Well, folks, as winters go, this one has been a bust so far. Three or four “teaser” snows, lots of gray, cloudy, rainy weather, and a bit of ice; not good weather for people who love winter, and except for one beautiful Saturday a couple of weeks ago, not good weather for people who hate it, either. In other news, partisan politics and fear still rule the news cy-cle, the flu is going around, and Mary Tyler Moore is dead. In other words, there’s plenty to get depressed about if you’re inclined that way.
But my heart is full! I am happy, I am excited, and I am filled with antici-pation for this year. We have just come off our three-week church fast, and it was a great experience for many. We have designated 2017 a Year of Prayer for LWFC, and I am SO encouraged by the feedback I have received from so many of you! If you have not yet begun to incorporate the “prayer mail” into your time of individual devotions or family prayer time, I urge you to do it soon. Now, even. The year is young and we really are just getting started.
I know I’ve stressed it from the pulpit and written it in emails, but the fast was just the kickoff; this is a YEAR of prayer, and this year, I am con-vinced, will reshape and redefine us as a church for the future. How big a difference this year makes depends a great deal on how many of usparticipate and take this seriously. LWFC is a praying church; let the people say “AMEN”! In the past three weeks, we have prayed for the fast, for church services, for police, fire, and emergency personnel, for schools, the inauguration, the military, families, race relations, provi-sion, healing, revival, human life, the lost, the poor, the bereaved, and missionaries. Go back over those prayer mails and allow the Lord to speak to you and guide your prayer life. Re-use them! Fresh ones will continue to come, but these prayer models can be useful for years.
Do not allow yourself to be ruled by circumstances; commit yourself to continuing in the habit of prayer. Life will try to distract you at times. Things like I mentioned above can depress us and take us out of the mood. But good times and beautiful weather can distract us, too. One of the marks of Christian maturity is stability, and we have set the last three weeks aside in order to establish or make stable the practice of prayer in our lives despite circumstances and weather. Take a look at the things we always find a way to make time for every day no matter the circumstances: food, children, hobbies, entertainment, you name it. Prayer should absolutely be in that category, even at the expense of something else.
If you are already a person of “habitual” prayer, you know what I’m talk-ing about. If you are not, there is no way to know until you become one. But God’s Word tells us to pray without ceasing; so we shouldn’t have to be convinced. We start with simple obedience, and watch as His blessings unfold in our lives and in the life of the church. It’s going to be a great year, and I thank God I get to do it with you!
Blessings,
