reinforcement...
Each Sunday during the worship service at Ogden FBC/NBCC we take time to share our joys and concerns with the congregations and pray for each other. It's an important part of the worship service and I was very blessed to be asked to lead the congregation in that prayer yesterday. Before I did, I shared with the congregation my personal feeling that it's an important thing we do for each other in this time and read from the book of James starting at verse 5:13.
In that verse, James instructs us about prayer and the importance of not only confessing our sins to each other but to pray for each other as well. I thought it an appropriate verse of scripture to share with the congregation yesterday and Im so glad I did because...
(at this point, I need to pause to tell another story)
I was supposed to meet someone in Salt Lake yesterday but the person was ill and asked me if we could meet today. I agreed. That put me someplace today that I hadn't planned on being today, at just the right time to....
(OK, now to pick up the story)
On my way to Salt Lake, I was listening to the radio and the BBN announcer was sharing the precepts of verse 16 from the very same passage! that I read in church yesterday.
Confessing our sins to each other is important, the man said, so that we may pray for each other for them. Prayer is effectual. Prayer works, and I sincerely believe that. I've seen God answer prayers, bring comfort to the broken hearted (me), provide comfort, and most importantly love and forgiveness. If you've been reading the blog for any length of time you know in September of last year, I had the opportunity to confess a lot of sins publicly. I had to own up to one yesterday as I told the short story of the dishes. I owned up to a huge one I committed last Thursday. I hope you're praying for me, as I could really use some wisdom and guidance for the future.
Every now and again, the Lord reinforces something in my life through circumstances. My intent was yesterday to impress on folks that we shouldn't feel ashamed or shy about lifting our concerns or asking for prayer for a shortcoming during this time in the worship service, or anytime we feel we're in over our heads on something. Sometimes we grow from failures or shortcomings and the Lord can use those times in our lives to teach us something. I know I learned something very important yesterday. I learned something important today, too, because I heard someone else saying something that in essence, I had said myself.
If you find yourself in difficult circumstances, keep praying. If I can pray for you, shoot me an e-mail and let me know (or a text if you have my number). If you'd be so kind, you could add me to your prayer list because I need some wisdom and direction from God because I have to make some very difficult decisions in the coming days.
And, as always, thank you for reading the blog!
Coop
In that verse, James instructs us about prayer and the importance of not only confessing our sins to each other but to pray for each other as well. I thought it an appropriate verse of scripture to share with the congregation yesterday and Im so glad I did because...
(at this point, I need to pause to tell another story)
I was supposed to meet someone in Salt Lake yesterday but the person was ill and asked me if we could meet today. I agreed. That put me someplace today that I hadn't planned on being today, at just the right time to....
(OK, now to pick up the story)
On my way to Salt Lake, I was listening to the radio and the BBN announcer was sharing the precepts of verse 16 from the very same passage! that I read in church yesterday.
Confessing our sins to each other is important, the man said, so that we may pray for each other for them. Prayer is effectual. Prayer works, and I sincerely believe that. I've seen God answer prayers, bring comfort to the broken hearted (me), provide comfort, and most importantly love and forgiveness. If you've been reading the blog for any length of time you know in September of last year, I had the opportunity to confess a lot of sins publicly. I had to own up to one yesterday as I told the short story of the dishes. I owned up to a huge one I committed last Thursday. I hope you're praying for me, as I could really use some wisdom and guidance for the future.
Every now and again, the Lord reinforces something in my life through circumstances. My intent was yesterday to impress on folks that we shouldn't feel ashamed or shy about lifting our concerns or asking for prayer for a shortcoming during this time in the worship service, or anytime we feel we're in over our heads on something. Sometimes we grow from failures or shortcomings and the Lord can use those times in our lives to teach us something. I know I learned something very important yesterday. I learned something important today, too, because I heard someone else saying something that in essence, I had said myself.
If you find yourself in difficult circumstances, keep praying. If I can pray for you, shoot me an e-mail and let me know (or a text if you have my number). If you'd be so kind, you could add me to your prayer list because I need some wisdom and direction from God because I have to make some very difficult decisions in the coming days.
And, as always, thank you for reading the blog!
Coop
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