Truth
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PFTW: The Way, The Truth, and The Life

Truth

The Way, The Truth, and The Life

“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

John 14:6-7

Hello everyone, and thank you for stopping by today for our Prayers for the Week post. Two weeks ago our post was titled “Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled” and we were focusing on the first four verses of the 14th chapter in the book of John. Those well versed in Scripture will recognize that today we are continuing in that chapter, with the sixth and seventh verses.

John 14:6 is one of my favorite verses in all of the Bible, in part because it tells us so clearly how we approach God. We do so by coming to Jesus. If you believe that the Bible is the Word of God, then John 14:6 tells us in very clear terms who Jesus is. Jesus is the way, and the truth, and the life. More importantly perhaps than even that is that no one comes to the Father except through me. And even better, if you know Jesus, then you know the Father as well.

My friends, the problems of this world really come down to one thing in my humble opinion. The fact is that this world has for the most part turned it’s collective back on God, and by extension, Jesus, and instead, has put it’s lot in with the evil one, Satan.

There will come a time when God will call for a reckoning on what we believe. Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that God sent His only Son down to the earth in the form of a man, that He died on the Cross after living a sinless life as a payment for all of our sins? And do you believe that He was resurrected from the dead on the third day, and that He is going to come back to earth a second time? If you believe that, then you will be saved. If you don’t believe that yet, well, you may come to believe it one day. However, if you die without believing that, then you will be separated from God for all eternity, and you will not reach Heaven.

because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Romans 10:9

My friends, it really comes down to that one verse. If you believe that, and believe it in your heart, not just speaking the words, then you will be saved. I urge all of you that are unsure about all of this to reach out to someone you trust that is a Christian and ask them. If you don’t know anyone, then reach out to me. You can do so by leaving a comment below, or by joining our Prayers for the Week Facebook group. Now, please continue reading and join us in praying for our prayer requests and praises below.

Prayer Requests & Praises

  • We start off with Jodi. She has had a big time prayer request for her brother Tom: “Here’s the latest on Tom: They have gotten almost all the fluid drained. Did 2nd echo yesterday to check the valve that they suspected of leaking. It looks OK and does not need further surgery at this point. He is still on ventilator, but only using the full mask overnight. Today is the first day with just the nose tube. Ken (my other brother–who had a heart attack 4 years ago) said Tom’s been sitting upright in his chair and is awake and alert! Still in cardiac ICU for foreseeable future. (Btw, Tom turned 51 on Sunday. Our dad died from a heart attack at 59, after a quintuple bypass a few years earlier and stroke before that. His dad, my grandfather, died from a heart attack on the same day, 12 hours later, after at least 2 prior attacks. All 3 of my dad’s brothers have also had heart attacks. I’m sure all this, and especially the age correlation, is weighing on Tom too.)”
    • Earlier, we had these updates: “URGENT!! My sis-in-law’s friend is sending updates for her. My brother is not doing well.
      (This is reina for Vicki) Tom needs your prayers, they are not seeing any improvement, having problems stabilizing his breathing. Vicki is is back with him trying to help calm him. He can’t have any visitors at this time. We are asking for prayers. We will keep you updated as soon as we can.”
    • Another update: “Please continue prayers for my brother Tom! 1 artery had 100% blockage. He received two stents. He is in ICU having difficulty breathing.”
    • This is the original request: “Please pray for my brother Tom! Yesterday, he turned 51; today, he’s being admitted to the hospital. He has pneumonia on the entire left side, and they’re screening for a possible blood clot. The ER he is in right now has administered meds, but they are trying to find a hospital with availability to admit him. He’s in the Dallas area. Thank you!”
    • The reason I’m giving all of this detail is because it shows how much God works in our lives. It actually turned out that Tom had a heart attack on July 4th and didn’t realize it, and that is what led to all of this. So on top of our prayers for Tom’s healing, we are also giving huge Praises to God for looking after him until he received the help he needed! God is Good, my friends! Tom is just one example of how Good He is!
  • We had a prayer request for Stephanie’s grandson James last week. This week we have an update on his condition: “James was finally moved out of ICU!! His temperature has stayed down, so hopefully he’s on his way to a full recovery!! Thank you for the continued prayers!!!”
  • Please pray for our brother Don — he had a medical condition recently, and he’s fine but he’ll be on medication now as a result. Please pray for him and that he doesn’t have any additional occurrences of this.
  • Bridget has a prayer request for her son: “Please remember my son as he starts a new job tomorrow.”
  • Jennifer has a prayer request: “Please pray for my family as I am ill and have ALS. Please pray that I’m not a burden to them and they can survive spiritually and economically. Please pray that they can find peace in God because their hearts are restless.”
    • Please pray hard for Jennifer and her family and friends. There is so much tragedy in her statement. She is married and has a 12 year old daughter.
  • Please pray for my travel this week. I’m traveling to Virginia on Tuesday, please pray that I would have safe travels.
  • Also, my dad has lung surgery on Wednesday. Please pray for him, for his medical team, and for my Mom and family. Please pray that God would guide the hands of the medical team, and that He would give him complete healing and an easy recovery.
  • Remember, if anyone wants to join our Daily Scripture group, just click the link.
  • Lastly, please pray for any unspoken prayer requests. Pray for those we don’t know and that God would hear their prayers.

