Leading Group Prayer

*Editor's Note: Here's my latest submission to our congregation's monthly newsletter.

Have you ever been asked, “Will you lead us in prayer?”

It need not be a heart-stopping moment. In fact, it’s a natural step up from personal prayer. When we pray alone, we thank God for His blessings and ask Him for help. Doing that with comfort – in front of a group – comes with practice. Why not start now, with mealtime at home or in a small group at church? Here are a few pointers:

Keep it simple.

· Address God aloud so all present can hear you.

· Thank Him for this time together in this place. (Church, home, town hall, hospital, restaurant, etc.)

· Ask His blessings upon those gathered for whatever purpose the gathering occurs. (Worship, fellowship, missionary work, celebration, problem-solving or whatever the case may be.)

· Lift up others unable to be present. (Maybe, those who are ill or serving in the military, and especially those for whom this meeting will benefit. For example, a quilters’ meeting benefits the quilt recipients.)

· Ask Him to send His Spirit to guide the group so that all might know His love, joy and peace.

· Close the prayer: In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Be genuine. There’s no need to use fluffy words or phrases. So, relax!

Believe God hears YOU! In the gospel of Luke, just a few verses after the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus says: “Ask and you will receive. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened.”

Trust HIM, as did Our Lord Jesus Christ, by finishing those requests with “Not my will, but yours, be done.” Amen.

Prayer Prompts

Editor's Note: I shared this thought in the September edition of our church newsletter.

 

When it comes to prayer, some people confess, “I really have no idea what to say.”

The truth is: There is no right or wrong way to talk to God. The main point is to work prayer into every day. Choose a regular quiet moment. Maybe the best time is when you wake up, exercise, eat a meal or lay down to sleep. Here are a few prompts to help you start.

Keep prayer simple.

1. Address God by name. You might say: O Lord; Dear God; Heavenly Father; Lord Jesus; or even, Holy Spirit. The main idea is to come reverently before our Creator, Savior and Helper.

2. Give thanks for God’s blessings. You might say: Thank You for this moment; a roof over head; clean clothes; food to eat; family, friends, teachers, classmates or pets to share my time; sunshine, rain or fresh air; school work, gainful employment or volunteer work; Your listening ear; a chance to begin anew. Remember: This is your moment to count your blessings. Make the most of it!

3. Ask for help. You might say: Help me know what You want me to do. Maybe you need to stop a bad habit; start a better one; forgive someone; or even, assist and encourage someone. Don’t be afraid to name your concern. God is listening. You might also say: Please bless (name someone) who is struggling with (whatever his/her trouble).

4. Close the prayer. It can be as simple as saying “Amen,” or more solemnly by saying, In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Daily practice makes prayer come easier. For more inspiration, listen to how others pray. May God’ Spirit guide you, so that – in time – you will help others pray too. Amen.

One Wondrous Comfort

I woke in the middle of the night and had trouble returning to sleep.

When that happens, I've learned to take my cue. 

I open my Bible.

This time the pages randomly opened to Psalm 121. As I read the opening lines, I was surprised. They were the same ones I'd embroidered on a pillow years ago. Hours earlier while straightening that very pillow, I'd taken time to read the words. I noticed how years of use had worn away the purple floss so that some words were missing letters and how the ada cloth was no longer white.

Still, I couldn't bring myself to throw the pillow away, even though I knew these two verses by heart.

As I lay in bed with my finger on the Bible page, I read the entire psalm. Its words comforted me.

I placed the open book over my heart and slept.

This morning as I walked, I lifted my eyes to the hills. Shortly after, I lifted my camera.

This evening, I lifted the image onto my laptop.

It's amazing how God works.

Three different moments.

Same psalmic thought.

One wondrous comfort.

What is Prayer?

Editor's Note: I shared this message in our church's August newsletter.


In Sunday School, we teach our students to say: "God made me. God loves me. God wants me close to Him." Then we ask, "How can you or I grow closer to God?" This question often leads to another:

"What is prayer?"

Our students often respond, "Prayer is 'talking' to God." It's true. God wants you and me to share with Him whatever is on our heart. We can do this aloud or silently; alone in a quiet place; or by closing our eyes while in a crowd. We can sit, kneel, stand, slouch, walk, run or even jump while talking to God. God wants to know what makes us happy, sad, worried, mad, relieved or grateful.

Then, there's the trickier part of the lesson: God also wants you and me to listen. To do so, we must quiet both our body and mind to focus on an answer. Sometimes God speaks to us through others. Other times, God speaks to us when we read His Word. Often times, God speaks directly to our heart. We recognize God when the answer is good and true. Sometimes we may need to ask a trusted grownup for help to understand God's answer.

