Request

Hey, today I'm going to ask you to pray for a friend of mine. We'll nickname him Scott, he's going through some really tough times. I don't normally post requests this specific. This is not anyone that any of you know, but a great friend of mine. Pray for wisdom and perseverance to get though this tough time in his life.

Pray

Each day a group called Operation World puts together some prayer requests for a different country. The link below has some specific things to pray about or Swaziland. Take the time to read through the requests, thank God for the things that have gone well and lift up those areas that are listed as concerns.

http://www.operationworld.org/country/swaz/owtext.html

Prayer Exercise

Try this prayer exercise today...

The Traditional Ignatian Examen

The motto in Ignatian (after 16th century Ignatius of Loyola) spirituality is to “Find God in all things.” One way we can do that is by examining our life. The practice is called an examen, which simply means “examination.”

At the beginning of Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises—a series of activities used primarily in retreats to draw one closer to Christ—is a prayer designed to infuse the day with awareness of where you felt close to God and where you felt distant from God. Ignatius recommended it three times a day: upon rising, after the noon meal, and after supper. Many people today prefer to use this examen at the end of their day as a nighttime prayer.

This traditional form focuses primarily on where we fall short in the course of our day. This is not meant to be a time of self-flagellation, but a time of letting go of all that stands between us and God.


The Intention
To reflect on feelings of God’s presence and feelings of God’s absence over time.





The Exercise
o Begin by giving thanks to God for all the gifts you have received in life.
o Ask for the grace to see yourself as you are in the light of God’s love. Ask that all that is within you which is not in line with God’s purpose for your life be released.
o Ask God to show you where God has been active in your life today. Review your day in the light of God’s love. Where did you feel closest to God? Express your gratitude for those moments.
o Where did you fail to reflect God’s love and mercy today? Ask God to forgive you for those times. Express your desire to turn back to God.
o Resolve, by God’s grace, to commit to living out God’s purpose in your life. If you need to make amends for something you have done, resolve to do so now.
o Close by saying the Lord’s Prayer.

Read Ephesians 1:3-14

What are blessings were are told come in Christ?

What was accomplished through His life?

How does this affect your life daily?

Spend some time in silent prayer about this passage.

Search the World

Find a map or the world or a globe. Pick a country at random and do a little research on its culture and needs. Take time each day for the next 5 days to pray for that country. Pray for the needs you find, pray for their leadership and pray for Christians and non-Christians within their borders.

Pray for Indian Christians

from: http://www.reuters.com/article/asiaCrisis/idUSDEL121174

Q+A-Why are Christians under attack in India?

Fri Sep 26, 2008 3:01am EDT

Sept 26 (Reuters) - The government has deployed hundreds more federal police to eastern India after one person was killed and several injured in the latest clashes between Hindus and Christians triggered by religious conversions. More than 20 people, mostly Christians, have been killed and churches burned over the past month.

Below are some questions and answers on why religious clashes have broken out.

WHY ARE CHRISTIANS BEING ATTACKED?

Religious conversion has been the trigger. Hindus in several states in eastern, central and western India have opposed Christian missionaries converting lower caste Hindus in the mainly poor tribal areas. Intolerance has also risen in the last two decades with a revival in Hindu nationalism and its new agenda to fight Christian missionaries.

The latest round of violence first erupted in Orissa state after the killing of a Hindu leader -- known for his opposition to missionaries -- who was linked to the main opposition Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Hindus blamed Christians for his death.

IS THERE ANY POLITICAL IMPACT?

An aggressive "reconversion" drive has seen the BJP widening its voter base in India's tribal belts over the past two decades, helping strengthen its support in some states.

But anti-Christian rhetoric is generally not a vote winner with most Indians more preoccupied with economic issues.

With national elections due by May, hardline Hindu groups could step up their anti-Christian campaign in tribal areas but the BJP is unlikely to make it a countrywide election issue.

It has already striven to dissociate itself from the attacks in Karnataka state, worried about its national image.

WHO IS TO BLAME FOR THE RELIGIOUS VIOLENCE?

Hindu nationalists say they are trying to stop an evangelist drive to convert the poor under duress or through inducements.

Christians say lower-caste Hindus convert to escape caste discrimination and that Hindu nationalist groups use the spectre of conversion to unite Hindus for votes.

Christian groups accuse the Hindu nationalist state governments of turning a blind eye to the clashes and the federal government of acting too slowly.

IS THE VIOLENCE SPREADING?

Hindu-Christian violence has mostly remained restricted to remote tribal belts, a zone of missionary activities for decades, in the eastern state of Orissa and Gujarat in the west.

But attacks on Christians have been reported over the past month from some urban areas in Karnataka state in the south and the central Madhya Pradesh state as well.

The attacks only affect a minority of Christians in India. About 3 percent of India's 1.1 billion population are Christians.

Hindu nationalists either rule outright or share power in the states so far affected. Some of these states have made religious conversion either unlawful or extremely difficult. (Compiled by Krittivas Mukherjee; Editing by Alistair Scrutton and Sanjeev Miglani)

© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved

Cross Training

Spend some time in prayer for the new cross-training class which begins tonight.