Now, please join us in praying the prayer that Jesus taught us to pray:

Our Father, who art in Heaven
Hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done
On earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.
Lead us not in temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the Kingdom, and Power, and Glory
Forever and ever.
Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer
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Prayers for the Week: Transforming the World

Transforming the World
Sunrise over the Earth
Image Credit:Getty Images/iStockphoto

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Romans 12:2

Transforming the World

Hello everyone, and thank you for stopping by on our Prayers for the Week post. Today we are taking a look at how we can be a force in transforming the world — changing the culture of the world from one of hate to one of love. All week we’ve been bombarded with the worlds hatred towards everyone that doesn’t agree with them on whatever their stance of the day happens to be. There is a very real need to be strong in the Lord these days. If you aren’t, then you run the very real risk of seeing your behavior emulate that of the world system, rather than letting Christ speak through you so you can help in transforming the world.

So how is one supposed to be strong in the Lord? To answer that question, let’s look at the words found in the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Ephesians.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

Ephesians 6:10-20

Over the summer, I’ve been attending a Men’s Bible Study at Cross Point Community Church in Knightdale, NC on Tuesday nights. It’s organized by my brother-in-Christ Kipp, and right now we are looking at a small, six week series by Dr. David Jeremiah called Overcomer: Live a Life of Unstoppable Strength, Unmovable Faith, and Unbelievable Power. We are breaking down these verses, one piece of armor at a time, and it is giving me an insight into what each of these pieces of armor is about. In doing so, God is speaking to me directly, and telling me to be alert for ways that the Devil is working to divide God’s church. It doesn’t take a lot to see that Satan is definitely giving truth to Peter’s warning:

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

1 Peter 5:8

Brothers and Sisters-in-Christ, I know that I’ve given you a lot, and we haven’t even gotten to our prayer requests. Please forgive me, but I feel like God is telling me to give you all of this information. I see far too many of my Christian brothers and sisters falling into the traps that the world presents to us — the trap of foul language, the trap of being angry at anything and everything, the trap of trying to change the Church to work more in line with the world system, rather than letting the Light of Christ shine through them. It bothers me, and it has bothered me for a while now, and finally I’m following the guidance that the Lord has laid in front of me, and truly giving it the attention it deserves.

I know that I’m painting with a very broad stroke, and that isn’t fair. I’m sorry about that. My plea for all of us that call ourselves Christians is that we remember the words from the Apostle Paul in Romans 12:2, and that we let that be our guide as we work on transforming the world, one person at a time. The more we do attempt to do that, I believe, the better the world will become. Thank you for letting me ramble, please continue reading and praying with our prayer requests and praises below.

