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Tuesday, January 23 2024
***10 AM Zoom Huddle is canceled for today. Sorry for any inconvenience! Will resume next Tue at 10 AM--all welcome. Too many conflicts of previous appointments today.
Sarah Prayer email below
Good Morning Earnest Disciples and Maturing Apostles! Rise AND SHINE!!!! Praise the righteous God whose face shines upon you (Psalm 4)! Thank Him for another day to grow and to shine, just as you are! Thank Him for saving, transforming, growing and giving you zeal to serve! (Now there's some words to consider this year: earnest, disciple, maturing, apostle, lighthouse, reflector, transforming, zeal) I have a list I am praying through and talking to God about. Until He reveals a new word, I'll keep focusing on last year's ones. And I continue to pray over your word from last year until I hear your new one. Keep at it! Rise and shine! Daylight's burning and we are on fire for the Lord! Amen! Pronounce that in faith! We are disciples (students of Jesus) and Apostles (sent ones of Jesus) working on becoming more like Jesus and bringing Him to life more often as we travel through each day. He's working! Can you sense it? Pray into it and allow Him full access today! Go! Love well! Amen!
Our devotionals (below) continue to highlight and teach us about Sunday's message from God for us. We are called to earnestly examine ourselves and motives, know how loved and blessed we are and persevere in faith knowing how loved and cared for we are. God has a plan just for you, just as you are, for such a time as this! PTL! And as you continue to follow and serve He is growing you into your fuller potential in Christ and His greater purposes for you. Rejoice and relax and enjoy this life you've been blessed with! Keep doing what you can with what you've been blessed with! You are a new creation and continue to be refined and made new as you travel day by day in faith in Christ! Cast all your cares and worries upon Him. Keep your focus right and turn off that noise! Choose joy! We are a people of joy because of Jesus and all He is and does in and through us! Celebrate and share the Good News with someone today! Revival is at hand and we are part of it as we seek more in '24 and work at becoming more of a dynamic movement of God! PTL!
Harvest prayer Revival Prayer
January 23, 2024 - Praying for Revival (Day 23): Kingdom-Focused Revival Prayer
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My favorite definition of revival is from Stephen Olford: “Revival is ultimately Christ Himself seen, felt, heard, living, active, moving in and through His body on earth.”
The whole idea of revival is a Christ-awakening. The true Church believes that Jesus is in their midst but is somehow failing to experience it. Revival crosses the great divide between our intellectual, theological, and biblical belief—and what we actually experience with Jesus’ presence.
I prefer the term “revival praying” rather than “praying for revival.” If I am praying for revival, I can become revival focused rather than focused on Christ. We want to learn to pray for what God desires to have happen—and that is the reviving presence of Jesus.
I like to think of revival praying in terms of preparing ourselves for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The Old Testament talks about plowing up hard or fallow ground so that if the rain falls on it, it will not just run off. The soil is drenched with life-giving water that causes everything around it to flourish.
If we prepare ourselves for the Holy Spirit to be poured out on us, we can persist in praying to God, “Give us revival! Give us revival!” Jesus will come in answer to such Kingdom-focused prayers.
Father, in the past You have poured out revival that is a true Christ-awakening. Would You do it again? Cause my church to go beyond belief in Jesus to truly experiencing His reviving presence in all of its fullness. Prepare my church for an outpouring of the Spirit that is so life-giving that it will flourish in mighty ways in our community and beyond. May we manifest Your Kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven. Fill me with an unrelenting faith to continually ask You to send revival and not give up. May I never lose hope before You do it again!
Pr a y e r Po i n t s:
• Praise God for heaven-sent revival that is a true Christ-awakening. He’s done it before; ask Him to do it again!
• Pray that your church goes beyond belief in Jesus to experiencing the reviving presence of Jesus.
• Pray that God prepares your church for an outpouring of the Spirit that is life-giving and causes it to flourish in your community.
• Ask God for revival that focuses on Jesus alone and manifests His Kingdom here on earth.
• Pray that God will fill you with unrelenting faith to pray, “Give us revival! Give us revival!” Pray that you do not lose hope before He does it again.
--Adapted from Day 23 by Dave Butts: Do It Again, Lord (30 Days of Hope-Filled Prayer for Revival) compiled and edited by Carol Madison.
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TWFYT:
Charles Stanley:
UR: Finding Joy
You changed my mourning into dancing. You took off my funeral clothes and dressed me up in joy so that my whole being might sing praises to you and never stop. - Psalm 30:11-12 (CEB)
A few years ago, I felt uncomfortable in the workplace due to the attitudes and actions of my boss and some colleagues. The situation got so bad I was at the point of quitting my job.
I started to read the Bible and The Upper Room daily devotional meditations and gave my life to Christ. I read other people’s stories of situations like mine in the daily meditations. I learned I was not the only person going through difficult times. But God speaks to each of us in different ways. I learned to pray, first giving thanks to God for all things and then turning my concerns over to God.
