Prayer

So Many Whatsoever’s!

/ pastorpete51 / 1 Comment

After sharing our family’s prayer request for our daughter-in-law Melinda yesterday I was overwhelmed with people offering encouragement and prayers. Thank you for the verses, songs, and personal insights. I thought I would share a blessing of how they are facing the situation.

Yesterday, instead of staying home and moping, they took advantage of a rare warm November day to head over to Melinda’s favorite hangout – The miniature Horse farm in Strassburg. We all love the place where you can feed miniature horses, llamas, goats and chickens. Then there are the whoopie pies, home-made apple butter and lots of Amish handcrafts in their store. It reminded me of the verse that the Apostle Paul wrote while sitting in prison. He didn’t say, “Woe is me! The Romans are corrupt, please get me out of here!” Instead he encouraged his friends to be grateful for every good thing -no matter how small.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Philippians 4:8 KJV

It makes me ask myself, “How thankful have I been today for every detail of the blessing of life that God has granted me. In fact remembering and celebrating the good in spite of the bad is even what Jesus told us to do every time we receive communion. It is all part of His plan and at the end is joy in His presence and peace beyond anything we will ever understand!

Prayer Request

/ pastorpete51 / 27 Comments

I don’t often share personal things about our family, both due to my own reticence along with the desire to protect their privacy. However, this week we really need your prayers for our daughter-in-law Melinda. Last year Melinda was diagnosed with ovarian cancer exactly as my wife had been five years ago. She went through the same chemo regimen as Nancy and seemed equally to have beaten this terrible disease up until this Monday. That was when a scan revealed the beginnings of cancer on the lining of her stomach. Her doctor has already scheduled for Melinda to start another 6 rounds of chemo on Tuesday. This has been devastating emotionally for all of us. I would so appreciate your prayers as we begin yet another journey into the unknown. Please ask especially that the Lord would encourage, heal strengthen and give direction, especially for Chris and Melinda. Thanks so much!

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, 
that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. 
James 5:16 ESV

Asking Dad

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments

If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him. Matthew 7:11 ESV

Today’s verse reminded me of how our sons would ask for things when they were children. Every request began the same way, “Daddy (or Mommy if I already said no!), can I have…?” As they grew, the scale of their requests grew. At two, they would ask for a cookie, at twelve, they needed five dollars for something at the store and by twenty, we were helping them buy (or repair) a car. My response was usually either a straight up yes or no, while their mom had a wiser method. She would hold the cookie firmly in her hand and as they grabbed for it, then would look them in the eye and ask, “What do you say?” Usually, they would tug at that treat for a few seconds before the light went on and they would smile and say, “Thank you mom!” Then Nancy would give them a big hug, release the cookie and they would delightedly run off to play, while swallowing the cookie in two bites! Now, that may sound cute, but it is exactly how Jesus teaches us to come. Receiving an answer to our request is not based on our deserving it, or whether it is “important” but on the fact that we are God’s child. He is our Father, and a far better one than we are. So, if we, imperfect parents know how to give good gifts to our children, imagine how much better gifts God loves to give, when we come.

But if we use this verse as a formula for getting what we want, then we may receive our gift and yet go away missing out on God’s best gift. We miss learning the gratefulness of simply being His children. We lose the chance to run off with His words, “Go in peace child!” ringing in our ears and the delight of pausing long enough to receive His hug. Why not come to our Heavenly Father, who loves us more than we can ever understand? Why not start with the confidence of a child asking, “Daddy may I have…?” and then receive the joy of God Himself bending down to give us a hug and His words of “Go in peace! ringing in our hearts!