I found this post both thought provoking and meaningful: “PRAYER ISN’T ABOUT MOVING HEAVEN TO DO THINGS OUR WAY BUT ABOUT MOVING US TO DO THINGS GOD’S WAY ON EARTH.” How do you respond to this? Is this the way that we approach prayer, sincerely asking God for His way to unfold and for us to be involved actively in that unfolding? If we are going to be moved through prayer to do things God’s way on earth, then we will need to be prepared to rise from our prayers and to respond to God’s urging. What things will God bring to our attention and how will God call us to move toward Him and His ways as a result of taking time to pray? Consider this Scripture: “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,”declares the Lord.9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8,9) As we come to pray together this week, I want to apply the truth of this Scripture to real life situations we are facing. I want us to continue to pray for peace in the Ukraine and for God’s thoughts and God’s ways in bringing that about. We are shaken by the ugliness of the racially motivated shootings that took several lives in Buffalo. How does God want us to respond? How does God want to move us to do things His way on earth in light of these kind of atrocities? I am thinking about a visual that can help us to remember to pray expecting to be led to move. We could place a pair of shoes beside wherever we pause to pray and that can act as a reminder that we want to be willing and available for wherever and however God moves us to act in response to God revealing His thoughts and His ways to us. Our regular weekly WEDNESDAY PRAYER TOGETHER will be tomorrow May 18th at 1 pm.
Praying for our willingness to move in God’s direction as we pray, Pastor Lola
Our Father in heaven, it is much easier for us to speak the words asking for Your will to be done on earth as in heaven than it is for us to participate willingly in that happening. You God know all of our thoughts and prayers. You also have the perspective of what can happen as people like us are moved to respond to the leading of your Holy Spirit. Our urgent prayers for peace in the Ukraine continue. What is Your way in this Lord and how do you want to move us to do things Your way in order to see peace. We wonder about people in the Ukraine who keep praying for peace. How is their faith being affected? Are they asking where You are in the midst of their suffering? Please initiate peace in the hearts of those who pray and please show us what we can do to contribute to peace being realized. We pray for world leaders who do have the potential to act in ways that will result in peace. Please move each individual to look for Your ways. The recent shootings in Buffalo are a stark reminder of the devastating effects of the sin of racism. We pray for families and neighbourhoods that have experienced the impact of what has happened. We cannot imagine the depth of their pain. Challenge our attitudes and show us how to treat each person with respect and dignity. Where there is anger and fear, we ask for people to pray and to seek Your way. We are saddened to recognize that once again someone has chosen hate instead of love and we witness the troubling outcome. We do believe that every life matters and we ask You to show us practical ways to live what we believe about equality for all. We pray that the loss of lives will not be something that we accept as just the way things are. Show us God we pray, how to care about those You care about. Help us to step into shoes that will move us to respond as You intend. Even in small ways, please inspire us with Your thoughts and Your ways. We ask you to assist us in figuring out strategies to be faithful to the ways that You call us to speak and to act. What do You think God about all that is happening in our world? Please allow us to move in step with You and Your ways. We want to move with You God in Your work of persistently transforming people and making each of us more and more like Your Son Jesus in Whose Name we offer our prayer. AMEN