Jesus is Praying for You

Below is an article found and shared by our Prayer Team, written by Asheritah Ciuciu.

“Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.”
Hebrews 7:25 (NIV)

I can’t pray anymore.

I tried, but it felt like my prayers were hitting the proverbial ceiling.

Does God even hear me? Does He still care?

Perhaps you’ve gone through seasons like that, too, where you’re discouraged by your inability to pray or you feel like you don’t know what to say. Maybe you’ve tried to make a new habit of praying this year, but you keep getting distracted as your thoughts ping-pong from prayer to your grocery list to that unpaid bill and it’s so discouraging that you just give up.

Many things keep us from praying. But here’s one good reason to pray anyway: Jesus is praying for and with us.

A few years ago, I stumbled on this quote from Robert Murray M’Cheyne: “If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies. Yet distance makes no difference. He is praying for me.”

The first time I encountered that idea, I felt shocked. Really? Praying for us? That’s a lovely idea, but that’s not in the Bible … is it?

So I searched the Scriptures and was surprised by what I discovered. Hebrews 7:24-25 says: “Because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them” (NIV).

And again in Romans 8:34, the Bible affirms: “Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us” (NIV). It seems clear that Jesus is praying for His people every moment of every day.

I don’t know what Jesus is praying, but we glimpse His tender heart in His high priestly prayer in John 17. The Bible also says even in our sorrow, heartache and darkness, and even when we don’t feel Him, Jesus strengthens us and protects us (2 Thessalonians 3:3).

Even when we don’t know what to say, Jesus is praying for us.
Even when we don’t feel like praying, Jesus is praying for us.
Even when we think our prayers don’t make a difference, Jesus is praying for us.

This one conviction has brought such comfort to my heart on hard days: believing Jesus understands what it’s like to be human and He knows exactly what to pray — even when we don’t.

So let us confidently approach the throne of grace, knowing Jesus Himself is waiting and praying for you, for me and for us.

Precious Jesus, thank You for loving us so much that You care about the details and You pray for us, even now. We join You in our prayers and surrender to You all the hard and heavy burdens in our lives. You are able, and we trust You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Praying With Your Feet

Below is an article found and shared by our Prayer Team.

“Prayer just isn’t working,” I confessed to my friend as we huddled in the back of our favorite coffee shop.

I was trudging through a season of unexpected loss, and my relationship with Jesus felt stilted and strained. The candid conversations I once shared with my Savior had dwindled. The pages of my prayer journal sat empty. My words seemed strangled by the weight of disappointment and the ache of my hurting heart.

How could I pray if I had nothing to say?

“Maybe you should stop worrying about talking to Jesus and just focus on walking with Him,” my friend gently urged.

Her suggestion was a surprising echo of a Bible verse I’d read that morning and jotted down as a tangible reminder to keep pursuing Christ. I pulled a scrap of paper from my purse and showed my friend my sloppy scribbles: “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him” (Colossians 2:6).

The Greek word translated as “walk” in this verse doesn’t merely refer to the act of moving our feet. It conveys the idea of keeping company with someone; it implies a shared journey.

Colossians 2:6 isn’t a commentary on our gait — it’s a call for connection.

That sliver of Scripture, along with my friend’s timely words, challenged me to find a new way to connect with Jesus in the midst of my discouragement. Instead of staring at the blank pages of my prayer journal, I began taking a daily walk through the woods in my backyard. As I strolled that tree-lined trail, my presence became my prayer.

The sheer act of showing up was my way of saying, Jesus, I’ll walk with You even though I’m struggling to talk to You. I’ll draw near even when You feel far away.

Once I committed to spending time with Jesus, I recognized He was with me too. I heard His joy in the birdsong above my head and noticed His playfulness in the skittering squirrels. I spied His faithfulness in the changing seasons and His strength in the deep-rooted trees.

In my season of weary hope and waning words, my definition of prayer expanded. I discovered that sometimes prayer is brazen cries on bended knees, and sometimes it’s angry tears and silent pleas. Prayer is expressed with honest words as well as with surrendered steps.