Not always what it seems

I was talking with a friend this morning about a tough situation occurring in their life. I found myself being struck by how sad the situation is, while at the same time excited that this person recognized just how bad it really was. I rejoiced that God had blessed me with this conversation. There were questions of why God would allow certain things to happen and if God was really even there. In that same breath I was told by this friend that they see God in me. The statement really hit me because while it is my goal to reflect Christ, I am all too aware of how much I fail at it. I reminded me that the life I live is being noticed. The life you live is also being noticed. What are the messages, pictures and stories that people see or hear from you? The beauty of it all is that I have no idea at what moment or in what ways this person saw God reflected in my life. I saw that is beautiful because i cannot boast in my self. Whatever work was done happened because God is Love. Perfect Love casts out all fear, always be willing to trust that God is using you, even if you don't know how.

An Unceasing prayer.

Jesus' agony in the Garden on the night before his arrest is a story which is often told. I believe it gives us a good window in the prayer life of Jesus. Jesus doesn't want to go out this way, but is willing to to the Father's will. Luke 22 verse 44 begins "And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly..."How often is your first reaction to being in anguish, prayer? It is important that we recognize that God is with us even in the midst of things we don't want to endure. At the time, we must be willing to submit fully to God's will even if it hurts.

‘Abba', meaning Daddy, is one of the Hebrew words we may have all heard, not just in the name of the Swedish pop group, in Saint Paul's letter to the Romans. ‘The Spirit you have received is the spirit of children, and it makes us cry out, ‘Abba! Father!' (Romans 8:15)

At times we can feel lost and think that nobody cares if we are alive or dead. Prayer becomes difficult, and we are thrown back on our own weakness. Saint Paul takes up the theme, ‘The Spirit comes to help us in our weakness. For when we cannot choose words in order to pray properly, the Spirit himself expresses our plea in a way that could never be put into words, and God who knows everything in our hearts knows perfectly well what he means.' (Romans 8:26)In old age, and in sickness, prayer does not become easier, and Saint Paul's words matter more and more. We have a place in God's mind. God knows everything in our hearts. There is a constant bond of love and communication between the Holy Spirit in us and God in heaven. When we pray we try to tune in to that communication.

From The Youth Ministry and Spirituality Project

Take some time....

Take 15 minutes to go to a quiet place and pray. Pray for those you encountered today. While praying for your own needs is important, it is equally if not more important to be in prayer for others. Do be afraid to let your prayers take the form of praise as well.

Pray

Visit CNN.com and click on the link for World news. Scroll down to the section where the news is broken down by region. Read through some of those stories and spend some time in prayer for the people and the countries.

Look around

It can be really difficult at times to pray for others. Too often my prayers are all about me. Here is something I use to get my focus on the world around me.

Scroll down to the bottom left of this blog and look at some of the links under the heading "The Church Universal". Read some of those short articles and spend time in prayer for those affected. Take some time to pray for those around you. Write down the names of the people who come to mind. Continue to pray for that person or persons throughout the week.

Post #100!!

What does it mean that God speaks to us?

In my experience God speaks to us in many ways. While it might seem easier for there to be a mighty voice from the sky telling us things, it doesn't work that way. God uses the people, things and places around us to tell us things. We have the Bible to guide us and the gift of prayer to be in direct communication. It fascinates me that I can read the same passage 15 times and notice 15 different things. I believe the Holy Spirit guides that process. When it seems as if God is not there I often realize that it’s because I'm not listening. I can't say that's always true, He can communicate through silence as well.

Take the time to listen for his voice. Try to block out your own voice. God is communicating with us, we just need to watch and listen for it.

I Am called...

For at least the next 10 minutes go to a place where distractions are few, and you can be silent. Don't bring your phone and if your mom might call you, tell her you're unavailable for a 10 minutes...nicely. Invite God to be with you. Sit in silence for a few minutes. When you start to get sidetracked, acknowledge the distraction and let it go. Just let yourself sit in the presence of God. Allow Him to tell you to "be still and know". Journal about you experience. Then go tell you mom and your cell phone that your available again.

Try this next week!! (Nov 5-11)

One of the many spiritual disciplines is daily reading and prayer. The following is from "A guide to Prayer" which is available in my office. Use it through this next week. Each day has the same structure with different scriptures and readings readings. Try this for the next week. Comment on you experience with the exercise.

Invocation:
I. (start with this each day) O Lord, you who has organized this wondrous world, and who knows all things in earth and heaven: fill our hearts with trust in you by day and night, at all times and in all seasons, so that we may, without fear, commit all that we have and hope to be your unfailing love in this life and the next. We pray in Jesus' name, Amen.


