See Sarah's prayer blog below. Note the girl who passed at the races last night was only 34. I knew her and talked about God at times with her. Pray for Kayla's family.

Good Morning Training, Bold, Disciple Makers! That is us and we are working at that More in '24. Check out The Word for You Today and Charles Stanley devos below that tie to this. We are training and working on running our races well focused on Jesus and His purposes. We are working on seeking God for our custom made purposes and doing them as we pray for boldness and to get moving. God has great plans for us! May we be found faithful and moving towards His greater things for us. I was reminded last night how short life is and the urgency for sharing the Good News with other and connecting them to God and training them to be Jesus' disciple makers. What's your part? Who need to hear the Good news and meet Jesus and experience His love through you? What are you gonna do about that? Who are you partnering with? Pray! Prepare and GO! Live and love like Jesus boldly! Amen!

CS: 

TWFYT:

Sarah email:

Hope you are having a good week.  Weather hasn't been too bad to deal with, and we won't complain, will we! 

Just a few thoughts I wanted to share with you:

A true fact about a zebra and their baby's relationship. Did you know that when a Momma zebra has her baby, she will take her baby and remove themselves from the herd. They will spend approximately 2 to 3 weeks apart from everyone else.

It's during that time that Momma and baby are bonding; getting to know one another. That baby is learning to identify with his momma. He is checking over every stripe on her head. So that when they return to the herd, he will have no trouble locating his momma.

Even though you may look at any zebra's head and think their striping is all the same, it actually is different - they are uniquely and wonderfully created by God.

 I got to thinking about the Momma Zebra and baby's early on in life routine - and how that is very important in the life of the baby - so they get to know their momma, to feel safe and secure; to know who their momma is if they are feeling threatened, they will know where to find momma who makes them feel safe.

 Reflecting on my Jesus journey, this reminds me of the times that Jesus spent time alone with His Heavenly Father. He spent time with Him to find comfort, to pray for others, to ask advice, to feel and grow closer to Him.

In Matthew 14:13 - Jesus withdrew by boat to a solitary place after hearing that John the Baptist had been beheaded.

Mark 6:31-32 - Jesus told His disciples to come with Him to a quiet place to rest after many people were coming and going. After Jesus fed the 5000, scripture tells us that Jesus went up on a mountainside by Himself to pray after dismissing the crowds.

Matthew 6:6 Jesus told His followers to go into their room, close the door and pray to their Father in secret.

While Jesus spent time alone with His Heavenly Father and saw and experienced the benefit of that time well spent, Jesus also taught His disciples to retreat and be alone with God.

As a disciple, a follower of Jesus, He is trying to teach us the same lesson. He is telling us - we need to get alone and spend time in prayerful conversation with God.

While some of you may be skeptics and say or think to yourself: "What's the benefit to doing that?"    Let me share a few, what I think are very solid benefits to spending alone time with God:

• You get to know God even better - spending time with God in a group can be beneficial however spending time alone with God helps you to know Him in a different way. God wants a personal relationship with each of us - He knows all about us, and still loves us and wants to hang out with us.
• We renew our strength when we spend time with God. Isaiah 40:31 "Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up like eagles, they shall run and not grow weary, they shall walk and not faint"
• When we spend time with God, we will receive enlightenment and wisdom
• Staying close to God - spending time alone with God will help us stay closer to Him throughout our day and help us to hear His voice better.

So I haven't any good reasons why we shouldn't follow Jesus' advice and not spend time with Him.

Here's the challenge: Make a conscience effort in your day, to step away from everything around you and spend time with our awesome God.

Watch and be ready to receive - you WILL get to connect with Him in the deepest areas of your heart.  He will give you wisdom, encouragement and direction.

You are strengthened and fortified when life is hard.  God will give you His strength in your weakest and most challenging season.

Come on - accept the challenge - you have nothing to lose, but much to gain, by spending that alone time with our Awesome God!

** ** **

Prayer needs:

Jamie - daughter of Chris and Yvonne Muik - medical test and waiting results and treatment.

Tracy Huber is suffering from some sever vertigo.

A woman that Pastor Don knows, died suddenly in the stands at the race track (Tuesday night). She was in her 40's. Please keep her family, friends, and those that surrounded her tonight in your prayers.

Ramon Susa - dealing with some health issues and unanswered medical questions. Praying for test results to come.

Mark Henninger - healing from cataract surgery

Cheryl Clauser (Milidine Waterman's sister in law) had her pacemaker repaired and now home and regaining her strength.

Thank you all for praying for those mentioned and not mentioned.  Please continue to pray for one another and our home bound.  If anyone has any prayer requests and would like pray for please let Pastor Don or myself know and we will make sure that our warriors are aware of the need.

Bread ministry today (Wednesday) pray for all our volunteers, for those that will come through our doors, and for all that will be sharing God's love.

Have a great rest of your week everyone!

  Blessings,

   Sarah

Note: We have not received the new Upper Room devotionals yet. I will try include them at the bottom until we get them or if, like today, they tie to this blog.

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Good Morning God's Revival Vessels! Pronounce that over you and us right now and join in prayer...Oh Please Lord! We cry out for revival and may it begin in me and us and through us! Raise up a longing remnant that cries out, releases your power over our neighborhoods, communities and nation. COME King of the Revival! We humble ourselves before you. We repent of our wicked ways and cry out in prayer for You to come and heal our land. COME JESUS! Amen!

I think we are all yearning for revival and for our nation to come back to God and His ways. We are His faithful remnant working for revival. But we are not seeing a lot of fruit. We are working towards becoming a dynamic movement of God but to do so need to move from adding a few members here and there to multiplying disciples and to work on becoming a House of Prayer for the Nations. That's revival as many people come back to God or realize their need for God and the folly of their ways and are drawn to His people who can teach them and help them to become more like Jesus. Please meditate on Dave Butts blog today and the Upper Room too (below). God is calling us to prayer and to be His vessels of revival.

