“12Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13You will seek
me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:12 – 13 When we enter into a relationship, communication is a key aspect of how successful that relationship will be. Without communication, we are lost, and the relationship dries up and goes away. Just as this is true with our relationships with other people, it is true with God. We must take time to ‘commune’ with God and part of that is prayer time. Philippians tells us to “not be anxious” but pray. “6Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6 In 1 Thessalonians we are told to “pray continually” for it is “God’s will”. “16Rejoice always, 17pray continually, 18give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16 – 18 It is clear throughout scripture that our God wants to hear from us. He wants to have communication with us. It is His desire that we come to Him with all things. Because through prayer we are building a relationship with Him. Prayer also gives us the opportunity to build relationships with others. It is in prayer for one another that we are able to shape our relationship in the way of Christ. As we pray for someone’s needs, we are drawing closer to that person and finding a new love and compassion for them as they encounter life. As we pray about the circumstances of our community, we become participants in the community; we join our voice to the voices of those around us. It is in prayer that we take the time to hear the voices of others around us. How can you not become more aware of God’s presence than through the wonder of answered prayer? When we are a praying people, we begin to see and hear God’s will play out in our lives and the lives of those around us. It is this time of communing with God that builds our faith and trust. As Jeremiah tells us, God is listening. And when we believe this, when we take the action of prayer, we are seeking Him and find Him. It is a promise that is realized in a very deep and profound way as we pray and see those prayers answered. In our vision of Bold Hospitality, we need prayer to guide us and strengthen us. As we reach out to our community, how better to let them know we are listening then to offer them the power of prayer. Out of prayer and discernment an idea was born. Deb Turpin came to us with the wonderful idea of a community Prayer Line. This prayer line is open to all in our community and will be a wonderful tool for outreach. What we are offering the community is the opportunity to share their needs, joys and concerns with us. You may have noticed a line has been placed between two trees on the North side of the parking lot by the Life Center. In the coming days and weeks, you will see signs going up that invite the community to “Hang ‘em here.” You will see a small house on a pole with materials placed at the edge of the parking lot. And, as time goes by, you will begin to see prayers hanging from the line. On October 11th, following the morning service, we will have a blessing of the Prayer Line and each of you in attendance will be asked to put up a prayer request or praise or joy to kick off the new line. These prayers, joys, needs and concerns will remain on the line. From time to time you will see in the newsletter some of those prayer request, joys and needs. This is a tool that we can use to further God’s will for our community. It is an opportunity for us to reach out to those in our neighborhood, even if it is anonymously and make a difference in people’s lives. The point is we will be communicating with our neighbors and with God on their behalf. What greater thing can we do? What greater gift can we give then to be in earnest prayer for those around us? As Jeremiah states, God will listen, and He will be found when we seek Him. In prayer we can see mountains move and lives be changed. Kathy Hendrix
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AuthorWe're Park Hill Christian Church in KC MO. We seek to follow Jesus by praising God, loving those we meet and serving the vulnerable. Archives
June 2021
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