In this season of giving thanks I wanted to share with you one of the things I am most grateful for this year... my partners in prayer. Each week I get to unite with two precious Jesus-loving friends with the focus on praying together. We share what's been happening in our lives... struggles, joys, ways we see God working in our community... and we pray over those things. It has been exactly two years ago that Kaylee and I started praying. When I look back, I am amazed that soon after we started praying together, God started moving... I mean, really moving! Over the last two years, we have experienced the amazing power of prayer and how huge it is in drawing our hearts closer to the God who wants a deep relationship with us. Are you yearning for a deeper relationship with Jesus? Do you long for a close relationship with someone else who loves Jesus too? Find a prayer partner. If you have no idea who that would be, pray about it. If you ask God to guide you, we are certain He will send someone your way. We cannot express how powerful and important this could be in your life. "If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them." Matthew 18:19-20
One bit of advice... keep it to one or two friends. There are a number of reasons for this, but practically speaking, it will be much easier to find time each week to pray together. In person, over the phone, even over text or email. Give it a try! We are certain you will never regret it, and next year at this time it will be one of the things you are most grateful for.
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What comes to your mind with the word Gratitude? Maybe a list of blessings or something you can give thanks for? Of course it makes sense that we thank God for special people in our lives, memories, things that provide us comfort and joy, and even skills we possess. But how about being thankful for trials? At our gathering this past week, we looked to God's Word to see just what He says about giving thanks. He speaks to us through Paul in 2 Corinthians 12: 5-10: 5 I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. 6 Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, 7 or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. Paul begs God three times to take away his thorn. Makes sense, right? Isn't that what we would do? Lord, please heal my child's ear infection. Lord, please take away this conflict with my mom. Lord, please give me relief from this stress at work! But Paul continues and says he "delights in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong" (verse 10). Paul, what? You're strong when you are weak? See, God had already told him that His power works best in weakness (v 9). And certainly the Lord's power is greater than ours, right? And so, we can learn that in trials and in our weakness, we can and should be filled with thanksgiving. It is through those weaknesses that we seek Him, become more like Him, and our Lord is glorified. Maybe you're in the middle of a hardship now and all this seems nice but not really possible. Remember Jesus. He too prayed to God three times, asking God to 'take this cup from me' before he was tortured and killed on our behalf. 36 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” 39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” 40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. 41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42 He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” 43 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. God understands every single thing we are going through in times of rejoicing and times of great pain. We can trust Him, fix our eyes on His Son, and know in all things God works for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28).
What is a thorn in your life that you could start thanking God for? What is a past thorn in your life, that when you look back now, you can see the blessings that came from it? |
Kaylee & HeatherWe were just two moms who started abiding in Christ and praying together weekly. Find out more about Our Story. Archives
September 2020
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