Prayer

Did God Say No? In the Shadow of the Cross

/ pastorpete51 / Leave a comment

And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.            Matthew 26:39 KJV

Do you ever wonder if God is listening to your prayers? Does it sometimes feel as if your desires are somehow out of line with the universe? But what about Jesus? Didn’t He pray for God to work out some way that didn’t include the cross? Did God say “No” to Him?

Maybe God’s answer to our prayers is not what we hope for but He looks far ahead past our struggles just as in Gethsemane. On the third day we can see that Jesus wasn’t being ignored and neither are we today. We are each being listened to by a loving Father who quietly waits between our “If it is possible” and “Nevertheless not as I will”. Even when the situation looks hopeless; God not only hears, but He is mysteriously preparing an answer beyond anything we can imagine. When we pray and the answer seems far away we need to remind ourselves that Jesus first drank the bitterness of His cup to later exchange it for a joy that lay beyond the grave.

 

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Prayer: Father -some days it seems that trials are all that lie ahead. Some days it feels as if my prayers are unanswered, but I know that you are listening. Help me to trust that your will is far better than mine and that on the other side of this darkness is a joy that will never fade away.

Nursing Home Prayer Request

/ pastorpete51 / 6 Comments

The entry of the Corona virus into a nursing home in Washington state is a frightening development for which we need earnest prayers. As I was out singing this week at long term care facilities I paused to look at the faces. These precious but fragile brothers and sisters as well as the health care workers stand at the edge of a cliff. All the talk about not worrying because only old and sick folks are seriously at risk misses the emotional impact of the hearts of those of us who love them.

Please consider setting aside time each night to go beyond blessing the food and asking for a good night’s sleep and ask for God’s help, protection and wisdom for our long term care community.

Hope Going Viral

/ pastorpete51 / 4 Comments

I do hope that this Corona virus does not become a crisis here in the U.S. but no matter what happens we are all in this together. Maybe growing older has given me perspective so I have some hope and advice to share that these gray hairs have taught me. It’s time to stop panicking and start praying even for leaders we don’t like. We may not like our brothers and sisters but we’re still a family.

It’s time to stop complaining and start caring. Pointing fingers while our boat is taking on water is a lot less effective than bailing out some water. It’s time to remember that people matter a lot more than things. I don’t even want to know how much of our life savings have disappeared in the last 3 days of mayhem on Wall Street but we’ve been through worse and God has been faithful.

After all we’ve been through my wife and I still have each other. We still have our family and the freedom to worship on Sundays and be reminded there that this too will pass. Jesus resurrection from the dead has given us a hope more contagious than any virus. We can always trust God because No matter what lies ahead we are blessed and no matter the disease – Jesus is always still the cure!

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