TMG
Hello, Crossroads Family!
I’m grateful for the emphasis on prayer we had last Sunday morning and for your attentiveness as we read through the book of Ephesians. I hope you’ll check out the pdf online called “How to Spend a Day in Prayer,” by Lorne Sanny How to spend a day in Prayer , and that you’ll consider reserving all of, or part of, a day in June to spend in prayer. You’ll be glad you did, and we’ll see God work in our lives as a result. A day (or part of a day) in prayer is a special time, and this short essay on how to do it will be a big help to you.
Don’t forget, too, that this coming Monday from 5-6:00 pm you’re invited to join me and others at my house for prayer. If you’re not able to come but have a prayer request you would like us to pray about, feel free to email me. We’ll have Monday Night Prayer at 5 pm for the next six weeks or so.
Interestingly, I did a study this week with one of our Crossroads members on God’s promises concerning prayer. Here are some of those promises:
- “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and I will show you great and mighty things which you do not know” (Jeremiah 33:3).
- “All things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive” (Matthew 21:22).
- “This is the confidence we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, He hears us” (1 John 5:14).
- “If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it” (John 14:14).
Notice that a condition in each of these promises is to ask. Sometimes asking God (for something we need, or about something that’s bothering us in life) is the very thing we fail to do! It’s the starting point to God’s answers, and it’s a simple thing to do.
A few more promises about a God who meets our needs :
- “And my God shall supply all your needs, according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).
- “No good thing does He withhold from them who walk uprightly” (Psalm 84:11).
- “In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:6).
- “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).
Let’s be committed to praying! What needs in our lives, in our church, or in the world would it be a joy to bring to the Father? What things do you have to thank Him for? In what ways is God worthy of praise today?
Please be in prayer for this coming Sunday’s worship and sermon. I wouldn’t want any of us to enter into worship without having prayed over it ahead of time. The sermon will be a continuation of our discussion two Sundays ago about marriage and divorce. This Sunday, we’ll specifically consider what God says concerning divorce and remarriage. Not an easy subject, and it seems there’s a lot to sift through in the Bible concerning it! As we consider this subject, we’ll need:
- grace
- understanding
- an ability to look inward (“How am I doing in my own relationships ?” rather than “How’s my neighbor doing ?”)
- inner strength to be able to say, “Whatever my current marital status, I want to follow the Lord and experience His very best while living in loving relationships with other people.”
Thanks for your prayers! I look forward to seeing you this Sunday morning at 10:00 at the Community Center! I’ll post the sermon on Facebook if you’re unable to be with us in person.
Calendar
Here are some of the good things going on at Crossroads:
Elders Meeting this Sunday morning
The church elders will meet this Sunday at 9:00. Please pray for our elders. Thank you!
Church Night at the Griffons this Sunday evening
Admission is free at the game this Sunday night at 7 pm. Church attendance will be tallied at the gate, and the church with the highest attendance will receive a gift for its youth ministry.
Monday Night Prayer this Monday
Join me and some others for an hour of prayer at my house starting at 5 pm. 628 W. Arch Street. Come in through the garage.
Gospel Night at Bushwhacker Days next Thursday
Jason Crabb on the square this Thursday evening. Jason is a Christian artist formerly with the Gaither Vocal Band. Crossroads is a sponsor of Gospel Night.
Youth Group Nacho Party, June 29th
At the Vestals’ home, Wednesday, the 29th, at 6:30 pm. Bring a friend!
A Final Prayer Request & Its Answer
In Psalm 119, a prayer request is made that I often need in my own life:
Psalm 119:125 — “I am Your servant; give me understanding.”
So often, throughout the day, we just need understanding, plain and simple. We need help understanding circumstances, understanding people, and understanding God. “Lord, give me understanding!”
An answer to that question follows just five verses later:
Psalm 119:130 — “The unfolding of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.”
The unfolding of God’s Word gives us the understanding we’re so often needing. I hope you’ll spend some time in God’s Word today, and that you’ll join us this Sunday morning, too! I look forward to God supplying some understanding for each of us in some area of life where we need it!
— Tom
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