26 March 2007

Prayer Letter

To: Prayer Partners

From: Pastor Lucenay

Last week I enjoyed reading in Philip Yancey’s book Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference? Early in the book he mentions Psalm 46:10. Be still and know that I am God. These words have often grabbed my attention. Probably, because my mind is sometimes as busy at a toddler “on go” (and sometimes as productive). Yancey pointed out the Latin imperative for be still is “vacate.” His analysis is “God invites us to take a holiday, vacate, to stop being God for a while, and let him be God.” He went on to write “To let God be God, of course, means climbing down from my own executive chair of control. I must ‘uncreate’ the world I have so carefully fashioned to further my ends and advance my cause.”

This is a great starting place for our prayer time as we head into the two weeks which lead up to Easter. I found myself thinking about what it must have been like for Jesus to spend these last two weeks with His disciples. What was going on in His mind? What was taking place in their minds? What did He try to tell them? What could they not hear because they were too caught up in what they were doing to take time to really hear him? What fears were keeping them preoccupied with their own agendas? What prevented them from understanding the heart of Jesus? Where did they refuse to let Jesus be Jesus?

My list of questions found me wondering if my answers to these questions would be much different from those sandal-footed disciples. It’s awfully hard to vacate one’s own approach to one’s desires in order to find God. Even as I formed that sentence I found myself wanting to say “in order to find God’s best” instead of “in order to find God” as if the only reason to find God is to find God’s best. Letting God be God is not easy.

“Vacate” and know that I am God. As we approach God in prayer we do well to ask, is there any situation, any relationship, any challenge before us in which we are “trying to play God” or at least “telling God how to be God?” What needs to happen in our prayers for us to lay that issue in God’s hands and trust Him to be God? I do not think turning things over to God means we quit talking to God about them. Rather, trusting God with them means we allow God to work in these situations in a way that may not be of our choosing. We seek to find Him in the situation. Our search for God is not so He can get the next instructions from us, but so we can “keep company with God” (an ancient definition of prayer).

Often Nancy and I find ourselves talking through various situations as we attempt to understand what is happening, get insight on various issues, and share our observations. The sharing is a part of our relationship that draws us closer. At issue is the relationship, not who gets to tell whom what needs to be done. The result is we grow closer together through the sharing. So it is with God. We talk with God because He allows us the privilege. We share our souls with Him. But the real issue of our sharing is our relationship with Him, not the solutions we desire. “Vacate” is a good word to carry with us into our place of prayer.

Every week we hold up various people and situations to God in our prayers. We ask Him to work in His time, in His way, to bring His solution. We stand or kneel together with Him seeking to share them with Him. And we trust Him with each of them.

I was pleased to see Maik Sunday afternoon as he returned from Mongolia. It was easy to see his joy of being “home” in Hong Kong again. Sunday night he will share some of the observations and insights he experienced. Let us thank God for his good mission experience.

Our early response in reservations for the Marriage Retreat, 8, 9 June is at seven couples. We have reserved hotel space for 20 couples. Pray for God to put together the group according to His plans for this special time.

Please pray for the special services Good Friday and Easter. Seek God’s guidance in our preparation, in the attendance, and in the experiences of worship.

For KIBC: wisdom in addressing the space issues; guidance in developing a plan for some minor work on the car park to give better use of that area; encouragement for believers to share the gospel; God’s Spirit working through the teachers, small groups, membership, staff, worship services.

For the chapels: as we search for larger space for the Tuen Mun Filipino Chapel and transition the location of the Tsim Sha Shui Filipino Chapel.

For Franklin Graham Crusade: 28 November-2 December, Hong Kong

Thank you for your prayers and sweet spirit. Let us continue to seek God’s heart as we attempt to be the people God want’s us to be where He has placed us. May the God’s reveal His presence to you as you walk with Him this week.