JOY! by Joyce Schafer

God has been talking to me lately in a single word-Joy. It seems like everywhere I turn I see and hear this word. One of my friends gave me this advice “Don’t let conflict take away your joy in the Lord." Another friend gave me a candle with the word Joy and scripture verse from Psalms 118:24. “This is the day which the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

A scripture lesson I read recently was from Philemon 1:7 “Your love has given me great joy and encouragement because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of saints. "

Then when I mentioned to one of my SACC Write Sisters that I was writing about joy she gave me this verse by Anne Morrow Lindberg-"For happiness one needs security, but joy can spring like a flower even from the cliffs of despair."

The finishing touch was when our minister talked about Awe and Joy. God is truly speaking to me and I can only assume that God wants me to have Joy in my life.

It is so easy to feel joy when you are experiencing the good times, but so hard when you are sick, a loved one is dying or when there is a conflict in your life.

I have come to realize that these bad times are necessary because they bring me closer to God. I pray more, I read my Bible more, I seek counsel from my church, family and friends, and finally I am able to give my worries and problems completely to God. Only then do I experience that deep inner peace and take to heart the promise that God made in Psalms 31:5

"Weeping may go on all night; but in the morning there is Joy."

Is Your Prayer Life Unplugged? by Theresa Zuber

I went to my bookshelf because I knew that I had a book about “prayer killers” (Sins that put a ceiling on our prayers.) Well – not only did I find “Partners in Prayer” the book I was looking for, I found “The Power of a Praying Wife,” “The Power of a Praying Parent,” “Lord, Teach me to Pray in 28 Days,” “Prayer”, & “The Prayer of Jabez.” Do you sense a theme here???

I know that I’m not the only one struggling with prayer. (Why would there be so many books about it?) I know that many people struggle with consistency in their prayer life, what to pray, how to pray, faith in prayer and the list goes on and on. I guess part of my problem is that I sometimes feel powerless in my prayers. I am willing to pray and do. If it is something that I feel is within God’s will, I have faith. But if it’s something I’m unsure about - I just feel like “if God’s will is what is best, and He is in control, then who am I to try to sway Him? And why would He change His mind for ME?” (I probably seem like the little child who says, “I know you’re not going to let me, but can I go swimming today, please?”)

On Max Lucado’s Worship CD “Opening Windows” he tells a story of buying desks with his wife and small daughters. His youngest daughter didn’t understand that they would not take the desk home that day. He tells how his daughter went about changing his mind. She didn’t nag him or whine until he gave in; she earnestly showed him, how much it would mean to her. The clencher came when she reentered the store with her arms spread open wide and said, “Daddy, I measured. It will fit in the trunk.” He goes on to say that her having the desk was within her father’s will. It was just going to be in a few weeks instead of that day. So, when he could see how much it meant to her, the Lucado family took home a desk that day. God loves us like that. God wants us to be happy. And sometimes, God moves as a direct result of our prayers to Him.

The book I mentioned earlier “Partners in Prayer” by John Maxwell mentions 10 Common Prayer Killers and the associated scriptures. As you read through them, see what areas YOU may struggle in. But don’t just acknowledge where your problem areas are – Do something about it!! And when you see me – ask if I am, too!

Prayer Killer #1: Unconfessed Sin
Psalm 66:18 “If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, my Lord would not have listened.” (NLT)

Prayer Killer #2: Lack of Faith
Matthew 21:22 “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." (NLT)

Prayer Killer #3: Disobedience
1 John 3:21 “Dear friends, if our conscience is clear, we can come to God with bold confidence. 22And we will receive whatever we request because we obey him and do the things that please him. 23And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us.” (NLT)

Prayer Killer #4: Lack of Transparency with God and Others
James 5:16 “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results.” (NLT)

Prayer Killer #5: Unforgiveness
Matthew 6:14"If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (NLT)

Prayer Killer #6: Wrong Motives
James 4:3 “And even when you do ask, you don't get it because your whole motive is wrong--you want only what will give you pleasure.” (NLT)

Prayer Killer #7: Idols in our Lives
(The author points out that idols come in many forms: money, careers, sports, pleasure. It’s an issue of what is more important – or gets more attention - than God.)Ezekiel 14:3"”Son of man, these leaders have set up idols in their hearts. They have embraced things that lead them into sin. Why should I let them ask me anything?” (NLT)

