Prayers: January 16, 2022

Prayers

Always be joyful. Never stop praying.  Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

• Thank God that after our suffering, He will restore, support and strengthen us. 1 Peter 5:10
• Thank God that we have only to call on Him and He will heal us with His word. Psalm 107:20
• Thank God for the example of Abraham who didn’t hesitate to follow God’s instructions to sacrifice his son.
• Thank God for our church building, a sanctuary where we may experience God in peace and freedom.
• Thank God that no matter how far we may wander from His perfect will for our lives or consequences we have to live with, He always welcomes us back into His arms.
• God, open our eyes to turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Help us to receive forgiveness of sins and be set apart to serve as God’s people. Acts 26:18
• Help us to be holy because You are holy; to live for You and not for us. Leviticus 19:2
• Pray for those who mourn the loss of loved ones.
• Pray for those recovering from surgery or other medical treatment.
• Pray for those who cannot worship freely or publicly.
• Pray for those experiencing financial or employment troubles.
• Pray for those whose lives are driven by COVID fear; help us all to grab hold of Jesus who can overcome any virus or obstacle.
• Pray for the ability to recognize the deep peace that comes from meeting God’s approval.
• Pray for our Sunday School teachers – thank God for their willing service to share God’s word and wisdom.
• Pray that our ministry plans for 2022 will be blessed by God as we identify, organize, and execute.
• Pray that our words of encouragement may result in fruit for the Lord!

To Think About

For months now we have been warned about the need for social distancing for safety from the COVID virus.  It has changed the way we interact with others, sometimes to the extreme resulting in isolation or heightened emotions.  But social distancing should not apply to our relationship with God.  Psalm 73:28 – But as for me, how good it is to be near God! II have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do. Sometimes it may feel that God is far off, but that is our doing –have we kept up our times of worship, Scripture reading, and fellowship with other believers?  Once we recognize that God remains the strength of my heart, v.26, we will experience the presence of God especially in the difficulties of life.

禱告事項

“要常常喜樂， 不住的禱告， 凡事謝恩。因為這是 神在基督耶穌裏向你們所定的旨意。”

帖撒羅尼迦前書 五章 十六至十八節

• 感謝上帝，在我們受苦之後，祂會復興、支持和堅固我們。彼得前書 5:10
• 感謝上帝，我們只需要呼求祂，祂就會用祂的話語醫治我們。詩篇 107:20
• 感謝上帝以亞伯拉罕做我們的榜樣，他毫不猶豫地按照上帝的指示犧牲他的兒子。
• 感謝上帝給我們的教堂，在聖所我們可以在和平與自由中經歷上帝。
• 感謝上帝，無論我們有多遠離他對我們生活的完美旨意或承受必須的後果，他總是歡迎我們回到祂的懷抱。
• 神啊，叫我們的眼睛得開，從黑暗中歸向光明，從撒但權下歸向神。幫助我們得蒙赦罪，並分別出來作為上帝的子民事奉祂。使徒行傳 26:18
• 幫助我們成為聖潔，因為你是聖潔的；也助我們為你而活，而不是為己而活。利未記 19:2
• 為那些喪失親人而悲痛的人祈禱。
• 為那些從手術或其他醫療中康復的人禱告。
• 為那些不能自由或公開敬拜的人禱告。
• 為那些遇到財務或就業困難的人禱告。
• 為那些被恐懼新冠疫情驅動生活的人祈禱；幫助我們抓住可以克服任何病毒或障礙的耶穌。
• 祈求我們能夠認識到來自上帝的認可而帶來徹底的平安。
• 為我們的主日學老師祈禱 — 感謝他們為了分享上帝的話語和智慧而樂意服務。
• 祈求在我們確定、組織和執行 2022 年的事工計劃時得到上帝的祝福。
• 祈求我們鼓勵的說話能為上帝結出果子！

思想

多個月來，我們一直因COVID 病毒被警告需要保持社交距離。它改變了我們與別人交流的方式，有時甚至達到極端，導致孤立或情緒高漲。但社交距離不適用於我們與上帝的關係。詩篇 73:28 – 但我親近神是與我有益；我以主耶和華為我的避難所，好叫我述說你一切的作為。有時可能我們會覺得神離我們很遠，但那是我們所做成的 — 我們有否保持敬拜、讀經和與其他信徒相交？一旦我們認識到上帝仍然是我心裡的力量（第 26 節），我們將體驗到上帝的同在，特別是在生活的困難中。