Click the picture of the link below or
Copy and paste the link into your browser
or search YouTube for ‘What is Faith?’ – John Piper
“And when they came to the multitude, a man came up to
Him, falling on his knees before Him, and saying, ‘Lord have mercy on my son,
for he is a lunatic, and is very ill; for he often falls into the fire, and
often into the water. And I brought him
to Your disciples, and they could not cure him.’
“And Jesus answered and said, ‘O unbelieving and perverted
generation, how long shall I be with you?
How long shall I put up with you?
Bring him here to Me.’ And Jesus
rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured at once.
“Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, ‘Why
could we not cast it out?’ And He said
to them, ‘Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if
you have faith as a mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, ‘Move from here
to there,’ and it shall move; and nothing shall be impossible to you.’” Matthew
17:14-20
Our struggles seem almost to mock the triumphant slogans
about God’s love and personal concern that you often hear in Christian circles. No one is immune to the downward spiral of
disappointment.
It happens to all of us.
First comes disappointments (big or little), then a tiny mustard seed of
doubt takes root, then anger raises its mighty head, or we feel betrayed. All this leads to questioning whether God is
trustworthy – can we stake our lives and our eternal future in His hands?
[Jesus teaching] “’All things have been handed over to Me
by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, nor does anyone know
the Father, except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.
“’Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I
will give you rest. Take My yoke upon
you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find
rest for your souls. For My yoke is
easy, and My load is light.’” Matthew 11:27-3-
And there is the answer to nipping disappointment in the bud!
Take care, your servant and friend in Christ, Darlene (who
prays for you each morning).
PS: My statement of
faith: https://especiallyhislove.blogspot.com (also you will find a series of beginner
Bible studies there.). Also, you can find the WeakDay Devotion online by doing
a Google search for ‘WeakDay Devotion’.
(Also, there is an android ‘Goggle Blogger’ app you can download to read
them on your phone.)
COVID-19
Please pray for all those involved in making critical
decisions during this time of pandemic.
Pray for those who have lost loved ones, those who contract the virus,
the healthcare workers, those on the front line and for all those feeling
afraid, lonely or confused. Pray all are
wise, patient and take precautions to contain the effects. For practical information, please visit https://newsaboutcovid19.blogspot.com/
Latest Statistics
·
Today in 215 countries
·
6,233,150 reported cases
·
53,398 in serious condition
·
373,094 reported deaths (some are related to
pre-existing conditions)
NEW PRAYER REQUESTS
(NOTE: Words
underlined have a link embedded to provide more details)
·
USA – Pray
the Lord will demonstrate His power in unexpected and uniting ways during these
times of unrest and confusion. Help
hearts settle and rest in Him alone. Let
the truth of God’s Word and ways overcome the drive to destroy our founding,
Bible-based values. For Christ-centre,
Bible-based revival in the USA and religious freedom for Christians wherever
they may be.
·
Hans –
a dear friend in Germany, diagnosed with lung cancer that has metastasized, home
for the next three weeks before he resumes chemo. Pray for his healthcare providers, his
patience and wisdom. Pray he is
surrounded by faithful and compassionate Christian friends who will support him
through this journey. Pray for his Mom
(age 83) is unwell herself. Pray their
time together will be filled with extraordinary good memories and love.
·
Scott –
recently married. Pray he finds a job
soon so he can provide for his new wife and two children. Help him reach out for the hand of our loving
Heavenly Father so he recognises God is working in all this for the best
outcome for them all.
·
Penne –
recently widowed after 43 years, the last ten of which she was her husband’s
full-time caregiver. She suffers mental
problems from a childhood experience and has reached out to Patti (who asks for
wisdom and patience). Penne has
‘disowned’ all her family, and although a believer, does not attend fellowship
for support. Please pray for her peace
of mind and God’s guidance.
·
USA President
Donald Trump – As Christians it
is our responsibility to pray for our leaders and know that God has a plan for
the USA through this man. If you doubt
the importance of his appointment, just look at the baseless antagonism against
him. Surely Satan is NOT happy and means to thwart God’s plan. Pray someone helps President Trump and Melania to understand the true meaning of a
personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and that they will both have a
insatiable hunger to read God’s Word for themselves – and that God sends a Bible-Believing
Christian to regularly disciple them in the Truth – and that God shuts the
mouths of the false prophets who regularly circle around them.
·
Fred I – planning a move from California to Tennessee in
the Fall of 2020 (if possible). Pray for
his wise attention to detail, stamina and roaring good health, as he makes
these life changes.
·
Unnamed
– lost both her parents within six months after a lifetime of caring for
them. Her husband’s mother died in
January and his 94-year old father now lives with them. Pray they take time for each other and keep
their faith strong.
·
Ravi
Zacharias – is home with the
Lord, now. Pray for his family and
friends as they grieve his loss and for the continuation of his ministry.
·
Those who loved
Doris – pray for those of us who grieve the loss of a remarkable
woman who helped bring me to His Cross.
Pray for those in full-time service
During this time, when the entire world is struggling to
understand this new ‘plague’, it is critical for us to uphold our Christian
leaders. They will be needed
everywhere. Pray for their wisdom,
safety, ingenuity, strength and for their families.
Pray for those with ongoing health concerns
Many of us have family, friends and loved ones who are
fragile health wise. It is important to
protect them in practical ways and most important we must pray even more for
them that the Lord will have mercy on them during this challenging time.
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