Prayers of the congregation

     At the beginning of a new year, people often pause to review the past and make resolutions or new goals for the future.

     The year 2022 was a full year. 2022 was full of challenges and struggles, loss, health issues for many and also a year full of God’s grace and love and mercy.

     Our servants and saints embraced God’s grace and chose to share His grace with others. Backpacks were filled with personal items for women quickly leaving a bad or abusive relationship. Grocery bags were filled with nonperishable food to provide a few meals for these and other women.

As summer rolled through, our congregation participated in a week of Feed the Lambs, a program to assist children needing food during school break. There were hot dogs, and fried chicken and pizza.

     Throughout the year, items were collected for Christmas Shoeboxes. Fifty six (56) shoeboxes were filled with great stuff and prayers and shipped to Colombia.

    So many other quiet saints visited the nursing home and shut ins, took meals to the bereaved and made phone calls to check on those absent.
 

     Isaiah 43: 18-19 says, “Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it will spring forth.”

     That doesn’t necessarily mean we forget the great projects we have completed. We are to work and to live with excellence to God and He takes pleasure in our successes as they are offered to His glory.

     Paul says in Philippians 3:13-14 “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

As we move into 2023, there are 3 things we need to do:

     1) Keep trusting God. Do you think it might make a difference if ALL people who call Jesus Lord had complete trust in God’s will and God’s way? My guess, that it would change the world overnight!

     2) Take care of those we love. That is what we do in 2023. We take care of those we love, not only materially but emotionally and spiritually. We love them, listen to them, encourage them. We understand that they are God’s gift to us, and we treat them with love and dignity.

     3) Remember the WORLD to whom Christ came and for which he died.

     Why did Christ come into the world? One reason and one reason alone: Because, “God so loved the world. That’s it. It is good that we take care of those we love. However, as people of faith, we are called to expand those borders to understand that the good of every person on this earth is our concern.

     2023 has just arrived and LIVING for Jesus may just be getting started for some of us.
    Trust God.
    Take care of those you love.
    Expand your love to all for whom God sent His son into the world.