I've been crying out for God to lead us to what our part is right now as we cry out and prepare for revival. And He said, "That's it!" PRAY! PREPARE! Watch what I am about to do and be ready to join me. Release my will in heaven and on earth through powerful praying. Could adding AC to the FH be part of His plans for us? I believe so as we prepare a space to continue ministry to our neighbors year round. For sure praying, preparing, planning and reaching out to those He is drawing from the fires of Hell is all part of our call! And then preparing disciple making disciples is our on-going part. What's your part and easy yoke? We will discuss some of this Sunday and begin to earnestly cry out for revival. Yes Come Lord! Revive us! Amen!

In another devo I read today I asked this question of God last year: "What if the desire of our hearts was God and for His things instead of for our perceived needs and wants and even sinful things? What if we lived as if Christ is all that matters and that He wanted to live and love through me? What if we embraced Jireh (God is all we need)?" He is more than enough and has plans for us that are more than we could dream or imagine! PTL! Daylight is burning BUT GOD! He is lighting the fires of revival and wanting to use His longing, praying, preparing remnant! May we be found faithful and ready and responding well! Amen!

Dave Butts:

When God Shows Up in Church

By Dave Butts

Christians around the world are praying for revival. What are they praying for and do they have good reason to expect revival? Is revival something God wants to do for His people today? To answer these questions, we need to understand that God has always worked in the area of revival with His people. From the earliest days of Israel, on through the history of the Church, God’s method of dealing with His people has been to grant periodic times of special blessing in which His presence is made manifest and His people are drawn back to Him. The result of that is a changed society.

Perhaps the clearest view of revival can be seen by looking back at Israel in the Old Testament. Historians tell us that there are seven major revivals in the Old Testament. I would suggest that if you take away the word “major” there are somewhere between fifteen and sixteen revivals. Very clear, distinct times, in which the people of God were restored to a time of religious excitement, enthusiasm, and commitment with a resultant change in society.

You typically see something like this: Israel, as a people, called by God to make a difference…called to be a light to the Gentiles. You see them under a leader such as Moses or David, people who are living a life that causes them to be set apart from the people around them. They are worshipping God, they’re holding on to His Word, they are doing what God wants them to do. Then, typically, after a generation or so when a leader has died you see Israel begin to slide. You begin to see them move farther and farther away from obedience to the Word of God. They begin to accept idolatry from the tribes around them. Pagan practices begin to come in, with acts of immorality and all the problems associated with that – eventually times of war and even slavery.

 Typically at this point of decline there arises a remnant of people who begin to pray. They begin to cry out to God asking the Lord to save them. Then, in His own timing, God sends a leader and there comes a time of revival when they begin to throw off their idolatry and paganism and restore once again the true worship of Jehovah. They begin to again hold on to the Word of God. The nation experiences a time of national prosperity, spiritual excitement and religious significance that lasts for about a generation. Then you see the cycle begin to happen again. Over and over again throughout the Old Testament: revival and decline, revival and decline.

As you move into the New Testament you see a group of people who were born in a time of revival. But we know historically that it did not last. Through the history of the Church you once again see the exact same pattern of revival and decline. It seems to be the way God deals with His people. Down through the years many countries have experienced periodic times of revival. Within the United States we have experienced three times of national revival, known as the Great Awakenings. During these times, God moved and changed the course of our nation. Many of us believe that God is getting ready to do it again in our day, in our age.

What is this thing called revival? I believe that revival is the Church waking up to the presence of Jesus in her midst. It is nothing more and nothing less than you and I beginning to experience what we already know theologically and intellectually. You believe that Jesus is with you. Why? Because He said He would be. You don’t necessarily believe it because you feel Him, but just because Jesus said it. He said that where two or three are gathered together there am I in your midst. You also have to believe Colossians 1:27: “Christ in us, the hope of glory.”

We believe that Jesus is present when we gather as the Church. But we don’t act that way. That is not the way things happen on Sunday. You know why I know your church needs revival? The reason I know your church needs revival is when church services ended last Sunday, you went home. What would happen if Jesus was there? Let’s just suppose Jesus was there. Would you be looking at your watch? Would you be eager to leave? One of the characteristics of the great revivals was extended times of worship. They never wanted to end the service. Now obviously people had to leave, they had to take care of physical things, they had jobs that they had to go to, but as soon as they were done they were back, because that was where God was. They wanted to be in on the action. They wanted to be where God was. They wanted to experience His presence.

I want to suggest to you that revival is not strange or mystical. It is simply the Church waking up to the presence of Christ in her midst. It is almost as though God reaches out and slaps us and we wake up and we realize God is there. That is what revival is. It is God shaking us. It is God waking us up. And we recognize that Jesus really is here.

We are desperate for that in our nation today. I am not in any way a critic of the Church. The more I travel the more I fall in love with the Church of Jesus Christ. I am seeing so many wonderful things happen. Christians are doing wonderful things in the name of Jesus, acts of love, mercy and self-sacrifice. It is amazing what is happening today, and has been happening for years. We are doing all we know to do. But it isn’t working.

Most of the churches have all kinds of activities. They’ve tried all kinds of programs. They’ve given and done everything they know how to do to get the Church going and to impact society. But in all that has happened in the last fifty years in the Church in the US, are we a more moral and ethical nation because of what we have been doing as a Church? It is unbelievable when we consider the tremendous acts of sacrifice, service and ministry in the last fifty years in the Church, and yet it is apparent that the Church is going one way and our nation is moving the opposite way as fast as it can.

In a very real sense, we are at this wonderful point of despair. We are at a wonderful point of hopelessness in which the Church is beginning to recognize that we have been doing everything we know how to do and it is not working. It is time for revival. It is time to humble ourselves before God in prayer and ask Him to make Himself known in the midst of His people so that our nation can be saved and our world impacted for Christ.

How does revival come? Any student of revival will tell you that there has never been a revival without a movement of prayer. God always calls His people to prayer in anticipation of revival. I would ask you today to get serious about praying for revival. We need to shift our prayer focus to the issues that are close to God’s heart, especially that His people, His Church, would wake up and discover the presence of Jesus in our midst.

When that happens, our lives become different. When Jesus is there, suddenly things that we accepted before, are no longer acceptable. Some of the things that go on in our church and in our society are changed because it is the Lord who is present. That is why in those great revivals in the past, there was a bit of emotionalism. Suddenly they came into a church service and there was Jesus. Now they did not see Him in the flesh, but there was a powerful sense of the presence of Jesus. What do you suppose happens if you come into a church service during a revival and there is a strong sense of the presence of Jesus and you’ve been sinning all week? When you come into the presence of the awesome holiness of God suddenly there is weeping, crying out, and sometimes even falling down before God in repentance.