Prayer Killer #8: Disregard for Others
John 13:34"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (NIV) 1 Peter 3 exhorts husbands and wives to be considerate to one another “so that nothing will hinder your prayers.” (NIV)

Prayer Killer #9: Disregard for God’s Sovereignty
Matthew 6:9"This, then, is how you should pray: " 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (NIV)

Prayer Killer #10: Unsurrendered Will
John 15:7 “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.” (NIV)

God I am ashamed at my lack of faith in your promises to answer my prayers. I know that my lack of faith takes the power out of my prayers, just like unplugging the TV. Help me to comprehend that I am THAT important to you; important enough that you would not only listen to me, but that you WILL REACT to the cries of my heart. Help me. Just like an alcoholic going back to the bottle, I keep coming back to this same problem: Ineffective prayer, Hopeless prayer, Helpless prayer, Surface prayer. Change me. I am looking with great anticipation for what you’ll do in my life next!

A Prayer Life by Tana LeMay

Last summer, Susan wrote about a book she had read, Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore. I recently finished the book and like Susan, I was deeply touched. The story line is about a friendship that develops between a wealthy white man and a homeless black man. Ron and Denver weren’t interested in a friendship, but it couldn’t be stopped due to the prayers of Ron’s wife and God’s intervention.

The prayer life of Debbie was what spoke to me the most. Debbie’s first reaction to every circumstance was prayer. Do you know any prayer warriors? I do and I’ve always been in awe of that aspect of their spiritual life. They always pray first when a need or praise arises. How do they do that? Is it a gift? A discipline? I usually remember to pray – later. It’s typically not my first response to a situation or need.

First Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to pray continually. This verse has been on my mind lately. I’ve struggled with this directive. Life is busy. How can we possibly spend it in continuous prayer? Just finding time for daily prayer has been a challenge. As I’ve studied this verse, I’ve come to the conclusion that it is speaking of a life style. By being in daily communion with Jesus, not only during regular prayer times, but throughout each and every day, we develop a habit of continuous communication with him. After all, isn’t that what prayer is – a conversation with Jesus? If my thoughts are centered around Him, my every action or reaction would habitually include Him.

Does this seem too lofty of a goal? By my own power, it definitely is. I’d fail before I even began. But through the strength of Jesus and the power of His word, it is attainable. Otherwise, the command wouldn’t be there. Is it attainable in one day? No. But I believe it is in one life time. It begins each morning as I set my focus and thoughts on Him.

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14

Jesus Loves Me, This I Know by Susan Shull

I hate missing church. When I am not there, I know I am really missing out. Even on the days we are out of town and visit another congregation, Sunday doesn’t seem “right.” Those of us who attend Scott Avenue Christian Church are so lucky. Let me restate that. We aren’t lucky-we are blessed. We have so many opportunities to learn about the love of Jesus.

We are so blessed that our Praise Team leads us in worship each Sunday. The psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs we sing are very powerful. They uplift us, and we pray are pleasing to God as we proclaim his majesty and glory, praising him for who he is and all he has done for us in sending his perfect Son to die on the cross for our sins.

We are so blessed that we always have an inspiring message. It is evident that Mark spends a great deal of time immersing himself in the word and praying that God will give him the words that we need to hear. I don’t know about you, but every Sunday it seems that I am convicted of sin in my life and changes I need to make. I am also reminded that my life is not about me. We are here in this time and place for a higher purpose than the amount of pleasure we can get from each day, or the amount of work we can accomplish, or the amount of money in our bank accounts.

We are so blessed that we have wonderful Bible fellowship classes to attend. It is heart-warming to me to see people heading off to class grabbing a cup of coffee and chatting for a few minutes with their brothers and sisters in Christ. Relationships are built as we open God’s word in small groups and share how Christ is working in our lives.

Even with all of this occurring every Sunday, we also know that what happens for two hours one morning a week will never completely fill the need we have to know Him more. I am so very thankful that our God doesn’t stay in a church building and only show himself to us once a week.
Because of the mercy and grace of our heavenly Father, we can have access to his perfect love 24/7. As Christians, the Holy Spirit lives within us. Those are such simple words to write, but almost impossible to fathom. I don’t understand it, but I am so thankful for it. As if that wasn’t enough, His word is always ready to be opened and He will speak to us, showing us his magnificence and splendor.

How can you not love Jesus once you meet him on the pages of the inspired word? The more I learn about Him, the more I want to know. Don’t cheat yourself. Get involved so you can partake of the best thing this life has to offer-true LOVE.