The Cross is perhaps the most important symbol of Christianity. The Cross, such a simple structure, is the point of our salvation. Our lives, as sinful, as hurtful as they are, take on a new meaning when we believe in our hearts these wonderful facts:
- God sent His Son, Jesus, to earth to save us.
- Jesus taught all of us how to live, and what is truly important.
- Jesus died for us so that we might be saved from our sin.
- Lastly, Jesus was resurrected, and, in being resurrected, conquered death.
It is a simple thing to believe, but it is also something that we have convinced is not as simple as that. We have taught ourselves, or allowed ourselves to be taught, that it isn’t that simple. We have allowed ourselves to believe that it isn’t God’s Gift to us, that we must earn our salvation. That is not true or possible. Salvation comes in believing that God sent His Son to die for our sins, and that Jesus died, and was resurrected from that death. When we believe that and put our trust and faith in Jesus, we are saved. After we are saved, if we have truly been saved, then our actions, our words, our deeds, will evolve over time, and we will act more like Jesus would have us act. This is because when we are saved, God sends the Holy Spirit to us, and we are indwelt with the Spirit of God.
My friends, my Brothers and Sisters in Christ, when you read these prayer requests, you are praying to God on behalf of these requests. When you give God Praise for the good things that happen in our lives, you are thanking God for giving us those good things. Thank you for choosing each day to read these and pray and praise with us. If we can pray for you, please leave us a comment, and we will add it to our prayer post and pray for you. Now, please pray with us this week. Thank you!
Prayer Requests and Praises…
- Prayers please for Decatur, Alabama police officer Josh Driggers and his family. Here is the press release:Press ReleaseOn February 4, 2015, Decatur Police Officer Josh Driggers went to his
doctor after experiencing persistent headaches, nausea, and vomiting. Medical
tests were conducted and it was revealed that Josh had a tumor on his brain.
After initially scheduling Josh for immediate surgery in Huntsville, his
physicians reconsidered and referred him to Duke University Medical Center.
Josh and his family will leave for Durham, North Carolina on Wednesday.
His surgery has been scheduled for Friday.Josh has been with the Decatur Police Department for almost five years
and is married with two young children. In addition to his work as a patrol
officer, Josh serves on the department’s Honor Guard. His condition came on
suddenly, with very little warning. In addition to his concern about his
condition, Josh is dealing with the financial impact it will have on his family.
An account has been set up at Redstone Federal Credit Union under Joshua
Driggers Love Offering.We ask that everyone remember Josh and his family and keep them in
your prayers as they go through this difficult time. We will provide updates
on Josh’s condition as we receive them. - Earlier this month, we had this prayer request on behalf of my friend Jodi:My friend Jodi has a prayer request for us. Here is what she wrote:Can you please add my friend Laura to your prayer list this week? Her brother Todd, to whom she’s always been extremely close, has been fighting cancer. They learned yesterday it has spread to his brain. He has been sent home with hospice care. Todd is Laura’s son’s favorite uncle, and this is very hard on him too (Sam, age 9). Thank you!Please pray with me:
Heavenly Father, we hear daily of struggles that people are going through with that horrific disease — cancer. We really are at a loss to understand how these things invade the lives of Your people, but we also know that You have a plan for all of us. We take heart in Your Words from the book of Jeremiah: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” So we know that, despite the disease that Todd is fighting, we know that his life has a purpose, and it is a purpose that You have written for him. Please be with Todd, with his sister Laura, with her son Sam, and with all of their family. Please give Todd the Peace, the Strength, the Comfort, the Love that he needs. Please be with all of them and enfold them in Your Loving embrace so that they would know You are with them. Also, Lord, if it is Your Will, Lord, we pray for healing for Todd. Show us Your Power, Your Glory, and show us that all the medicine in the world means nothing when compared to what You can do. We ask all of these things in the wonderful name of Your Son Jesus with Thanksgiving. Amen
Unfortunately, I learned from Jodi that Todd passed away. Please continue to pray for his family, for his sister Laura, and especially for her son Sam, who is missing his Uncle right now. Please pray that God will be with them all in the days, weeks, and months to come. Thank you.
- Please pray for my Mom — her breast cancer surgery is on Wednesday the 25th. Please pray for her, for her medical team, and for God’s Healing Touch on her.
- My wife Cindy and I would like to give Praise to God for the news that our daughter Sophie received! We learned that she was accepted for her school of choice for the fall! She will be going to Vernon Malone College and Career Academy, and will be studying Simulation & Game Development! Cindy and I are very excited for Sophie, and we give God Praise for this great news for Sophie.
- Please pray for all of those that are participating in the season of Lent. I have made a commitment to track all of my food on Weight Watchers — this is disciplining me. Cindy has given up all soda during Lent, and others are doing their own Lenten sacrifices. Please pray for all of us to be closer to God and the sacrifice that Jesus made for us during this season.
- Date: February 20: Prayers urgently needed
Here is an urgent prayer request for all of us!!
She asked that it be forwarded ASAP to as many people possible:
Dear Friend: Just a few minutes ago, I received the following text message on my phone, from Sean Malone who leads Crisis Relief International (CRI), We spoke briefly on the phone, and I assured him that we would share this urgent prayer need with all our contacts.
We lost the city of Queragosh. It fell to ISIS and they are beheading children systematically. This is the city we have been smuggling food to. ISIS has pushed back Kurdish Forces, and is within 10 minutes of where our CRI team is working. Thousands more fled into the city of Erbil last night. The UN evacuated its staff in Erbil. Our team is unmoved and will stay. Prayer cover needed!!!.
Please pray sincerely for the deliverance of people of northern Iraq from the terrible advancement of ISIS and its extreme Islamic goals for mass conversion or death for Christians in this area.
May I plead with you not to ignore this email? Do not forward it before you have prayed through it. Then send it to as many people as possible.
Send it to friends and Christians you know. Send it to your prayer group. Send it to your pastors. Any one you can think of. We need to stand in the gap for our fellow Christians.
In His Service,
Beverly Bassett
beverly@fbcmilton.org or prayerwarriorfbc@aol.com
First Baptist Church
6797 Caroline Street
Milton, FL 32570
- My friend Shannan has a prayer request. We have no details, but we know that God knows all, so please pray for Shannan and for God’s Will in her life.
Now, please pray with me the words that Jesus taught His Disciples to pray:
Our Father, who art in Heaven,
Hallowed by 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 into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory forever and ever.
Update on my friend Shannan’s prayer request. Here is what she wrote:
Thanks to all of you that sent messages, texts and prayers over the last couple of hours. My dad was experiencing some tingling and numbness in his face, arm and hand this evening. We went straight to Skyline and he was in CT before we could even sit down. They believe he’s had another possible TIA. They are going to keep him overnight and do an MRI and full stroke work up. Keep the prayers coming and I’ll update when I know more.
Please keep praying! Thanks.