A PRAYERFUL NEW START
As we exit 2020 and begin a New Year let us reflect and look at the many challenges and new opportunities to get off to a good start by realizing that God is always in control and we need to keep our eyes and focus on our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Saying that 2020 was a challenging year is an understatement. I have a sign at my desk in my office that reads “Adversity Builds Resilience”. If that is true, which I am sure it is, we all must have large Resilience muscles.
As we saw the COVID-19 plague begin to spread all over our country and the world, and as we saw the strain on the economy and many poor people struggling just to feed their families, we knew that we were in for a difficult year. Then we experienced racial unrest with our cities being looted, burned down and riots in the streets. We then experienced political division and a lack of unity across our nation that we have never seen before. Recently we saw a very contentious election for our President and concerns that the election was not fair and honest. Then to top it all off we saw our Capital overrun by rioters and our nation brought down to its knees literally.
As all this was going on, I knew that prayer is the only answer. Our private prayers and our Prayer Ministry should be our focus for the New Year. No matter what we experience there is nothing greater or more powerful than the power of prayer. Prayer is the greatest tool God has given to mankind, and the best thing we can do now is to become Prayer Warriors and to join in our Prayer Ministry.
Our Prayer Ministry comes together twice a week. On Tuesday morning at 9:00 am for a tele-conference call, and on Wednesday morning at 11:00 am for Prayer Revival that is Livestream from the church just like on Sunday Worship Service.
If you would like to participate, please call the church office and we will give you the information to join us in our conference call. For our Wednesday morning Revival Prayer Service just go to our website at www.oxfordflumc.com at 11:00 am every Wednesday.
The one thing that I have learned about prayer is that our most effective prayers are when we pray God’s Word back to Him. At our Revival Prayer Service, we are focusing on praying God’s Word. One of my favorite scripture prayers comes from the Book of 2 Chronicles. “If My people who are called by My Name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)
The prophet Isaiah also encourages us with these words, “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You.” (Isaiah 26:3)
If you are like me, you are genuinely concerned with the direction of our country. With a new Administration, a new President, and a new Congress we need to ask God the Holy Spirit to guide our Government and our Country and lift our new leaders in prayer.
Let our prayer for our Government be:
“So, give your servant a discerning heart to govern Your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours.” (1 Kings 3:9)
So, as we begin this New Year with a Prayerful New Start, let us concentrate on our relationship with Jesus and walk with Him every day and watch how His guidance and love can carry us through the most difficult circumstances that can come our way.
Pray to Our Father and ask Him by the power of the Holy Spirit to help us keep our focus on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith. May I also suggest that you invest in a devotional along with your Bible that will help you to stay focused on Jesus and walk with Him and talk with Him along life’s narrow way…. “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7)
God Bless You. Wishing you a Healthy, Happy and Holy New Year,
Pastor Dick Wolters
