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.

Learning to Hear the Right Voice

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

Indeed, the biggest problem in hearing God’s voice is discerning between His voice, the voice of our own flesh, and Satan’s voice. Gaining more and more knowledge of Scripture helps us to discern the difference. But so does spending time with God in prayer. You will learn to recognize His voice the more you hear it.

The boy Samuel in the Old Testament shows us this truth. One night as he was trying to sleep, he heard someone call his name, “Samuel, Samuel.” He ran to Eli, his mentor, saying, “Here I am.” But Eli told Samuel he hadn’t called. This happened three times before Eli realized the Lord was speaking to Samuel. So he told the boy to say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening,” the next time the voice called out (1 Samuel 3). In the midst of these verses lies a telling fact: “Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him” (1 Samuel 3:7).

That may be the case for many of us. We have not yet heard the Lord, so we find it difficult to discern His voice. The last verses in the chapter give a different picture of Samuel’s life: “The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord. The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word” (1 Samuel 3:19- 21). Wouldn’t it be great to have the same thing said of our lives at the end—that none of God’s words fell to the ground. The more we listen, the more we will discern.

Lord God, learning to hear Your beautiful voice is my deepest desire. Your word says that if I draw near to You, You will draw near to me. Help me to spend all of my days drawing closer to You – leaning in to hear You speak to my heart as I pray, as I read Your word, and as I sit in the stillness. Show me how to know You so well that I never confuse Your voice with my own, or with the voice of the enemy. May I be as obedient a listener as Samuel, and throughout my life may none of Your words fall to the ground!

--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

  • Glorify God as the one who fills all of your desires and needs with his presence alone.

  • Thank God for being sufficient for you even when every other source of joy or support is taken away.

  • Confess your dependence on other people or situations to make you content and happy.

  • Commit yourself to making Jesus your “pearl of great price,” and ask him to make you willing to give up all you have for the sake of his kingdom, if necessary (Mt. 13:44-46).

  • Ask God to bring to your mind the material needs of an unsaved acquaintance so that you will be able to help meet those needs and bring that person closer to the kingdom.

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

Inviting God In

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

This week and this year each of us will face many different experiences. Problems will arise, burdens will come. Decisions will need to be made and many are life-altering. You might be facing some today. If not today, then soon.


What will we do? If we are serious followers of Jesus, we know we must pray, because only prayer brings God into the middle of our circumstances. God has created us in His image. As such, we have a certain level of control. We can decide to do things without God, or prayerfully invite Him in.

If we try to handle life alone, we will quickly discover that our mere humanity will fail us.

We all want to pray effectively. No one desires to lift some flimsy, selfish prayer that accomplishes little, but the "effective, fervent prayer" that “accomplishes much," of which James 5:16 speaks.

Jesus, as always, gives us the answer for effective prayer. He models for us the perfect prayer to pray in any situation—the prayer that is always rewarded: "Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, 'Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name.” (John 12:27-28, emphasis mine)

Lord Jesus, my prayer life has fallen woefully short of Your example as You yielded Yourself to the will of the Father in the garden. Your word says that when I am weak, that is when You are the strongest in my life. Please look on the situation I am in, the people I am praying for, and all that I should be bringing to You in prayer that I have decided I have the right to fix myself. Remind me that You, the Almighty God, are on the other end of my prayer, seated on the throne of heaven, and that You alone have the authority to dwell in that place. It is not about seeking my own solution or answer, but Yours. Father, help me to see that You alone are to be glorified in the midst of my prayers!

---Adapted from Prayer with No Intermission by Bill Elliff. This book is available at prayershop.org.

Prayer Points

  • Praise God as the one who will soon crush Satan under your feet (Rom. 16:20).

  • Thank him for revealing the mysteries of his salvation to you (16:25-27).

  • Asking God to show you your sin, confess any ways in which you have been involved in causing divisions in Christ’s people or have put up obstacles that impeded the spread of his Word (16:17-18).