Heaven-sent revival is our only hope. We don’t have answers. We don’t know what to do. We don’t have any programs in our churches that are changing whole communities and our society. It’s just not happening. What we need is God.

 How do you pray for revival? Psalm 85 is a good place to begin: “You showed favor to Your land, O Lord. You restored the fortunes of Jacob. You forgave the iniquity of Your people and covered all their sins. You set aside all Your wrath and turned from Your fierce anger. Restore us again, O Lord our Savior, and put away Your displeasure toward us. Will You be angry with us forever? Will You prolong Your anger through all generations? Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You?”

Based on that passage we will find ourselves praying, “Lord, revive us again, do it again in our day.” We will come before God saying, “Lord, this is what you have done and this is what we want you to do in our life and in our nation.

Dave Butts (1953-2022) was the co-founder and president of Harvest Prayer Ministries. His popular prayer guide, Asleep in the Land of Nod has been used by hundreds of churches to help their congregations pray for revival.

Upper Room: Lost and Found

Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep. - Luke 15:6 (NRSVUE)

Many years ago on a beautiful fall afternoon, I was on a walk with my dad and our dog. The dirt road was bordered by woods on both sides. As the sun set and the temperature dropped, it was time to go home. But our dog suddenly wasn’t with us. She had followed the scent of a wild animal, and no amount of calling brought her back.

As my tears started flowing, Dad told me to take off my jacket and put it on the ground. We had to go home, but he promised to return to look for her. Later, he found her in the dark, curled up on my jacket. After all these years, I still vividly recall my joy at seeing her bound into the house.

When we have wandered away from God, where do we look for God’s love and grace? Maybe we have a special place of comfort and safety to which we can retreat and get back in touch with God, who constantly searches for us. Just as our dog found safety in the scent of my jacket, we can return to a place and time when we experienced God’s love for us and find peace.

TODAY'S PRAYER

Dear Lord, may we always remember the words of the psalmist who proclaimed, “The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore” (Ps. 121:8). Amen.

Harvest blogs:

Good Morning Surrendered Bondservants of Christ! Amen! May this be me/us Lord! May we learn to humble ourselves in surrender to You and Your will. May we learn to die to self, take up cross and follow Jesus. Learn to bow before our King and be about Your business in Your ways and timing. Thank You! Come! Fill us, mold us, lead us as we surrender to You and don Your easy yoke. Teach us to be more like Jesus and to be about Your business. Thank You! Your Kingdom come and will be done! Amen!

Yesterday was a great day of worship, praise prayer and learning from His Word! Sarah reminded us of our power source--God and our need to plug into that. We thought about how we have potential energy that needs to be tapped and applied to get traction and movement. We are custom made, gifted and empowered, for such a time as this, just as we are, to go and make disciples. Amen! We were reminded that we all have a part to play in God's Good News delivery company and that prayer is a critical and key component as the prayers of God's righteous people (us) are powerful and effective. Check out Harvest Prayers blog helping us to develop as pray-ers. Claim and release your power in prayer and release God's power in heaven and on earth too. Partner with Him in powerful prayer to bring His will alive and to empower our Body too!

Yesterday as we contemplated our dependence upon God even though we a free in Christ, we were reminded of His ways that are far beyond our human understanding. How can we be free and dependent? Well that is God's way. Right? How can we live by dying? We need to die to self and become a bondservant of Jesus to truly live! Amen! Check put TWFYT and CS (below) speaking about the molding and shaping and growing that comes as we endure the storms of life with Christ and learn to surrender to allow Him to shape and guide us to His best. I was reading another devo today that asks, "How would an attitude of surrender affect your life? How might it bring you more freedom, not less, as the world would have you believe?" Yes we are free and surrendered and learning to live well in Christ. May we always seek to die to self, take up cross and follow Jesus and work on that every day. Humble yourself and bow before our King, receive His marching orders, rise in praise and obedience and go learn to live and love more like Jesus. Stop depending on your own thinking! Acknowledge God in all your ways and allow Him to lead you today, surrendered bondservant of Christ! AMEN!

Harvest Connection Blog    

TWFYT:

 

CS:

God Bless America and may America bless God! Amen!

Good Morning Free and Dependent Children of our Sovereign God! We have been set free because of our faith in Jesus, yet we are dependent upon Him. We live in the land of the free, dependent upon our Living, Sovereign God but as aliens and strangers. He has placed our leaders in place for His purposes and called us to obedience to them that we might live "peaceful and quiet lives". Check out the Harvest Prayer blogs below about this. It can be very hard to trust and obey in this environment today, yet we remember that Jesus came into prominence during Roman rule and Israel being subject to that authority that God placed in control over them. His new born Church thrived and grew exponentially as slaves to Rome. As we follow Jesus and submit to Him in trust and obey, we learn how to live free and dependent. Help us Lord! Charles Stanley reminds us that the battle is the Lord's and helps us learn how to walk in victory with Christ. In this election season, again my heart plea for you is to turn off the noise of those stirring you to fear, anxiety, hopelessness, anger, and hate. Open your Bibles and prayerfully submit to God. Trust Him and allow Him to work all things together according to His perfect plan. Yes be informed to vote well, but other than that and praying, what else can we do but trust and obey? Who is offering you hope, the dementia patient or the felon or the God of all Hope? He is sovereign! He knows, cares and is at work for your and our good, even placing our leaders in place according to His perfect plans. And that is often way beyond beyond our comprehension. Prov. 3:5-6 reminds us to not lean on our own understanding but trust and acknowledge God in all our ways. That takes dying to self as we follow Jesus. God promises us that His peace beyond understanding is available. Are you doing what you can to position yourself to receive it? Are you choosing trust and joy no matter what you are facing? Be still, exhale all the junk and know that He is God and in control. Amen! He has great plans for you! Plans to prosper and not harm even in the midst of all kinds of chaos! Start today at Jesus' feet. Submit to Him and follow His ways. Then you will be able to know His peace beyond understanding. Yes, help us Lord! Amen!