So if you’re struggling to pray, dear friend, don’t give up! Connect with Jesus today by letting your presence speak where your words fall short. Then do it again tomorrow.

Prayer may not always involve speaking up, but it does require showing up. And when we show up with a thread of hope and a humble heart, we find Jesus is already there, ready and willing to share our journey and hear our prayers.

Dear Jesus, help me keep company with You today so I can know You more deeply tomorrow. Teach me how to pray with and without words. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Written by Alicia Bruxvoort; published by Proverbs 31 Ministries

Diligent Prayer for the Persecuted Church

Below is an article found and shared by our Prayer Team.

We are in the midst of a spiritual battle. Jesus put it this way: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).

It is vitally important that we diligently pray for the persecuted church. Praying for God’s family experiencing extreme hardships makes more of a difference than we will ever know. Christian persecution goes back to the early church (see Acts 6:8–8:1) and the stoning of Stephen—with Saul there, “congratulating the killers” (Acts 8:1, msg). Consider the extent to which this same Saul, now Paul, apostle to the Gentiles, would endure “toil and hardship” for the sake of the gospel (see 2 Corinthians 11:23–30). 

The persecution continues today. According to Open Doors USA, the following facts are a heartfelt call to pray for Christians in the midst of daily persecution. Each month: 

• 322 Christians are killed for their faith 

• 214 churches and Christian properties are destroyed 

• 772 forms of violence are committed against Christians (such as beatings, abductions, rape, arrests, and forced marriages) 

Open Doors, founded by God’s Smuggler author Brother Andrew in the mid-1950s, has worked tirelessly to get Bibles into countries closed to traditional approaches to the gospel. In so doing, they have seen and sought to tell others about a variety of hostilities carried out against members of God’s family around the world. Since 2011, the ministry has distributed One With Them wristbands to remind God’s people to pray for the persecuted church.

According to The Pew Research Center, over 75% of the world’s population lives in areas with severe religious restrictions (and many of these people are Christians). Also, according to the United States Department of State, Christians in more than 60 countries face persecution from their governments or surrounding neighbors simply because of their belief in Jesus Christ. 

Oh Lord, prompt my heart each day to pray for those who don’t have the freedoms I take for granted! I am so blessed with all that I need when the persecuted church faces horrific consequences simply for believing and following You. Forgive me for failing to pray for those across the earth who face trials and horrific acts of violence each day simply for being committed to their lives in Jesus! May the prayers I pray for the persecuted result in action through the power of the Holy Spirit. Show me tangible ways to bring comfort and relief and rescue to those for whom I pray!

--Adapted from Walking and Talking with God: A Simple Way to Pray Every Day by Dean Ridings. This book is available at prayershop.org.

Prayer Points

  • Praise the God of faith, hope, and love (1 Cor. 13:13).

  • Thank him for the “new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Pet.1:3).

  • Confess those times when you have given in to discouragement rather than hoping in God.

  • Commit yourself to taking hold of the hope which God freely offers to you (Heb. 6:18).

  • Ask that you will have opportunity to share your hope with another person today.

  • Ask God to help you live in such a way that your unsaved friends will ask “you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Pet. 3:15). Then be ready with your answer!

Prayer Points taken from Patterns for Prayer by Alvin VanderGriend. This book is available at prayershop.org.

Birthday Fun!

These students celebrated birthdays within the last few weeks, and look what showed up in their yards to help them celebrate! We’ll see where the sign moves to next… :)

Why Pray Scripture?

Below is an article found and shared by our Prayer Team.

“When I turn what Scripture says about God into meditation, prayer, and praise,” said Jane McClain, “I relate to Him more intimately, praise Him more effectively, soak up His love more fully, and pray His will more soundly.” It can really do all that? Yes! There are many benefits of praying God’s Word.

Prayer naturally brings us to the Word, and God’s Word should always bring us to prayer. The two go together. Unfortunately, most of us keep them separated at all times. We have our time to read the Bible and our time to pray. It was revolutionary to me when I learned to put them together. I could start to read a chapter in the Bible, but flow in and out of prayer as I did. That practice made God’s Word stand out more as I meditated and asked Him questions about it.

