Sisters and brothers,
Happy Monday to all! Yesterday was such a good day as we worshiped yesterday morning and as we worshiped at the hymn sing last night. If you missed the hymn sing, you missed a lot! You missed a couple of hours of singing some very meaningful songs that God has used to touch our lives. You also missed some wonderful testimonies of why those hymns were so meaningful. I want to thank Pete Pokrandt for leading last night and Abby Longmore for playing.
Yesterday morning we also had a great day of worship. We looked from Matthew 26 about Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane. We learned some wonderful things about prayer. We learned the prayer truly makes a difference. Jesus prayed in Gethsemane and even though it did not change circumstances, prayer prepared Jesus to face the cross. If Jesus, the very Son of God, had to pray, how much more should we understand our great need to pray. True prayer moves the hand of God. Sometimes believers will see miraculous things happen because of prayer. At other times when we pray, prayer enables us to be emotionally stable during life’s most difficult challenges. Prayer also empowers us to fulfill God’s will in extreme circumstances. And when we pray, prayer truly enables us to meet and defeat life’s greatest temptations. Prayer, as Michael Green wrote, is not magic seeking to control cosmic powers. Prayer seeks always to surrender to the will of God, knowing that God’s will is always good, pleasing and perfect. “What a privilege to carry,” as the old hymn says, “everything to God in prayer.”
Daylight Savings Time begins this Sunday, March 8, 2020 at 2:00 AM. Remember to turn your watches and clocks that do not automatically adjust one hour forward before you go to bed on Saturday night.
Remember to keep praying continually for each other.
Love being your pastor!
Bob Ray, Pastor, East Madison Baptist Church