“Ask, and you will receive. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Whoever seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door is opened. Who among you will give your children a stone when they ask for bread? Or give them a snake when they ask for fish? If you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask Him.” (Matthew 7:7-11)
Good Day Family,
The Power of Persistent Prayer
I pray that you are well. I really do. I pray for our church family regularly. At times, I go through the directory and lift up your names one by one before the Throne of Grace. I believe in the power of prayer. The above passage is part of the Sermon on the Mount; it is direct instruction from Jesus, who tells us to ask, search, and knock. In other words, go before the Lord persistently, consistently, and expectantly. It is when we pray that we communicate with the Creator of heaven and earth, connect with the Source of all power, and commune with the Lover of our souls. We find peace and assurance when we pray, whether our situation changes immediately or not, we find that God can change us in the midst of our circumstances. That’s part of the power of prayer.
When we pray persistently, we reorient ourselves. Praying without ceasing turns our attention away from the temporary to be affixed upon the eternal. We submit to God’s perspective as much as to God’s will. A few months, while they seem to last forever for us, is but a moment for an Everlasting God. We also build our trusting muscles. Pray exercises our faith and makes us stronger. And, most importantly, God meets us in those moments that we dedicate to God alone in amazing and wondrous ways.
The day that we conducted interviews for a new church secretary, a sister-clergy colleague prayed that we would find the right person for the position and that we would know it immediately. When she said those words, I immediately responded, “Amen!” We interviewed several qualified and promising candidates, but truthfully, we knew after the first conversation that we had found the one we were searching for. I am so pleased to introduce Andrea Outlaw, our new Church Secretary to you. She is a woman of faith and has worked in the church before. I know that she will be a blessing to our faith community; I pray we are also a blessing to her.
Finally, thank you to everyone who came out for our “Surprise Retirement Parking Lot Party” for Ruth. It’s safe to say that she was very surprised! That was the first of many outdoor, physically distant fellowship opportunities we play to have. Our next gathering will be a Parking Lot Meet Up on Sunday, August 16 at 1 pm. Bring a lawn chair, a lunch or snack, and your mask for a time of fellowship. It’s like an inverse tail gate party where we’ll gather a few hours after worship! Hope to see you then.
Prayerfully,
Be well,
Pastor Cheryl