Prayer Letter - 20 February 2006

To: Prayer Partners
From: Pastor Lucenay

The prophet Isaiah wrote, the Lord says…every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will confess allegiance to my name (Isaiah 45:14, 23 New Living Translation). The ancients bowed the knee to express humility and reverence. When we kneel in prayer, our prayers take on a different tone than we find in most other prayer positions. From our knees we are forced to face the fact that we are not in charge of life. God is. We are not the ones telling God what to do or how to do our bidding. God is the one speaking to us. From our knees we find it much easier to pray, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10).

When Solomon finished praying, the fire of God fell upon the altar of the Lord. The Bible says, When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the Lord above the temple, they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying, ‘He is good; his love endures forever’ (2 Chronicles 7:3). It is easy to fall on our knees when we encounter the majestic and experience the magnificent hand of the Lord. However, God invites us into His presence every day. We don’t need a new miracle to impress us with His greatness. Take time to praise God for Who and What He is right now.

Ezra found his words to express his broken heart as he knelt before the Lord in prayer. Then, at evening sacrifice, I rose from my self-abasement, with my tunic and cloak torn, and fell on my knees with my hands spread out to the Lord my God and prayed, ‘O my God, I am too ashamed and disgraced to lift up my face to you, my God, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens’ (Ezra 9:5, 6). We have no question that Ezra lived in a time when the people had lived below their commitment to God. However, Ezra identified himself with the people who lived in sin and carried great guilt. We would do well to make time to confess our wrongdoing to the Lord. From our knees we find the freedom and forgiveness David found when he confessed the sin that had darkened his life. He writes, Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’ and you forgave the guilt of my sin (Psalm 32:5). From your knees would you invite God to show you what He wants to clean up in your life….your thought life, your words, your eyes, your hands, your walk, your actions…Today, what does the Father want to help you come confess and forsake because you belong to Jesus?

Interestingly enough, the word that calls for us to bow down is also used in the Psalms to call on God to defeat one’s enemies. Rise up, O Lord, confront them, bring them down (Psalm 17:13). When we think of enemies we may think of people who disagree with us or who are hurting us. However, the enemies of the faith may be the habits we have or the temptations peculiar to us. The victory the people of God seek is a victory that will reveal the light of God’s kingdom in our lives, not one that proves we are right, smart, or great. Ask God to guide your attitude regarding the enemies to His best in your life. Ask God to confront them and bring them down.

Paul reminded the Philippians that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of the Father (Philippians 2:10, 11). One day the kingdom of God will be a reality in every life. Open your heart to words of the Lord’s Prayer….Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven…(Matthew 6:9, 10).

Last week the deacons elected AY as chairman of deacons and MWL and EG as co vice chairmen. PL is the secretary. Please pray for our deacon leadership as they seek to lead our deacons this year.

We have several refugees who have made commitments to Christ in our church. None have resident status in Hong Kong and thus cannot work here. As time passes the human needs they have become acute. Two of the younger boys want to go to an English school and are praying for the resources to enroll. A couple of refugees are praying about returning to their homeland. Pray for these brothers and sisters in Christ as they work their way through difficult times.

The prayer needs of which I am aware this week are:

For Salvation: A, T, JY; YWC; E, N, A, R …

For Healing: B (cancer), WS (J’s dad) cancer, J (NL’s mom is having several physical problems and is in much pain), NM, MM …

For Consolation: MT’s family in the loss of her father …

For Guidance: SN — relationship with God; C — in his discussions with a church ministry opportunity; J — as he seeks God’s leadership in a church ministry assignment; J in visa application; A — marriage; unnamed marriage issues; children’s application to schools, need for employment of unnamed …

For Thanksgiving: A and MB as they united with KIBC; J with her new work opportunity; S’s protection during robbery; new opportunities to share the gospel; …

For the Church

• Pray for the pastor and staff as we seek to be the people God wants us to be in this ministry
• Pray for the Sunday School teachers, Praise Team members, Choir members, Deacons, and Committee leadership
• Pray for the conviction and guidance of the Holy Spirit in all our hearts
• Pray for the Bennetts as they prepare to come to Hong Kong
• Pray for our upcoming interviews with a prospective minister of youth
• Pray for God’s guidance to the right person to serve as Kindergarten principal

Thank you for your prayers for your pastor, especially in this time when Nancy is away. Nancy is doing well in her care for the granddaughter. Jonathan and Holly continue to await the arrival of their daughter. May God bless and guide you this week.