Prayer in the Advent Season 2021

     Have you ever noticed the times when ideas, thoughts and the calendar align to remind us that God has a message for us? We recently completed a Bible Study of Ezra and Nehemiah and during these 8-9 weeks Max Lucado’s daily Upwords devotional centered on the book of Esther and how God worked through her and her uncle Mordedcai. Guess what? These three books cover a similar span in the history of the Jewish people and all three remind us that we have a God-driven purpose and responsibility to support, rebuild and revitalize His church. Another example is demonstrated in the current sermon series about re-commitment to Christ with one of the practices being prayer. AND the Sunday School membership class structured around our Methodist oath of membership has a lesson on our promises is to support the church and each other through prayer. Then we come to the calendar, both general and liturgical – it is a time of Thanksgiving as we end the church year and a time of preparation and celebration as we approach Advent.

     With that thought in mind the Prayer Team would like to suggest this is a time to pray and ask for blessings on our church staff using the below verses from Ephesians as a guide. And another God moment! We have six staff members so we can pray for one each day,

Pastor Edgar De Jesus
Reverend Jane Brannock
John Caleb Wise
Kitty Anderson
Arlene Domenico
Wendy Yoder

Pray for our entire church on the seventh day!!!

Ephesians 1:15-23 (NRSV)
Paul’s Prayer

15  I have heard of ________’s faith in the Lord Jesus and his/her love [a]  toward all the saints, and for this reason  16  I do not cease to give thanks for _________ as I remember ________ in my prayers.  17  I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give __________ a spirit of wisdom and revelation as he/she comes to know him,  18  so that, with the eyes of his/her heart enlightened, __________ may know what is the hope to which he has called him/her, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints,  19  and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power.  20  God [b]  put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,  21  far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come.  22  And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church,  23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.