resting and wrestling

Here is a link to a great sermon from John Piper on personal relationships in the church. Listen to it if you get a chance this week. Christian relationships, Piper says, should be about "resting and wrestling" for the cause of Christ.

With God's help, our group can be that kind of group.

He is GOOD, and His love endures

The prayer meeting last night was awesome and humbling.

Pray that we don't forget the things God showed us last night.

Last night we learned a new song, "Lord, Let Your Glory Fall." If anyone is interested to know the background for that song, it's the story of the dedication of the temple during Solomon's reign (2 Chronicles 7). It's the context for 2 Chronicles 7:14 ("If My people, who are called by My name . . .").

But there is so much more in that chapter. God brought everyone face-down to the ground with His glory that day. Then just 14 verses into it He's giving directions for what to do when they fall away. He knew.

So, if you haven't read that chapter lately, go read it and see what God did, as the song says, "on that ancient day."

He is good!!!

joy comes in the morning

Here's a nifty post from the Boundless blog about morning quiet times.

Morning worship is, interestingly, something that comes up in Psalms a lot.

Here are some examples:

Give ear to my words, O Lord,
Consider my meditation.
Give heed to the voice of my cry,
My King and my God,
For to You I will pray.
My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord;
In the morning I will direct it to You,
And I will look up.
--Psalm 5:1-3

Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud,
And He shall hear my voice.
--Psalm 55:17

But I will sing of Your power;
Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning;
For You have been my defense
And refuge in the day of my trouble.
To You, O my Strength, I will sing praises;
For God is my defense,
My God of mercy.
--Psalm 59:16-17

Shall Your wonders be known in the dark?
And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
But to You I have cried out, O Lord,
And in the morning my prayer comes before You.
--Psalm 88:12-13

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night,
On an instrument of ten strings,
On the lute,
And on the harp,
With harmonious sound.
--Psalm 92:1-3

I rise before the dawning of the morning,
And cry for help; I hope in Your word.
My eyes are awake through the night watches,
That I may meditate on Your word.
--Psalm 119:147-148

Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning,
For in You do I trust;
Cause me to know the way in which I should walk,
For I lift up my soul to You.
--Psalm 143:8

Makes you think God knows we can't even do so much as start our days without coming to terms with our insufficiency and His all-sufficiency.

prayer meeting Friday

Next Friday night we'll be having a prayer meeting.

Please pray for the prayer meeting, that it would be a time of seeking God's face and hearing His voice. As Don challenged us last night, it would be great if everyone would commit to carve out several prayer times in your daily routine, like David describes in Psalm 55:16-17,

As for me, I will call upon God, And the Lord shall save me. Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, And He shall hear my voice.

This is a really exciting time for our group, as we ask the Lord to glorify Himself through our lives.

Here's the important info:

What: prayer meeting
When: Friday night, Sept. 15
Time: 7:00 p.m. - ? (come whenever you can)
Where: church sanctuary
Who: anybody who wants to pray for God's glory to be shown through our lives, our families, and our church (feel free to bring friends!)
Questions? post a comment or email Nate

See you there!

readings on prayer

Since this Thursday night's topic is prayer, I thought I'd post some Boundless articles that have helped me to understand how prayer fits into our daily lives.

An Eye-Opening Rendezvous
John Thomas
The experience of one college student who found himself at a prayer meeting at 6:00 a.m.

Pray Boldly
Candice Z. Watters
Yes, the article is about praying for a husband. But it's a universal principle, applicable even to people not asking for husbands.

BA: Discovering Your Purpose
This is one that seems to come up a lot for us. Where does prayer fit in to discovering your purpose in life?

Please post thoughts or comments on these articles, or links or ideas for things that have shaped your understanding of prayer, or just post a comment to say hello.

Sunday Prayer Walk

This Sunday, September 3, we will be having a prayer walk on the campus of Golden West College.

We will be walking around campus and praying for the activites that take place in the different areas, for the students who study, and for the professors who profess.

We will be asking God to work in their lives and to use the Christians on the campus to bring His truth to those they study with.

If you attend GWC, we'd love for you to participate and pray along with us. We look forward to watching God do wondrous things in our lives and on our campuses this semester.

So, here's the run-down for Sunday . . .

What: GWC Campus Prayer Walk
Who: Anyone willing to pray for the students, faculty, and activities of GWC
When: Sunday, Sept. 3 @ 12:00 noon -- meet at the church for pizza lunch, orientation, and carpooling
Questions? Email Nate

See you there!