  • Commit yourself to being “wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil” (16:19).

  • Pray for workers to go into the harvest fields of the world. Ask God to prompt his people to abundant contributions of finances, prayer, and encouragement to send these missionaries.

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.

Jesus Wants to Be Known

Below is an article found and shared by our Prayer Team. It correlates well to Kevin Denton’s sermon from July 14, 2024.

At the appointed time of 30 years old, Jesus revealed Himself and His ministry. He healed. He forgave. He understood people’s hearts. He knew their thoughts. He responded to faith. He was the Son of Man. He was God. Yet, this list merely scratches the surface of His identity. In Matthew 9:2, 4-6 Jesus says, “Have courage, son! Your sins are forgiven.” ... “Why do you respond with evil in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven’ or to say, ‘Stand up and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” ... “Stand up, take your stretcher, and go home.”

Jesus heals and forgives. We can seek Him as our safe place. No matter what we’ve done, we can approach Him with sincerity of heart and receive forgiveness and reconciliation. And yet, Healer and Forgiver are only two aspects of who He is. He is so much more.

Lord, I desire to know You fully. Show me how to know, pursue, and draw closer to You. Forgive me for not taking our relationship seriously. I repent. Take me to the next level of understanding about who You are and how You operate. 

You have incredible authority, including healing and forgiving sins. Reveal the fullness of Your authority and the authority You granted to me. I declare that godly fear will overtake me so I can be wise. I desire godly love to fill me so I may be like You. I desire Godly zeal to characterize me, so I take nothing for granted, and I dedicate my time on earth to Your will.

I’m thankful that You desire to lead me, Lord, on Your righteous path so all my days glorify You. I’m thankful You will answer my plea to fully know and experience You.

I praise You that I’m fully known to You. You know every thought, every impulse, and You still love me.

--Adapted from Praying What Jesus Says by Natasha Miller. This book is available at prayershop.org.

Prayer Points

  • Praise God for his marvelous goodness.

  • Thank the Lord for being a refuge in times of trouble (Nah. 1:7).

  • Confess your own failure to show goodness toward others.

  • Commit yourself to bearing the fruit of goodness through the power of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22).

  • Ask God to enable you today to “taste and see that the LORD is good” (Ps. 34:8).

  • Pray that good will win out over evil in every area of our society.

  • Ask that righteousness and justice will permeate the fabric of our culture so that God will be glorified and praised.

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

An Update from the Carrigs - Ireland

Dear friends, 

Blessings to you all from a warm(ish) and bright Greystones.
It has been an eventful few months of ministry here, so much so that I have yet to find a minute to stop and keep you all updated. But alas…!
This past week my family and I took a six day break and headed to Aix-en-Provence in the south of France, just a two hour plane ride from Dublin. We visited a Christian retreat centre where I once spent two months volunteering when I was just 16 (going on 17😉). This place had quite the impact on me when I was young, I grew to appreciate the 6am daily prayers and the evening worship services—not at first, of course. 

But it was here where I started to really experience the loving draw of God, an embrace I have stepped closer and closer to as the years have gone on. I was thankful to share that place with Kels and the kids, one of whom said, “Dad, I love this place too!” We left France with full hearts ready to dive back into ministry and life in Ireland.

Some notable developments here: 

  • Our church continues to grow. Week by week we are welcoming new people, and new christians, into our fellowship. 

  • We have celebrated two weddings this year already, with another two to come. I know that doesn’t sound like much but it's something worth celebrating for our church. In the past we might have had one wedding a year, if any at all! This year we’ll have had four and its only June! We are enjoying celebrating blessed unions together. In light of this I have developed a premarital counselling course that the couples have gone through these past few months. Serving couples in this way is a real privilege to me and I trust they enjoy it too.  