Remember this: When we enter into the very last days, God promises that things will get very wicked, evil, dark and hard in increasing intensity. And He promises to be with us and help us. Put on His Spiritual Armor in prayer today and prepare to stand firm in faith always. Suppose today is the beginning of the last days, within three and a half years things will get so bad that Jesus has to come back to rescue His followers. For all our lives we could never imagine how that could happen to this country in our life time and so fast and, yet, here we are. This has not taken God by surprise, has it? NO! So, doesn't it make sense to turn off the noise, trust God, stand firm in Him and on His Word which has already revealed all these things and how to be able to endure to the end and even do what we can to lead others to Him before it's too late. Who do you know that you want to save from the fires of Hell? What will you do about that? Focus there, pray hard as you trust and follow Jesus. That's His easy yoke for these very hard and dark days. "Go! Make disciples...I am with you always, even to the end of time." Amen! Let us determine to be about our Father's business and to help and encourage each other in this battle.

May God help you to trust, obey always, stand firm, choose joy and know His peace! Amen! Now exhale all that junk! Turn off the noise! And focus on our Prince of Peace! Dwell in His Shalom! He's got this and you! PTL! He is The Lord, our God! Almighty and Sovereign! Victor! Prince of Peace and our Shield! Amen

Harvest blogs:

CS:

Good Morning Very Loved, Saved by Grace, Students of Jesus! Disciples are learners that follow a master. Jesus is our Master. The disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray. And He did. Prayer is critical and a key component of a life well lived in Christ. Prayer is the foundation on which anything of Kingdom value is built. Today. I am leading off with Harvest Prayers blog on Prayer. Meditate and talk to God about what is being shared and prayed. he longs to have you rely on Him 24-7 and to be a ceaseless pray-er. He loves you, is with you and we need to be connected to Him all day every day. Amen! Be still at His feet today and have a great conversation. He really loves you and is with you always and has great plans to direct you to. ODB talks about His love for you (see below)Rejoice and dwell in His presence! See you tomorrow! Shalom!

Harvest:

ODB:

UR: Saved by Grace

By grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God — not the result of works, so that no one may boast. - Ephesians 2:8-9 (NRSVUE)

From a young age, I loved to go to church. I was very active in youth ministry, and my grandfather, who was the pastor, regularly involved me in worship. I enjoyed my time at church, but my faith was not strong.

After my grandfather’s death, I stopped going to church and got caught up in worldly distractions. I began a marketing job and became wrapped up in secular society. Some of my friends were members of the local mafia. My life was a total wreck.

After some time, my mother urged me to turn to Christ. But I thought to myself, I am such a sinner! How can God love me? But 2 Corinthians 12:9 reassured me that God’s “grace is sufficient” and that God loves me. I have been saved — not because of my work and deeds but because of God’s grace. So I turned to God and began trying to use my life for the glory of God. Since that time, whenever I have felt weak or depressed, God has showered abundant grace upon me.

TODAY'S PRAYER

Thank you, God, for your gift of grace to us. Guide us as we seek to follow you. Amen.

Oh Lord, Thank You for forgiving and cleansing me! Thank You that I am forgiven! Thank You for your perfect plan to make a way for us. Thank You Jesus! Thank You Holy Spirit for leading me to salvation and helping me to repent. Today--everyday--I praise Your holy name and thank You for saving a wretch like me and making a way to become new in Christ and leading me to Kingdom living. May I honor You and Your holy name. Your Kingdom come and will be done in, through and around me. Thank You! Amen!

REMINDER: Communion will be this Sunday at 10 and on Zoom too. Prepare your hearts!

Good Morning Worshipers! Do you know that worship is more than something we do on a Sunday? Worship is a lifestyle and action daily. As we obey and follow God we worship. As we still ourselves and sit at His feet we worship. As we trust and go make disciples we worship. As we work on growing into the people God created us to be and do the things we are created to do, we worship. May we worship 24-7! Amen! May we worship in Spirit and Truth. How does that look for you? What might you need to purge or put on hold to worship more fully or what might you need to get doing? He is worthy! Amen.

On this TGIF Friday I have spent two hours already in worship and praise as I've been sitting at Jesus' feet listening, processing, praying and even encouraging a few people I am praying for. I've been recalling all God has, is, and plans to do in and through me and our Body and just praising. I've been releasing His power and will in prayer. And I've been informed and refreshed as I have invited the Spirit to have control and lead me and for Jesus to be my Lord and Shepherd today. What an awesome start to my day off from church stuff! Yet I am never off from representing God nor worshiping! Yes I am worshiping today! Thanks God! Lead us to worship and follow well!

I'm going to ask you to spend some time with God and in our devotionals for today (below). What are you thankful for? How is your life an act of worship? What might need correction? What is praiseworthy and needing focus? What might you build upon as you work at becoming more like Jesus? What's God saying to you? Who are you processing with? Worship! Praise! Follow well! I have already prayed for you and I know God has great plans for you today and this weekend! Amen!

ODB:

UR: Care and Comfort

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort. - 2 Corinthians 1:3 (NIV)

Last night my family learned that the mother of one of our 13-year-old son’s classmates passed away. We were shocked, and we wanted to be there for her daughter and her family. But it can be hard to know how to respond to the grief of others, especially as a young teenager. Before bed, my son and I prayed for the woman’s loved ones, and we discussed many ways we could support them.

When our family woke up this morning and began our daily devotional time, we read a meditation in The Upper Room about someone who might be waiting for others to reach out. I truly feel this was God’s nudge for me to remind our son that even if a gesture may seem awkward, we need to be a light of kindness. As Proverbs 12:25 says, “Anxiety weighs down the human heart, but a good word cheers it up.”

God desires for us to take care of our neighbors, whether we ask someone how we can help, cook a meal for someone going through a hard time, or offer a hug. May we all ask ourselves, “How can I be a blessing and a comfort to someone today?”

