At this time of the year, there are reminders all around us of Remembrance Day. People are wearing poppies and people are posting photos and Remembrance Day tributes for family members who have served to bring peace. All of us can recognize the importance of remembering. We have been reminded of the significance of hearing the stories and knowing something of the lives of those who gave themselves for our country. It has occurred to me that while this remembering takes place for a limited time, every day remembering and initiative to remember is important. Every day remembering has the potential to change our outlook and our approach to life. I have noticed in the new neighbourhood to which we have moved, that many of the streets are named after veterans. This is designated by a red poppy on the street sign beside the name of the street. When I am out walking or driving I can see these signs and the poppies and be reminded of sacrifices made. What in our lives as Christian believers reminds us every day of what God has done for us? We need more than occasional reminders. We need more than a weekly worship service to remind us of what God has done to bring us peace with Him. What can be the every day reminders of the love and generosity of our God in giving Himself for us? We can read Scripture from Psalm 77:11-14, “11 I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.12 I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.13 Your ways, God, are holy. What god is as great as our God? 14 You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples.” As well as encountering and being reminded of God through Scripture, regularly turning to our God in prayer also affirms our awareness of Him and all that He has done for us. We will remember God as we engage in our WEDNESDAY PRAYER TOGETHER today; Wednesday, November 10th at 1 pm. I encourage you to pray the prayer provided and to remember what God has done as you offer your own personal prayers to Him.
Grateful that God has given us the capacity to remember, Pastor Lola
Our wise God You have given us this ability to remember and so we pray that we will use this gift of remembering well. We pray that our participation in remembering on Remembrance Day will increase our gratitude for those who have served in war times to ensure our peace and freedom. We ask our God that our own commitment to living at peace with each other will be strengthened through our remembering. We know that remembering must be an every day experience if it is going to change the way that we live our lives. We realize that only Jesus Your Son can provide true and lasting peace and so we invite that gift of peace to permeate our living in every way. We extend our desire to remember to remembering You God. We want to remember Who You are and what You have done. In these moments, we remember Your deeds Lord. We remember Your miracles of long ago and more recently. We recall the ways that You have brought answers to our prayers even when we could not imagine how that would happen. We, in our prayers today, choose to consider all Your works and to meditate on all Your mighty deeds. Yes God, Your ways are holy. We have learned to trust You as we remember Your faithful consistency. No one is as great as You our God. We have seen You perform miracles God and we dare to believe that You will do so again. We need miracles in this time. We pray for miracles in our personal circumstances and we pray for miracles in the world around us. We pray God for a transforming miracle of grace to increase our compassion for and understanding of each other. We pray for Your miracle of hope when much appears to be in disarray. Our God as we are relying on You to remind us daily of the necessity of remembering You, we pray that our remembering will translate to lives surrendered to You. Thank You for the ways that remembering You will call us to be willing to give of ourselves for the sake of Your kingdom. Please continue to teach us what You want us to learn from the remembering that You initiate in our hearts and minds. We pray that we will not resist remembering when it leads to our conviction of sin and need for forgiveness. We pray that when we are remembering and holding on to what we must release that You will guide us and help us. In our prayers now we ask You to keep on reminding us of who we are and Who You are our God. Where our remembering is inaccurate, we ask you to lovingly correct our perceptions. Into Your hands we give all of our remembering and claim Your promises to lead us in Your way everlasting. In Jesus’ Name. AMEN.