Prayer Letter - 12 September 2005

To: Prayer Partners
From: Pastor Lucenay

How are you doing with your feelings? James H. Ware wrote a prayer to address this delicate area of life. He wrote “O God, You are not subject to my limits but see and know all of life. Keep me from being in bondage to my feelings and my limited understanding. Help me comprehend Your ways and live according to Your promises so that I may please You more consistently from hour to hour and day to day. Keep me from the fluctuation of my emotions; give me the steadfastness of purpose and direction that leads to honoring and praising You in every circumstance of life. Through Our Father Mediator, Christ Jesus.”

Feelings may be affected by what we have eaten, how we slept, what someone said or didn’t say to us, whether it is raining or not and a thousand other things. Yet, our feelings affect our prayers and our prayers direct our lives. Sometimes it is important to ask “what is going on inside you?” My question is not about digestion or blood circulation. Rather, the question rises to address the status of your heart. As you pause to pray for your church is there anything going on in your heart that you need to lay in the hands of our Heavenly Father even as you begin to pray? Maybe you have a heavy burden that is shadowing everything in your life. Maybe you are anxiously awaiting a medical report. Maybe you are wrestling with guilt or overcome by grief. Perhaps you live in anticipation of something and you are finding the waiting room of life difficult.

Take time to define your burden as you lay it in God’s hands. Ask Him to help you trust Him with it. If you need to confess and repent do so. If you need to let go, but cannot, ask God to meet you in your weakness. Whatever you think your need is, lay it in God’s hands. The Psalmist discovered the relief and joy that comes with allowing God to enter his struggles. He wrote Praise to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens (Psalm 68:19).

Open your soul to God and let Him explore your feelings. Have you been irritable with anyone? Is there someone who said or did something that made you angry? Have you caused pain to someone else? Are you angry at God? Your prayers should help you lay your feelings before God. As He examines your emotions He may show you places where you need to apologize or change your behavior. He will certainly point out the hollowness of your excuses and the emptiness of your rationalizations. He will put his finger on your ego so that you can submit all of life to Him.

The journey to explore feelings may bring to mind someone who seems to get his or her feelings hurt easily. If you have someone in your life who is a bit “touchy” ask God to show you how you can pray for that person. Your prayer is not asking God to show you how to correct that person, but how to lift them to the Father in prayer. As you pray for this person the Father may reveal ways you can encourage this person.

The situation in the Gulf Coast of the US has been a subject of great concern in my life this past week. I have spoken or corresponded via email with several people in that area. Most feel like they have been bombed. The size of the disaster area is about the size of Great Britain. Let us pray for the people displaced, the people who are trying to help them, the church families who have lost so much, and the pastors who are seeking to minister to and with them.

This week we welcome several new exchange students. We will have a welcome luncheon. Pray for the students and for the people who work with them. Pray for those who do not know Christ.

Last week we had a great turnout for Bible study and worship. Pray for each person who will be attending our Bible study/worship times; for God to speak clearly to each; for someone to come to faith in Christ Jesus; and for the teachers, helpers, pastor, and musicians.

This week our deacons meet (Monday night) and our church conference is held (Wednesday night). Pray for these meetings and for God’s guidance of the discussion and decisions to be made. We continue to seek God’s leadership to His person to serve in the positions of Kindergarten Principal; Minister of Youth; and in January, Minister of Education.

Paul and Angie have been working to help our young people keep the youth growing together in faith and fellowship. They have been meeting on Wednesday night for food and time together. Pray for these young people and their faith journey.

Our people have expressed prayer concerns for:

• pre-believing family members
• ill family members
• troubled family members
• family members at a distance
• students traveling
• family traveling
• employment/employer issues
• financial concerns
• wisdom
• healing of marriages
• peace in their home countries
• stress

Let us pray for the people we know who carry these prayer needs.

19 September the choir will take advantage of the holiday and hold a choir retreat. Pray for Angie as she prepares to lead in this special time. Pray for the choir as they work together to begin preparation for Christmas music (can you believe Christmas will be here in a few short months?).

Thank you for your prayer support. This weekend our son, Jonathan and his wife, Holly are to arrive in Hong Kong. We are excited about introducing them to you. They look forward to meeting you.

May God give you peace in your hearts and guide your steps in His sunshine.