TODAY'S PRAYER

Dear heavenly Father, help us to comfort those in pain. May we be a light to encourage others in your name. Amen.TWFYT:

CS:

Harvest:

Joe Toy Newsletter and Harvest Prayer blog for praying for our leaders below

Good Morning Humble, Compassionate, Surrendered, Christlike Co-Laborers! Please Lord! May that be me and us! Help us to humble and die to self, take up our cross today and crucify the things that hinder You, Your plans and Your miracles and follow Jesus well. Give me/us Your heart and mind and move us to go live and love more and more like Jesus. Bring Your joy and the joy of our salvation alive as we trust and follow Jesus today. Fill us with Your Spirit of love and wisdom. Come! Fill us! Prepare us to go as we are. Yes, send me/us! Use us for Your glory and grow us into our fuller potential and Your perfect plans for us. Come! Use me/us for Your glory! Thank You! Your will be done in heaven, one earth, and through me/us. And please Lord, bring dreams and vision for how you want to use us and our building more fully this summer and beyond. Come! Lead us! Be our Lord and Savior of many and make disciples through us--multiply disciples. Bring revival. Thanks! Amen. Pray this earnestly. Talk to God about you and His plans and process this all with some close friends. Then make some plans and go!

Today's devotionals are sort of two or three tracks but yet thread together. What is God saying to you as you engage with Him through them? We are God's masterpieces, custom made for such a time as this, sent as we are to bring Him and His love alive, and empowered and gifted by the Holy Spirit to do so. PTL! God has great plans for you and us! Amen! Let us seek, process, plan and plan to follow well to His best together. Share what you are hearing with Sarah or me too. We will be having a vision team meeting soon to bring to life some of the ideas God has given us for this summer. PTL! The AC is fully funded and we should be able to start up back in the building by August but until then and even after, God is sending us out to connect with others. Seek Him and let us commit to follow well. Amen! We all have a part to play in His Good News Delivery Co. What's yours? What are you doing about it? Who are you processing with? I'm praying for you and us! Go! Live and love more in '24.

UR: God's Concern

Honest balances and scales are the Lord’s; all the weights in the bag are his work. - Proverbs 16:11 (NRSVUE)

Going into the clinic for a routine blood test was a biannual activity for me. This particular morning, I was sitting with a prayer list, silently lifting up people’s requests as I waited to be called. Then God interrupted me.

No, interrupted is the wrong word. My mind and heart were flooded with light and the riches of God’s love. While I had been praying, I had been watching various patients come in and had unconsciously been making assumptions — judgments — about their personal habits. In fact, I’m pretty sure some part of me was thinking, They wouldn’t be in such bad shape if they . . .

God’s perspective shattered all my silent judgments as I became aware of the tremendous affection and concern God felt for each person. The concerns each person carried were also God’s concerns.

This experience gave new meaning to Proverbs 16:11. I have prayed ever since to see and to love others through God’s loving concern and wisdom, rather than according to my own skewed scales of judgment.

TODAY'S PRAYER

Gracious God, thank you for knowing all our burdens and for caring deeply for each of us. Teach us to show compassion to everyone we meet. Amen.

ODB:

TWFYT:

CS:

Harvest Prayer Blog for Leaders

Joe Toy:

“For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Dear Friends, As our team was busy sharing the gospel on the Ocean City, MD boardwalk, a young man approached one of us and asked, “Why do you do this? Do you get paid to do this? He replied, “We spend our own money to come here and drive a long way taking time away from our families.” The young man replied, “Well this must be important. What do you have to say?” And so begins a gospel conversation with a recent high school graduate. The Lord blessed us with five great days on the boardwalk, as we passed out four thousand gospel tracts and talked to hundreds of people.The weather was ideal as it was not too hot or cold and no need to deal with rain. It was awesome to work with a team of eight like-minded men focused on sharing the gospel with the lost.   Men from such states as MD, PA, NJ, VA and NC spent about seven to eight hours a day sharing Christ. Imagine turning to a young woman who has been listening to the preaching of the gospel for thirty minutes. As you hand out a tract to her, it is promptly received. She asks, “What would you say to someone who thinks about suicide a lot. Internally, you say to yourself in prayer, “Wow! Lord you better help me with this.” And at this point begins a conversation/counseling session which lasts about thirty minutes in the midst of the noise and interruptions of the boardwalk crowd. The Lord in his providence had given us a team member who is a certified biblical counselor, who was able to speak with her. A few nights later as I was holding my “Are You Going To Heaven?” sign, a teenage girl approached me and asked, “Can I tell you a secret?” In response I said, “If you want to.” She stated, “I had an abortion recently, what do you think about that?” I replied, “I feel very sad for you.” And so begins a long conversation whereby she continually justifies killing her baby, because she believes she will have a better life without a baby. I sought a bridge to share the gospel, but she kept talking about her past abortion and how it was no big deal. Obviously, it was a big deal or she would have never approached me. Like most of this generation, she wanted me to affirm her in her sin when she really needs God’s forgiveness in Christ Jesus. I saw her later with tears coming down her cheeks; maybe the Lord was beginning his inner work in her heart.   On our last night on the boardwalk, a young man was tuned into the preaching of the gospel. As one of our team interacted with him and clearly shared the gospel, the team member stated, “You can take care of this tonight when you get home.” The young man replied, “Why can’t I do it now?” So right there on the busy boardwalk this man surrendered to Christ. There are lots of hurting folks in our culture who need the salvation only Jesus brings. One such person is Adam who at twenty-five years old is still suffering from being passed on from one family to another family. It was a joy to talk to him two days in a row and encourage him to get back with the Lord, which is something that he has drifted away from. Jesus still heals people’s broken hearts. On Memorial Day weekend, a team of us headed to the Raleigh Convention Center to bring the gospel to the Animazement crowds. Lots of people are into identifying with their Anime characters or are just fans of this art and entertainment culture. Ever since Adam and Eve lost their true identity with God people are seeking a substitute identify with something else, which just leaves them empty. Thousands of fans received tracts and heard about Jesus. In mid May, we headed to Myrtle Beach to assist some friends at a large crab fest. We had a   great location as buses dropped people off right by us, so they passed us on their way in and out. It was a great opportunity to saturate the event with the gospel. We met a lot of kind people who thanked us for being there and one man even helped us pass out tracts for a while. We are still active here in the Raleigh with our outreach ministry at the courthouse, bus station, downtown and the abortion mills. Keep us in your prayers. God Bless

