Prayer

My name is Gaye Pearl. My husband, Mike, and I share five children who have blessed us with three grandchildren (with another blessing due in June). We have been members of Living Hope for over five years. We love working at the Welcome Center as part of the First Impressions Ministry and we are members of an ABF class. I also serve in the Prayer Ministry.

When we arrived for worship, I was delighted to see that our friend, Dan Edmonson, was giving his testimony about the importance of prayer. Dan shared with us how he is often asked to pray with and for his employees and this reminded me that our mission field is often our work place or, for that matter, wherever we happen to be. Dan invited the church to join with the Prayer Ministry in praying for our church leadership and staff.

Pastor Jason began today’s message entitled “Why We Eat in Church” by asking if any of us were forgetful. Of course, most of us raised our hands in affirmation. Pastor Jason pointed out that sometimes we forget that God loves us and has a plan for us – that He is with us at all times. Even in the beginning, Genesis tells us that Adam and Eve forgot God’s plans for them.

So, to help us remember, God has given us a wonderful ordinance to remind us of the love and sacrifice of Jesus Christ – the Lord’s Supper. Our sermon note outline states that the Lord’s Supper is the ordinance (outward expression of faith commanded by Christ) that memorializes Christ’s sacrifice that frees all who believe. Without Christ’s sacrifice, we would not have access to the throne of Grace through prayer.

My family attended a church where communion was served every Sunday. As a small child, I remember believing the real blood and flesh of Jesus was being served. I was petrified - I did not understand that this was symbolic of His sacrifice on the cross. Of course, our preacher may have explained this on occasion, but I was too young to understand (and probably not paying attention, either).

However, in order to help us understand the Lord’s Supper, Pastor Jason pointed out to us what the Lord’s Supper is not: it is not the actual body of Jesus, it is not partly the body of Jesus, and it cannot save a person. Pastor Jason then explained what the Lord’s Supper was: it is to unify the body of believers, it is to be received regularly, it is a testimony to the power of the gospel, and it is a celebration of Jesus and His atoning death.
This week, Pastor Jason challenged us to examine ourselves through prayer in preparation of receiving the Lord’s Supper next Sunday. It can be a dangerous thing if we receive this ordinance without self-examination. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 11-27-29: 27Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. 28But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. (NASB)
If you haven’t noticed, the back of our sermon outline sheet has a nifty spot where you can list names of anyone needing prayer for salvation. There are also several opportunities for prayer listed there, as well.

Today was a day of rejoicing in our ABF class - one of our class members received news that he was cancer free after a year of surgery and several rounds of chemotherapy. There aren’t enough words to describe how our ABF class supports, encourages, and prays for each other during good and bad times alike. We are like a really, really big family!

These are tough times for many of the body of Christ at Living Hope. This week, we are asked to meditate on the following scripture, Matthew 11:28-30, where Jesus tells us: Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29"Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30"For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (NASB)

In our prayer life, do we go to Jesus in prayer as our first and greatest resource or our last resort?