Praying God s Heart for MYSELF

Transcription

1 PRAYER CONNECTION The Week of June 24, 2012 Just as green wood, when it is put into the fire, weeps tears of water in the heat because it is still green (if it were dry it would not weep), so does the heart weep when it is made green again by the renewal of grace, after the desiccating dryness of selfishness has been drawn out of the soul. Thus are fire and tears made one in burning desire. And because desire has no end it cannot be satisfied in this life. Rather, the more it loves, the less it seems to itself to love. So love exerts a holy longing and with that longing the eyes weep. Catherine of Siena Praying God s Heart for MYSELF Father, thank You for the promise of Your Word that, as I come near to You, You will come near to me. Thank You for the blessing that is mine as I seek hard after You! I come to You, Heavenly Father, confessing that I have allowed other loves to stand in the way of my relationship with You. I have often come near to You with my mouth and have said the right words, and yet my heart has remained distant from You, hard and untouched by Your Spirit. Help me Father! Be merciful to me, for I long to be one who seeks You with all of my heart, and finds You. May I not draw near to You and then retreat again to lesser loves. Save me from myself, I pray from self-righteousness, self provision and selfishness! Strengthen me to remain in You, to learn to abide in You, so that I can bear spiritual fruit, for I know that I can do nothing unless I am abiding in Christ Jesus. Empower me by Your Spirit to earnestly seek You. May my longing to draw near to You be reflected in my thought life, what I allow myself to read and see, the music I listen to, the conversations I engage in, how I conduct myself at school or work, and when I think no one is watching. In all of these things and so many more, teach me what it means to live and move and have my very being in You alone! I invite You, Holy Spirit, to break up the unplowed ground of my heart, that it might become a fertile field in which Your Word can grow. Soften my heart again, I pray, that I might more clearly hear Your voice and walk in Your ways. In Jesus Name, amen. James 4:8; Psalm 34:10;Isaiah 29:13;Jeremiah 29:13; John 15:4,5 Hebrews 11:6; Acts 17:28; Jeremiah 4:3: Matthew 13:18-23

2 Praying God s Heart for YORK ALLIANCE Pray that our daily living during the coming summer months will be marked by great joy in our salvation and a willing obedient response to the Holy Spirit. Pray that we will seize the opportunities to bear the name of Jesus. Pray that next Sunday s church picnic will provide joy-filled opportunities to connect with one another and with families that are invited. Praise God for the way in which the Washington DC team recognized God and His work among the people they encountered. Pray that the gospel seeds sown will result in transformation in both the people that were served as well as the team members that served. Pray by name for the student team and leaders preparing to serve this week in York City and with SMASH (Rachel Byerly, Lauren Eyler, Sara Jackson, Caleb Lingenfelter, Ryan Shuey, Nathan Simms, Quinten Slyder, Chris and Abbie Horsman). Pray that the love of Jesus will be displayed in the neighborhoods where each of the block parties are scheduled: Thursday, June 28th block of Fourth Avenue - Carletti LIFE Group Friday, June 29th - Logos Academy parking lot - Cole LIFE Group Saturday, June 30th block of E. Ninth Avenue in North York - Shuey LIFE Group Praise God for the accomplishment represented by each of our YAC graduates and pray for God s direction regarding the next step in their lives: Graham Brillhart, Christian School of York Sara Holtzinger, Juniata College Sarah Jones, York College Jenna King, Shippensburg University Anna Leair, Homeschool Tia Leair, Homeschool Hannah Lingenfelter, West York HS Emma Miller, Eastern University Justin Ross, York College Olivia Stein, York Suburban HS Nikki Tate, York Suburban HS Allison Tuttle, York Suburban HS Michelle VonStein, York College Andrew Waplinger, Juniata College Spencer Waplinger, Dallastown HS Grant Williams, Red Lion HS Call the church office if you know of other YAC graduates to be added to this list. Pray God s comfort and healing touch over: Jackie VonStein continuing to grieve the loss of her mother who passed away on June 12 Phil Scott returned home from Healthsouth Rehabilitation this past Wednesday (his birthday!); continuing kidney dialysis Doug Miller needing increased appetite and weight gain so that chemotherapy can be resumed; continuing to have build up of abdominal fluid; scheduled for CAT scan this past Friday Zoe Lloyd recovering well from VNS implant surgery but having difficulty sleeping at night Joyce Siebert suffering pain from ongoing rheumatoid arthritis Caron Foreman spending time with her son and family in Washington state as she continues to grieve the death of Bob (one year ago today) Tanya Gardner (daughter of Marty and Jeannie Smith) being treated for breast cancer and scheduled for surgery later this year Mike Dennis continuing to wait for matching donor as he deals with ongoing kidney disease

