Prayer should be free, spontaneous, vital fellowship between the created person and the personal Creator, in which Life should touch life. The more that prayer becomes the untrammeled, free, and natural expression of the desires of our hearts, the more real it becomes. O. Hallesby
Brent Clapp passed into the arms of his God early this past Saturday morning. His services were today at St. Anthony of Padua’s Catholic Church. It was a wonderful service. Although I did not know Brent personally, I know his son, Doug. The type of man that Doug is is a tribute to the type of man his father is. This good man and great Christian father has battled cancer for a long time and was finally granted an ending to the pain. Brent is in the presence of Father, where he knows only joy. He is seeing what we can only imagine, he has done what we long to do. He has touched Jesus and heard Jesus say the words we also want to hear, “Welcome home you good and faithful servant.” We rejoice with you, Brent, and we will see you soon. Please keep Doug and Diane Clapp, and the entire Clapp family in your prayers.
I spoke to Joanne - my friend from work, today. We had been praying for her son, Patrick, for a long time as he had many ups and downs in the treatment of his brain tumor. Joanne says that Patrick is doing GREAT! He is gaining weight back, is very active and smiles all the time. God is so good!
We continue to pray for the following: The Care Fresno family, Laurie Olvera, Laura in Ohio, Geri Kinnish & her heart, Lorna’s mother & recovery from the car accident, John Rogers & cancer, Bryan Hitch & his blood pressure, Lillian Seward & shingles, Chris Vercoe & family, for Judi Wright & her mom, Nola, Chuck Beal & his heart, new employment opportunities for Dan Hansen, Michelle Kammer to find a church home, Angel in Mississippi to find a church home, Tim & Lorna’s adoption of Drew, Bobbie Ronsley & lupus, Brandon & leukemia, Stan Reed & cancer, Kassel Coon in Afghanistan, Ray Rahn & his wife, George & Margie Martin.
Pray for our missionaries - Bounkham & Khamla’s mission to Laos, Laurie Bethall in Prague, Judy, Faye & Miisaw as they work at the New Life Center in Thailand, Jan & Larry Martin in Thailand, The Reaching Hand Society in India, Dr. George Pe Myat & the hospital in the Congo, and all the missionaries worldwide.
Please keep our two church plants in prayer. Please pray for Karl & Shellie Roth with Flipside. Please pray for Horacio & Cheryl Aleman at the LIFEhouse in Reedley.
Pray for our pastors, our leadership, our ministries, and Father’s provision for His Church. Pray that we recognize opportunities to share our faith with others.
Pray for our country, her leadership and our military.
LORD of Life,
We thank You for the Life. We thank You for Your life freely given in our place. Because of Your sacrifice we are alive in You. Thank You for our everyday life. Thank You for the morning when we rise and we reach for You. Thank You for the busyness of our days and for those times when our minds turn eagerly to You. Thank You for the peacefulness of our nights when we rest secure knowing that nothing can take us from You. Thank You most of all for our eternal life in Your presence. We look forward to taking our place around Your throne and filling eternity with our praises of You.
Great Comforter, we thank You and praise You for the life and witness of Brent Clapp. We thank You that even now he stands before You, his body strong, free from the cancer that filled him, free from the pain that beset him. Free to sing with joy, free to praise, free to dance within You. We pray Your mercy and comfort on Doug, Diane, the Clapp family and friends as they grieve their loss.
We thank You for the great report on little Patrick and for his progress. We pray for his family, LORD God, that this experience will bring them into relationship with You.
Precious Shepherd, we pray for those who continue to be on our hearts and minds. We know that You know each situation intimately and that You know the plans that You have for each situation and that Your plans are good. We release our friends and family into Your care, knowing that You will never leave them nor forsake them.
Holy Spirit, fill us anew with Your vision. Help us to see this world as You see it. Help our hearts to break over what breaks Your heart. And if what you see and if what breaks Your heart is within us - show us that first. Help us to remove anything that stands between You and us.
Jehovah, we pray for the missionaries around the world who willingly labor for You in fields of harvest that are often bleak and dangerous. We pray that You provide for their needs, bless them and protect them in all ways.
We continue to lift up Horacio and Cheryl Aleman at the LIFEHouse Church. Continue to pour Your abundance upon them and this new congregation. We lift up Karl & Shellie Roth over at the Flipside church. We thank You for the great work that You are doing with this new church family.
Abba, with all humility we cry out for our pastors. We ask that You bless them with peace as they serve You. We ask that You bless their families and bless us, their congregations, so that we always surround them with love. We pray that Your wisdom fill the leaders of our church, those who serve on the Board of Mangers and those who serve as ministry leaders. Help us to never let the ministry overshadow the God it serves. It’s all about You, Jesus, it’s all about You.
Enlarge our territories, Father God. Show us people who need to be in relationship with You. Give us the words to say and the courage to say them. Help us to deal gently with all those that You love so much.
We pray for our country, LORD God of the Angel Armies, that she will come back to her knees before You. We pray for our leadership at all levels, LORD God. We pray that You touch their motives and make them pure. Make their desire to be the restoration of our country. We pray for the men and women who serve our country in so many places around the world - but in particular for those who serve in combat areas. Place a stronghold of protection around them, Father. Comfort the families who are still at home. Help us to find peace.
Father God, we don’t have anything that we can give You that is worthy of You. So we offer all that we have to You with joy. Take our hearts, LORD, and break them to be used for Your purpose. Take our minds, LORD, and mold them to be more like Your mind. Take our hands and feet, take our bodies and use them in service of You. Take our dreams and hopes and turn them to You. Take our time on this earth and use it to glorify You. We surrender all, LORD. We hold nothing back from You . We love You, LORD God.
Posted by Valerie at June 1, 2005 05:55 PM