Prayer Letter - 4 July 2005

To: Prayer Partners
From: Pastor Lucenay

Jesus said blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God (Matthew 5:8). Eugene Peterson rephrases these words in The Message, you’re blessed when you get your inside world—you mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world. I don’t know about you, but I know my inside space takes up a lot of space in my life. Where there is peace in my soul, I see God’s hand in many ways. When something disturbs my soul, the pollution from the disturbance sometimes makes God hard to see in the haze. Let’s consider these words as they pertain to our prayer lives.

The rabbis of Jesus’ day reminded people that God blessed them in the study of God’s Law (Torah), their faithful works and their observation of the Sabbath. However, in these words of Jesus the Savior speaks to the center of one’s being rather than to the actions of one’s body. Anyone who has lived long in this life knows that people can do many things that are disconnected from what is going on in their hearts. Last week I spoke to three people who are close to a commitment to Christ, but they don’t want to go through the motions of making a commitment until there is a sense of God’s presence/peace in their hearts.

How are things in the center of your life, down where no one sees anything and certainly no one hears the conversations of your soul? Is your inside world at peace? Mine inner soul has not always been settled. When deep hurt was hard to let go, the inability to forgive sowed the seeds of bitterness in my heart. My head sought a clear pattern of healing, but my heart grew twisted rather than free. That whole journey affected the way I saw God in my outside world. Many times I tried to give my pain to God. Many times my old habits of the soul brought sunshine and rain to the bitter seeds planted there. How long must I wrestle with my thoughts, and every day have sorrow in my heart?(Psalm 13:2)

How does one find peace in a heart well-rutted with mental footprints down the muddy road on the soul’s memory? I had to choose a time and place to set the soul struggle down. In God’s masterful way He showed me He recognized the significance of my hurt. From that moment on I have chosen to remind voices that echo the pain that at a time and place I gave that to God and they are His business not mine. With God’s help, I work very hard to let go and let God as I turn the channels of my mind. Set your hearts of things above (Colossians 3:1) and where your heart is you will find your thoughts.

Sometimes the disturbance comes from present winds, not past winds. Long sleepless hours rehash the “what ifs” of one’s present crisis. The “not rights” of life clash with the “I did my bests” as we plead with God for the resolution that will allow all to live happily ever after. Yet, God’s seems silent as the noise within us is so loud we wonder if others can somehow hear the rattle of battle within us. We can’t see God through the foggy windows of our hearts.

Perhaps today is a day to sit still with God. Recognize that He knows everything (Psalm 139:1-14). Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). Believe the Lord will perfect that which concerns me (Psalm 138:8, NKJV). Remember His power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9) and soak your heart in His promise my God will meet all your needs according to his riches in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). Pray with the Psalmist May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the Lord (Psalm 104:34). With God’s purity in our hearts we hope to see God in many people and places.

Let us visit with God:

• getting quiet before Him, seeking to think only of His love, experiencing His heart.
• asking Him to take one verse from our prayer guide this week and let it settle in our soul and bring His compassion to our hearts.
• asking Him to guide our prayers about our lives—our thoughts, our words, our joys, our anxieties, our plans, our families, our friends, our Christian brothers and sisters, our co-workers, etc.
• asking Him to make Himself known to us in our Bible reading, prayer, and worship.
• thanking Him for revealing Himself to us.
• thanking Him for meeting our needs—food, clothes, shelter, friends, peace.
• asking Him to give us the opportunity of sharing our faith this week and praying for the people who do not know Jesus.
• thanking Him for the people who shared faith with us.
• asking Him to bring healing to those who have been hurt or ill.
• asking God to give courage and protection to the people who are being persecuted for their faith and to their families.
• asking God to fill our worship with a sense of His presence and our bible study and fellowship with the warmth of the family of God.
• asking God to guide us to a kindergarten principal and teacher.
• asking God to prepare Angie French for her work with us.
• seeking God’s inspiration and direction, as well as, protection and encouragement for our pastor and church staff.
• seeking God’s guidance in preparation for Vacation Bible School.
• thanking God’s faithfulness in helping us reach our Home Mission Offering Goal.

Thank you for your prayers and your sweet spirit. May God grace you with a sense of His loving presence and the accompanying joy of knowing you are His.