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Day of Prayer & Fasting

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Today has been chosen as a day of prayer and fasting by the Nazarene leadership in our district. We are asking that everyone join in and cry out to the Lord. The following guidelines have been provided. Please read through them and join us in crying out to our Lord in this time of need and uncertainty.

Prayer Guide

“Then if My people who are called by My Name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.”  2 Chronicles 7:13-14 (NLT)

Before praying, stop and ask the Lord to speak to you.  Let His promises speak into your life right now.

Read Psalm 34

Psalm 9:10, Psalm 16:8, Psalm 18:30, Psalm 32:6-7, Psalm 33:4, Psalm 37:4, Psalm 46:1, Isaiah 26:3-4, Isaiah 43:1d-3a, Lamentations 3:21-26, Luke 11:9-10

Now acknowledge to God that you are ready to seek His Purposes.

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.”  Matthew 6:33 (NLT)

1 Chronicles 16:11, Psalm 40:16, Psalm 63:1, Psalm 105:1-4, Proverbs 8:17, Proverbs 19:21, Jeremiah 29:13, Lamentations 3:25, Hebrews 11:6

Remind yourself of God’s Greatness

Consider His power and majesty.  Think of the good things God has done in your life.  Consider His marvelous working throughout history.

1 Chronicles 16:8-10, 1 Chronicles 29:11-13, 2 Chronicles 20:6, Psalm 29:2, Psalm 66:1-5, Psalm 77:12-14, Psalm 126:3, Isaiah 40:23-26, Ephesians 3:20-21

Confess your sins to God

“But we have sinned and done wrong.  We have rebelled against You and Your commands and regulations.”  Daniel 9:4 (NLT)

Take time here to honestly evaluate your life.  Where are you living outside of God’s will for your life?

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  This I declare about the Lord:  He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I trust Him.  For He will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease.”  Psalm 91:1-3 (NLT)

In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened; He saved me from all my troubles.  For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear Him.”  Psalm 34:6-7 (NLT)

Psalm 32:5, Psalm 38:18, Psalm 51:10-12, Psalm 66:18, Psalm 103: 1-5, 10-12, Proverbs 28:13, Isaiah 55:6-7, 1 John 1:9

Ask God to intervene and stop the spread of COVID-19.

Let’s pray that it won’t be as bad as feared, that the spread of the virus would recede and the numbers of those infected would not be as pervasive and widespread as many fear.

Joshua 1:9, Job 5:8-9, Psalm 23:4, Isaiah 41:10, Jeremiah 17:14, Philippians 4:6, 2 Timothy 1:7

Pray for those who are infected.

Exodus 23:25, Deuteronomy 7:15, Psalm 41:3, James 5:14-16, 3 John verse 2

Pray that those who need treatment will have access to it.

Psalm 23:1, Matthew 6:8b, Matthew 7:7, Luke 12:24, Philippians 4:19

Pray for all of us in isolation.

The Psalmist said, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble.     Psalm 46:1

2 Chronicles 20:12c, Psalm 23:2-3a, Psalm 46:10, Isaiah 32:17, Zephaniah 3:17, 1 Peter 5:7

Pray for the health workers/caregivers/first responders who are caring for those with COVID-19.

Pray for their protection from the virus, for their stamina during long and intense work hours, and for safe protocols to be observed in their institutions in order for the maximum number of people to remain protected.

Psalm 121:7-8, Proverbs 18:10, 2 Corinthians 9:12-13, Galatians 6:9-10, Ephesians 6:7, 2 Thessalonians 3:3, Hebrews 13:20-21

Pray for those who are grieving at the loss of loved ones/friends from this pandemic.

Pray for these that they would know the nearness and comfort of the Holy Spirit, that they would feel the compassion of friends and family members – even though we’ve been encouraged to practice social distancing – and a true sense of empathy and care.

Psalm 34:18, Psalm 119:50, John 14:1-4, 16, 26-27, Revelation 21:4

Pray for the U.S. and World Economies

For businesses that are having to shut down or will be adversely impacted by the associated economic downturn.  Please pray for those whose livelihoods are up in the air, who are waking up every morning with questions and are facing the future with a real sense of nervousness and anxiety. 

