7 August 2006

To: Prayer Partners

From: Pastor Lucenay

One aspect of prayer transcends cultures. People around the world pray for help. The Bible gives us words of hope in response to our prayers. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; O will uphold you with my righteous right hand…For I am the Lord, your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you (Isaiah 41:12, 13).

When my children were young they often reached for my hand. As they got older and walked with greater confidence they reached for my hand when fear or uncertainty crossed their hearts. When I slip and fall I am glad to reach for the strong hand of someone who is standing to help me up. As strong right hand brings hope to us in darkness and strength in our weakness, God’s right hand gives us security we can find nowhere else.

The hot days of summer make us aware of the impact nature has on our lives. Last week’s rain and wind reminded us of the power of forces around us. Many people were reaching for security in the storms. This week the heat may be the factor that drains our strength.

Perhaps you know someone who is struggling with the physical issues of life. He/she needs a strong hand to help him/her through these times. This is a good time to pray for this friend. Think for a moment. Invite God to send before your mind the face of a fellow struggler. Maybe it is someone struggling to put a marriage back together. Maybe it is someone with facing a major setback. Then again, it could be someone with employment issues…she has an oppressive employer, he can’t find work. For many the problem comes at the point of handling their personal finances and debt. For others the conflict is with children or parents. Some are seeking to put a business on its feet. And more than a few are struggling with some physical illness. The ill we are thinking of this week include: P’s father; M’s mom; M’s mom; J (D and G’s son): N’s mom; S’s mom; J’s father;

As often as not the problem people struggle with occurs in the heart. We quickly think of those who do not know the Lord personally. We ask God’s to allow His spirit to move in their hearts so they will respond to the gospel. This week we pray for: S, J, B, W, K, A, T, T, and the pre-believers in the families of our people. We ask God to move in the hearts of the parents of the Sunday School children and kindergarten children. And we ask God to work in the lives of our pre-believing guests in church.

Pre-believers are not the only ones who experience struggles of the soul. Heartache is no respecter of persons. Many of our people carry inner pain. Let us pray for one another as we fact our personal issues. From mental struggles, to battles with temptation, to an ongoing war with guilt and shame people need the Savior’s touch. The presence of grief makes some steps very difficult. The noise of failure drowns out the voices of success in some hearts. The blinding light of ugly words hanging in the neither regions of our insides leaves black spots in our eyes preventing us from seeing beyond what has been said. All too often people have stumbled through the war years of their early life without knowing how to address the damaging effects of the shrapnel in their hearts. Pray that people will learn to address the conversations of the soul with the Word of God. If only, we could invite God into our inner war zones we experience His helping hand.

We join our lives together in the body of Christ called “the church.” Let us pray that KIBC will be the church God wants us to be today. Pray that each person will find his/her place to share his/her spiritual gifts to help the church be what God wants us to be. Pray for the people you look forward to meeting each time we gather. Ask God to work in their hearts and quicken their faith. Pray for the people you see but do not know. Ask God to help them open their hearts to Christ. Pray for the pre-believers who come to explore the faith with us. Pray they will come of faith in Christ. And pray that the Bible we study on Sunday will guide our steps every day. Pray for Angie and the musicians as they lead. Pray for Phil and the teachers and Sunday School workers. Pray for Maik and the youth and university ministries. Pray for the support staff. And, please pray for the Pastor. Pray that God will dominate his heart and speak through his words and actions.

Together let us pray that people will experience the loving heart of Jesus when they think of KIBC.

Soon the children will return to our kindergarten. C will be our principal. H will serve as administrator. The teachers will be in place. As the people of God, let us pray that this kindergarten year will enjoy the refreshing blessings of the Spirit of the Lord moving freely in this work. Pray that parents will be drawn to Christ.

This has been quite a different summer for me. N and I have never been away from each other as much as we have been this year. Monday N’s ailing mother turns 85 years. Tuesday N and I recognize our thirty-seventh anniversary from different parts of the globe. We are both ready to be together in Hong Kong. If things go well this week N plans to fly back the end of this week. A word of thanksgiving regarding our family…C passed his exam to become a commercial real estate broker in Texas.

Thank you for your prayers and your sweet spirit. May God bless and guide you as you walk through these days. Put your hand in the hand of God and trust Him to guide your steps. God bless you and yours.