Prayer is something deeper than words. It is present in the soul before it has been
formulated in words. And it abides in the soul after the last words
of prayer have passed over our lips.
O. Hallesby
Wasn’t last Sonday’s service just extraordinary? What a joy it is to celebrate the many retired (sort of) missionaries and pastors that Father has graced our congregation with. I put the (sort of) after the “retired” because each of the people honored on Sonday continues to actively serve God and our congregation. I got chills when Willie said that these honored servants represented more than 700 years of serving God. Next our young children gathered with Willie for prayer then rushed out to Kid Mo’ to learn of how much Jesus loves them and how they can love Him back. Then we got to celebrate communion where we remember Jesus’ love for us and recommit ourselves to Him. Finally to watch 6 young people follow Jesus’ example in baptism and commit themselves to Him. I can only imagine a day sometime in the future (should our LORD tarry)(even so come LORD Jesus!) when there will be another platform and some of the children who rushed out to Kid Mo’ or were baptized on Sonday will be standing there being honored for their decades of full time service. Father God we praise You for the generations that were in Your service, that are in Your service, and that will serve You in the future.
Little Madison has gone home from the hospital and is recovering from the fall from her horse.
Ann Mead’s grandniece, Bethany, is doing much better with her pregnancy.
Christine Rollins is home from the hospital - they were able to break the kidney stone without them backing up or doing any more damage.
Kris Baiz, my friend how had the opperation on her foot, will be returning to work on Thursday! She has recovered well from her surgery.
Last week, Julie requested prayer for her friend’s mother, Lorraine Reuter. Lorraine passed on this last Sonday. There was no clear indication that she took the opportunity to ask Jesus into her heart. Please pray for her family and friends as they grieve.
Joni Willis has been very ill with pneumonia and has been missing work because of it. Please pray for her recovery.
Valda Evans, Bobbie Gould and Mary Dorland are all having to spend some time at home recovering from some bad falls. Please pray for quick recovery and that these three dear ladies will be up and about soon.
Chuck Johnson, Kelli Hastings’ father, has been blacking out and the doctor’s are unable to determine the cause of it. Please continue to pray for Chuck & the whole family.
We continue to pray for the following: Dr. Iris and her grandmother, Katie with her swallowing problems, Shirley Cutright, with a broken hip and congestive heart failure, Mike Kelley and his family as they grieve the loss of his wife’s sister, Brandon and his leukemia, Patrick & his brain tumor, Danette’s parents Dan & Sandy Austin & their struggle with finances, Lisa & substance abuse problems, Laura with her leukemia, Gabriel, Ruth Delgado’s nephew, recovering from wounds received in Iraq, Dan Hansen & his new employment opportunity, Carola Poythress’s recovery from her stroke, George Martin with cancer in his bones, John Rogers & his cancer, Jim Hildman with the staph infection & cancer, Marisela & her family, Ray Rahn & his kidney dialysis, my friend who is drifting away from Father, Johnnie Sowell & her chemo, Cheryl Balestra & her chemo, Lois Winters & her cancer, and Robert Kammer & sleep apnea.
Please continue to pray for our missionaries - Jan & Larry Martin in Thailand, Laurie Bethall in Prague, Judy, Faye & Miisaw as they work at the New Life Center in Thailand, The Reaching Hand Society in India, Dr. George Pe Myat & the hospital in the Congo, Bounkham & Khamla’s mission to Laos, and all the missionaries worldwide.
Please keep our two church plants in prayer -the Flipside Church of Rio Mesa with Karl & Shelly Roth and Life House in Reedley with Horacio and Cheryl Aleman. The Flipside Church is having a meeting on Sonday, December 12th out at Karl’s home in the Madera Ranchos - it is a combined Christmas party and a planning meeting for the January 7th preview service. Check out Flipside’s web site at www.acts176.com
Please pray for our Pastors, leadership, ministries and that God will provide for His church.
Pray for our country and our leadership. Pray for our military around the world.
Father God,
There is so much in our lives that is constantly changing. Some for the good and some for the not so good. We praise You and thank You that You are unchanging and constant in our lives. You are the same today as You were when You spoke the creation into existence. You are the same today as You will be when time is brought to the end. Glorious on Your throne - You are God.
We praise You for how You have worked in Madison’s, Bethany’s, Christine’s and Kris’s lives and have healed them. We ask that You continue to watch over them.
Holy Spirit, we ask that You bring comfort to the family & friends of Lorraine as they grieve her passing.
Great Physician, touch Joni with Your healing hand. Restore her to full health so she can go back to work.
LORD of All, we pray in agreement for Valda, Bobbie and Mary as they recover from their falls. Knit their bones together and bring them back to our church family.
LORD Jesus, intervene with Chuck Johnson’s physicians and help them to discover why he continues to black out. Grant peace to Chuck and his family.
Everlasting Light of the World, we lift up all of those who continue to be on our prayer list, knowing that they are safe with You and knowing that You will care for them as Your beloved children.
We pray for the security and provision for all of our missionaries. We thank You, LORD God, for them and for the kingdom work they do while they are so far from us.
Continue to guide the pastors of our two church plants, LORD God. Pour Your blessings on Karl & Shelly Roth and on Horacio and Cheryl Aleman.
Gentle Shepherd, we thank You for those You have set in our congregations to lead, teach and mentor us. We ask an abundance of blessings be poured on our pastors and their families. Help us to always show them our love and support. Bless our leadership and our congregation. Help us to always keep our hearts turned to You. Provide for the needs of our ministries.
Father God, we lift our nation before You. We grieve as she seems to turn further and further away from You. We ask Your mercy upon her. LORD God, bless our leaders and guide them in decisions that honor You. Abba, project our men and women who serve this county in the military.
My God, my life’s Light, if home is where the heart is - then I am out of place. You have given me an incredibly wonderful life, LORD. I don’t have any complaints with how things are going here. But the simple truth is that this world is not my home - my home is where my heart it - and my heart is with You. And sometimes - I just get homesick. I hold tight to Your promise that - when the time is right - I will be home with You forever. We love You, LORD. We get to love You forever. Hallelujah!