Prayer Requests & Praises

  • Please pray for Sherry. She’s having surgery on Thursday. Pray for the skill of the surgical team and for healing for Sherry. Thanks!
  • Lori has a prayer request: “The wasps won. I fell back off the step-stool. I split my sternum again and 3 broken ribs.” Please pray for her healing, as well as for God’s Peace, Comfort, Strength, and Love to surround her. Thanks everyone!
  • Please pray for our brother Don — he had a medical condition recently, and he’s fine but he’ll be on medication now as a result. Please pray for him and that he doesn’t have any additional occurrences of this.
  • Stephanie has a praise and continued prayer request for her grandson James: “James just got out of surgery a couple hours ago. Surgery went really well. He’s in ICU tonight, but if all goes well, he’ll be in a regular room tomorrow. Thank you all so much for the thoughts and prayers!! He’s awake and having a bottle now.”
  • Hey everyone keep my brother-in-Christ John and his family and all of Louisiana in your prayers regarding Barry. They’re saying it will hit land as a hurricane. Thanks everyone!
  • Prayer request for my friend Susan. She was just laid off from her job today, and is looking for employment. Please pray for her — she’s in Raleigh, NC, so also if anyone local hears of anything, please, pass it along. She’s not on Facebook much. Thanks everyone! Please also include all of those that are looking for jobs as well in your prayers. We don’t know who they are, but God does, so we’ll leave the details to Him.
  • Just found out from my brother Kipp that a friend of ours, Matt, had a heart attack. He’s in the hospital and is recovering nicely, but please pray for him. He’s 45 years old and is in good shape so it is definitely a shock. Thanks everyone!
  • Please keep praying for my Dad, Joe. He has another biopsy on the 17th and we’re looking at lung surgery on the 24th. Please be in prayer for him, as well as for my Mom, Ellen, my sister Robin and all of our family.
  • Lastly, we are starting something new. We’re calling it our Daily Scripture, and if you would like to sign up for a link to a daily Bible Verse, click on this link: https://www.remind.com/join/ahb79h
  • Thank you all for your faithful following of our prayer requests. If you wish to join our Facebook Group, click the link and we’ll include you in. Thank you all for praying, now join us in praying the prayer that Jesus taught us to pray.

Our Father, who art in Heaven
Hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done
On earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.
Lead us not in temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the Kingdom, and Power, and Glory
Forever and ever.
Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

As always, if you have prayer requests of your own, you can leave them as comments below, or you can join our group and post them there.

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PFTW: Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled

let not your heart be troubled

Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.”

John 14:1-4

Hello everyone, and welcome to this week’s Prayers for the Week post. There are a lot of things to pray for this week, and several have had loved ones pass away, so today I was drawn to John 14:1-4 for words of comfort from our Lord and Savior, Jesus. Friends, isn’t in amazing all of the places in the Bible that God points out words of comfort to us for when we are facing tribulation of some sort? Sadly, to the non-believer, things like that seems foolish to them, and they are not capable of understanding how we could draw comfort from the words in a book that was written two thousand years ago. Pray for those that aren’t saved, my friends, pray that they would develop a curiosity to know the truth more, to know what the real Truth is, and Who is the author of that Truth. Pray that they would put aside their skepticism just a little bit and ask someone why we believe what we believe.

If you find yourself curious to learn more about who this Jesus is and why He is so important, reach out to us. Start here with a prayer post that includes the sinner’s prayer for salvation.

Now, please pray with us on our prayer requests and praises.

Prayer Requests & Praises

  • Pam has a prayer request for her daughter-in-law Sara: “Please remember my daughter in law Sara Hill in the loss of her dad after a 3 week battle with pancreatic cancer. Thank you Mike.”
  • John has a prayer request for some answers to a medical issue: “Answers to a health question I’ve been dealing with…would appreciate it very much. Thanks Mike!”
  • Stephanie has a prayer request for her grandson: “Please keep my grandson, James, in your prayers. He’s not getting enough fluid to his brain, so doctors are thinking he may need brain surgery.”
  • Emily asks for prayers for her family: “Please pray for my family who is having some medical issues.”
  • Kelly has a prayer request for her friend: “I have a friend who is fighting a battle with breast cancer and she has awesome faith in the Lord. If you could say a prayer for her, her husband, children and her entire family. She is one of the best people I know.”
  • Please pray for the family of my friend Kathleen. Kathleen lost her father yesterday. Please pray for God’s Peace, Strength, Comfort, and Love to surround them all in the days ahead, and especially for her mother and her two children.
  • Please pray for the family of Mrs. Rackley. Mrs. Rackley was Sophie’s band teacher at Carroll Middle School for 7th and 8th grade, and she passed away on the 4th. She was 37 years old. Please pray for her family, especially her husband and her two children in their time of grief. Thanks everyone!
  • From my Dad, Joe: “That Black Lab & Treeing Walker Coonhound arrived in his forever home full of attitude and convinced he was ‘alpha’. Yes, Spike was a handful in the beginning, but he became calm and submissive, indeed he became Spike the Wonder Dog! After nearly eight years here in his forever home, he crossed over the Rainbow Bridge, even as Ellie and I witnessed a beautiful rainbow while driving home from the Vet’s office. Rest in Peace Ole Graybeard, you will live forever in our hearts and minds, you were indeed a Wonder Dog! Joe & Ellie. Spike Jan. 6, 2007 – July 2, 2019.” Please pray for my parents in their loss of Spike.
  • Also, my Dad will be having a procedure in the coming weeks to remove cancer from his lung. The surgeon believes it to be about 1 1/2 inches long that needs to be removed. Please pray for him, his medical team, and my Mom and family during this time. The date is TBD. Thanks!
  • Jodi has a prayer request: “My sister’s father-in-law passed away last night after 7 months battling lung cancer. It will be a very hard loss on the family. Please pray for them! Thank you so much!”
  • Please remember the prayer requests we had in last week’s post as well.

