6 comments (Add your own)

1. Gil Alvarez wrote:

One thing from yesterday's church service really stood out, it was a simple prayer to strengthen our faith. And, I thought to myself... "Whoa! Do we really want that? Do we really want our faith strengthened?" Because, I know, the times in my life, when my faith has really grown, are the times that have also caused me the most pain.

After church, yesterday, my family and I went to our son's T-ball practice of the team I am proudly the coach of. We first had to go and pick the equipment from the other coach's house in Bellflower who happened to be sick that day. It was there where we first noticed graffiti that seemed "out of place." When we arrived at the park, we noticed the same graffiti on the snack shack, the sidewalk, and even on the back-window of a car in the parking lot. We were just at that park the day before and this type of graffiti wasn't there. There was also a group of young men having a barbecue wearing gang-attire close the the parking lot. Something seemed wrong.

My wife couldn't get the morning's worship song out of here head and just kept singing it to herself (Lord, we're calling out to you... crying out to you... forgive us of our sins; heal our land... Hear us NOW from Heaven). Only five boys showed up to practice, which usually runs from 1:00pm to 2:00pm. I thought about calling it a day ten-minutes early, which would have given us a few minutes to pick up our gear and some time to talk to parents. Leaving early would have put us in the parking lot right about 2:00pm. But, I decided the boys could handle ten more minutes of fielding ground-balls. So, at 2:00pm, I called the boys in to home plate, gathered them all around me... just in that second that I had them all in my arm, five gun-shots rang out in the park. People were running and screaming everywhere. I shouted out to my boys, "In the dug-out, Now... Lay down!" They all followed my directions quickly, as I looked for my wife and daughters and saw them hiding behind the wooden backstop. I realized my boys were still too exposed, so I had then crawl out of the dug-out and under the concrete bleachers. My wife and daughters, as well as other moms, followed. We waited-out until it was safe, and in that hour, we heard more gun shots, sirens, and prayers. I prayed out-loud with my son. Then, by myself. Then, with the whole family. Others prayed as well. And, while we waited, we talked about God, church, and even heaven.

One of the most remarkable things that was said came from the mouth of the most high-strung (to say the least) of the boys on the team. He is always a hand-full, but what he said was, "It's okay. Even if we get shot... we will go to the Lord."

Since the start of this season, I have often asked God and myself what greater purpose do I serve leading this young group of T-ballers. And, although I have shared my faith with several moms and dads, very few experiences can compare to taking cover and praying while under gun-fire. It is these times of crisis and suffering that drives us to or away from God. It is in these times, we can choose to lose all hope, or put all hope in Christ.

There is so much more I could write about this. There is so much my family and I experienced. The more we think about it, the more we see God's hand, and His amazing love and grace, in it all.

Mon, April 21, 2008 @ 2:21 PM

2. Greg Wallace Dolmage wrote:

I prayed with the guy sitting next to me. Although I am paid by emmanuel to do pastoral things such as pray for people, I was not trying to be the pastor in this moment. I turned to this young man and told him of my struggle to love. I told him of my need for God to actually change my heart, because my own will wasn't getting it done. So he prayed for me.

Oddly enough, after he prayed for me he shared with me what he needed prayer for, which led to a deeper conversation and a deeper connection than I would have ever anticipated. I needed him to pray for me. He needed me to pray for him. If not prompted, we both would have probably walked away from a golden opportunity from God.

This begs the question, "Why don't we spend a lot more time praying for each other?" Who knows what could happen with a church that not only believes that prayer works, but is actively doing it as well. That's world changer kind of stuff.

Mon, April 21, 2008 @ 2:46 PM

3. Doug Boerigter wrote:

In one of Emmanuel's Sunday School classes we have been learning that "praise" can be a powerful form of prayer and I would like to suggest that "praise" is a form of prayer that can actually help us to pray more.

A cool thing about praise is that God inhabits the praises of his people. So when we praise God we come into his presence - and when we come into his presence we get changed, not because of who we are but because of who God is ...