3 Praying God s Heart for YORK COUNTY Pray that the Church of York County we will be revived by the Holy Spirit. Ask God to send the rain of the Spirit on congregations across our county. Ask God to encourage the heart of each pastor. Praying God s Heart for the WORLD MACEDONIA: David & Brenda Aderholdt (International Church of Skopje) Praise God for Helen s arrival on Monday! David and Brenda write, Pray for the people attending the International Church of Skopje. Some are returning to their home country and others are being reassigned to somewhere else in the world. Please join us in praying that these transitions would be good transitions for the people leaving, for the International Church and for God's Kingdom. Also please pray that we will be able to make contact with the new families who are coming this summer, both believers and nonbelievers. ROMANIA: Nathan & Roxana Burke (Daybreak of Hope) Praise God for peace that surpasses understanding! Please pray for Iulia to continue to regain emotional, spiritual, and physical equilibrium. Pray for Christ's deep work in her soul day by day. Also, here s a reminder that we have set aside the first day of each month as a special day for prayer for the future of Romania Without Orphans. We invite you to pray with us in a special way on July 1. THAILAND: David & Ty King (Evangelical Church of Bangkok) Ty writes, Praise God for the 7 people from Vietnam, Thailand, Pakistan & China who were baptized on June 10! Pray that they will grow strong in their faith. There is a desperate need for a Celebration Arts Pastor. Ask God to provide. GERMANY: Steve & Karen Mack (Berlin International Community Church) Praise the Lord for His grace and love and strength! Steve writes: Please pray with us: We are committed to seeing many people receive the full measure of grace offered through the completed work of Jesus Christ as we build together a large vibrant local church with a message of hope for the nations. BURKINA FASO: Steve & Amy Nehlsen (faculty members at Nyack College) Amy wrote, Praise God for the amazing month in Burkina Faso! Praise the Lord for Dorcas House! The entire camp was blessed as the girls heard and received the teachings of the Word of God. Please pray for Steve and Peter, who are planning a trip in January to support the Burkina Church. Praise God that Abby, Kari and Peter were able to reconnect with friends and have lots of fun as well as closure. Kari was so happy for her Russian friend, Sonja, who was so touched that she broke down in tears when Kari told her that the folks at York Alliance were praying for her. She prayed with Kari and also asked everyone that she had hurt this year to forgive her and that she wanted to start fresh. Please continue to pray for this 16-year old girl who does not come from a Christian family. Praise the Lord for His faithfulness and love so complete and powerful, especially in our weakness. Glory to His Name! BRAZIL: Cullen & Janet Rast Praise God that both Cullen and Janet are in good physical health! Pray for the Lord's provision and protection at Comev regarding several court cases. Please pray for justice and truth to prevail. THE MUSLIM WORLD: Daniel & Mary Shayesteh Praise God for the light and love of Jesus! Pray that many more Muslims will have their eyes opened, see the

4 light and come to know Christ as Savior. May they have ears that hear and eyes that see that the Lord is good and that His love endures forever! GABON: Steve & Alace Straw (Air Calvary) Praise God that the kids are all home and the family will have much needed time together this summer! Pray for the planning stages of a Business as Mission conference slated for this coming fall that will engage believers to take their faith with them through intentional, marketplace ministry efforts internationally! Glocal Prayer and Praise Focus Distinctives of Compassion: Compassion International Child Sponsorship Commitment to Christ: Jesus Christ is at the heart of Compassion's ministry. This corporate commitment drives the content of our program, characterizes the kind of people we hire, and guides our ethics. Commitment to Children: Compassion's ministry is focused on the individual child and his or her development. By working holistically with individual children to address their spiritual, economic, social and physical needs, we present every child with an opportunity to become responsible and fulfilled Christian adults. Commitment to Church: The Church is God's chosen instrument to bring hope to a hurting world and to deliver justice to the poor and oppressed. Compassion works exclusively in partnership with local churches in developing nations to deliver a holistic child development program. Commitment to Integrity: Compassion commits to the highest professional and biblical principles in all aspects of our ministry and maintains the highest industry standards for our allocation of funds. The facts: 10 million people struggle to get enough food to eat in the Sahel region of West Africa. 1 billion people worldwide live in chronic hunger. That s equivalent to the population of North America and Europe combined. A child is 45 times more likely to die before age 5 in Nigeria than in France. Kenya and other East African countries are experiencing the worst drought in more than 60 years. How you can be involved: In a world where more than a billion children live on less than $2 per day, connecting one child with one sponsor is the most strategic way to end child poverty. Through monthly gifts, prayer and letter writing, sponsors have opportunity to invest in the lives of children living in extreme poverty. This relationship communicates, You are an important little person! Sponsored children attend church-based child development centers where they receive life-changing opportunities that would otherwise be out of their reach. All Compassion-sponsored children have the opportunity to develop their God-given potential and be released from the poverty that has trapped their families for generations. Consider sponsoring a child today and help break the cycle of poverty!

5 For just $38 a month, your sponsorship helps provide ongoing Christian training, educational opportunities, treatment and training to maintain child health, development of self-confidence and social skills, and key life skills and vocational programs. Three times a year, York Alliance Church receives packets representing children who are waiting to be sponsored. Contact the church office if you are interested in sponsoring a child, or visit to find out more details about the ministry of Compassion International and to establish immediate sponsorship via the website.