PRAYER MATTERS
Romans 5.1-5 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
I was strongly moved by something I heard on Instagram last week. On Crazy Love Ministries’ page, Francis Chan, pastor and author, said, and I am paraphrasing,
Some of us grew up rejected by our dads, we grew up with parents who didn’t want anything to do with us.
And then we start believing in this God, and we’re supposed to believe that He loves us? That God loves us even despite all this junk in our life? How does that happen?
Francis goes on to say, God tells us He will pour His love into our heart. All these of objections we have in our heads, God can bypass all of that and make us know at the core of our being that He loves us. {Francis’ talk, “Desperate for His Presence”, can be heard on the Crazy Love Podcast or YouTube channel.}
As I took a moment to let those words soak in, I began to smile. Hope filling my heart. The love of our Creator, our Savior, our Lord is supernatural. His love is unconditional. His love is healing and cannot be hindered by any barriers. God’s love is stronger than anything the enemy can do. God’s love is sacrificial. He loves us so much, He sent His one and only Son to die for our sins. So that we can spend eternity with Him.
We read some difficult prayer requests each week and know our church family are struggling. I don’t want to disregard that each one of us will be or currently is struggling, too. What was it that Pastor Steve Barker used to say? We are either going through a storm, know someone who is in a storm, just got through a storm, or are about to go through a storm. I am hoping that you are connecting with the Lord and being reminded of His great love for you. For His creation. And that He asks us, as believers, as Christ followers, to share our God-experiences with others. That we intercede for our brothers and sisters.
Thank you for doing just that. Your prayers are powerful.
Ericka
Romans 5.1-5 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
I was strongly moved by something I heard on Instagram last week. On Crazy Love Ministries’ page, Francis Chan, pastor and author, said, and I am paraphrasing,
Some of us grew up rejected by our dads, we grew up with parents who didn’t want anything to do with us.
And then we start believing in this God, and we’re supposed to believe that He loves us? That God loves us even despite all this junk in our life? How does that happen?
Francis goes on to say, God tells us He will pour His love into our heart. All these of objections we have in our heads, God can bypass all of that and make us know at the core of our being that He loves us. {Francis’ talk, “Desperate for His Presence”, can be heard on the Crazy Love Podcast or YouTube channel.}
As I took a moment to let those words soak in, I began to smile. Hope filling my heart. The love of our Creator, our Savior, our Lord is supernatural. His love is unconditional. His love is healing and cannot be hindered by any barriers. God’s love is stronger than anything the enemy can do. God’s love is sacrificial. He loves us so much, He sent His one and only Son to die for our sins. So that we can spend eternity with Him.
We read some difficult prayer requests each week and know our church family are struggling. I don’t want to disregard that each one of us will be or currently is struggling, too. What was it that Pastor Steve Barker used to say? We are either going through a storm, know someone who is in a storm, just got through a storm, or are about to go through a storm. I am hoping that you are connecting with the Lord and being reminded of His great love for you. For His creation. And that He asks us, as believers, as Christ followers, to share our God-experiences with others. That we intercede for our brothers and sisters.
Thank you for doing just that. Your prayers are powerful.
Ericka
from the week of November 10
Praises
- America, America God shed His grace on me. Amen. Beautiful hymn to sing honoring our country and our Veterans.
- Thank God for our veterans and all who have given their time, lives, and sacrifice for our country and for our God.
- Praise God for leading us day by day!
- Praise the Lord for volunteers who have gone above and beyond this week with two special projects.
- Praising God as He draws me to reading His word more than ever before. His word is precious!
- We loved singing America the Beautiful on Sunday, a wonderful way to connect God's blessings and our veterans fighting to protect our country.
- We have been blessed by Christian friends for rich conversations.
- Praising the Lord for this season of Thanksgiving and stewardship; may we be generous in helping to fund the needs and ministries of our church.
- Praise God that I have had communication with my brother after many years! God is good – He answers prayers!
- Thanking God for His faithfulness to us at GoC over the years. May He send His truth and light that we might lift our faces to see Him and follow His path.
- Praises for better health for T and J.
- I really enjoyed the introduction in the sermon – knowledge that helps understand where we are today!
- So grateful for our Veterans and happy to honor them.
- Thank You, God, for being with me this past week (and always!)
- Thank You, Father in Heaven, for giving me the strength to pass on an opportunity and really hear my husband.
- We are thankful for our pastor and our church.
