some other reason, or some combination of several reasons?  The reason for a bad attitude isn’t all that important — the important part is what will I do to replace it!

God says that when we become His child, part of getting rid of the old self is to take on a new attitude in our mind — to become pure in attitude!  How do we do that?  Our new attitude comes when we commit to a diligent pursuit of “out with the old, in with the new”.  We escape being conformed to the attitude of this world when we are transformed by a renewing of our mind.  As we consider what we have through a growing relationship with Jesus Christ, we should be compelled to examine the attitude we live life with and the attitude we view others through.

Paul writes to the Philippians that because of all that we have through being united with Christ we should not only look to our own interest, but be concerned with the interest of others as well.  He says to do this our attitude needs to be the same as that of Christ Jesus.  We must allow the renewing of our mind to replace our worldly, selfish attitude with a Christ-like, serving attitude.  We grow in purity of attitude when we willingly humble ourself and take on the role of a servant to those around us.  Being a servant is not that unusual — most of us are in that role at least at times in our life.  The big question for this discussion is what attitude do we carry into that role?  God calls us to be pure in attitude and serve others with a willing and humble heart.  It is this type of pure attitude that portrays the nature of Jesus to a world that is in desperate need of a true relationship with God that can only be found through Him.

So, how’s your attitude?  Are you allowing your attitude to be transformed by a renewing of your mind by God’s Spirit?  Do you willingly humble yourself and serve others with a pure attitude?  I pray that you and I would pursue God faithfully and be found “pure in HEART” because we have paid attention to purity in our Humor, Eyes, Attitude, Relationships, and Teaching!

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Giving THANKS — Give What You KNOW!

This is part five of  the “Giving THANKS” sermon series that I am preaching on Sunday evenings at the Deer Run Church of Christ. So far we have looked at messages of “Give TIME”,  “Give HONOR”, “Give ACTS”, and “Give NOW!”.  The fifth message was, “Give What You KNOW”.

God gave me the framework for this sermon series on the drive to work a few weeks ago and now He is giving me the opportunity to preach it!  Paul writes in second Thessalonians 4:16-18, “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  We are never told to be thankful for all circumstances, but we are told to be thankful in all circumstances.  As we approach a season of Thanksgiving followed by the Christmas holiday, many people turn to thoughts of thankfulness and giving.  This series will give you some great tips on being thankful and some great gift ideas as you give thanks not only to God, but also to the people in your life!

When it comes to giving thanks, it is always appropriate to share what you have.  One area of sharing that can be difficult for a variety of reasons is to give what you know!  Sometimes others just don’t want to hear it.  Perhaps it is hard to give what you know without coming across as being very arrogant.  Other times it doesn’t get done because we’ve never stopped to think about it — we don’t really know what we know.  🙂  In this article, I want to look at a passage of scripture and examine four components of what you should know and how to give what you KNOW to others!

“If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion,  then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.  Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.  Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.” 
Philippians 2:1-5 (NIV)

Paul writes to the Philippians, and to us, and essentially says since you know what you know, then do something positive about it!  I will look at them in a different order so it fits my outline word, but here is what Paul says you KNOW as a child of God — and some ways to give what you KNOW!

You give what you KNOW when you give Kindness!  Is there any greater kindness than knowing the comfort of Christ’s love?  Where would you be without the kindness of God’s mercy and grace?  Sometimes it is easy to forget just how great a kindness God has bestowed upon us in extending the comfort of His love.  For some reason, many of us reach a point where we begin to think we deserve God’s love and He is lucky to have us on His side.  Nothing could be further from the truth!  We receive comfort from God’s love when we recognize we don’t deserve any of it, yet we accept it as offered.  When we know that kindness, then it is imperative that we give that type of kindness to others.  We take on the same attitude as Christ Jesus when we extend kindness to people who we think don’t deserve it.

You give what you KNOW when you give Nurturing!  In our relationship with Jesus, God has sought us out with a great tenderness and compassion (as well as the necessary discipline) that is the ultimate example of nurturing.  God loves us so much that He’s not content to allow us to remain infants our entire Christian life.  When we spend time with God, He purposes to nurture us into growing and productive Christians.  When we begin or walk with Christ, He provides the tenderness and compassion that is necessary for us to grow from our infancy in Christ to a mature disciple.  No “three strikes and your out” with God!  When we know the nurturing of our relationship with Christ, then He calls us to be involved as His servants in nurturing others.  We take on the same attitude as Christ Jesus when we nurture the infant Christians around us with the same tenderness, compassion, and patience that Christ nurtures us with.