Thank you all for praying with us! As always, feel free to join our Facebook Group, and feel free to also leave your prayer requests in the comments below. Now, please join us in praying the prayer that Jesus taught us to pray.

Our Father, who art in Heaven
Hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done
On earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.
Lead us not in temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the Kingdom, and Power, and Glory
Forever and ever.
Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer
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Lord is Close
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Prayers for the Week: Psalm 34:18 – The Lord is Close

The Lord is Near

The Lord is Close

‘The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.’ Psalm 34:18 (NIV)

bible.com

Hello everyone, and welcome to this week’s prayers for the week post. Today I’m writing from the Gatlinburg, TN area, where I’m enjoying the sites and sounds of the area for my travel agent business. Yesterday we took in Dollywood, and one of the highlights of that day for me was a show called Summer Feels. During that show, there was a song that one of the singers performed, but God spoke to me through her when she quoted Psalm 34:18, and I knew that this is what God wanted me to share with you.

Life takes us in many directions all the time, and far too often we find ourselves in times of tribulation. God reminded me in Psalm 34:18 that He is with us, He is close to the brokenhearted, and He saves those who are crused in spirit. That is something that all have needed to hear a lot this year as I look back on the first six months of 2019, and I am certain that He is reminding us of that each and every day for the rest of the year, and in fact, for the rest of our lives.

Take comfort, my brothers and sisters-in-Christ, and remember the words of the Psalmist — the Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Now, my friends, please join me in praying for our prayer requests and lifting up our praises.

Prayer Requests & Praises

  • Hey everyone, we’ve been praying for Richard friend Chris, who is battling cancer. Please keep praying for him, his cancer is spreading and it doesn’t look good, so pray for miraculous healing if it’s God’s Will, as well as pray for Peace, Comfort, Strength, and Love for Chris, his family, and all of their friends. Thanks everyone!
    • Update: Hospice has been called in for Chris, so keep praying but also make sure you are praying for his family and friends.
  • Hey everyone, Brenda had an outpatient procedure done tomorrow and is in need of prayers. Please pray for the skill of the medical team, for God to guide their hands, and for Peace, Comfort, Strength, a complete recovery, and Love to surround Brenda and all of her family. Thanks!
    • Update: the procedure went very well, now please keep praying for good results from the testing.
  • A few months back we were praying for my brother in Christ, John, as he led his family to New Orleans on a new job opportunity. One of the things we were praying for was that the job would be what he hoped and prayed it would be, and that prayer has been answered. However, please keep praying that John would be able to find the church that God is leading him to for John, his wife Prudence, and their two girls. This prayer request is very important, so please pray for John and his family.
  • Hiro has a prayer request: “Could you pray for my 4 year old son. He was in emergency last week and again today. We might have to bring him again soon.“
  • Bridget has a prayer request: “Please pray for my children and their Dad. He is having lots of medical issues right now and is in the hospital.“
  • Scarlett has a prayer request: “I am asking for prayers for my brother-in-law as he is in the final stages of Parkinson’s and in the hospital with pneumonia! Keep his sweet and faithful family in prayer. Also, my blind cousin is in the hospital with pneumonia! Keep he and his family in your prayers, please! May God’s blessings continue to shower upon all!“
    • Update from Scarlett: “Bob’s brother died this am (Thursday, June 27th)! He was a great man who was faithful to God and family! Thank you for your prayers!“
  • Bridget has another prayer request: “Asking for prayers for my friend Lisa and her husband. His cancer has returned and needs lots of prayers.“
  • My sister Robin has an update from Larry Kincannon. We were praying for his wife Sandra this week: “From Larry KinCannon: With the heaviest of heart I regret to inform you that today my wife Sandra has left us to be with the Lord. Despite the best of medical care available, Sandra was not able recover from a severe brain aneurysm that burst on Wednesday after noon. Please keep our family in your prayers during this difficult time. We will provide memorial service detail when they become available. We are grateful to have such great friends who have provided so much support already. Thank you all for your prayers and support.“

