One Prayer

Mark Beeson asked, "If you could pray one prayer for the Church, what would you pray?"

My prayer is for people to embrace the gift that God has given. People matter to God. He loves us so much that he gave the life of Jesus for us, to save us, to draw us to Him. Accepting the gift is simple to understand, but it is difficult to do consistently. When we do, it overflows. The evidence that we have taken in the gift of God's love, and our response to it, is shown as we love one another.

God must have known it would challenging for us because it is talked about often in the Bible.

Jesus prayed, "Holy Father, guard them as they pursue this life that you conferred as a gift through me, So they can be one heart and mind as we are one heart and mind." John 17:11

Paul spoke, "So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him." Romans 12:1

Jesus closed his prayer in John 17:26, " I have made your very being known to them—Who you are and what you do—And continue to make it known, So that your love for me might be in them exactly as I am in them."

Comments

[Sarah Rulli]

I'm not surprised that is your prayer, Kathy. You have such a heart for people and it shows in everything you do.

[Miki]

Kathy,
Your right it is easy to understand but so hard to do. I always knew I was forgiven and tried to accept it. I always wondered how it would change things once I finnally was able to do so. I remember Pastor Beeson Friday night speaking at the womens retreat and I dont even remember what he exactly said that sparked this but... I all of a sudden realized.... I have accepted Gods forgivenss for my past. How did I realize this and what does it look like. Well it looks like a girl who has a pretty "checkered" past but who now knows she matters, its the way that I handle my relationships, its the way I treat others and its the way I have learned that I matter enough to set boundaries for myself and to stick to them. Thank you because you have been a really BIG part in helping me learn these things. I do matter and my past doesnt hurt so much anymore.

[Miki]

Kathy,
Your right it is easy to understand but so hard to do. I always knew I was forgiven and tried to accept it. I always wondered how it would change things once I finnally was able to do so. I remember Pastor Beeson Friday night speaking at the womens retreat and I dont even remember what he exactly said that sparked this but... I all of a sudden realized.... I have accepted Gods forgivenss for my past. How did I realize this and what does it look like. Well it looks like a girl who has a pretty "checkered" past but who now knows she matters, its the way that I handle my relationships, its the way I treat others and its the way I have learned that I matter enough to set boundaries for myself and to stick to them. Thank you because you have been a really BIG part in helping me learn these things. I do matter and my past doesnt hurt so much anymore.

[Frank Chiapperino]

Kathy, I noticed on Kem's blog you are doing a workshop at the end of the month. I said a prayer for you today.