You give what you KNOW when you give Oneness!  To walk in step with the will of God through our being united with Christ brings us into a oneness with Him that should be the greatest encouragement ever.  The age-old question of how do I know the will of God is best answered by the all-consuming response, “Know God!”.  The more we pursue an intimate relationship with God, the more we walk in a fully surrendered unity, or oneness, with Him.  The prayer of Jesus is that all believers would be one in Him just as He and the Father are one.  This oneness only comes when we de-value our opinions and center our words and actions in God’s Word and the truth that is Jesus Christ.  We take on the same attitude as Christ Jesus when we empty ourself in order to live and share a oneness with God that extends a call to the same oneness with others.

You give what you KNOW when you give Wonder!  I don’t believe that anyone could ever experience a greater wonder than God living in them!  We experience this wonder fully when we continually walk by, and have fellowship with, the Spirit.  I don’t know if you’ve thought about it lately, but when I think about God moving in — about Him taking up residence through His Spirit in me — I just say, “Wow!”.  You know yourself and I know myself which makes the thought of God willingly and deliberately living in me one of the greatest wonders of all time!  I don’t know how He does it, but I know the wonder of a God who has chosen to take up residence in me through His Spirit.  We give what we know when we give the wonder of God’s Spirit living in us to all people.  If He can find a way to live in me, He can find a way to live in anyone who would choose to have Him.  We take on the same attitude as Christ Jesus when we open our eyes to the people around us and give the wonder of living in fellowship with God’s Spirit.

I pray that you and I are living lives that give what we KNOW to God and to others!  I pray that our thanks is expressed as we give what we know through our giving  of Kindness, Nurturing, Oneness, and Wonder!

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Giving THANKS — Give NOW!

This is part four of  the “Giving THANKS” sermon series that I am preaching on Sunday evenings at the Deer Run Church of Christ. So far we have looked at messages of “Give TIME”,  “Give HONOR” and “Give ACTS”.  The fourth message was, “Give NOW!”.

God gave me the framework for this sermon series on the drive to work a few weeks ago and now He is giving me the opportunity to preach it!  Paul writes in second Thessalonians 4:16-18, “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  We are never told to be thankful for all circumstances, but we are told to be thankful in all circumstances.  As we approach a season of Thanksgiving followed by the Christmas holiday, many people turn to thoughts of thankfulness and giving.  This series will give you some great tips on being thankful and some great gift ideas as you give thanks not only to God, but also to the people in your life!

It has been said that the road to hell is paved with good intentions.  I read this week of a rewording of that which said hell itself is paved with good intentions!  When it comes to thankfulness, good intentions are often a major enemy to thanks actually being expressed.  That is why it is so important when it comes to giving thanks to Give NOW!  Solomon instructs us in Proverbs 3:27-28, “Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.  Do not say to your neighbor, ‘Come back later; I’ll give it tomorrow’ — when you now have it with you.”

We begin our approach to give NOW by giving Necessities!  James says, “Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.  If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?”  God says that if you see a brother or sister in need of the basic necessities of life and you have the means to help, then you need to give now.  How often do we make excuses for our lack of action by arguing about the definition of need and necessity?  Our logic, while not often stated as such, often goes, “If I want it, it is a need.  If “they” want it, “they” are just being selfish.”  While we debate and argue and rationalize, real needs of real people go unmet while God continues to call us to give necessities and give now!

Before we get to wrapped up trying to figure out the legal definition of necessities, our next step to give NOW is to give what we “ought to”!  James also says, “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.”  Ouch!  How long is your list of “ought to”s?  Are there people of whom you’ve said, “I ought to call them.”, “I ought to visit.”, “I ought to thank.”, “I ought to help.”, or “I ought to . . . “?  Again, we often go to great lengths to try to explain to ourself why we haven’t, but how often is God’s Spirit prompting you to just give now what you ought to?

So, how do we approach decisions regarding giving necessities and giving what we ought to?  We look to God and we give Wisdom NOW!  James asks the question, “Who is wise and understanding among you?”.  The answer is given not by naming names but by giving a description of what the actions of a wise and understanding person would look like.  God says that a wise and understanding person is one who acts as such — one who gives wisdom through his deeds.  In contrast to “earthly wisdom”, God describes the wisdom we ought to be seeking, and giving, as “pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.”  He says when we give that kind of wisdom, we sow in preparation for a harvest of righteousness.  If you are a child of God, His Spirit lives within you and gives you this wisdom that comes from above!  Are you sowing seeds of righteousness as you give wisdom now?

