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A Plea for Prayer

“Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison — that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.” — Colossians 4:2–4

I don’t know what else to do than pray—no, wait, that’s not true— I mean I don’t know what better to do than pray. As we seek to faithfully move forward as a church, there are a lot of things we can do, a lot of good things. There are plenty of books we can read about church growth. There are all kinds of experienced pastors and ministry leaders we can talk to. There are seminars we can attend. There are plenty of things we can do, but none of them is better than praying. 

The apostle Paul was theologically astute, morally upright, and had the greatest support network in the history of the church, but he knew he could not do his job without prayer. Just look at his command to the church in Colossae as he wrote from prison. He told them to pray continually. Certainly he meant for them to pray for each other (encourage one another in holiness and stay focused on the mission of Christ, see Col. 3), but he was also pleading for the church to pray for him, that he would have opportunities to tell non-believers about Christ. Paul knew these kinds of opportunities only come about through the work of the Lord and only to those who are attuned to His work through prayer. 

We talk often about the lost world around us, but are we responding like the apostle Paul? Let us make a plea to the Lord in persistent prayer, “God, open to us a door for the word, that we may declare the mystery of Christ!” Are we praying that prayer for one another? Have we so ordered our lives that even if we ended up in prison our greatest desire would be to have the opportunity to tell others about Christ? 

Think with me for a moment about the dear people around you, the waiter you’ve gotten to know at your favorite restaurant, the neighbor you wave to as she works in her yard, the classmate that lets you borrow a pencil when you forgot yours, the long-time friend you keep up with on social media, the child or grandchild that you love with all your heart. What would you give to have those people know and respond to the truth of Christ? Would you pray for an open door? Would you plead with others to pray for an open door? 

Church, I don’t think we are done yet. I really don’t. I don’t think the lost world around us are beyond accepting the gospel truth we have to tell. I do think they will never hear it apart from faithful prayer that looks forward to action. So let us call out to God to do a work among us that only He can do. Like never before, let us pray! 

Pastor Josh Wootton

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FOCUSED

One of the casualties of aging to which I find myself a victim is the dimming of the eyes.  Ecclesiastes 12 counsels the young person to remember God, their Creator, in their youth before the aging process takes over and various faculties, as listed in verses 1-7, are diminished.

Clear eyesight when we are young may be something we take for granted. However, as we age the realization that our vision is not as sharp as it once was takes hold. “Readers” become standard fare for all intricate tasks. Our once keen laser sharp focus is now blurry and in need of help to restore its youthfulness. That restoration is found through glasses or some sort of rejuvenating surgery. Especially in the early stages of this degenerative eye problem we may be able to fake it and get by, but eventually we must relent and do something to correct the problem.

There is a parallel between physical and spiritual vision. “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” was written in the early 20th century. The hymn writer, Helen Lemmel, was strongly influenced by the artist and later little-known missionary, Lilias Trotter. Miss Trotter started off as an aspiring artist but early on felt a call from God to reach the lost. She began her ministry by rescuing prostitutes from the streets of London. Later she went to Africa, without missionary funding, and served for over forty years. While there she penned a poem that would greatly influence the writing of the hymn “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.”  The poem was entitled “Focused: A Story and Song.” 

The poem centers around focusing one’s attentions fully and completely upon God. She writes that Satan knows that if a person uses all their powers of concentration on being led by God’s Spirit, they will have a great intensity and impact upon those to whom they are called to minister. Lilias Trotter, writing in a more formal use of the English language than we are accustomed, shares some timeless insights which could very easily have been written today but with a different accent. She writes: “Never has it been so easy to live in half a dozen good harmless worlds at once—art, music, social science, games, motoring, the following of some profession, and so on. And between them we run the risk of drifting about, the ‘good’ hiding the ‘best’ even more effectually than it could be hidden downright frivolity with its smothered heartache at its own emptiness.”

The “good” hiding the “best” leads us to emptiness.  Could this be true of us today especially as American Christians? Have we sought the “good” while missing the “best”? The chorus of the hymn, which we will be singing in worship this Sunday, says it best.

                Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face,                                                                                                                                        And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.

Keith Pate

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