Easter Sunday 2014, I get to speak to the people called Riverbluff Church again, telling the Easter story for the 25th year. Usually Easter is our largest attendance so I have been praying more than usual for the people who will be there. Here’s some of the people I’ve been praying for:
-I’m praying for that person who is searching for God and comes to one of our Easter services. He or she is exploring Christianity to see if God is there. I am sincerely praying for that person to take the leap of faith trusting that Jesus is truly the Way, the Truth, and the Life. If attending our Easter services is just a step in exploring Jesus, I’m praying the time spent with us will be a positive first step in beginning a meanigful dialogue with a mature Disciple of Jesus as they search.
-I’m praying for that person who is a Christian but is dealing with doubt. I pray that person will find renewed faith. I’m praying especially for the young person who has been challenged and perhaps marginalized in a secular college or university because he or she is a Disciple of Jesus. May they experience the reality of Your presence, Holy Spirit. Show them God is NOT Dead!
-I’m praying for the Christians who have drifted away from the fellowship of a local church. They may have drifted away letting other things take priority over the regular meetings with other Christians. Or they may have had reasons to leave a particular church, but never “plugged into” another one. Maybe they are looking for that perfect church with the perfect people who do church just like it should be done. God help them see that the church is a group of forgiven, flawed people who rarely have it all together. Lord, move in those who belong to You, yet have disconnected from a local group of Believers called a Church.
- I’m praying for the Prodigals (Luke 15) who have been seduced by the world, the devil or the flesh, to live in ways that are clearly counter to the ways taught by Jesus in the Bible. Somehow, You got them to come to our Easter Services. These Prodigals walked with God at one time, but have chosen to reject God’s ways. I’m praying that they will see God’s ways as the ways of Grace and Truth and do what the Bible calls “repent”, returning to trusting the ways of God as the Good and Beautiful Life. I pray that they will see God as the Prodigal’s Father with arms wide open, waiting on the porch to say “Welcome Home” as they receive a do-over.
-I’m praying for the angry Disciple of Jesus who has forgotten to love those he wishes to change. I am praying that those of us who have experienced the grace of God in Jesus will never consume more grace than we dispense. I’m praying we will not allow the increase of wickedness to cause our love for others to grow cold. (Matthew 24)
-I’m praying for the hurting, the hopeless, the wounded, the searching, the needy, the lonely, the defeated and so many others who may come to our services. I pray they will have an experience with the God who loved us so much that He gave Himself to save us from the penalty and power of that which destroys us-sin. I’m praying that something in the service or one of us will be used by You, Lord, to meet their needs.
-With much gratitude, I’m praying for the many Disciples of Jesus who are living the life of joy and fulfillment in the presence of God and growing in their love for God and others. I pray that Easter services will be like a shot in their soul to keep on living the Good and Beautiful life of a disciple of Jesus. May Your love permeate the deepest recesses of their heart, soul, mind and strength.
I ask that you join me in praying for these folks I have listed above as well as others I have failed to mention. And please pray for me and all the other pastor-teachers in God’s Church who have the calling on Easter Sunday to teach the most wonderful, life giving story ever.
Recent Comments