- I thank God for my blessings, always.
- Thank You, Lord for blessing my family.
- Praise Jesus, L’s surgery went well!
Prayers
- Prayers for safety while traveling; may we have His eyes as we see others.
- Please pray for my friend who lost a loved one.
- Comfort for C whose mentor passed away this week.
- Please pray healing over my mind. I've been under a lot of stress after losing a job and trying to find work. Thank you.
- Healing for B and D as they recover from knee surgery and for N who is recovering from hip surgery.
- Praying for God’s good guidance for youth, college students – that they be led by the Holy Spirit.
- Pray for our nation, our world, and our city. Pray for those who live in fear and in the shadows that they know the light of Jesus.
- We need to realize the spiritual battle right now and not shrink back. We need to honor Jesus above everything else and speak truth.
- Please pray R’s eyes are healed of the problem she’s been experiencing the past couple of months.
- Prayer for an overworked and overly stressed young mother who has a very gifted and hyperactive 5-year-old daughter. They are going through a tough spot.
- Please pray T’s needs are met by our good Lord in heaven.
- Please pray for our daughter who is back home with us. She is looking for a job. We ask prayer for a smooth transition.
- Please continue to pray for our young family – for R who has much cancer in his lungs, and for a family member who needs to have a leg treated for cancer.
- Please pray for A’s cancer doctor appointment and that God continues to heal. We are grateful for her treatments.
- Pray for our country and our world. John 3.16
- I am praying for my sister D and that I can visit my family at Christmas.
- Lord, we pray healing for N and strength for P who is helping.
- Lord, we pray for G’s healing of his shoulder after a fall.
- Prayers for peace between parents, coaches, and league officials, at today’s football game. Pray for Yakama Nation families in need of food and life necessities.
- Lord, give S the strength to deal with two estates and get her home in order.
- Prayers for medical help for L.
- Healing for F’s broken arm and P as she helps care for him.
- Healing for J as he recovers from another back surgery – may he experience full healing and no more pain. Energy and focus for his wife as she cares for him.
- Please God, be with K as he deals with the VA and may his pain be eased.
- Continued prayer for our cousin D who is fighting cancer.
- Healing prayer for R and P’s son T after his back surgery. God is our Rock.
- Pray for N and D as they went home from rehab and that they continue to heal fully.
- Healing for P’s health issues.
- Prayer for my friend K who has a cold, complete healing for L and that she can have surgery, and prayer for my other friend’s healing after shoulder surgery.
- Healing, energy, hope and peace for a single mom being put through the ringer.
THANK YOU FOR PRAYING FOR OUR CHURCH OFFICERS:
ELDERS: Doug Bernd, Aaron Dalan, Michele Elledge, Ana Lucas-Garcia, Larry Hasen, Shane Merrill, Joe Park, Robin Stuber, and Dennis Whitcher.
DEACONS: Brian and Stephanie Ahlgren, Patty Arkills, Jeanne Breeding, Todd and Terri Buchanan, Janet Doty, Dave Geho, Edith Figueroa-Gonzalez, Larry Handy, Todd Hunziker, Cal Jansen, Randy & Robbie Johnson, Ginger McIlvanie, Jean McKitrick, Jim & Marilyn Noel, Deb Russell, Jean Schiewe, Becky St. John, Peggy Steere, Bruce Whitmore, and Diane Williams.
NOMINATING COMMITTEE: Cathy Campbell, Janet Doty, Carla Kupp, Linda Mathews, and Ellen Bartelli.
ELDERS: Doug Bernd, Aaron Dalan, Michele Elledge, Ana Lucas-Garcia, Larry Hasen, Shane Merrill, Joe Park, Robin Stuber, and Dennis Whitcher.
DEACONS: Brian and Stephanie Ahlgren, Patty Arkills, Jeanne Breeding, Todd and Terri Buchanan, Janet Doty, Dave Geho, Edith Figueroa-Gonzalez, Larry Handy, Todd Hunziker, Cal Jansen, Randy & Robbie Johnson, Ginger McIlvanie, Jean McKitrick, Jim & Marilyn Noel, Deb Russell, Jean Schiewe, Becky St. John, Peggy Steere, Bruce Whitmore, and Diane Williams.
NOMINATING COMMITTEE: Cathy Campbell, Janet Doty, Carla Kupp, Linda Mathews, and Ellen Bartelli.
1 Corinthians 15.57 “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”