Previously, I had from time to time experienced the voice of the Holy Spirit illuminating a verse or phrase or passage to my heart. And occasionally I had felt the exhilaration that comes from knowing God had shed personal light through His Word. But with this new practice, I experienced that phenomenon on a very regular basis. Scripture reading came more alive for me and I wanted to do it more, which in turn produced a more meaningful prayer life.

Living Word, thank You for revealing Your will to Your people through Scripture! Teach me to use my Bible each day as a powerful jumping off place for prayer, and as a hiding place for seeking You more fully. Show me more of Yourself and transform my life as I enter Your presence through the pages of Your holy word!
 
--Adapted from The Power of Personal Prayer (Learning to Pray with Faith and Purpose) by Jonathan Graf. This book is available at prayershop.org.

Prayer Points

  • Praise the God who loves even the little children (Lk. 18:16).

  • Give thanks for God’s promise in Prov. 22:6 to help parents train their children in the right way.

  • Confess any lack of love or any impatience you have experienced toward your children or others.

  • Commit yourself to a renewed appreciation for the place children have in God’s sight.

  • Ask for wisdom to train your children in his ways.

  • Ask God to “turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers” (Mal. 4:6) throughout his kingdom.

Connection (Devotions for Everyday Life) © 2024 is a free devotional published daily by Harvest Prayer Ministries.

An Update from Luke & Kelsey Carrig - November 2024

Grace and peace to you, friends, from a wet and cold afternoon in Ireland... but we are still smiling! Why wouldn't we? We have much to be thankful for...

“Don’t forget the LORD!” said Moses to the Israelites when they stood on the threshold of entering the land of promise. 

10 When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. 11 Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. 12 Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, 13 and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, 14 then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God… [Deut. 8:10-14]

In a season of thanksgiving these verses always resonate. The holiday of Thanksgiving, though not without its cultural and historical complications, is an opportunity for all of us to remember the LORD. To give thanks. 

It is good to give thanks to the Lord, says our liturgy, because He is worthy of it, and giving thanks “keeps us in our place”—so to speak—as wholly dependent on the gracious provision and care of our kind God, least we forget. 

Our ministry in Ireland has “multiplied” for the better this past while. In sharing some of these developments with you we are also giving thanks to the Lord for His goodness to us.

Our community continues to grow. We are regularly hitting over the 100 mark for Sunday worship with an influx of children we barely have room to host. Some Sunday’s have seen 50 children arrive for Sunday worship—that’s a big jump from starting with 6. But our worshiping life together has been rich this past while with people coming to, and growing in, faith. 

We now have four well attended Bible studies that happen throughout the week. Interestingly, these mid-week groups have become missional as a good number of those who attend don’t come to our church just yet. 

In September we baptized four new believers on a very chilly afternoon. This year we have also celebrated 4 weddings as a community, and had the privilege of providing marriage counselling for all these new couples.

In the pictures below are Daniel and Arais, they were married and baptized this year! 

The Church of the Nazarene is a global denomination. Some of the regional leaders for Europe have been greatly encouraged by what is happening in Ireland. In October we welcomed a group of leaders for a retreat. It was great to share with them all that God has been doing and to dream together about how God might be leading us to grow churches and ministry beyond Greystones to the whole country. We were encouraged by their visit and eager to see what God is going to do. (I'm not in the photo below because I took it 😂)

Many of you know that we need to improve our current building facility to better serve our existing ministries and enable new ones. Building costs in Ireland are staggering, not to mention the town where we serve is one of the most expensive parts of Ireland to live in. Our bill for our development is close to 3 million euro. However, we were immensely encouraged by a designated gift we receive of €500k toward our building. This gift was given to us by the Nazarene Church from a fund that exists called the Alabaster Fund, which supports bricks and mortar projects across the globe. It was affirming to receive such a sizeable gift, and we do indeed give thanks to God. Now we wait for the other 2 million 😂.

The image below on the left is our new proposed building extension. The building on the right is our existing building. 

