First We Pray

"They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint."    Isaiah 40:30-31

Sometimes it seems like prayer is the last resort, doesn't it? Well, I guess we should pray.... This month I am calling all of us, as a community and individually, to create some fallow ground in our lives and in our hearts and in our minds, letting us quiet ourselves long enough to receive the refreshing rain of the Holy Spirit that will replenish us and give us new ears to hear. This prayer and listening thing: it cannot be hurried, it cannot be forced. While we wait we spend time in communion with God and in meditation on the Word. Why now, you ask? This month? It is my observation that many of us are on personal journeys where we desperately need guidance and direction for the new year. Some of us simply need to feel the fresh wind of the Holy Spirit on our faces. Life Discovery is going through some changes with new schedules and opportunities and we need to hear what the Lord has to say to us collectively as a faith community. We have so much to do--so much we could do. Why not just get busy? Make some decisions and forge ahead. Onward Christian Soldiers! But unlike Nike, we don't "Just Do It!" We pray first. Prayer isn't the lazy cousin of "do something now!" Prayer is the essential starting point before "doing anything now." "Prayer," says Ann Voskamp, "isn't a substitute for action. Prayer is the source of action." Remember Bill Hybels' The Power of a Whisper? Remember his porch rocking chair--the spot where he would always go when he needed to talk to, and hear from, God? Set time aside. Find that special place of rest and comfort in your own home; open your Bible on your lap (and maybe a new journal or notebook); open your hands and ears to your Heavenly Father. Talk to Him....and save lots of time to listen. You might even consider fasting during this time, maybe for one meal a day or for one day a week. We're offering some additional opportunities for prayer together this month. On January 17th Pat is opening her home in the evening for intercessory prayer. On January 21st we are having a soaking prayer service that includes personal prayers for healing. (Check your E-news next week for more info on these.) I look forward to hearing what He has to say to you. First we pray. Greg