Today starts my
Advent Devotional I will be posting a devotional everyday
between now and Christmas. I hope you find this encouraging,
enlightening and spiritually fulfilling as we take the Journey towards
Christmas.
1 Thessalonians 3:9-13 ;
9 How can we thank
God enough for you, given all the joy we have because of you before our
God? 10 Night and day, we pray more than ever to see all of you in
person and to complete whatever you still need for your faith. 11 Now
may our God and Father himself guide us on our way back to
you. 12 May the Lord cause you to increase and enrich your love for
each other and for everyone in the same way as we also love
you. 13 May the love cause your hearts to be strengthened, to be
blameless in holiness before our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with
all his people. Amen.
In my first five months
of my new appointment here at Indian Trail UMC. Already we have been
through a lot as a congregation. We have had four major deaths in these
five months. Two were lifelong members who battled tough illnesses.
The other two were people in the middle of their lives and suffered major
heart attacks. Their deaths were sudden and very tragic. Something
that we have done as a congregation a lot these five months is pray.
In this scripture Paul
is offering up prayers for the churches in Thessalonica, and praying that
they receive what they need to increase their faith. He prays that they will see each other in
person soon to “complete whatever you still
need for your faith.”
Prayer is a gift. Prayer is uplifting. Prayer can save. As we begin this journey towards Christmas we
need to remember the power of prayer.
Prayer is the spiritual connection between us and God but also each
other. I heard it explained once that it
is the invisible spider’s web that links all of us together. When I went through Chrysalis as a youth, I
learned about people in Alaska praying for us as we went through the weekend I
was moved and felt connected like never before.
I was moved not because I knew them or they knew me, but because I heard
that they were praying for me.
Who are the people in your
life that you pray for and do they know that?
Try to be like Paul and send someone a note this week and let them know,
“I just wanted to let you know that I prayed for you this week.” This simple act can change a life and deepen
someone’s faith.
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