9 October 2006

To Prayer Partners

From Pastor Lucenay

Michel Quoist writes a variety of prayers in his book New Prayers. The prayers are often several pages long, yet filled with incites. A portion of his tenth prayer in the book resonated in my heart recently. I thought it might be meaningful to you as well.

Help me not to waste my life, life of a body that overstretches itself… never to steal live from others, but always to welcome it when it is offered; never to lock it up and keep it in my own heart, instead of sharing it with my brothers and sisters who need it so much. Give me the desire to seek you always, so that I may meet you, know you and love you, and become the friend you desire, welcoming your life in my life, so that my flowers and my fruit may be yours and mine at the same time. Help me to go forward, without wanting to know what I’m going to find at every bend in the road, not with my head in the clouds but with my feet on the ground and my hand in yours. I’ll leave home then, Lord, confidently, joyfully and I’ll set out fearlessly on the unknown road: the journey of life is before me but you are traveling with me.

None of us wants to trade our lives for less than God’s best. Yet, the ever increasing demands of life snatch our energy and leave us with only the offer of our drained remains for those we consider our highest priority in life. I don’t know about you, but when I look at my life I realize the more weary I am, the more tendency I have to close the doors of my heart. Thus, those I want to share my soul with are left wanting as my soul shrivels. Unfortunately, this is true of my relationship with God and significant others in life. Opening the heart takes no little effort. Exploring one’s thoughts and feelings requires time and energy.

Perhaps our personal prayer time this week would be well spent asking God to help us see what being friends with Him looks like. Let’s invite God to help us explore the ways we are sharing life with Him and with His family. Our goal is not to sink us in a pit of guilt but to affirm the areas where the friendship is sound and find ways to strengthen the areas where our friendship is lacking. When we have talked this out with God, we might do well to prayerfully talk this out with significant people in our lives. Perhaps God will lead us to replace of worn ways with new joys.

We always have many areas to consider in prayer: This week let’s pray for:

KIBC: thanksgiving for strong growth in the choir, good spirit in worship/fellowship; response to youth/student ministry; request for God’s guidance with space needs, development of small groups, decision making regarding commitment to Christ and baptism, filling leadership vacancies in Sunday School; God’s work in and through our pastor and staff; wisdom in the decisions that need to be made; spiritual empowerment;

Last Sunday I introduced a sermon series answering the question: How does one FIND GOD? This Sunday we will Focus on God. Pray for the preparation of this message. Pray for the people who will listen to this message. Pray for God’s guidance in both the speaking of the message and the hearing of the message. Invite God to open the eyes of our hearts to the reality of His Awesome existence.

Our choir continues to prepare the Christmas music. Week by week the choir is growing in strength, number, confidence, and worship leadership. Please pray for Angie and the choir as they lead us. Pray for God’s guidance in our search for an accompanist for Sunday morning worship and choir rehearsal.

The Wednesday night Mosaic group grows week by week as well. Last week as I looked in on the students and their interaction one asked about baptism. Others are in conversation with Maik and with other students regarding the existence of God and the way of salvation. Pray for this faith interaction.

Pray for those who will be baptized Sunday night. There will be several from KIBC, KFBC, and Tuen Mun. Pray for these new believers to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Also ask God to help us better learn to share our faith in the evangelism study of the evening.

Plans are now being laid for a youth retreat in late November. Pray for the right time and place for this special time with the young people. Pray for the response of the youth.

In the next couple of weeks two new small groups will begin. Pray for these groups and their leaders. We will also be exploring the possibility of other groups. Ask God how He would have you participate in these faith opportunities.

22 October we will have our deacon nomination vote. Please ask God to help our church select the leaders who can help us be what God wants us to be at this important time in our church history. Pray through the possibilities your vote could have.

Thank you for sharing the life and ministry of our Lord at KIBC. Thank you for your prayer support and your warm encouragement. May God make His presence know to you in encouraging ways this week.