My heart is always poised to passionately pray for pastors and leaders, yes, especially for local churches. Please join me in these essential intercessions.
Heavenly wisdom is surely needed during these challenging COVID-19 earthly days. Let us call nonstop on the Lord to have His way in and through us all as we slowly sail forward into uncharted waters.
Closing the churches a few months ago was difficult, nevertheless, knowing how and when to reopen the churches is even more difficult and presents huge challenges, especially threatening to increase stress and anxiety in the lives of our local pastors and their congregations.
Last evening I saturated in the Holy Scriptures. I was led to Psalm 133 by Pastor Mark Justice of our Lancaster, Pennsylvania Church of the Nazarene. His online Bible study yesterday was from this particular Psalm.
Psalm 133 is only three verses but it is truly powerful and among my personal favorites. It is a Psalm of Ascent that the Jewish people sung and still sing on their way up to Jerusalem for worship.
Here it is:
"How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore." Psalms 133:1-3 NIV
This morning when I awoke my prayer focus was still on local pastors and leaders and the local churches they shepherd. My prayer is very specific, in that, I ask the Lord to protect the unity of our people as pastors and leaders seek the mind of Christ for the plan that will be best for the local churches to reopen and the people to return in harmony to local worship facilities.
Right now it seems these very details are dividing our country and it is heart-wrenching to watch.
So i pray:
Dear Lord, help us as your people to have spiritual unity and to express it to one another so the rest of the world will see Your glory through our lives during these uncertain and somewhat complicated days. Help us to fervently seek your heart and to know your perfect will and to obey your pure desires. Let all division and politics within our local churches be laid aside so that the Holy Spirit’s awakening of eternal souls might continue to increase until Your Return. Help true love, real forgiveness, and deep friendship to flourish among us. Let Your peace be undeniable in our lives and allow us to live as the people least anxious during these days of unrest. In the Name of Jesus, i desperately and confidently pray. Amen.
Final Note: This old hymn of the faith has been strong on my heart today. i pray you will know His blessed assurance in abundance.
Click link for inspiration:
Hope Happens HERE!
Presence Matters Most!
No Invisible People! UNITY!
Pastor Kerry Willis
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