Our mailing address is: 57 N Chaucer Way Kittrell, NC  27544   Contact:  EMAIL Facebook:  OAMPhilly                     JoeToy Website:    OAMPhilly Open Air Ministries, Inc. What happens weekly with OAM, Inc.? ​ ​You can follow the outreaches here: OAM Facebook page

Good Morning Loving, Obedient, Connected, World Changing Co-Laborers! Pronounce this in faith over you and our Body. If they all don't seem to be quite true for you, they can be. Remember we are a work in process and progress as we work on Become More in '24 and more like Jesus. This salutation comes directly from the titles of our devotionals for today (below). They can be truths to put on and released in prayer over yourself, our body, others and even our leaders. Be confident in this, living these out are part of God's plan for you and us and are attainable as we lay aside our own agendas and desires and even old nature and step into God's better, greater things. Still yourself at His feet today and ask Him to show you what needs purging, refining, correcting and what is good in you already to be thankful for and working on. He does really have some great plans for you and us to discover and bring to life. That starts with prayer and carries through in actions. And remember the importance of being a co-laborer! Who are your teammates? Pray for some and to be one that is loving, obedient, connected to God and others, changing the world through prayer and actions, and partnering with some close teammates to spur on to the good works God has planned for you for such a time as this. Amen! Encourage and be encouraged as God sees and molds you in love. Chose to sit at His feet, receive His direction, put on His armor and custom-fit-for-you easy yoke in prayer, and follow Jesus to His best for you and others today as you do your part to change the world. Amen!

I've almost completed my homebound communion visits. My heart breaks for these our friends. They are lonely, going through many trials and hardships and in need of connection to others, prayers and encouragement. pray for them. Ask God how to bless them. reach out and love someone today that is not able to join us in worship but co-laboring prayers of ours. Maybe there ate some needs God has for you to meet? maybe some love to share. Seek Him and go bless! Amen! I'm off to the cardiologist followed by a busy 12 hour day at church and in ministry. Pray for me as God awoke me at 3 am today. he spoke to my heart and I hope yours. I'm trusting Him to carry and use me well. Amen!

Here are our devotionals for today. What's God saying to you? What will you do about it? many blessings await as we bring His will alive in prayer and action! Rejoice!

UR: Love Is Everything

If I have prophetic powers and understand all mysteries and all knowledge and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. - 1 Corinthians 13:2 (NRSVUE)

My brothers and I thanked God when our mother could safely return home following an illness during her vacation abroad. However, we then quarreled about who would accompany her to her follow-up medical treatments since we were all busy. Finally, I agreed to take her because I realized my mother needed me. I tried not to complain; I wanted to show God’s love through my actions. And God blessed me with joy and peace.

We may say that we love the Lord, but many times our words and deeds do not reflect our faith. It is easy to say that we don’t have time, then go about our busy routines without caring for those in need. When we close our eyes to the people around us, we distance ourselves from God. God is love, and as followers of God, love should be at the forefront of everything we do. In this way, our lives will shine in the world.

As children of God, let’s always clothe ourselves with God’s love. In doing so, we will become less self-centered, and the One who lives within us can use us to reach people who are suffering or have lost hope. This is how we can glorify the Lord.

TODAY'S PRAYER

Dear God, thank you for your love that we experience every day. Help us to spread your love to others so they will see your light in the darkness. Amen.CS:

TWFYT:

ODB:

Harvest

June 26 - Are You a World Changer? We need to understand the truth of God’s Word that is clearly apparent from the Old Testament through the New Testament, where Jesus is spending His time as an intercessor: there is nothing more powerful in the kingdom of God than intercessory prayer. God is calling His people to pray. All Christians are exhorted to pray for others and to watch God work in astonishing, astounding ways. Some people are better at it than others. There are some people whose main spiritual gift is intercession. But we are all called to be intercessors and to make a difference in the world through intercessory prayer.   Most of us do not look at ourselves as “world-changers.” We do not see ourselves as having the power or influence to change the direction of nations. As Christians, however, we affirm the power of God to impact the nations. That power is released through the prayers of people just like you and me. Would you make a commitment today to change your world? Take a step in prayer. Begin to pray more for the people around you, as well as for world leaders and the flow of world events. Bring the amazing power of God to bear upon this world and see what our awesome God will do!   Father, today I affirm Your power to impact the nations through my prayers! Help me to listen carefully to the people and nations You place as a burden upon my heart, and help me to be faithful to respond quickly to intercede! Lord, it amazes me that my prayers, and the prayers of my family and church, can bring change to people I have never met and places I have never been! Yet Your word declares that this is true! So, believing in Your word, I will stand on this truth and open myself to all of the world-changing possibilities You bring my way!   ---Adapted from the article  Unleashing God’s Power on Earth by David Butts. Prayer Points Praise God for his leadership over the redeemed because of his unfailing love and strength (Ex. 15:11, 13). Give thanks for leaders who speak the Word of God to you (Heb. 13:7). Confess your lack of recognizing God’s leadership through others that he brings into your life and your failure to support them with your prayers (1 Tim. 2:1-2). Commit yourself to following God’s leadership as he brings you into a land “flowing with milk and honey” (Num. 14:8). Ask God to help you be a good leader in bringing others to him. Ask that all Christians will “walk the walk” and not just “talk the talk” that will lead others to salvation in Jesus. Prayer Points taken from Patterns for Prayer by Alvin VanderGriend. This book is available at prayershop.org. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount. Connection (Devotions for Everyday Life) © 2024 is a free devotional published daily by Harvest Prayer Ministries. Subscribe here.

Good Morning Connected, Longing, Directed, Protected Pilgrims! For God's glory! PTL! We still ourselves at His feet and dwell in His loving, informing presence. We long in prayer for many things that He desires too like revival, new life, salvation, His Kingdom to come and will be done, to use us, heal us, lead us, and have His way with us and so many more things. He directs our steps, prayers, choices and responses. He covers and protects us and those we are covering a we don His armor and walk in His way. And we are pilgrims--journeyers. We are aliens on earth and here to complete our individual and corporate missions before making that last journey to our promised future and hope. I was really touched as God threaded all this through our devotionals for today (below) and His reminder that we are His disciples gathered by Him, placed where we are for His custom purposes. I keep thinking and praising about how He is using and growing us. I keep praying for the "how to" and what to do for me and us as we journey towards our fuller potential and becoming His dynamic movement. 