I pray that you and I are living lives that give NOW to God and to others!  I pray that our thanks is expressed as we give now through our giving  of Necessities, Ought tos, and Wisdom!

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Lessons From A Thanksgiving Day Gathering

I had planned on preaching a compilation sermon this morning of all six components of my current Sunday evening “Giving THANKS” sermon series.  God had other plans as He gave me a different “Giving THANKS” sermon to share at the North Wayne Mennonite Church this morning.  It was a sermon that I know God has been teaching and preparing me to share, but definitely a different direction and outline than I had planned.  Oh, and I realized this new direction for the sermon on the drive to church this morning. 🙂

Anyhow, this version of “Giving THANKS” is based around a “made-for-the-movies” stereotypical family thanksgiving day.  Here are six things I think we can learn about giving thanks from a traditional Thanksgiving Day gathering.

We start by giving Turkey!  I know, you probably have the same reaction that the congregation did this morning — “What?  Did he say what I thought I heard?  He didn’t just say turkey, did he?”.  Yep, I said turkey!  When you think of Thanksgiving, for most people, the first thing that comes to mind is turkey.  It is the traditional main course, the very center and substance to the meal which surrounds it.  When I say, “give turkey”, that is what I mean — give thanks with substance and meat at its very heart.  Don’t settle for simply mouthing the words thank you when you can give thanks with turkey — with real depth and meaning behind it.  This is a thanks that settles in and satisfies the deepest reaches of a person’s being.

Another key element to a Thanksgiving Day gathering is giving Humor!  Without a good sense of humor, Thanksgiving and other family gatherings can fall apart quite quickly.  We give thanks when we don’t take ourself too seriously.  God says that a cheerful, or merry, heart is good medicine!  I believe that there are boundaries that need to be kept when it comes to humor but laughter is not only good for the spirit, it is good for the body.  This is not only true of an individual but it applies to a family, or a church family, as well.  Don’t take every situation more seriously than it ought to be taken.  True joy can shine through brightly when you give thanks with humor.

Does anything symbolize the American Thanksgiving Day gathering any more than a table overflowing with every variety of food imaginable — a table of Abundance?  Jesus said He came to not only give us life, but to give us life abundantly!  Do you give thanks with abundance, or just enough to get by?  When we want to celebrate or to remember great things, we would likely never ask how little can I do and still look good.  No, we would examine our resources of every kind to determine how abundantly can I celebrate to make my joy known to all.  When we want to express deep-felt thankfulness it ought to be the same way — not what do I have to do but how much can I do.  Your generosity overflows when you give thanks with abundance.

Ahhh . . . turkey, plenty of good humor, an abundance of food . . . I’m tired.  What good Thanksgiving Day gathering would be complete without a Nap?  We give thanks when we give Naps!  When we allow a person to relax and rest we communicate that we value both them and their time.  If every interaction with a person has you walking away knowing that they expect something from you it is not likely that you will feel a true appreciation regardless of any words of thanks.  Resting is a God-given concept and gift that we typically don’t use enough ourself and seldom think to give to others.  The sabbath concept, a day of rest, is connected by God to the fact that on the seventh day He rested from His work of creation.  We, and those around us, are more tolerable when we give thanks with naps.

What family gathering is complete without that cousin that’s . . . well, he’s just different.  Regardless of his different looks, different political views, different lifestyle, different pie preference, or different whatever, he is part of the family so we give Kindness.  Extending kindness doesn’t mean that we agree or approve of everything about him — we may pray and work desperately to influence positive change in his life.  It does mean, however, that we acknowledge his value as a person and do our best to include him in the family celebration of the Thanksgiving Day gathering.  We all sin and find ourself in need of God’s greatest kindness — the undeserved gift of forgiveness and salvation through the blood of His Son, Jesus!  It is this example that we must follow when we give thanks with kindness.

Finally, the part that no one really needs but no Thanksgiving Day gathering is complete without — Sweets!  Take away the pie, the ice cream, the cookies, the fudge, the chocolate, the candies, and the other desserts and what do you have?  You have one very unhappy and disappointed family!  Sweets are those over-and-above extras in life that shout “thank you” in ways that little else can.  When we really want to give thanks, we adopt an “and then some” attitude.  We do what is expected and required . . . and then some.  We walk the extra mile.  We take the extra time.  We give the extra attention.  With our actions we say loudly, “you’re worth it!”.  Just as dessert completes the Thanksgiving Day gathering, our expressions of gratitude are completed when we give thanks with sweets.

