thrown from the nest

"...On that day a severe persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the land of Judea and Samaria.... So those who were scattered went on their way proclaiming the message of good news. Philip went down to a city in Samaria and preached the Messiah to them.... So there was great joy in that city." (Acts 8:1,4,5,8 CSB)

Sometimes God's plan requires his people to be pushed from their homes, neighbors, friends and jobs into unfamiliar territory--even uncomfortable territory. The first Christians were Jews, and as Acts details for us later in the story, they were not initially interested in sharing the good news with the non-Jewish world. So, how did God bring the good news to the Samaritans and many other communities? He allowed one of the most prominent Christians to be murdered, and he allowed persecution that caused the new believers to flee for their lives. And through that, he brought great joy to people everywhere.

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Father, how amazing it is to realize that your ways are not my ways; your ways are greater than my ways. I cannot even fathom your providence that is so great you planned out redemption from the beginning of time and made it happen exactly according to every promise. No plan of yours can be thwarted and you frustrate the plans of those who fight against you. You used Paul's murderous rage to spread your good news and then you grabbed hold of Paul, changed his heart, saved him from his sin, and used him to spread your good news. You changed him so much that toward the end of his life, after immense suffering, he was able to say he could rejoice in living for your glory and proclaiming your name among the Gentiles, or he could just as readily rejoice in his own death because of his faith that death is no more than a gate on his path to eternal joy with you.

Father, I thank you for the witness of those who have lived before me and did so with a Spirit-filled love for your glory. Give me such a passion for your glory that I, too, could celebrate in living to proclaim your name or dying to be with you.

And father, I ask that you would bless your people throughout the world. Give us strength and courage, wisdom and faith, to live for you.

Bless Marsha and heal her arm. Show your mercy and care.
Bless the family of Ernie at this time after the death of his mother. Comfort those in the family who know you and love you; change the hearts of those who do not yet know you.
Bless Rhonda and meet her needs as only you can.
Be with Frank's parents and care for their health.
Work in Frank's heart and show him that he is lost without you; you are his only hope and salvation.
Bless all those affected by the tornado in Tennessee. Work through your people in that community to show your love and compassion.
Bless Myrna as she struggles to get her new home completed.

Father, give me the wisdom and spiritual maturity to lead my family to glorify you. Work in my heart to give me a true passion for you. I pray that you would bless my marriage; bring Jennifer and I closer together and help us, through our marriage, demonstrate to the world the mystery of Christ and his church. Bless Charlotte and help us be godly parents; help us raise her to know you and love you.

I ask all these things in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Jan 4, 2007

Father, I celebrate you; I find my joy in you.
Your name is greater than anything else. Help me to always put my trust in you.
You have made the heavens, the entire world and everything in it.
You made the earth and every living thing on the earth.
You made the water that sustains life and the sun that warms us and gives us energy.
You made the stars that shine for your glory every night.
All of creation testifies to your power and majesty.
You are the one and only God; you are the only one who deserves all the credit, all the praise, and the honor. Praise God. Hallelujah.
You chose Abram and gave him a new name.
You chose him and gave him a son.
You chose Isaac as the son of the promise.
You chose Jacob and named him Israel,
from his sons you made a great nation,
and from that nation you blessed the world,
even me.
You fulfill all your promises;
you are faithful and righteous.
Give me the faith to put all my trust in you.
You are a loving, merciful and gracious God.
You heard the cry of your people in Egypt and you saved them.
You heard the confessions of David and forgave him.
You heard the prayers of Zechariah and you fulfilled him.
I know you answer the prayers of those who love you.
You took out my heart of stone and replaced it with a heart of flesh.
And I know you will continue the good work you started in me.
Help me to follow you, to love you, to want to see you glorified more than anything else.
Father, you forgave me of so much when you saved me, and you continue to forgive me and save me from sin. So often, I ignore your wisdom; I ignore your glory; I pretend I know better than you. But, more and more, I see your greatness and learn from your discipline and grace.
Every day I am amazed by my sinful nature--the temptations my heart looks toward, my own desires to taste forbidden fruit. Help me resist temptation. Keep me from temptation. Let me see sin as the evil it is; help me hate sin as you do.
Thank you for your grace and mercy.

Father, I pray for the needs of those around me.

Bless Leslie as she returns to school for another semester. Help her be successful in school; help her learn and grow in wisdom, and help her use her education for your glory. Help her be a witness for you at school. Help her show your greatness through her work. Help her balance her school demands with the rest of her life. Because, you give sleep to those you love (Ps 127:2).

Father, keep Frank safe in the last days before he returns home again. Bless his work in Iraq; help him be successful in training those who hope to restore order and bring safety to that nation. You are a God of order, not chaos; that nation needs your blessing. Give Rhonda continued strength as she bears so much responsibility at home and looks forward to his return. And help Rhonda be a blessing to Frank and a witness for your love. Open Frank's heart to his own need for you. Change his heart, Lord. Bring him to know you.

Father, bless Greg and Alice and their families. Be with Allen as he prepares to leave for the Army. Minister to him. And I pray for the unspoken needs of Greg and Alice. You know our needs before we do. You know everything about us. So, I pray you will bless them and minister to them; show them your greatness and your love. Grant their prayers in a way that they can't help but see your power and praise your name.

I pray for Marsha's father who fell and was injured. Give him a fast and healthy recovery. Show him your compassion. And I pray that Marsha would be able to use this time to minister to her father and demonstrate your love to her whole family. Also, I pray for a healthy and successful marathon for Marsha. Keep her strong. Keep her safe. And may she bring you glory through everything she does.

Father, I also ask that you bless our Life Group. Help us grow in our unity together. Help us be a community, a body, of believers that ministers to each other, edifies each other and instructs each other. Help each one of us--Mike and Latrelle, Charlie, Mike and Meredith, Rhonda, Greg and Alice, Clay and Julie, Robert and Sandy, Marsha, JR and Keri, Steve and Angela, Frank and Leslie, Tim and Lisa, Freddie and Kathy, and so many more--help us grow in our knowledge of you and our love for you. Bless our entire church. Bless or pastors, Rick and Darrol. Bless our great church staff that ministers for us in so many often unseen ways. Grant our leadership the wisdom to lead us toward you. Grant our congregation the wisdom to worship you in truth and love.

And father, I pray that you would bless Jennifer and I as we raise Charlotte. Help us as parents model your love. Bless out marriage because you ordained marriage as a symbol of Christ's relationship with the church. Help me love Jennifer and I love my own body; give me the wisdom to see her as a loving and wonderful gift from you.

And father grant me the wisdom to see great things in your word. Help me understand your word and teach your word. And help me live your word.

I pray that you be glorified in all things and in all things your purposes will be accomplished.

I ask all these things in the name of Jesus. Amen.