Have you ever gone into a time of praise and worship feeling worried, bitter or depressed? I have ... But I have experienced it many times that as I am praising and worshipping God, he meets me in my need (often through tears) and something in me changes. When I praise God, it is easier for me to let go of things that hinder ... He lifts me out of depression ... He restores me ... Praise has been a fortress against the enemy's attacks and a place of strength as I focus on who God is for me.

I think also that when I praise God, he kind of fills me up and gives me more of His mind and heart for things, like doing life, ministry and persevering in prayer ... I need the mind and heart of Jesus, apart from him I can do nothing.

I have much to learn about the mind and heart of Jesus and persevering in prayer, but I believe that as I grow in praising God, He will help me get there.

Book reference: "The Prayer that Changes Everything - The Hidden Power of Praising God" by Stormie Omartian.

Mon, April 21, 2008 @ 5:26 PM

4. Alecia Streelman wrote:

OK, praise, worship, accountability, appointing specific times for prayer, meditating on and memorizing Scripture--particularly the Psalms, rewriting or praying the Psalms in my own words, reading and appropriating the prayers others have written, following a prayer list, journaling as a form of prayer, fasting, silence, personal retreat...all serve to help me pray more--and more effectively--I think. But for me the bottom line is discipline. None of these things makes any difference in my prayer life unless I actually DO it. I have to change things up now and then because I find that I'm afflicted with PADD--prayer attention deficit disorder. Lord, have mercy.

Tue, April 22, 2008 @ 1:51 PM

5. Kim Merriman wrote:

Many peolple wonder, if I pray, is GOD really listrning? I am here to tell you YES he does, and HE is. Recently I had some issues laying heavily upon my heart (to the point it was hard to feel it beating). I pray daily, and I know GOD is listening, and I know HE Dearly Loves his children.
I usually go to the beach on the weekends to walk. But last Friday on 4/18/08, I heard someone say "walk in your neighborhood tomorrow"(I live three blocks from Emmanuel Church). So I fought with this for a while because I wanted to do it my way- but GOD had other plans- HE was extremely persistant in telling me where I needed to be that day.
I wanted to be out of the door by 7:30am Saturday- so I woke up at 7:00am and found plenty of excuses not to take this walk in the neighborhood. But it seems GOD was awake too, and HE said it is time to get up and out of that door- and I did- by 7:35am.
My goal was to walk for 1 hour that day. I began my walk and I was talking to God along the way. A half-hour went by and now I am really talking to HIM; laying it all out. And just at that time, I seen Pastor Harold Korver on his walk coming towards me- it hit at this moment why GOD wanted me to go on this walk in the neighborhood. GOD wanted me to know that HE knows my heart and that everything was going to be fine. I didn't pray that GOD would give me a sign to let me know that HE was listening, but GOD knows our needs and HE Blessses all of us on a daily basis.
As Pastor Harold Korver and myself passed one another, we exchanged greetings and kept on going. Once we passed each other fully, I felt this over-whelming feeling come over me; I felt my heart beating again!!!
I believe GOD is listening; it is Us who has the selective hearing:.)


Regards,
Kim Merriman

Wed, April 23, 2008 @ 8:58 AM

6. Almita wrote:

I can relate to most of the comments from those who shared their thoughts about prayer; pray out of necessity and trouble (Gil's), praying with and for others (Greg's), praise and worship (Doug's), and just out of discipline (Alecia's). - And I have found that all of these times of prayer have benefitted me in some way. But the times when prayer just seems to flow is when I am praying a specific burden or desire that I believe that God has placed in my heart. I am not a particularly sensitive person when it comes to feeling the presence of God's Holy Spirit except when I am compelled to pray for such a burden. Most of the time, I pray out of obedience and hope and faith in the words of promise and goodness of our Savior. I have a passion to see God manifest the reality and glory of Jesus and for people to simply fall in love with Him. I can think of so many ways for God to do this - with so many opportunities to heal and restore and make new in our church body. And yet, I must still rely on His wisdom and timing and always remember that my and many other's prayers are reaching His throne and He is faithful! Lord Jesus help me to be faithful in my prayer life.

Wed, April 23, 2008 @ 4:29 PM

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