Our family is doing really well. After four years we are finally feeling settled. Ida recently turned 6 and is looking forward to taking part in a big ballet show soon. Cohen is now 8 and has recently taken up the drums—I now have greater appreciation for my mother’s patience when I was learning many moons ago. Little Rhys is just passed 3 and is still settling in to pre-school but can name all his friends—just ask him.

On a personal development for me, God continues to provide opportunities for me to make and perform music. It is a collision of kindness to me, that I can pursue my vocation as a pastor and pursue my passion for the creative arts. I recently played a sold out concert at a venue in Dublin called Whelan’s that I have wanted to play since I was a teenager. I was also invited to a youth prison where I played some songs and shared some testimony. Making music gets me out on the street and among people that I find enhances my ministry. I hope to release some more new songs in 2025 because, for some mad reason, people want to listen.

Lastly, it was great to make a quick stop dash to West Michigan where I met with ministry partners and colleagues in missions. It was refreshing and encouraging to be reminded we are not on our own over here, but there is a host of supportive people praying and walking alongside us as we together co-labor with Christ for the advancement of the Kingdom. 

We give thanks for all this, for you and for God’s continual upholding. 

Happy Thanksgiving and blessings to you all!
 

Luke, Kelsey, Cohen, Ida and Rhys

Pray With Us

Will you join us in giving thanks: 

  • For the season of growth and renewal at our church.

  • For the Alabaster gift the Church received.  

  • For new opportunities that we are being presented with to minister inside and outside the church.

Will you continue to join us in praying: 

  • Pray that our church growth would not just be numerical but deeply spiritual. Pray for lives to be continually transformed by the gospel of Jesus. 

  • Pray for provision for us as a family, but also for the building plans for our church.  

  • Pray that we would continue to experience the power and wisdom of the triune God as a church in Greystones, Ireland. 

Join Us
If you desire to support our family through prayer, finances or by simply keeping in touch, you can do so by clicking HERE. 

Youth Group Beach Night + Car Wash Fundraiser

The youth group had our first meeting on Sunday, September 15. It was an amazing evening out on the shores of Lake Michigan. We enjoyed playing some yard games, a picnic supper and then hiked out to the lake. We talked about being missional and how we are all created uniquely with God given gifts to share God’s love and story in our daily lives. We ended the night taking in a beautiful sunset! We are excited to see how God is going to use our gifts in the year to come.

Our second event took place on Saturday, September 21, when we hosted a car wash and bake sale fundraiser to raise money for our 2025 Summer mission trip. Thanks to everyone who came out to support us!

Are You Simply Praying?

Below is an article found and shared by our Prayer Team.

“You do not have because you do not ask.” (James 4:2)
 
Many people do not have answered prayer because they do not pray. They talk about prayer, teach and preach about prayer, tell people “I’m praying for you!” but it is often hypocrisy. You may not be seeing God’s activity in and through your life because you have not taken the steps to become a man or woman who is simply praying.
 
“And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” (Matthew 6:7-8)
 
God is not impressed by flowery words or fine oratory. He loves sincere, simple hearts. He knows our needs and is not waiting for us to petition Him with perfect elocution. He wants us! He longs for His children to climb up in His lap and enjoy Him. 
 
One of the most liberating experiences in prayer is to realize you can come to Him in sincerity, honesty, and simplicity, speaking to Him as a friend to a friend or a child to a loving Father. 
 
Father, my heart longs to simply know You more so that You can teach my heart to be yielded and open as You train me in intercession. I confess that sometimes I get overwhelmed by the amazing prayers I hear others lift up to You. It can keep me from stepping out in faith to just talk to You as a friend and loving Father. Help me to remember that I am not talking to those around me. I am stepping into the throne room of heaven to have a conversation with the One who knows me best, and who loves me beyond measure.
 
---Adapted from Simply Prayer by Bill Elliff. This book is available at prayershop.org.

Prayer Points

  • Praise God that “though he brings grief, he will show compassion . . . for he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men” (Lam. 3:32-33).

  • Give thanks for God’s promise that your grief will be turned to joy (Jn. 16:20).