So, how are you at giving THANKS?  I pray that as you gather with others this Thanksgiving day, you would give “Turkey”, give Humor, give Abundance, give Naps, give Kindness, and give Sweets!

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2 Samuel: Lesson 12 — You’re The Man!

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 2 Samuel.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

A Man After God’s Own Heart:
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

A Study of the Book of 2 Samuel

Lesson 12 (You’re The Man!)
2 Samuel 12
November 28, 2012

The Text:

  1. Who is Nathan?  What story does Nathan tell David?  What is David’s response?
    –
  2. What is Nathan’s response to David’s reaction?  What had God given David?  What was God’s view of what David had done?  What consequences did God say David would face?
    –
  3. How did David respond when confronted with being the subject of the story that angered him and with the consequences for his actions?  What was God’s response to this?  What had David’s actions done beyond the nation of Israel?
    –
  4. What did God say would happen to the son born to David and Bathsheba?  What did David do about this?  Why were the servants afraid to tell David when the child died?  What was David’s response when he found out?  How does God respond to the next son of David and Bathsheba?
    –
  5. What had Joab been doing?  What message does he send to David?  What does David do?  How successful is he?
    –

The Application:

  1. Who are some messengers of God that you know?  Do you see yourself as one?  Do stories of injustice anger you?  Why is it easier to see injustice around us rather than the injustice from within?
    –
  2. When a story impacts your emotions, does God ever say to you, “it’s about you!”?  What has God given you?  In light of that, how do you think God feels about any selfishness you have?  Why do you think selfishness, envy, greed, and covetousness are so damaging?
    –
  3. How do you respond when convicted of sin?  Does this take away the consequences of the sin?  What are some purposes of God bringing about consequences to sinful actions?
    –
  4. Have you ever pleaded seriously with God about something that you wanted Him to change His mind about or change the outcome?  How hard is it to be at peace when the situation is over and the outcome didn’t change like you wanted?  Are you confident of God’s love after receiving His discipline?
    –
  5. How hard is it to stay faithful in what you are called to do when those around you aren’t’?  How likely are you to hand off honor when the opportunity exists to take if for yourself?  Do you learn from God’s discipline and do the right thing at the next opportunity?
    –

Next Week: Two Wrongs . . . Are Still Wrong
2 Samuel 13

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Just PRAY?

I was privileged to preach this morning at the Deer Run Church of Christ as part of the launching of the “A November To Remember” church-wide prayer initiative!  The challenge point of the message came from the conclusion of Paul’s teaching to the Ephesians about the complete armor of God.  Because of the spiritual battle that we are engaged in that fights for our very soul, Paul concludes the teaching of the necessity of the armor of God with this command, “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.  With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”  (Ephesians 6:18 NIV)

How are you doing in the “keep on praying for all the saints” department?  Do you take seriously this command to pray for one another?  How important is it to you and to those you should be praying for?  When life hits us at 60 miles per hour and we’re not real sure which direction is up and because we often view prayer as a very passive activity, we fail to be encouraged by the statement, “Just Pray!”.  Instead, because of our doubts and uncertainty, many view it through the lens of skeptical questioning, “Just Pray?”.  We’re not always sure it does that much good and instead of taking our cue from the disciples who ask Jesus to teach them how to pray, we simply give up.

So, how do we go from “Just Pray?” to “Just PRAY!”?  I believe the answer lies in living and practicing a better understanding of prayer.  We begin that move when we include a foundational element of “Just Pursue!”  Our wholehearted pursuit of God is critical to our finding Him.  God tells Solomon that when He brings judgment or discipline upon the people and they suffer uncertainty and hardship that it is then that if His people “will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways” that He will hear their cries.  Throughout scripture it has always been that way.  Prior to the giving of the ten commandments to the Israelites, God tells them that there will come a time they will be scattered and that from wherever they are if they will seek Him they will find Him when they seek Him with all their heart and with all their soul.  As you “Just PRAY!”, just pursue God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength!

