In a scene from season 1 of the TV show The Big Bang Theory, physicists Sheldon, Leonard, and Raj are short a fourth player for their video-gaming night. Penny, a waitress/actress, with limited previous video-gaming experience, volunteers to be their fourth player. As Sheldon begins to object, citing the various strategies she'll need to be aware of in order to play, Penny proceeds to pick up the controller and blows the head off Sheldon's video-game character. Ahhh, strategy. If only it could be that easy!
All jokes aside, have you ever dove right into something with good intentions, yet ended up "blowing the head off of someone" instead of being helpful? This is why we need the Holy Spirit to guide us as we go about our lives, helping us to speak and act as God wants. Left to our own devices, apart from God, we mess things up. John 14:26 says " But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you."
This week, as we contemplate Paul's interactions in his various mission fields, in various cities, as depicted in Acts 17, we can target our prayers specifically to ask God to show us HIS strategies as we look at our city with perhaps a fresh pair of eyes and a renewed heart: HIS eyes and HIS heart. Let us cast off any cookie-cutter approaches and default reactions and allow ourselves to be open to God's strategies.
Psalm 51:11 says "Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me". Let this be our prayer. We cannot do any of this well apart from Jesus.
Jesus, help me to see Your strategies for reaching the different groups in my city. Help me to overlook anything that offends me and see the opportunities for You to transform my city. Amen.
PoC Prayer Service is tonight at 7pm. We'd love to see you there!
Pastor Celia
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