PRAYERS FOR OUR BLESSINGS

You know blessings are one of those tricky concepts. God told Abraham that he would be blessed, and we see the wonderful things that happened for Abraham as well as the material possessions that he gained in this world. He is truly someone we would say was blessed by God. Then Jesus comes along and talks about being blessed when you are persecuted. Hold it, that seems just the opposite of what Abraham was told. So, this concept can be hard to grasp at times.

So, what does it mean to be blessed by God for us today? I know I would prefer the blessings of Abraham rather than the blessing Jesus talks about. I don’t think those in Afghanistan would be considered more blessed than those of us who live here in the safety and prosperity of this country. Yet, they are the ones persecuted and Jesus said the persecuted are blessed. Jesus was talking about blessings in the spiritual sense, those benefits that transcend beyond this world, rather than the physical advantages and prosperity we have in this life. God gives both types of blessings. Do we recognize them both?

As we spend this week praying for blessings, what do we pray for? I guess the answer is either type or both. We can pray for the conveniences and bounty of this world that we each have in the South Lyon congregation. Maybe it is another person God has put in your life right when you needed them. It could be the nice building that we meet in on cold or rainy days, or a program we have that benefits our members, their kids, or even those who don’t attend here. So, from the physical side let’s focus on some of the wonderful gifts given to the body here and thank God for His favor.

We also need to remember the spiritual aspect of blessings. Maybe pray for more of an eternal focus as we go through struggles. Peace is a spiritual blessing that can not be bought or made by man. Take a day to pray for the blessing we have of being sinless before God because of what Jesus did for us on that cross. Meditate on eternal life after life on this earth is over, and be filled with the blessing of joy as we know there is something better waiting for us. Peace and Joy are so much greater than the physical blessings we enjoy on this earth—they are blessings bought with the blood of Jesus. That is why we can call persecution and other suffering a blessing and can thank God for them, as well.

So as you spend time praying this week, thank God for your blessings. Pray for individuals who are a blessing to you. Pray for activities or programs we have here that may bless you or others. And pray for the eternal blessings, those that we have regardless of what dark road we may be walking down right now. I look forward to focusing on my blessings this week—all of them.

Blessed because of God’s mercy,

Randy

PRAYER TIME

Do you hate being evaluated? You know, that time of year when your boss or supervisor comes in with a checklist and basically says whether you have succeeded or failed at each item. Or maybe it’s a job interview and you are trying to list all your “strengths and weaknesses.” In a premarital counseling series we use, they refer to weaknesses as “growth areas.” As we enter our third week of prayer, we will focus on ourselves and our growth areas. How can you be a better servant of God? What areas of service can you do a better job in? How can those around you be better loved? These questions may be hard to answer, though we would all agree we each have areas we could grow in. It’s time for an evaluation of ourselves. To help us out, here are a few scriptures to give us some things to think about.

Galatians 5:22-23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

1Corinthians 14:4-7

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Depending on how you break these up or categorize these two passages, there are around two dozen qualities we should have. Evaluate your spiritual walk and pick out seven areas you may struggle with and pray each day this next week for one of them. This is an evaluation we should not dread because we are safe in the love of our Father. As it has been quoted: “God loves you just the way you are, but He refuses to leave you that way. He wants you to be just like Jesus.”

Striving to be like Jesus,

Randy

1924 Broadway

I wonder if someone inside this address in Lubbock, Texas was praying for me. If it would have been prior to early September 1982, they could have been praying for me, but it wouldn’t have been by name. After that, it could have been by name.

But was there someone there praying for me? The address is for the Broadway Church of Christ in Lubbock, Texas, the congregation that sponsored the campus ministry a few blocks down Broadway Street toward the Texas Tech campus. Was there someone who attended services at this location praying for me?

What about those who meet on Sunday mornings at 21860 Pontiac Trail in South Lyon, Michigan. Are they praying for someone like me? Someone who is searching to know God better. Someone whose heart is ready to open His word to know what it says. Are they praying for someone, they may not even know by name, who hasn’t seen God’s love yet. Maybe someone who has lost hope? Are the Christians that gather on Pontiac Trail praying for someone like me?

As we start our second week of seven weeks of prayer, we turn our focus from those who meet inside the building across from Tim Horton’s to those who don’t. Take this week and pray for seven individuals who don’t know of God’s love, or maybe have heard of it but never experienced it. Maybe it is someone who is wanting to sit down and know what God’s word says. It could be a friend, possibly someone at work. It could be a neighbor or even a family member. Who are the seven people that you are going to pray for this week? Maybe you are praying for someone you haven’t even met yet. God works through prayer.

As I laid out in last week’s sermon, we will be taking the next seven weeks to pray. Pray because we know the power to change lives lies with God. Praying because though we may have what we feel is a good way to go forward, God may have a better one. Praying because as we go forward we don’t want to leave God behind, but have Him lead us.

I am excited as we start this second week of prayer. What lives can be changed? What events can be set in motion? What tremendous things can happen because a group of people was willing to take the time and pray? Yeah, we will need to follow up the prayer with action, but the starting point, the place where it all begins is when we humbly go before God trusting in His way, His power, and His plan. Wow, what can happen when we lift those prayers to the heavens!

Nearly forty years ago someone was praying for this college guy. A young guy who walked into the student center of the church located at 1924 Broadway. A guy whose life was changed forever as he walks this earth and more importantly when his walk on this earth is done. Who will you pray for?

Grateful they prayed,

Randy