New Year... New Church... New You

New Years resolutions have you already forgotten yours or given up on it?  I saw in an article that the top three were loose weight; spend less; use time wisely.  How about our church - does the church have new year's resolutions?  I think the top one should be PRAY MORE.   Are we a praying church?  How much time do you spend praying and of that time how much for our church?

With the new year comes new members on committees - they need pray.  With Carla leaving the children's ministry - they need prayer.  The Youth are preparing for Discovery or Revolution weekend - they need prayer.  Our staff is trying to determine how to feed the sheep (new survey is out for your input) - they need prayer.  We have shut ins - they need prayer.  We have single parents - they need prayer.  We have family's - they need prayer.  WE ALL NEED PRAYER.

I know for me I want to be self sufficient - provide for myself, for my family, resolve conflicts, fix my kids problems, you get the idea.  This year I'm going to try and rely on God first - talk to Him about things first.  Larry spoke about this in his sermon on Sunday.  It isn't all about me - when am I going to decide to obey God and accept all he has for me.  Hey I'm ready to accept God's blessing anytime all the time, just not ready to obey.  I want things to go the way I think things should go (when I want them), however I have come to realize my thoughts are not God's thoughts and my ways are not God's way....and this is the big one...His ways are better!!

The junior high and I are working this prayer thing - we have prayer journals and are trying to be more dedicated to spending time with God.  Specifically we are learning to pray God's word back to Him.  When we are in God's will (obey part here), and we ask according to His will then His ways will start taking form in our lives.  I believe the rewards will be the fruits of the spirit - Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness  Faithfulness, and Self-Control. (Gal 5:22-23)  Then look out when the Spirit of Lord is flowing through you anything can be accomplished.

I'm asking for this new year - that we as members of God's church - we pray 2 scriptures everyday for our church and it's leadership.

Philippians 1:9-11 (NIV):    9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

Romans 12: 1-2 (NIV):  Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

I've included the NIV here but hey - you like another version use that - I really like The Message too - so much so I'll include them here:

Philippians 1:9-11 (The Message):
9-11 So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush. Live a lover’s life, circumspect and exemplary, a life Jesus will be proud of: bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God.

Romans 12:1-2 (The Message):
1-2 So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

I love the Body of Christ - that's you!!   Cynthia