Updated weekly with a devotional from one of our leaders, and opportunities to pray for the needs of our church family.
How are we participating in our life of faith?
Pastor Dave Chatel
If you wrote out a prayer what would people reading it learn about your heart? We have been studying the book of Philippians in our series. This “letter of joy” is also a letter that highlights prayer. In fact, many of Paul’s letters contain prayers. The words of his prayers reveal his heart for the church and give us direction for our lives.
Philippians 1:9-11 “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”
Paul’s prayer reveals his heart. He wants us—the church—to live out our faith by “abounding in love.” This love is one that guides our hearts and minds to be filled with God (righteousness)! That’s our best life!
My devotional readings were in the book of Kings this month. Kings is a roller coaster of emotions from joy to despair. It is a book about the struggle of God’s people to follow and love him. How much God reached out through his prophets to warn his people of the consequences of not loving (which includes obeying him). After reading chapter after chapter of God trying to bring his people back to him, I then read this sad verse.
2 Kings 25:21 So Judah went into captivity, away from her land.
Paul laments as a Jewish man that his people have now turned away from acknowledging Jesus as the Messiah.
Romans 9:1-4 I speak the truth in Christ-- I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit-- I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises.
I can look down on how the Israelites followed other gods instead of the living God. I can feel good about myself by pointing out their failures. But I need to face my own idolatry. I need to face the many times I try to form God to the image I want him instead of conforming to his image.
Philippians 2:12-16 “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Colossians 1:1-6 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse: Grace and peace to you from God our Father. We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints-- the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth.
AMEN!