Deuteronomy 8:18, Matthew 6:31-34, Luke 12:27-31, Romans 8:31-32, 2 Corinthians 9:8-9

Pray for President Trump and the COVID-19 Task Force and all government officials and decision makers who are leading their respective countries and organizations through this crisis.

Pray that they might be used of God in their places of influence.  Pray that they would be able to mobilize resources quickly and effectively and get them to the people and places where they are most needed.

Psalm 33:12a, Proverbs 3:5-6, Joel 2:12-14a, Hebrews 13:7, 17, James 1:5

Pray for pastors and missionaries.

Pray for wisdom for each to know how best to carry out their ministry responsibilities, given the current restrictions.  Pray that God would give them the right words at the right time and the right actions for their situation.  Pray that their ministry’s effectiveness would not be compromised, but that God would carry them through this difficult time and use them for His glory. 

Deuteronomy 33:11, 2 Chronicles 1:10, Psalm 25:4-6, Psalm143:10, Isaiah30:21, Ezekiel 36:23b, Zechariah 4:6b, Romans 10:13-15, 1 Corinthians 2:13, 2 Corinthians 4:1-2, Ephesians 6:19-20, Colossians 1:28-29, 2 Thessalonians 3:1

Pray for the church.

That she would rise up and be what the Lord calls her to be:  an entity that cares in practical and sacrificial ways for “the least of these,” that she would manifest a winsome witness that would arrest the attention and capture the imagination of a surrounding skeptical world to where people that are currently far from God would begin to seek the Lord and open up to Him in real and genuine ways. 

Proverbs 1:5, Isaiah 65:1, Habakkuk 3:2, Matthew 4:19, Matthew 9:37-38, Luke 24;45, Acts, 2:46-47, Colossians 4:2-6, 1 Thessalonians 1:5

The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace.

Unless noted, all Scriptures are from the NIV.

Encouragement

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My dear friends,

Today, I want to encourage each of you with a portion of Scripture found in Psalm 91:1-6, 9-10, 14-16. This is from the New Living Translation. “Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I trust Him. For He will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. He will cover you with His feathers. He will shelter you with His wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. Do not dread the disease that stalks about in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. If you make the LORD your refuge, if you make the Most High you shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home. The LORD says, ‘I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.'”

The challenge is for us to make the LORD our refuge and to live in the shelter of the Most High. That means that we can’t be getting up and running outside His shelter.  For it is when we get out running, distracted by all the things going on in our lives and world, that we lose our safety and security in the LORD. Our shalom fades quickly as we focus on everything around us. However, when we make HIM our refuge and intentionally live in Him with our whole selves, we can retain His shalom. Peace, shalom, is not the absence of something but the Presence of Someone, our great God! Let’s LIVE IN Him!

Loving you all and praying for each of you!

Pastor Ann

Crying Out

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OMG has become such a part of our modern language that people don’t give it a second thought.  But what is it?  What does it mean?  Why is it so easy to say? If we back up a little…………

OH MY GOD!  No one ever says this without that exclamation point.  Sometimes its even more, as in OH! MY! GOD!

Seven letters.  So casually used, we don’t even think about their meaning.  These letters, placed in this order represent a prayer.  Not just a small little thing, but a prayer of power and perhaps of desperation.

When we are desperate, we cry out.  Even if we say we don’t believe, we cry out.  When physical pain is overwhelming and seems unending, we cry out.  When we are crushed emotionally, we cry out.  When our spirits have reached the point they can go no farther alone, WE CRY OUT.

We were made by God for fellowship with God.  I know that may sound real old fashioned and not “inclusive” according to our current culture.  The truth is that we cry out precisely because we were made by God for fellowship with Him.

Our crying out, whether it’s OMG, Oh God, Oh Please God, or another variation are all expressions of desperation.  We cry out like this when a full sentence or thought cannot come; when our ordinary, every day words are just not enough.  These utterances are our spirits reaching for the safety of home.  When nothing on earth will help, we turn to prayer. 

