Friday, February 16, 2007

God Answers Prayer

It happens after prayer! I truly believe that. The things we desire God to do for us – and the things that we desire God to in and through us – happen after we pray. There is much we can and should do about about situation after we pray. But there really is nothing we can about a situation that will matter, ultimately, until we pray. I believe the two primary tools God gives us for Christian life and ministry are prayer and the ministry of the word. So I want to use the ministry of the word to challenge our congregation to be more devoted to prayer.

This Sunday, I will begin a two-part series on prayer that I am simply calling, “God Answers Prayer.” The messages will come from the two parables of Jesus about prayer that are recorded in Luke’s Gospel: the Parable of the Friend at Midnight (Luke 11:1-13) and the Parable of the Unjust Judge (Luke 18:1-8). Between these two messages, I will ask the church to pray for themselves, another, the church, its leaders, the lost, and our community. Please pray for these two messages and the corresponding emphasis on prayer in the life of MSMBC to bear much fruit.

2/18 – God is Not a Sleepy Friend (11:1-13)

2/25 – God is Not a Crooked Judge (18:1-8)