Pastoral Thoughts for New Disciples

Devotional Reading:  James 5:13-16 Pray.  It is that simple.  God wants us to talk to Him.  If you are happy - sing a prayer!  If you are sad - cry out to God!  If you know someone who is sick - bring them before God in prayer! Pray. Pray. And pray some more. Daniel got sent to the lion's den because he prayed to God three times a day.  Elijah the prophet prayed for a drought and it happened.  The church prayed for the healing of the sick and people were healed.  Pray. Devotional Reading:  James 5:13-16   When my husband and I first got married we decided to do a Bible study on the book of Isaiah.  In the first few chapters of our study we quickly recognized a theme in its message - God responds differently to the prayers of the righteous. Here again in this passage we read these words, "The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective."  It does seem like some people's prayers get answered more positi...

Devotional Reading:  Daniel 6:1-28 When we think of the story of Daniel and the Lion's Den images of a children's story often come to mind.  But if you sit and read the full text of Daniel 6 you'll discover there is much more to this story than a children's Vacation Bible School lesson.  In fact, it is a story that has been played out over and over throughout history: a group of people wanting to take down a person of authority regardless of the person's integrity or good character.  Daniel was such a man. Daniel lived a live that was above reproach.  His integrity and skill in the political realm allowed him to govern through multiple ruling powers. In this story, Daniel is basically acting as Vice-President to King Darius. His co-presidents and the governors do not like the way he has gained the king's favor and so they decide they are going to find a way to get him out of his place of power.  The problem is that Daniel is a man of integrity and so...

Devotional Reading:  Daniel 9:1-19 Listening to, reading, or watching the news can be depressing. In fact, sometimes we need to take a break from it to refocus on the community and family that is right beside us. But being aware of the trouble in the world isn't always a bad thing.  It is good for us to know that we are broken and need a Savior. In Daniel 9, Daniel recognizes the brokenness of his society and he prays to God on their behalf.  He says, "open shame belongs to us, O Lord, to our kings, our princes and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. To the Lord our God belong compassion and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against Him." Sometimes we need to set aside the news in order to pray on behalf of ourselves. As representative of humanity, we can go to God and say, "I'm sorry on behalf of your people."  God will hear our prayers.  God is a God of mercy who desires for us to repent and as a believer we can repent on behalf of the...

Devotional Reading:  Luke 11:1-13 Do you have the audacity to ask God for the desires of your heart?  Do you have the audacity to ask God for a miracle or for the impossible?  Do you have the audacity to be real with God and to share with God what is really on your mind? A woman went to her friend's home at midnight to ask if she could borrow an air mattress for an unexpected guest to her home. The friend and her entire family were asleep and the doorbell woke them all.  "Why are you bothering me?  Do you realize you just woke up the toddler?" "I'm sorry, but we have unexpected guests and I knew you had an air mattress and could help." What is the friend to do, but dig the air mattress out of the closet and loan it to the woman at her door? Have you ever had a friend put you in a position like that where you had no choice but to say, "yes"? Or perhaps you've had your adult child ask you to make a sacrifice on his behalf and you did...

Devotional Reading:  Luke 18:1-8 Bill Lacovara was fishing when he discovered a bag of unopened prayers.  These were letters to a now deceased pastor requesting his support in prayer. The requests ranged from a desire to win the lottery, to being set free from addiction, to a request for justice, to a plea for God's mercy and forgiveness. Lacovara interpreted these sealed envelopes as unheard prayers. But what he missed was that in writing the prayers the soul of the writer was heard by God. ("Letters to End up In Ocean, Unread," November 3, 2006, Wayne Perry, Associated Press) In today's Scripture reading we are told that if even an unmerciful judge is willing to listen to a case due to a widow's unrelenting requests, we can trust that a God of love and mercy hears our prayers and will respond.  I don't know about you, but I find this story told by Jesus very encouraging.  There are prayers I have prayed over and over again that I believe God has answe...

It has become part of my regular routine to look up commercial properties for sale on the SW side. Today, when I opened the listings on my phone a property that has regularly caught my eye was back on the market for a lower price.  I decided to drive over to the property. I pulled in and counted parking places and once again there were too few for a growing congregation.  Twenty-five in the building's lot.  Twenty-five across the street.  Not enough.  The building would also require the installation of an elevator and one of our goals is to be easily accessible for folks of a variety of abilities.  I sat in the parking lot and prayed. Then I drove to a second location. A building in my mind that was a perfect possibility, but very likely out of the price range.  I sat there and noticed the various ways it was deteriorating.  Remembered the inside of the building and how it would need to be remodeled to meet our needs. I sat and prayed.  "...

Violence. Tensions between people of different skin tones. Terrorist attacks. Threats from North Korea. Civil conflict over political processes. Alarmist news. Hurricanes. Tornadoes. Fires. Earthquakes. Cancer. Infertility. Heart disease. I think its time we get down on our knees as a community and pray. When Solomon went to dedicate the completed temple, he encountered the LORD.  God spoke saying, "I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices.  When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sins and will heal their land.  Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.  I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name m...