  • Confess to him the times you let grief or affliction turn to bitterness or unconfessed sin.

  • Commit yourself to allowing these trials or afflictions to be a stepping stone to a greater faith.

  • Ask God to help you guard yourself in your spirit and do not break faith (Mal. 2:16).

  • Ask that financial pressure in your congregation will draw you together in prayer and trust, and move you forward in faith as you share with those in need (Rom. 12:12-13).

Prayer Points taken from Patterns for Prayer by Alvin VanderGriend. This book is available at prayershop.org.

Connection (Devotions for Everyday Life) © 2024 is a free devotional published daily by Harvest Prayer Ministries.

Praise Days: School Year Edition Kickoff!

Another fall season has arrived which means all the activities and ministry programs start back up again! It brings new life and energy back to our groups and to our building.

One of the groups that kicked off were the Kindergarten-2nd grade students. Led by their fearless leaders (ahem, Danae and Nancy), students used permanent markers and rubbing alcohol to make different patterns on their shirts. Maybe one of these colorful shirts will make an appearance at a future church event! The kids ended their night by doing various acrobatic moves in the lawn :) We’re already looking forward to the next event on September 25!

A Walking-Talking Relationship

Below is an article found and shared by our Prayer Team.

As you come to God to get to know him through his Word and grow deeper with him through conversational relationship, you will discover afresh the God who is there, the God who cares, and the God who listens and responds to your prayers. He does all of this in the context of personal relationship, as indicated by the following Scriptures (though these words initially were directed to his people Israel, they reflect his heart for all people): 

“Fear not, for I am with you; / be not dismayed, for I am your God; / I will strengthen you, I will help you, / I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10). 

“For I, the Lord your God, / hold your right hand; / it is I who say to you, ‘Fear not, / I am the one who helps you’ ” (Isaiah 41:13). 

“When the poor and needy seek water, / and there is none, / and their tongue is parched with thirst, / I the Lord will answer them; / I the God of Israel will not forsake them” (Isaiah 41:17).
 
“You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 29:13–14a). 

“And you shall be my people, / and I will be your God” (Jeremiah 30:22).

God longs for relationship, fellowship, and intimate communion with us. That’s what the Bible is all about, from cover to cover. It’s what the psalmist David contemplated in Psalm 139—just how much the Lord knew him personally and intimately before he was born and knew whether David would walk with or try to hide from him day to day. The desire God has for a walking-and-talking relationship with us is also what’s behind Jesus’ “gospel in a nutshell” in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” 

All who come to him through Jesus are his children, who now may pray, “Our Father” (Matthew 6:9). Through the finished work of Jesus on the cross, we may also enter the very throne room of God—not to receive the wrath we deserve, but grace and mercy in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16). Despite outer circumstances, we can have joy in such a walking-and-talking relationship with Father God.

Father, You are the worthy God who deserves all honor and praise and glory! Help me to walk and talk with You continually each day because I desire a deeper relationship with You! Show me how to listen to Your voice and pay attention to Your word in fresh ways so that I am better able to discern Your purposes for my life and for Your kingdom.

--Adapted from Walking and Talking with God: A Simple Way to Pray Every Day by Dean Ridings. This book is available at prayershop.org.

Prayer Points

  • Praise God for his heart that is open, warm, loving, and kind toward all he has made.

  • Thank God for reaching down to draw you to himself through his Son (Jn. 3:16).

  • Confess the times when your heart has been unwilling to give to others the same out-reaching love that you have received from God.

  • Commit yourself to learning the kind, patient love of God (1 Cor.13:4).

  • Ask him to fill you with a knowledge of the depth and breadth of his love (Eph. 3:14-19).

  • Intercede for the specific caring ministries that your church or denomination is involved in worldwide, asking that broken lives and poverty-stricken families may be helped.

Prayer Points taken from Patterns for Prayer by Alvin VanderGriend. This book is available at prayershop.org.

Connection (Devotions for Everyday Life) © 2024 is a free devotional published daily by Harvest Prayer Ministries. Subscribe here.

918 Central Avenue. holland MI 49423

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Contact - office@maranatha-crc.com