Prayer for the days following Christmas......

As of today Christmas has been over for one whole day. Is always amazes me that immediately after Christmas is over people begin to say things along the lines of "I am glad that its finally over", "another Christmas season finally over" and "well we survived another year". I am here to encourage people not to just "survive Christmas" but make it something that we strive to do all year long. Why should we only really care about people for a "season" of the year? Why not help our fellow man all year long. This is what Jesus would have wanted us to do. Take for example Matthew 22:34-40:

Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Imagine the outcome if we really did care about the welfare of others above the welfare of ourselves. Lets pray that God will start to move our hearts in that direction. That before we become overly concerned with our own welfare we consider those around us. Pray with me that we might see God working in the world. Lastly, pray that we will continue to spread the joy of Christmas for the entire year that stands before us. as always we offer our prayers in the name of Jesus Christ- Amen

Prayer for Widows......

Quick post today. I just want to take a minute to encourage people to pray for widows this Holiday season. Losing a loved one can be one of the hardest things to endure and can be especially hard over the holidays. Lets just take a few minutes to pray for the widows in our communities and that they may have a warm holiday season surrounded by people who genuinely care for them. We ask these things in the name of Jesus Christ - Amen

Prayer for the American Church......

I recently read that 70-80% of all Americans consider themselves to be Christians. I was amazed at the high number because when I look around I do not see that many people which I would believe to be born again Christians. I am not here to pass judgement on anyone but I do want to point out the fact that the Bible teachs that will will know Christians by the fruit that they bear. Matthew 7:16 "By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?" (NIV) It brought me to the question "what are we doing in our American Churches these days? I started to look at my own life and question whether or not I am truly living for God and fighting a daily battle to be more like Jesus Christ. I know that for myslef I am falling very short of being Christ like. This fact put a very heavy burden on my heart. I feel like right now the American Church needs a revival. We need a burden on our hearts that forces us to strive to be more like Christ. Are we saved because we go to Church faithfully every Sunday? Are we saved because at one point in time we followed someone in a prayer? Did we mean it when we prayed that prayer? Am I saved because when I woship on Sunday I lift my hands into the air? The Bible teaches that there is only one way that we can have our salvation. Faith in Jesus Christ. However, Jesus called us not only to accept him as saviour but to repent of our sins and follow him, try are best to be like Him. I can hear people now screaming "leagalism" but that is not what I am trying to get at. Our salvation is through faith alone but I believe that the bi-product of salvation is a repentent heart (our fruit). I cannot imagine a true disciple of Christ being content still living in the sin that they had lived in before they were saved. I am not here to say that a disciple of Christ will never sin again. We will all fall short of the glory of God. The difference is that we a true disciple falls into sin they experience a burden on their heart to repent of that sin and ask for forgiveness. This is what brought me to praying for the American Church. I feel as though we have turned the Church into a business and that business is out to draw numbers and make people fell better. Although the Church does make us feel better, that joy should only occur when we know that we are truly living for God. What good is it for a man to go to Church on Sunday but then as soon as he leaves the Church he goes home, argues with his family and sits on the couch for six hours watching football. (I have nothing against football, I am just using that as an example) what I am getting at is, what are we doing with our time and efforts? Waht types of things are we putting before our eyes (I am very guitly of this one)? What or who are we listening to? Do we check every part of our life against the Bible? Next time you go to Church look around the room and see how many people even brought there Bible with them. Do we just leave are Bible in the car from one Sunday to the next"? These are just a few of many example of the things that are happening in Churches all across America. We need revival and we need it now! We need to make Jesus Christ the center of everything in and outside the Church! Therefore, I am asking you to pray with me. I am asking you to pray that the American Church gets the revival that it so badly needs. We need to pray that we serve Jesus Christ for the sole purpose that HE IS WORTH IT! Please pray with me and help me to offer up all of our prayers in the holy name of Jesus Christ.