Prayer Letter - 20 June 2005

To: Prayer Partners
From: Pastor Lucenay

Jesus said, Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled (Matthew 5:6). Eugene Peterson translates this verse, You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat (The Message).

The blessing of Jesus does not come to those who are filled with themselves, touting their own goodness and achievements. Rather, Jesus is addressing those who are painfully aware of what is missing in their lives. These hungering souls do not believe they can put life together unless they find God’s way. I don’t think God’s way, righteousness, is a specific set of directions as much as it is a connection in relationship.

A few days ago I became preoccupied with what I was doing in our city and went about my own busyness, racing here and there. In so doing, I failed to drink anything, no water and, surprisingly, no diet coke. When I stopped at the end of the day, I discovered I was parched. I could not get enough fresh water to drink.

In a spiritual sense, I have known dryness of the soul, the longing to connect with the refreshing presence of God. When I content myself with the blessings of His kindness, I can fool myself into thinking I have properly handled my relationship with Him, only to discover a deep emptiness within. Then, in the stillness of my discovery, I must refocus on Him, as opposed to focusing on His blessings.

As we pray, let us seek the Father’s face; not His blessing, but His presence. Get still in the closet of your soul. Focus on the Lord Jesus Christ. A few weeks ago my grandson brought his parents to see us, or was it the other way around? I enjoyed with the little fellow, some focused time in which I was content to let life’s anxieties and demands take care of themselves. For a few minutes I sought to be with the little fellow. I wanted him to know me to whatever degree he is able to understand as a one-year-old.

Does the Heavenly Father stoop to the floor of our common places to study our hearts and make Himself known to us to whatever degree we are able to comprehend? Jesus shows us He does. In the private chapel of my mind, I can go to the cross or the open tomb, I can sit on the hillside amongst the crowd, or I can let the little boy in me hand Him my loaves and fishes to do with as He pleases. I don’t know where the gospels will take you with Jesus as you pray, but I hope you can slide into the picture with Him so His mere presence can nourish your soul.

As you focus on the Lord, ask God to use your eyes so that they become windows on the world to honor Him. Ask God to make your eyes clear and your vision correct. Invite God to help you see His love for the people in your life. Think about the way you reveal the Father’s character through your eyes. Ask God to prevent your gaze from soiling another or disturbing others. Seek to let the Father guide your eyes to bring hope and peace, encouragement and adoration, compassion and joy. And when your eyes close, ask the Father to help you find Him clearly, even in your darkness.

Let our prayers include:

• our gratitude for the people who continue to come to faith in Christ Jesus
• our requests for healing for the people who are struggling for health
• our thanksgiving for the freedom to worship and our request that this freedom continue uninterrupted
• our requests for God's Spirit to bring the lost to faith in Christ
• our praise for God’s majesty
• our requests for God to help us reach our Home Mission Offering goal
• our confession of the littleness we reveal in some of our words
• our petitions for family members who are struggling with poor life decisions
• our requests for God to reveal His Word through our Sunday School teachers and studies
• our gratitude for our health and homes
• our praise for answered prayers (be specific about your prayers)
• our thanksgiving for God’s financial provision for church needs
• our prayers for God’s wisdom, grace, guidance, and protection in the lives of our pastor and staff and their families
• our gratitude for Angie French’s plans to come in late summer as minister of music
• our prayer that God’s Spirit will dominate our worship services
• our praise for the way God uses believers to bring encouragement into our lives
• our confession of our tendency to so fill our lives that we starve ourselves for time with God
• our gratitude for our facilities even as we pray for guidance in space issues
• our petitions for God’s guidance in the chapel ministries
• our requests for God’s direction to the right person to serve as our kindergarten principal and as a teacher
• our requests for mates, our children, our parents, our siblings
• our submission to God’s will in every area of our lives
• our desire to grow with Christ as individuals and as a church family
• our requests for missionaries around the world
• our petitions for those who are suffering for their faith and for their families
• our petitions for our city leaders in government, education, medicine, and protection.

Thank you for your prayers. May God guide you this week as you flesh out your faith.