A huge stumbling block to adopting a “Just PRAY!” mindset is this next element of “Just Repent!”.  A wholehearted pursuit of God will most likely reveal sin that God calls us to just repent of.  Many times it is “out of sight, out of mind” and hinders our prayers unbeknownst to us.  More often though, it is not so deeply hidden and we hold back in our prayer life thinking we can avoid God pointing it out and calling us to repent of it.  We let society convince us that if I am sorry about it that is enough — no reason to actually get rid of it, I’m sorry and that attitude of remorse ought to suffice.  God would say nothing could be further from the truth.  The Bible teaches that true sorrow, Godly sorrow, leads to repentance.  God doesn’t simply want us to be sorry for our sin, He wants us to repent of it and no longer walk in that manner.  When Peter and John are called into account for healing a lame man, Peter addresses the crowd and calls them to repent and turn to God so their sins would be wiped out and “that times of refreshing would come from the Lord”.  I don’t know about you, but the promise of times of refreshing from God should make it easier to give in and “Just Repent!”.

While “Just Repent” can be a stumbling block in our prayer life, we often enter into great confusion when “Just PRAY” calls us to “Just Act!”.  This is the result of living with a very passive view of prayer — a view that sees it as us giving God our list of things He ought to do and act upon and us waiting for Him to accomplish it through miraculous means.  The idea that we would be the instruments and means through which He works to accomplish His will and purpose often seems beyond our comprehension.  Paul prays for the Thessalonians that by God’s power He would fulfill every good purpose of theirs as well as every act prompted by faith.  It is a prayer connected with faith that prompts us to “Just Act” when God seeks to involve us in His work.  He says that we are His workmanship, created by Him to do good works which He created in advance for us to do.  When our pursuit of God and repentance of sin prompts us to act, we need to be ready to work.  It is always fascinating to me that when Jesus teaches about the harvest being plentiful but the workers few and asks His followers to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers that the very next action recorded is the “pray-ers” being sent out as the workers!

Finally, all of the change of attitude from “Just Pray?” to “Just PRAY!” is wrapped together in the mindset of “Just Yield“.  Jesus teaches us that our prayer should be surrendered to God’s will — “thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”.  Many times our prayers “fail” us because they are prayed with expectations that it is our will that should be done.  We become upset and disillusioned with prayer when God doesn’t answer according to our expectations and timing.  As a repentant pursuer of God who desires to act according to His purposes, we must yield fully to His will and lordship.  The call to discipleship is a call to give up everything and follow Jesus.  We pray the effective prayers of the righteous when we just yield.

So, where are you in the journey from “Just Pray?” to “Just PRAY!”?  I pray that you are well on your way in pursuing God wholeheartedly, that you fully and freely repent as God’s Spirit convicts you of sin, that you are not only called to action through your times of prayer but that you actually do it as you yield fully to God.

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A November To Remember

A “November To Remember” launched this morning at the Deer Run Church of Christ as the church-wide prayer initiative was laid before the congregation.  The purpose and plan are to raise the level of prayer for “one another” within the congregation.  This is a 40-day prayer initiative designed to be a starting point, or restarting point, for individuals to take seriously the command to “keep on praying for all the saints.”

The Sunday prayer focus each week will be for the preaching and teaching at Deer Run; for David  Honeycutt, senior minister, and Paul Stearns, youth minister; for the teaching volunteers; and for the Deer Run finances.  Monday through Saturday each week will have a list of 11 to 12 names of people for everyone to pray for that day with each of the six elders being listed on one of the days each week.  There will be a handout available at the church each Sunday with a listing of people to pray for each day of that week.  Along with the names for each day is the following prayer guide to help participants know how to pray for individuals they may not know.

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.  With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”  Ephesians 6:18 (NIV)

If you know the person listed, it is usually easier to know how to pray for them.  It is my prayer that you will use these 40 days of prayer to grow in your connection to the body of Christ at Deer Run.  These names represent children, youth, and adults that have had a connection with Deer Run over the past year.  If you have not yet gotten to know the person, here are some prayer ideas based on the Lord’s model prayer found in Matthew 6.

1. Pray that they would honor and lift up the name of God.

2. Pray that they would actively pursue God and follow His will as given to us through His word.

3. Pray that their spiritual, emotional, physical, and all needs would be met and that they would look to God as the source of all good things.

4. Pray that they would have both a spirit of forgiveness and a heart of repentance.

5. Pray that they would be clothed in the armor of God so as to resist the temptations of the evil one.

6. Pray that they would experience the power of God.

As stated in the above guide, the listing of names include children, youth, and adults.  All ages are encouraged to participate not only as being prayed for, but also in praying for others.

If you have any questions about the “November To Remember” prayer initiative, or want further information, please feel free to contact me via the “contact” page of this blog or through my prayer ministry website, www.impactprayerministry.com.

Praying that this November really is one to remember in your life as you grow in your relationship to Him and to one another in prayer.