Frontline Prayer
The sanctuary WILL BE OPEN
THIS FRIDAY, September 25th!
So, join TOGETHER in prayer at 10 a.m. for the spiritual needs at TFN, in our personal lives, in the lives of those God may be leading us to bless, in our imediate neghborhood, and in our neighborhoods as well as pray for the spiritual work God is doing & wants to do in all of us!!
On Friday's that the santuary is CLOSED, pray WHEREVER YOU ARE!
If you need a little fodder for your prayers, read the "thoughts" that are provided following this announcement.
The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield[a] and the horn[b] of my salvation, my stronghold. - Psalm 18:2
On this day twenty-five years ago, I remember where I was between 8 & 9 a.m. EST. I was in my basement living area turning on the news just to check out the day. Like all other Americans and millions of others around the world, I was distraught by what I was watching. The only response I could muster was to pray … open the doors of the church, contact as many as I could to let them know the church was open, and put a make-shift sign in front of the Wallingford Church of the Nazarene to let people know that we were open for prayer.
These 25 years later, the Church of Jesus in its physical form of buildings MUST REMAIN OPEN for prayer and the “Body of Jesus” … YES, you and me and all other believers … MUST REMAIN OPEN to and ENGAGED in prayer!
OH, THANK THE LORD that He is our Rock, our Fortress, our Deliverer, our Refuge, our Shield, our Horn of Salvation, our Stronghold and SO MUCH MORE!
In this spiritual & physical journey called life, we are BLESSED to be called to be Children of the Heavenly Father and to know His Protection is over us. As well, we are encouraged by Paul (and others) to pray as he wrote to the Ephesians:
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. - Ephesians 6:10-13
After we don the full Armor of God, this is how Paul tells us to “stand”:
pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. - Ephesians 6:14
So, on this 25th Anniversary of 9-11, Church of Jesus Christ …
- Give THANKS for the Lord, Who is our Rock, Fortress, Deliverer, Refuge, Shield, Horn of Salvation, Stronghold, and SO MUCH MORE!
- Give THANKS for Jesus, Who is our Salvation, Truth, Wisdom, Righteousness, Peace, Life and SO MUCH MORE!
- Give THANKS for The Spirit, Who is our Guide, Comforter, Presence, Counselor, Power, and SO MUCH MORE!
- Give THANKS for the protection, peace, renewal, strength, comfort, direction, etc., etc., etc., that God gives us in all or life’s situations.
As we continue to live in the Easter Season, THANK THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY for The Resurrection of Jesus Christ!
THANK THE LORD GOD, MERCIFUL and GRACIOUS, that because of The Resurrection of Jesus Christ, we have the hope of His Life within us, living abundantly, particularly in the spiritual realm. As Paul related to the Colossians in that “you-may-be-tired-of-hearing-from-me” text:
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. ~ Col. 3:1-3
Our life is HIDDEN with Christ in God! THINK OF THAT! WOW!
Also, because of The Resurrection of Jesus, Paul could write these words:
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that He lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 He made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
11 In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of His glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of His glory. ~ Eph. 1:3-14
DOUBLE WOW!
AND … though not as an exhaustive list, because of the Resurrection of Jesus, God’s Resurrection Power is at work within you! As Paul continues the just quoted opening of his letter to the Ephesians:
15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people, 19 and His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 He exerted when He raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for The Church, 23 which is His Body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way. ~ Eph. 1:15-23
TRIPLE WOW! WOW! WOW!
So, as you pray today, pray with humble gratitude that God has planted His Power within you! As Paul later wrote in Ephesians, because of God’s Power within you and His Armor “upon” you, you can stand firm even in the face of your “Good Friday”s that appear the rulers, the authorities, the powers of this dark world and spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm are winning. However, God fought through surrender, submission, love … and WON, and as He lives in and through you, so will you!