  • In the last few weeks our church has begun to welcome refugees to our building for English classes and for friendship. My co-pastor, Tim, has developed a whole network of support for roughly 100 men who have been placed in a temporary tent community just ten minutes from our church. Many of the men are Palestinian and Afghans seeking asylum in Ireland. These men were initially met by a hostile loud minority who aggressively and violently tried to intimidate these men, many of whom are in their late teens or early 20’s. But as a church it has been our privilege to welcome them in the name of Jesus, without judgment, and for the glory of God. Though these men see our welcome as a blessing to them, it is us who are blessed by the friendships and stories and opportunity to share life with these men. I am excited to see what God will continue to do through this open door as we bear witness to the One who welcomes all. 

  • Many of you will be aware of the charity Football Tournament our church runs each year. Some of our friends from Beechwood in Holland Michigan even fielded a team last year! But we had our biggest event yet this year. Ten teams, ten players per team and countless spectators. We also welcomed a team of refugees who represented their native Palestine. This was fitting as we were raising funds for the Al Ahli hospital in Gaza. This is a Christian hospital (Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem) providing medical care. We raised €2,275.00. Here's this years winners, Brazil: 

  • Our building plan for our church continues to move forward. After the approval of our planning application from the county council, we are now preparing the plans for the construction phase. It is growing increasingly obvious for our need to improve our building facility. As we host groups and weddings, worship and go about our regular functions as a church our current building is proving not fit for purpose. Our community is eager to see this development happen and have begun to develop our own fundraising campaign to see it come to pass. 

To our disappointment we will not make it back to US for a trip this year as it has been too disruptive for our small children each year. So this summer we are going to stay in Ireland. But we look forward to welcoming some visitors over the summer months and seeing a little more of this lovely island. 

Friends, we are grateful for your ongoing partnership through friendship, prayer and support. 

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Blessings, 

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 approval of our planning application and the hopes of moving forward with our building.  

  • For the opportunity to minister to so many new comers to Greystones. 

Will you continue to join us in praying: 

  • Pray for the continued health and growth of our church. 

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

  • Pray for our refugee friends who need safety and stability. 

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

Be Clothed in His Armor

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

Put on the full armor of God so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. (Ephesians 6:11)
This image was clear to the hearers in Paul’s day as they observed the Roman soldiers that filled every town. Using that warfare picture, Paul reminds us of the necessary armor for the believer in his battles; armor which is available to every Christian. It is wise at the beginning of each day to “put on” your armor in prayer.                                                                                                                    

  • Gird your loins with truth. This means truthfulness, honesty, integrity which will protect us from the tempation to the opposite which would make us vulnerable. It also implies knowing and believing truth that will guard us from the lies of the Father of all lies.                                       

  • Put on the breastplate of righteousness. We must realize and claim the righteousness we have in Christ and cover our vital organs with a commitment to personal holiness.                      

  • Shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. We must get ready to move by realizing our mission. We lace up our witnessing shoes. We prepare to share the gospel of peace gladly and quickly with everyone we meet, which is Satan’s greatest fear.                         

  • Take up the shield of faith which is able to quench all the flaming arrows of the wicked one. One of the most powerful weapons in battle was a flaming arrow. The Romans had developed a defensive weapon in a body-sized, leather shield. It had a front and a back with a vacuum between which would quench a flaming arrow. Satan is continually flinging darts at us designed to destroy us. We often think these are just our thoughts. But I am convinced otherwise. Our powerful defense is faith and “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ.” We must combat his flaming arrows with the faith that comes from God’s Word.                

  • Take up the helmet of salvation. That which protects us most in our battle is our absolute security in Christ if we have come to know Him. Our salvation saves us in our minds. We must remember this as we face the day.