II. (each day) Read Psalm 136

III. Scripture readings:
Monday: Galatians 5:13-24
Tuesday: Romans 5:1-11
Wednesday: Ephesians 5:1-20
Thursday: Hebrews 13:1-6
Friday: Deuteronomy 7:6-16
Saturday: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
Sunday: Acts 7:55-60; Psalm 31:1-8; 1 Peter 2:2-10

IV. Spend some time in prayer: pray for the Church (think big), for others, for yourself

V. Reflect: write down your thoughts, not for anyone else.

VI. Find a favorite worship song or hymn, listen to the words.

VII. Take the time to thank God for what He has done.

Prayer Room Coming

Hey everyone, some of you may know about the prayer room that is being built at BCC. If there is any input you would like to have into it, let me know. Things like furnishing, colors, what goes in the room (atmosphere stuff) are important. We want it to be something everyone feels comfortable using. PLEASE RESPOND if you have any input at all!!

Sufficient

What does it mean to you that God is sufficient?
Is he?

What things do you use, do, or think on a daily basis?

Does your reliance (or use of) on those things help you to rely more on God or less?

To me, God being sufficient means I can find hope when things are going in a direction i don't like or didn't expect. God's sufficiency means the things I have should never sustain me. It's not that we can never want something more, but that we should be willing to praise God for what we have.

A Puritan Prayer on "Spiritual Helps"

Eternal Father, it is amazing love, that Thou hast sent Thy Son to suffer in my stead, that Thou hast added the Spirit to teach, comfort, guide, that Thou hast allowed the ministry of angels to wall me round; all heaven subserves the welfare of a poor worm. Permit Thy unseen servants to be ever active on my behalf, and to rejoice when grace expands in me. Suffer them never to rest until my conflict is over, and I stand victorious on salvation's shore.

Grant that my proneness to evil, deadness to good, resistance to Thy Spirit's motions, may never provoke Thee to abandon me. May my hard heart awake Thy pity, not Thy wrath, And if the enemy gets an advantage through my corruption, let it be seen that heaven is mightier than hell, that those for me are greater than those against me. Arise to my help in richness of covenant blessings, keep me feeding in the pastures of Thy strengthening Word, searching Scripture to find Thee there.

If my waywardness is visited with a scourge, enable me to receive correction meekly, to bless the reproving hand, to discern the motive of rebuke, to respond promptly, and do the first work. Let all Thy fatherly dealings make me a partaker of Thy holiness. Grant that in every fall I may sink lower on my knees, and that when I rise it may be to loftier heights of devotion. May my every cross be sanctified, every loss be gain, every denial a spiritual advantage, every dark day a light of the Holy Spirit, every night of trial a song.

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1. SOMETHING FOR YOUR HEART
*Listening * 1 Samuel 7:5-13 Then Samuel said, “Assemble all Israel at Mizpah and I will intercede with the Lord for you.” When they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the Lord. On that day they fasted and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the Lord.” And Samuel was leader of Israel at Mizpah. When the Philistines heard that Israel had assembled at Mizpah, the rulers of the Philistines came up to attack them. And when the Israelites heard of it, they were afraid because of the Philistines. They said to Samuel, “Do not stop crying out to the Lord our God for us, that he may rescue us from the hand of the Philistines.” Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it up as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. He cried out to the Lord on Israel’s behalf, and the Lord answered him. While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the Lord thundered with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic that they were routed before the Israelites. The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the way to a point below Beth Car. Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far has the Lord helped us.” So the Philistines were subdued and did not invade Israelite territory again. Throughout Samuel’s lifetime, the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines.

*Meditation * In the Old Testament, the Israelites sometimes placed a large stone or built a monument to mark where God had done a great work. Those monuments helped them remember God is faithful. The monuments were often given names, as in this story, where Samuel names the spot Ebenezer, which means literally “stone of help.” Think of the moments when God has done great works in your life. In what ways do these experiences serve as monuments to remind you of God’s ongoing work in your life? Think about one of these moments. Did it occur on a retreat or at a camp? Perhaps at a worship service? Did it happen at a really good place in your life? Or did it happen during a really hard time? Name that moment and ponder it for a while. As you look back at your “Ebenezer” moment, consider what you learned about God in that place. In what ways did God help you in that time? If there were a plaque with an inscription on that monument, what would it say? In your time of reflection, take that moment and set it up before God as a stone that marks his presence in your life saying, “Thus far has the Lord helped me.”
** Taken from "Enjoy the Silence” by Maggie & Duffy Robbins, copyright 2006, Zondervan/Youth Specialties. Used by permission. Order the book here: http://www.YouthSpecialties.com/linker/index.php?id=6441

2. SURF REPORT ~ Light a Candle http://www.YouthSpecialties.com/linker/index.php?id=6443 ~ Sacred Space Daily prayer online http://www.YouthSpecialties.com/linker/index.php?id=6444

3. FORGETTABLE FACT The can opener was invented 48 years after cans were introduced.

4. POTENT QUOTABLES “One act of thanksgiving made when things go wrong is worth a thousand when things go well." - St. John of Avila “If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, 'thank you,' that would suffice.” - Meister Eckhart

5. PARTING SHOT If rabbits' feet are so lucky, then what happened to the rabbit?

*All "surf report" internet links and "potent quotables" are provided for informational purposes, and do not imply endorsement by Youth Specialties. copyright 2007 :: Youth Specialties 300 S. Pierce St. // El Cajon, CA 92020 888.346.4179