Prayer Letter - 7 March 2005

To: Prayer Partners
From: Pastor Lucenay

Our study of Colossians 3:17 turns our attention to the inclusive word all. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. The first person given credit for doing all that the Lord commanded him was Noah (Genesis 7:5). However, he eventually fell down in his commitment.

The key Old Testament passage using the word all is called the “Shema.” Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength (Deuteronomy 6:4, 5). When my children were little we played word games in which we tried to see who could express the most love for the other. This Mosaic admonition challenges us to love God totally, not just more than we love someone or something else. As you take time to pray, ask God to allow His Holy Spirit to explore your heart. Do you really love Jesus with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength? Answer that question out of the way you are expressing your love for the Lord Jesus at this time in your life. Do you need to reignite your love for the Son? To fan the embers?

When God speaks to His people he says you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession (Deuteronomy 7:6). I don’t think there has ever been a time in my life when I was more aware of the numbers of the people on the face of the earth. Yet, I have seen only a few with my eyes. Think about the fact that the Father chose you as his treasured possession in Christ Jesus. Thank God for loving you.

The Psalmist saw one name above all other names on the face of the earth. He wrote, O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! (Psalm 8:1). I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart (Psalm 9:1). Only as we see the Lord over all can we even attempt to do all in the name of the Lord. Take a few moments to praise the Lord. Seek to concentrate on His presence with you. Allow His majesty to capture the imagination of your heart.

You did not enter this prayer time without concerns in your life. Many times we lay out our plans and ask God to bless them. This is a good time to ask God to help you develop your plans for whatever needs to be done in your life. May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed (Psalm 20:4).

The Psalmist knew physical difficulty. He once prayed I am poured out like water. All my bones are out of joint (Psalm 22:14). Maybe you are weary. Take a few minutes to rest in the Lord. Lay down your load. Focus on the Father’s compassion for you. Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord (Psalm 31:24). Some are beyond weariness. Illness has set in. This week we are praying for the people we know who are going through illnessj.

Many people live from one worry to another. Maybe you are anxious about something in your life or the life of a loved one. Ask God to handle your fears and give you the blessing he gave the Psalmist: I sought the Lord and He answered me, He delivered me from all my fears (Psalm 34:4).

May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations (Psalm 67:1, 2). At the heart of our prayer concerns are the petitions for the people who do not know Jesus as Savior. Pray for our lost friends, family, and Sunday visitors. Pray that Christ will come to life in their hearts. Let us also pray for the people who attend our church and do not know Jesus as Savior, and pray for the salvation of the parents of children in Sunday School and Kindergarten.

Even as we pray for the people who need the Lord we ask God to help us in sharing the good news of the gospel. My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long (Psalm 71:15).

I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever (Psalm 86:12). As we pray for our church we certainly want everything we do in the life of this ministry to bring glory to the name of Jesus. Please pray for Kowloon International Baptist Church. Pray that:

• people will come to faith in Christ
• lives will be transformed with encounters with Christ in Bible study and worship
• God will protect and guide His people in the presence of spiritual warfare
• the worship atmosphere will be filled with a spirit of expectation and joy in the Lord
• God will speak to our hearts through the daily Bible reading
• our leaders will have wisdom, courage, and commitment to lead as God would have them lead
• God will guide in our ministry with the chapels and the kindergarten
• God will put His Word in the heart of our pastor and make His Way clear to each of us
• God will continue to help us grow in Christ.

Thank you for joining with me in prayer. May God continue to work in our hearts and through our lives. God bless you.