Today, my boss is no longer with the company, the working relationship with my colleagues has changed, and I received recognition for my years of service. What I know for sure is that God never abandons us and can change our mourning into dancing.
TODAY'S PRAYER
Blessed be your name, O Lord. Thank you for helping us find joy and peace in the many blessings we receive every day. We pray as you taught us, “Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation” (Lk. 11:2-4, NIV). Amen.
ODB:
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My wife, Miska, has a necklace and hoop earrings from Ethiopia. Their elegant simplicity reveals genuine artistry. What’s most astounding about these pieces, however, is their story. Due to decades of fierce conflict and a civil war that rages on, Ethiopia’s geography is littered with spent artillery shells and cartridges. As an act of hope, Ethiopians scour the torched earth, cleaning up the scraps. And artisans craft jewelry out of what remains of the shells and cartridges.
When I heard this story, I heard echoes of Micah boldly declaring God’s promise. One day, the prophet announced, the people would “beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks” (4:3). Tools meant to kill and maim would, because of God’s powerful action, be transformed into tools meant to nurture life. In God’s coming day, the prophet insisted, “nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore” (v. 3).
Micah’s pronouncement was no harder to imagine in his day than ours. Like Israel of old, we face violence and war, and it seems impossible that the world could ever change. But God promises us that by His mercy and healing, this astounding day is coming. The thing for us, then, is to begin to live this truth now. God helps us to take on His work even now, turning scraps into beautiful things.
By Winn Collier
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Where have you seen evil transformed by God’s love? How can you turn scraps into beauty?
Dear God, please change our world. Work through me to bring beauty here.
Learn how to trust God when the world is mess.
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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
The name Micah means “who is like God?” That phrase is a Hebrew expression used throughout the Old Testament to provide the opportunity to describe some unique aspect of God’s character. The prophet himself used that device in Micah 7:18: “Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.” God’s primary characteristic is His forgiving love and mercy, fueled by His patient care for His own. This device is found particularly in the Psalms (see Psalm 71:19). The point is that Israel’s God is unique and distinct from the so-called gods of the nations who were capricious and unpredictable, sometimes even demanding human sacrifice (see 2 Kings 23:10).
Bill Crowder |
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Sarah Prayer Update:
Good evening, or good morning, depending on the when you are opening your emails.....
Just wanted to share our praises and prayer needs from our time of worship, yesterday.
First things first though - our Zoom Huddle, usually held on Tuesday, at 10:00am has been cancelled due
to some other obligations they must attend to. We will reconvene next Tuesday at 10:00am.
You are all invited to our brunch this coming Sunday, following our worship service, at 11:30am in our Fellowship Hall. It's a great opportunity to invite a friend, neighbor, or perhaps someone the Lord directs/nudges you to bring.
Praises: Harry Waterman is doing better and is feeling relief from pain in his shoulder and knee. He is behaving and healing well from his valve replacement surgery. He wishes to thank everyone for all your prayer encouragement and support. He has felt your prayers.
Jim Handfest is doing well in rehab at Phoebe. He is making good progress and hopefully they will begin to talk about a discharge date. Both Jim and Kay are very grateful for our prayer support.
Larry and Enol Paul are looking forward to coming HOME for a month in June. Larry talked to his mom on Sunday morning, and he was so excited about their trip home.
Chris Muik is back to work and adjusting to his work hours. Takes the body a bit to get back in the grove. He and Yvonne are praising God that he was able to return. Let's continue to lift him up in pray as he adjusts to working again.
Gladys Ketner is now at Parkland Manor. Here is her address: Parkland Manor, Gladys Ketner, Room A13 4636 Crackersport Road Allentown Pa 18104
The Bread Ministry has gotten a few more volunteers to assist with bread distribution on Wednesdays. This is great to hear!!! If you have an interest in helping on a Wednesday, with Bread Ministry, please reach out to Gina Fuhrman or Gail Lichtenwalner, and they will fill you in on what is involved.
Holly - Gina's friend who was having difficulty after surgery, is going much better.
Those who need our prayers;
Randy - distant relative of Mary Lou Snyder - has been diagnosed with a progress cancer and they were told it was terminal. They need to drive to Minnesota for an appointment with a special on Monday (Today)
UPDATE: Randy and his wife have made it safely to Minnesota. We do not have an update yet as to how their meeting went. They are waiting for the results of the Pet Scan.
Let's all continue to pray for Randy, and family, and his medical team.
Israel - Let's continue to pray for Israel.....and all those who are fighting for their freedom and peace.
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Have a great day everyone.....remember that no matter what may come your way, or what situation you find yourself, try really hard to choose JOY. Shout out a blessing God has put in your life......He WILL see you through 'IT', whatever 'IT' is for you!
Blessings,
Sarah
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