PRAY IT! Genesis 42:29-43:15

Fear?  Worry?  Resentment? 

Reluctance?  Suspicion?  Closed-mindedness?

Ick!!!

Do you ever have days where you rely on yourself and what you are capable of, rather than front-loading your trust and relying on the strength of our Almighty God?  If I place my perspective solely on me, or on the general world/population-at-large, I can easily find myself slipping into an assortment of the above listed things.  My reluctance to trust in the Lord can result in disaster, ranging from personal burn-out and disgust, to damaged relationships.  My prayer life definitely takes a hit when my focus is only horizontal (what is going on around me in the world) and not focused on the vertical (God).  Oh no!

As we continue to follow along in Genesis, we revisit Jacob, Joseph's Dad.  If we follow along in the bigger story of Jacob, we can see how he often resorted to doing nothing when faced with difficulties.  Passivity can be dangerous for us as Christians and as the Church. 

Psalm 20:7-8 states "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.  They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright." 

Indeed, as we front-load our trust in Jesus, we need to remain alert and in God's presence.  Romans 13:11 suggests we "wake from sleep.  For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed."

Whatever hurdle you need to jump over, or ceiling you need to bust through, in order to get over the block of negativity (or whatever is distracting you from prayer and God's presence), please consider joining us tonight and we'll tackle that together.  With God's help, we can get our focus on Him.  Join us tonight, at 7pm, where we will spend some time "getting over the wall" and into God's presence as we pray.  Why not?  Let's wake up and take charge by crying out to the One who can do something about it, rather than shrugging our shoulders and going "oh well" or trying to solve it all on our own and going crazy in the process. 

It's essential.  It's imperative.  It's missional. 

(Seriously, come to prayer service... it'll be great!  We had a shredder and rocks last week... betcha wish you knew what I was passing out this week...)

Dear Jesus,
Please help me keep my eyes focused upward, on You, and what you are capable of, rather than keeping my eyes only on what myself/the world is capable of.  Please help me respond with long-lasting trust immediately rather than with worry and negativity.  Amen.

Blessings,
Pastor Celia