What Are You Asking For?

Prayer Force meets every Monday at 11:30. This is a time set aside to pray for Kingdom issues. At this morning's session one of the things we prayed about was baptisms. In January we felt a leading from God that we were supposed to baptize at least 90 people in 2009. Through June 30 we had baptized 22. While we want to celebrate the 22, we were feeling a little down about the number not being higher at the halfway point in the year. So we prayed about it. I spoke to Jock Hendricks tonight around 6:30. He informed me that we had 5 people lined up to be baptized this coming Sunday. The neat part is, they were all set up this afternoon - AFTER Prayer Force. And he had the privilege of leading one of them to Christ just this afternoon.

"Ask and it will be given to you..." What are you asking for?

Opportunity

Over the next three weeks we have the opportunity to reach our community and state in incredible ways. This weekend we are hosting the SC Women's Missionary Union convention at Alice Drive Baptist Church. Over 500 participants will be coming from all over the state and the world to take part in the meeting.

On April 4 Operation In As Much will be taking place. We will start the day at 8:30 AM with a rally at ADBC and then go out to blanket the community with acts of service. As of yesterday we had 300 volunteers signed up. Our goal is 724. It is not too late to sign up and be a part of this great day of service to our community.

April 12 is Easter. This day more than ever is the day when people will come to church. We are expecting a great crowd that day. This is the best opportunity to reach people who only give church one chance a year.

Please keep all of these opportunities in your prayers. Pray that we will give our best in service to God and that thousands will take their next step towards Jesus Christ over the next three weeks.

Cleaning Up

On Thursday I set aside some time to clean some clutter from my desk. It has been a few months since I took on this task. What surprised me was how much junk and trash had accumulated in such a short time. I quickly filled up my trash can and this after just one drawer. I already set aside some time each month to look ahead and plan my broad activities over the coming month. I now realize, I need to set aside a regular time to declutter and clean my desk. If I don't pay attention, the junk builds up and gets in the way of my productivity.

If the junk in my desk can build up so quickly, how fast can the junk in my life build up? The best solution to cleaning out the junk in my life is to spend a regular time with God reading His Word and talking to Him through prayer. Through these disciplines it is easier to keep the trash from building up in my life.

When was the last time you decluttered?

Spiritual Disciplines

In January we went through a four week series called FISH - First Improve Spiritual Health. During this time we learned the importance of personal daily Bible study with over 300 people committing to read the Bible through in a year, we learned the importance of praying daily, we learned the importance of giving and we learned the importance of serving. Through practicing each of these disciplines we grow to be disciples more like Christ. Reading the Bible gives us knowledge, prayer gives us communication with God, giving helps breaks the greed within us and through serving others we are giving of our selves to do things for others in the name of Jesus with no strings attached.

Richard Foster, in his book Celebration of Discipline, says that "God has ordained the Disciplines of the spiritual life as the means by which we place ourselves where He can bless us." If you haven't started reading your Bible, praying, giving or serving there is no time like the present. Jump in and see what God does in your life. You will not be disappointed.

Answered Prayer

Have you ever gone to God with an issue, problem or burden? Sometimes the answers are immediate, sometimes they take awhile to become evident.

Recently I had a burden on my heart for which I needed God's guidance. I sought the advice of a few people whom I trust. I asked them to for their advice and for their prayers. In a very short time, I began to hear answers from each of them. I was still being ignorant of what was going on around me and was continuing to ask God for answers. Then all at once, someone told me to "get over it." At that moment I knew that God was giving me the answer through this person. I suddenly felt peace like I had not known for quiet some time.

Often we are asking God for guidance and we are so set on the answer that we miss it when we get it. The answer God gave me was not what I was expecting so I was overlooking it.

The lesson I have learned through this time is to seek God's guidance through prayer and scripture and to seek the guidance of a few people who you know will pray with you and give Godly advice and finally, keep your eyes open for whatever answer God gives. It may come from the most unexpected person and it may be what you least expect, but it is God's answer.