Once past the initial cry we are usually able to formulate the thoughts that will lead us into a deep prayer. The release of this cry will open floodgates within us if we allow it.  Desperate prayers stretch our faith and grow us spiritually as we ask and wait for results.  Desperate prayers have historically changed the world.  Elijah cried out and asked God to shut up the heavens and it didn’t rain for 3 years! 

Desperate prayers are what we need today in our country.  Prayers for the healing and protection of our country.  Prayers that will bring us back to the God of our founding fathers. 

Pastor Ann will be livestreaming at 11:15 on Sunday morning.  She will be bringing the message God wants us to understand about the great need of desperate prayer.  We hope that you’ll join us.  Please feel free to comment and share! 

SHALOM – More than Peace

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Peace.  We tend to equate this word with a lack of violence or a feeling of quiet.  It’s a word that can be applied in our individual lives or to the world at large.  The concern about Covid-19 has reduced our feelings of peace as our levels of stress have risen.  Peace then, has been reduced in most of our lives recently.

Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you…” John14:27 (NASB)

If we follow this word “peace” back through history to the word that Jesus used we find that in Hebrew, the word is shalom.  Shalom is an amazing word that encompasses far more than the simple ideas we hold of peace.

Shalom is used in reference to the well-being of others, to treaties among nations, in prayer for a range of needs from individuals to entire countries. It also includes the concepts of harmony, wholeness and completeness. Shalom was, and is, used as both a greeting and farewell.

When Jesus told his disciples that He gave them His shalom He was offering so much more than a quiet feeling or lack of violence.  Jesus was giving them the wholeness and completeness of His relationship with God.  He was giving us the opportunity to have this same relationship. 

At 11:15 a.m. on Sunday Pastor Ann will be bringing God’s current message to us about Shalom.  We will not be having our regular service but will livestream again this week due to the current situation with Covid-19. 

Please note that the church will be open, so if you have no sniffles, coughing or fever you are welcome to join us in the sanctuary.  PLEASE remain at home and join us on Facebook if you feel ill or have concerns of contagion.  THANK YOU for continuing to learn and grow in God’s word during this time.  His church will only grow stronger through this.  Shalom!

Just Ask – or Don’t!

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  • “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” —Romans 8:26-27

With modern technology, we can ask a device a question and get an answer in mere seconds. Want to know what the weather will be like before you leave for work? Technology has the answer. Want to know what time your favorite team is playing, how to get somewhere, or listen to a joke? That device has the answer for each of your questions and can even give you step-by-step directions when needed! Each question is answered with great ease and precision—as long as you know the questions you need to ask. 

Today, all over the world, Christians face many unforeseen circumstances. What happens when we’re not quite sure what to ask? What happens when life hits us with things that we can’t explain? What happens when we don’t know what to do? What happens when our world is so shaken that we can’t even process our predicament? 

For those of us in Christ, there is great comfort! The Spirit is here to help us. When we don’t know what to pray for, the Spirit takes over for us.

God has given every Christian the privilege of simply existing in His presence. When we are overwhelmed, we need not worry about what to say or do. God allows us to forget about the questions entirely because His Spirit intercedes for us! There are times when the only thing needed to have a vibrant prayer life is to exist in the presence of God. 

I don’t know the strength of your prayer life. You may use wonderful words or the simplest of phrases as you call out to Him. You may wish you had more to say in your alone time with God. Please take heart and let these words in Romans speak to you: “And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God” (8:27).

Your prayer life isn’t dependent on your words—it is dependent on spending time with God. He wants to be with you, and He knows what you need even before you know what to say.

Prayer for the week: Father, allow me to exist in this moment in Your presence. Teach me how to rest in communion with Your Spirit. I don’t know what today holds, but I trust my life to you! Amen. (Now, spend some silent time in the Lord’s presence.)

Wendell Brown is district superintendent of the North Central Ohio District Church of the Nazarene. He is also the founder of Tragedy Into Triumph, a nationwide simulcast reaching hundreds of thousands of people over the last 12 years for the gospel of Christ. He is passionate about discipleship and finding new ways to tell the story of God’s love!

Written for Coffee Break.