  • Take up … the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. There is nothing more powerful than Scripture. It is literally God’s Word and our greatest weapon against Satan’s lies. Jesus Himself rebuked every temptation of the enemy in the wilderness with God’s Word, and so must we. This is why Scripture memory is so vital.                                                                         

It is a critical exercise each day, and multiple times throughout the day, to check our strength (making sure we’re relying on the Lord) and check our armor (using the right protective weapons against the Enemy.)
Father, today I faithfully put on Your armor as both a physical act and a spiritual reminder of Your divine protection and power! I will place the helmet of Your salvation upon my head as a reminder that You are my salvation. I put on the breastplate of righteousness because You are the righteous King, and the belt of truth, for You alone are the Truth! I will prepare my feet to travel anywhere You direct me to share the gospel of peace! I raise Your shield of faith to protect myself from the flaming arrows that will come against me today! And, I prepare myself to do battle using the sword of Your word! Lord, continue to give me strength through Jesus to serve You with everything in me every moment of this day!

---Adapted from Simply Prayer by Bill Elliff. This book is available at prayershop.org.

Prayer Points

  • Praise God for his strength and confidence, enduring from everlasting to everlasting (1 Chron. 29:10-11).

  • Give thanks that God is your strength and confidence and that he will never fail you or forsake you (1 Chron. 28:20).

  • Confess to the Lord your failure to rely completely upon him and his Word (Isa. 41:10).

  • Commit yourself to being strong and doing the work God has for you without complaining (Phil. 2:14).

  • Ask God to forgive you for not depending on him and that you may wait on the Lord and be confident of his love (Jeremiah 31:3).

  • Pray that your church will be strong in preparing its membership to grow in their daily walk and work for him as parents, teachers, workers, etc.

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

YG Mission Trip - Athens, TN - Day 5

Our last day of service (Thursday) did not go as planned. The dumpster did not arrive and it rained all morning. And yet we all agree it was one of the most beautiful days on site yet! We played hide-and-seek and tag (in the mud!) with the kids and said tearful goodbyes to the homeowners and our new friends at First Methodist.

We headed out to Lost Sea Adventures where we enjoyed cooling off in the cave and the boat ride on the underground lake! Lunch at a local burger joint before our final chapel tonight.

Prayer as Our First Response

Here’s an article that our prayer team would like to share.

Who needs our prayers? Everyone we know and even those we don’t know! We should pray for those we love and those with whom we struggle. Even our enemies, Jesus said (and illustrated) should be the recipients of our intercession. Government leaders and waiters at our table.

Don’t you imagine that Jesus talked with His Father constantly about each of the disciples and everyone He met—receiving continual instruction about how he was to interact with them and intercede for their needs?

His testimony was that He did nothing on His own initiative but only said what His Father was saying and did what He observed His Father doing. What was the vehicle for this observation of the Father? Constant prayer in every situation. Jesus lifted everything vertically, looking up to ask what should be done and interceding for what could be done. Every sweep of Christ’s eyes across the landscape of humanity led Him to intercede.

Prayer should not be our last resort with people, but our first response. Is there anyone we will meet today who does not need what God could bring them through our prayers?

If we could master the ALL of prayer, we would find the foyer of heaven and the power of God on earth. His kingdom would come and His will done on earth as it is being done in heaven. And, our Father would have gained the communion with His children that He desires.

Lord Jesus, You are the Master of heaven and earth! You have designed this unique mystery called prayer so that I can meet with You about anything! Stretch my prayer life to include my enemies, government leaders, nations, cultural situations, and anything else that needs Your touch! Help me to break out of the “sameness” of my praying so that I can pray for Your will to be done on earth as it is in heaven – over everything and every person! May prayer always be my first response and not my last resort!

---Adapted from Prayer with No Intermission by Bill Elliff. This book is available at prayershop.org.

Prayer Points

  • Praise God for being the dwelling place for his saints in all generations (Ps. 90:1).

  • Thank him that before the mountains were born or he had brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting he is God (90:2).

  • Confess your rebellion against God’s greatness.

  • Commit yourself to numbering your days rightly, so that you may gain a heart of wisdom (90:12).

  • Ask the Lord to have his favor rest upon you and to establish the work of your hands (90:17).

  • Pray that the Lord will supply wisdom and perseverance to your church’s missionaries (name them) and that they will be blessed with encouraging results in their work.

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

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