Now, please join us in praying the prayer that Jesus taught us to pray:

Our Father, who art in Heaven
Hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done
On earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.
Lead us not in temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the Kingdom, and Power, and Glory
Forever and ever.
Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

My friends, thank you for praying with us today. Now, have a listen to a song that speaks to my heart, and perhaps yours as well. May you have a wonderful day and week ahead.

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God of Hope
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Prayers for the Week: the God of Hope

God of Hope

The God of Hope

Hello everyone, and thank you for joining us today for our Prayers for the Week post. Today we are sharing with you a special passage of Scripture, Romans 15:13. Here is the Word of God for you:

‘May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.’

Romans 15:13

Today, we send these words out to the friends and family of Amie Miller, a young child of God who was called home to Jesus sooner than we wanted her to be. I never had the pleasure to meet her, but my friend Kristin told us about her in our prayer group, and we joined her and countless others in praying for Amie and her family. While we grieve with her parents, family, and friends over her passing, we also celebrate with them in knowing that Jesus has her in His arms, and that He has taken away her illness and healed her body from all sickness.

My friends, while I don’t know Amie’s parents, I can relate in some ways with them. You see, Amie passed away on Sophie’s 18th birthday. While Sophie has had a healthy upbringing aside from her Asperger’s and her ADHD, Sophie was born 7 weeks early, and when she was born, neither Cindy nor I knew what the outcome would be. However, I had God’s Peace — that Peace that transcends understanding — upon my heart while she was being born, and I knew that she would be okay. That was a very powerful reminder that our God is the God of Hope.

Brothers and Sisters in Christ, let me remind you that our God is the God of Hope, and we find that in Romans 15:13 and throughout the Bible. It’s important that we remember that, because if we forget it, then it becomes that much easier for Satan to infiltrate our lives and distract us from our true calling. Remember, our true calling is to praise God and His Son, Jesus, and to spread His message of salvation for all of those that need to hear it. If we don’t do that, we are ignoring Jesus’ commandment to us in the Great Commission. We must always be ready to share that wonderful news, especially in today’s world.

Now, please join us in praying with us in our Prayer Requests and Praises.

Prayer Requests & Praises

  • Cindy’s friend Linda is traveling to Ohio to visit with her Mom, who is in a skilled nursing facility and is fading quickly. Please pray for Linda and her husband as they travel and for Peace, Comfort, and Strength to surround them all in these final days before she is called Home. She is a Christian so she knows where she is going. Thanks everyone!
  • This was the prayer request from Kristin that shared the wonder of Amie with us: “I need prayers for a friend’s family. Their daughter has a rare chromosome condition like my son. She has heart surgery two days ago and it did not go well. Last night they told her mom that they would have to amputate both legs. Then this morning, they told her that the arythmias that her heart was having damaged every organ in her body. They are having to let her go. The surgery was supposed to allow her to be a normal 12 year old girl again. Please pray for her parents.”
  • Hey Everyone, Cindy’s cousin Debbie has a prayer request. Her boyfriend Mark is having back surgery today, it’s his second surgery for his back. Please pray for God’s Healing Touch on him, as well as for God to guide the medical team, and for Peace, Comfort, and Strength for Mark and for all of them. Thanks everyone!
  • Remember to pray for our list of prayer requests from last week’s post.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in Heaven
Hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done
On earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.
Lead us not in temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the Kingdom, and Power, and Glory
Forever and ever.
Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer
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