Two things are clear, we have much to celebrate and more to work on yet. We are on our way! Rejoice! And keep at it! Praying, seeking, gathering, processing, planning, going and working on living and loving more like Jesus. Keep your eyes open for where God is working and who He is drawing for us to invite into our journey. I'm praising God for the ten new disciples that have joined our Body and are serving. I praise God for the several others that are being drawn and participating. I'm praising God for all of you and all you are doing! I'm praising God for our potential and the good fruit to come. I'm praising God for Jesus' easy yoke! I'm just praising and praying for His Kingdom coming and growing and His will being done in heaven and on earth! I'm praising God for saving, growing and using a wretch like me! We have so much to be thankful about and so much to expect to come as we trust, die to self and follow Jesus together! AMEN!

Still yourself at His feet and engage with these devos. What's He saying to you? Revealing for us? What will you do about it? Who are you processing with? What are you thankful about? Rejoice! He is the Lord of you, us and this day! Amen!

UR: Power Source

Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions. - Ephesians 2:4-5 (NIV)

I took on the challenge of remodeling my basement to provide additional space for an office and recreation room. The project included running wire to connect lights, receptacles, and switches. Have I done everything right? I pondered. One last step remained. I had to tap in to the power source by connecting the wire to the main service panel. I switched on the circuit breaker, and the lights came on. I was elated.

No matter how meticulous I was in connecting all the wires, it was for naught until I tapped in to the power source. The same is true with us as people of faith. We may think we have made all the right connections. We attend church services, participate in the sacraments, and follow biblical teaching as best we can. But until we connect to the power of God, we are as dead as a disconnected appliance.

Paul writes in Ephesians 2 that we are spiritually dead until we are made alive through faith in the redemptive work of Christ. Through faith in Christ we are empowered to “walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4). We are “created in Christ Jesus to do good works” (Eph. 2:10). God, our source of life, blesses us with this gift not just to benefit us but others as well.

TODAY'S PRAYER

Source of life, help us to embrace the newness of life you offer, serving others and glorifying you. Amen.ODB:

CS:

TWFYT:

HP:

June 27 - Be Clothed in His Armor Put on the full armor of God so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. (Ephesians 6:11)   This image was clear to the hearers in Paul’s day as they observed the Roman soldiers that filled every town. Using that warfare picture, Paul reminds us of the necessary armor for the believer in his battles; armor which is available to every Christian. It is wise at the beginning of each day to “put on” your armor in prayer.                                                                                                                     Gird your loins with truth. This means truthfulness, honesty, integrity which will protect us from the tempation to the opposite which would make us vulnerable. It also implies knowing and believing truth that will guard us from the lies of the Father of all lies.                                                               Put on the breastplate of righteousness. We must realize and claim the righteousness we have in Christ and cover our vital organs with a commitment to personal holiness.                                                                         Shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. We must get ready to move by realizing our mission. We lace up our witnessing shoes. We prepare to share the gospel of peace gladly and quickly with everyone we meet, which is Satan’s greatest fear.                                            Take up the shield of faith which is able to quench all the flaming arrows of the wicked one. One of the most powerful weapons in battle was a flaming arrow. The Romans had developed a defensive weapon in a body-sized, leather shield. It had a front and a back with a vacuum between which would quench a flaming arrow. Satan is continually flinging darts at us designed to destroy us. We often think these are just our thoughts. But I am convinced otherwise. Our powerful defense is faith and “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ.” We must combat his flaming arrows with the faith that comes from God’s Word.                 Take up the helmet of salvation. That which protects us most in our battle is our absolute security in Christ if we have come to know Him. Our salvation saves us in our minds. We must remember this as we face the day.   Take up … the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. There is nothing more powerful than Scripture. It is literally God’s Word and our greatest weapon against Satan’s lies. Jesus Himself rebuked every temptation of the enemy in the wilderness with God’s Word, and so must we. This is why Scripture memory is so vital.                                                                          It is a critical exercise each day, and multiple times throughout the day, to check our strength (making sure we’re relying on the Lord) and check our armor (using the right protective weapons against the Enemy.)   Father, today I faithfully put on Your armor as both a physical act and a spiritual reminder of Your divine protection and power! I will place the helmet of Your salvation upon my head as a reminder that You are my salvation. I put on the breastplate of righteousness because You are the righteous King, and the belt of truth, for You alone are the Truth! I will prepare my feet to travel anywhere You direct me to share the gospel of peace! I raise Your shield of faith to protect myself from the flaming arrows that will come against me today! And, I prepare myself to do battle using the sword of Your word! Lord, continue to give me strength through Jesus to serve You with everything in me every moment of this day! ---Adapted from Simply Prayer by Bill Elliff. This book is available at prayershop.org. Prayer Points Praise God for his strength and confidence, enduring from everlasting to everlasting (1 Chron. 29:10-11). Give thanks that God is your strength and confidence and that he will never fail you or forsake you (1 Chron. 28:20). Confess to the Lord your failure to rely completely upon him and his Word (Isa. 41:10). Commit yourself to being strong and doing the work God has for you without complaining (Phil. 2:14). Ask God to forgive you for not depending on him and that you may wait on the Lord and be confident of his love (Jeremiah 31:3). Pray that your church will be strong in preparing its membership to grow in their daily walk and work for him as parents, teachers, workers, etc. Prayer Points taken from Patterns for Prayer by Alvin VanderGriend. This book is available at prayershop.org. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount. Connection (Devotions for Everyday Life) © 2024 is a free devotional published daily by Harvest Prayer Ministries. Subscribe here.

UPDATES:

PTL! Thank you givers! Our AC installation is going to be fully funded with a few more donations that are on the way this week! You guys ROCK! Keep seeking God for His plans for us for the rest of the summer and to use our building to lead many to Him and become a House of Prayer for the Nations and a disciple making hub.