What's best of all? Even before you or I pray, God knows what's on our heart. He has an answer ready. It may not always be what we want, but we can always trust God to give us what we need. He wants only what's best for each of us. Whatever His answer, we can be assured that it will help us grow closer to Him and learn to believe that only God can provide exactly what you and I need. Amen.

I'm Sorry. I Forgive You.

Editor's Note: I wrote this message and presented these images for our church's July newsletter. May they bless you too.

I'm Sorry. I Forgive You.

In Sunday School, we use these two simple lines in a role-playing scenario to teach a powerful lesson. The children pair up. One says, "I'm sorry." The other replies, "I forgive you." Then, the two switch roles so that each has an opportunity to ask for and give forgiveness.

Most students find the lesson easy. A few truly struggle to utter the words.

In The Lord's Prayer, Jesus teaches us to pray: "Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us."

Our Lord's lesson is a healthy habit. We admit that we are human. We make mistakes. We are sorry and want to do better. We admit that other people make mistakes too. When we offer them forgiveness - whether or not they ask for the gift - we free ourselves from the burden and give it over to God.

God loves each one of us. He wants us close to Him. Jesus made that relationship possible. Through Jesus' death on the cross, he bought us by paying for our sins so that, by believing in Him, we might live forever in God's Kingdom. Let's pray:

Good and gracious God, Thank YOU for sending Your Son, Jesus, to teach me how to love others by forgiving them with help from Your Holy Spirit. Amen.

Do You Trust Me?

Editor's Note: I shared this reflection at our church's Holden Evening Lenten service Wednesday, March 30th, 2011.



This morning I was offered the privilege of reading this evening’s text taken from John 6:1-15. Given the chapter and verse, I opened my Bible to reveal the day’s story. As I read it, I HAD to smile. This text is one of two we’ll be using this coming week to teach our Sunday School children about Jesus’ “food miracles.”

Now in our house – with three growing boys – every mealtime is a food miracle.

You should see what Isaac, Aaron and Noah eat!

Last Friday was no exception. I came home from grocery shopping, filled the fridge and was about to start supper when Aaron arrived home and announced he’d invited a friend over for dinner. Quickly, my menu changed from stir fry to lasagna to feed another mouth.

And, it’s a good thing! Just before calling up the crew from the man-cave for dinner, I looked out the window and noticed Isaac’s friend’s truck in our yard. He and his sibling had joined our three boys and Aaron’s friend in a video-game match.

I set the table for eight – our five and three friends. French bread, watermelon, milk and chocolate cake rounded out our lasagna meal. As we sat down to say Grace, I looked at my husband Dan and said, “So… this is what it would be like to have a BIG family!” By God’s grace, we all had enough to eat.

This moment reminded me of other times when I wondered aloud to God, “How will we make ends meet?” Each time, God’s Spirit overshadows me and replies, “Do you trust me?”

In time, I’ve learned to answer, “Yes Lord. I trust you.”

I believe that same voice was present two thousand years ago on that grassy hill where more than 5,000 people gathered to be near Jesus. Our Lord turned to Philip and asked, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?”

The gospel says Jesus was testing Philip. Jesus knew what he was about to do. Philip replied, “It would take a small fortune to feed them.”

In essence, Jesus meant, “Do you trust me?”

The gospel goes on to tell of a small boy who came to the disciple, Andrew, and offered his five barley loaves and two fish. This boy trusted Jesus.

Jesus took the bread and fish, lifted them up, gave thanks, blessed them, broke them and gave them to the people, who were seated in groups of about 50, about 100 total groups.

They SAW Jesus feed EVERYONE.

They SAW the disciples collect TWELVE baskets of LEFTOVERS.

They UNDERSTOOD Jesus was the Promised One,

and they wanted to make him their king…

their EARTHLY king.

The gospel tells us, at that point, Jesus went higher into the hills – ALONE.

He’d provided for their NEEDS,
not for their DESIRES.

Tonight, let’s consider a few points:

1. If Jesus, through God our Father in Heaven, can perform a miracle of this magnitude feeding more than 5,000 people with 5 loaves and two fish, how much more can we trust Him to meet our needs?

2. In Sunday School, we teach that the Bible is a collection of stories about God’s faithfulness to His People. For many of us, those stories have been heard so often, they are written on our hearts. But what about the hearts of those around us? Let’s take a moment to reflect and ask ourselves,

“How has God been faithful to me?”

“What am I doing to teach others about that personal, faithful love?”

3. And finally, “How can I help others see God meeting needs in their own lives?”


As for me,

I cornered Isaac and Aaron when their friends left and asked, “WHAT were you thinking – inviting people over without first letting me know?”

Then, I followed up this: “Did you see how God provided?”


Do you trust Him?


Let’s pray:

Lord,
Thank you for all the gifts you give each one of us. No matter the size – big or small – these gifts are ones you can use for your glory when we lift them up as an offering to you.
Amen.