Tag Archives: prayer

Church, It’s Time to Intercede (Part 2): Wake up to the Harvest

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sherjc.com_candle_cross_cirThis is the second post in a 2-part series. Read part 1.

“‘Why was there no man when I came? When I called, why was there none to answer? Is My hand so short that it cannot ransom? Or have I no power to deliver?'” –The Lord, Isaiah 50:2a-d

As I examine myself and the state of the Church, we should have been desperately crying out to God long ago, united as a people of Christ in asking for His “Kingdom come” and His “will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9-15).

Now is the time to pray, not to look the other way. Now is the time to cry out on behalf of the many who desperately need to know they need Jesus. Now is the time to fall to our knees and cry out for God to do a miraculous work in drawing men, women, and children to Himself, to send laborers…to send us… into His fields. Continue reading →

Church, It’s Time to Intercede (Part 1): When Hope Meets Compassion

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“First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” –Paul, 1 Timothy 2:1-3

Today, the Lord really put it on my heart that, more than ever, people of Christ, now is a time to intercede.

In light of recent decrees and happenings in the States, we really need to cry out to God, the Righteous Judge, for His mercy, asking Him to forgive us of our sin and heal our land. Indeed, our generation bears witness along with those who have gone before that all have sinned and fallen short of God’s ways and glory (Romans 3:21-26; 1 John 1:5-2:6).

And yet, Church, let us not forget: Jesus Christ is still the Hope and Savior of the world.
Continue reading →

A Time to Cry Out (Part 2): Weariness and God’s Strength

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sherjc.com_dusk_ocean_ship_cirThis is the second post in a 2-part series. Read part 1: The Fight Against Apathy and Weariness

“Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’ Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” –Paul (2 Corinthians 12:8-10)

“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” –Paul (Philippians 4:13)

Did you know that it’s okay to be weary?

Really.

Although it hurts our pride (especially for us self-sufficient people!), we really don’t need to have it all together or have all the answers. We simply don’t have resources or power like that in our own strength and wisdom, but God certainly does.

When we’re confronted with the bigness of the darkness, trials, suffering, and pain in this world, it’s only natural to get overwhelmed. We really are not quite as “big” as we like to think, and to admit the reality of our proportion, our size in comparison to all that is wrong in this world, in our communities, in ourselves that discourages and overwhelms can be downright frightening. Continue reading →

A Time to Cry Out (Part 1): The Fight Against Apathy and Weariness

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This is the first post in a 2-part series. Read part 2: Weariness and God’s Strength.

It all started with an unsuspecting jaunt over to check some messages on social media for a few minutes on a low-key Sunday afternoon. Just a cruise through my news feed, I thought, to reply to a message I knew was waiting. But what then followed was curiosity about the current goings on of my “friends” (you know how it goes… 😉 ) and reading mostly upbeat posts, cheery statuses, insightful blog posts, and beautiful images of life from various sunny weekend spots.

And in the midst of this slice of life from my news feed, I was confronted by a jarring photograph of a woman’s bloodied face and the far away, desperate look in her eyes after airstrikes near her home.

It was arresting.

Haunting.

Unreal, but sadly, very real…

It captured my attention, and I couldn’t continue scrolling down the news feed without stopping and wanting to know more.

Continue reading →