Those of you that have been asking about Gunther (Bobby Gunther Walsh) I prayed with him this morning around 4:30 before he began his first day back on air. He's working from home but getting back at it will help emotionally and physically. Keep praying for his healing and patience in the process. he has a long way to go with rehabbing his injuries. he thanks everyone for their prayers and encouragements.

I hope to finish up homebound communion visits this week. Pray for our homebound. Send a card or call. They all miss you and are lonely.

Wed is Bread Ministry from 10-12 followed by volunteer brunch. Family Ministries opted to gather inside Wed due to heat and weather threat. We will mini golf another time.

Sunday's worship at 10 will be led by Sarah. pray for her. We will celebrate communion. Prepare your hearts and if you are joining on Zoom, don't forget your crackers, bread and juice. We have a few people looking for rides to be able to join us for worship, even if only able to do so once a month, it would be appreciated. Talk to Sarah or me about that if able to help

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Good Morning Journeying Friends of God! Step by step we journey through time until we step into eternity. We know we have a blessed future and hope in God's presence. Being in His presence began at the second we were saved. PTL! We grow in relationship with Him and grow into our fuller potential, even storing up treasures in heaven, during our journey here on earth. We work on becoming more like Jesus and at growing into our fuller potential. We move from being one way to another improved way to another because of Jesus and His work in and through us. But for that all to happen and happen well, we need to die to self, take up cross daily and follow Jesus. And that always works best when done with others. God has some great custom made plans for you to discover and grow into and those plans will always involve custom made and gathered others to journey with. Every time I think of all of you, I thank God for allowing us to be gathered and sent together. I thank God for prayer warriors that cover me, those that encourage and those who help and even hold my feet in the fire. Thank you! I thank God for the fresh breath of the Spirit and the new things He is revealing and doing! I thank God for those He is sending and for using us in many different custom made ways in His Good News Delivery Co. I thank God for partnering us in worship, praise, laboring, and usefulness. We are well on our way to becoming a dynamic movement! But there is still work to discover and do and people to bring into the sheepfold. Keep digging! Keep plowing in prayer. Keep seeking, dying to self and following. Keep working together. Daylight is burning! God is moving! He does have great plans for you and us! PTL and Amen! (Hammer Down!) What's God saying to you right now and what will you do about it? Who will you process with? Deny yourself, take up your cross today (what needs to be crucified right now), seek, process, plan and follow Jesus. He is humble and gentle at heart and made you for such a time as this. Put on His easy yoke by being who He created you to be and focusing on and working at the things you are custom made to do just as you are and right where he placed you. And then do that with those He is gathering you with. Love God, people, yourself and go love like Him today! Amen! He is journeying with you and singing over you. He's calling you by name and inviting you into His awesome plans for today. WOW! Enjoy! Begin with some quiet time with Him through our devos for today (below). Prepare your hearts and go! Love in action is God's way! I'm praying for you and us! 

OK time to get out and get some yard work done on this beautiful morning! This is the day the Lord has made! Rejoice and be glad! reload and go live and love like Jesus! Shalom!

Charles Stanley

Upper Room: Improving with Time

If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; look, new things have come into being! - 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NRSVUE)

Recently I considered replacing my 40-year-old acoustic guitar with a newer model. However, after trying out many guitars, I found that my old guitar produced warm and pleasing tones that sounded much better than the new guitars. I chose to have my old guitar worked on by a guitar technician instead. The technician said that old wood makes a richer and more pleasant sound because as an instrument ages, the wood dries out and the sap loosens from its grain, allowing vibrations to move more freely through the instrument. My guitar’s wood has gradually become less and less like it was when the guitar was new. Over time it has become a new creation — a new form of what it was.

As growing Christians, I think we change in a similar way. Over time as we absorb God’s word and follow God’s guidance, we become less like our former selves and transform into new creations. As our faith matures and changes, God’s influence is able to move more freely within us. And in time, we can produce more beautiful “music” because we are living more harmoniously with God.

TODAY'S PRAYER

Loving God, help us accept the ways you have made each of us wonderful and unique. Give us wisdom as we grow in faith and become new creations in you. Amen.The Word for You Today

Our Daily Bread:

Harvest Prayer

June 24 - Bending to the Will of God Most of us think prayer is a matter of getting God to do what we want so He will give us what we need. But the greatest purpose of prayer is to come into the presence of the Father and align our will with His. To let Heaven re-adjust our plan to God's perfect, sovereign plan. Such praying is our best antidote to temptation. We may ask that God alleviate some of the temptation and He can. But we will, like Jesus, face extraordinary temptations in our daily lives. Our greatest prayer should be that we would not "enter into" temptation—to indulge, latch on. This should be our constant, daily prayer. Can you imagine what this week would be like if we never entered into the temptations before us? The temptations were there, but we consistently bent the knee in prayer and bent our will to His will? How effective we would become! How clearly we would hear God! What leadership and witness we could give to others! What a testimony we would have of the power of answered prayer! Where do you need to bend your will to the will of God? Wrestle with God in prayer about this today until you have submitted to His will … and then, go meet the day! Holy God, how I long to live in Your glorious presence each moment of my life! Show me how to turn my attention back to You when I am distracted or tempted towards worldly things. Surround me with Your Spirit to protect and inform my heart, thoughts and actions. I want to align myself with Your perfect will in order to hear Your voice more clearly and to become a living testimony of Your greatness! ---Adapted from Prayer with No Intermission by Bill Elliff. This book is available at prayershop.org. Prayer Points Glorify God as the all-sufficient one, who through his limitless power fills everything in every way (Eph. 1:23). Thank God for giving you his Spirit to meet all your needs as you do his will. Confess those times you have sought fulfillment in ways which did not honor God. Commit your needs to him (Phil. 4:19). Ask God for a greater awareness of his power to help you grow spiritually (2 Pet. 1:3-8). Pray for friends who struggle with material or spiritual poverty. Ask God to help them understand that he can meet both areas of need with his riches in Christ. Prayer Points taken from Patterns for Prayer by Alvin VanderGriend. This book is available at prayershop.org. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount. Connection (Devotions for Everyday Life) © 2024 is a free devotional published daily by Harvest Prayer Ministries. Subscribe here.