What the heck! On Saturday morning I sauntered out to my driveway to get the newspaper and there parked next to my garage was a old Ford pickup with a young Latino couple asleep in the front seat. My first thought? The old Everly Brothers song, “Wake Up Little Suzie.” My next thought. Could have been me at that age. I tapped on the window, woke them up, and after a stuttering apology, they quickly backed down my driveway and drove off. My prayer for them? Lord, you completely changed my life from my misspent youth to opening my heart to your Son. Do that for them.
Prayer Focus This Week….
** Riley Family: Pressing most on my heart this week is the loss of Mark and Tami Riley’s son Lucas to a drunk driver 10 days ago in San Diego. Mark, a good friend of Chris Lizotte, led worship at Little Church last year and has been in worship ministry for a long time. It’s heartbreaking and God will see them through but it’s very tough and challenging. Picture of Lucas below who was in ministry when he was killed…
**Shari Yamamoto in Malawi: I start teaching today. Please pray for energy and clarity of mind and 100 percent of the Spirit’s guidance. So appreciate you and my CBS family. Praying for you, Elizabeth and all the prayer requests I received from you and the blue cards, especially the worship leader who lost his son. Love to all, especially my family in the upper room- Shari
** Vicki High: My brother and his family lost most of what they own in the recent Baton Rouge floods, as well as his wife’s parents home, his brother-in-law’s business, the school where my nieces attend and my brother’s wife works, and countless homes & businesses of their friends…all lost. Few had insurance since this area typically isn’t a flood concern. These rains just simply were not typical rains
**From A Distressed Mom: Please pray for my son. He is struggling with alcohol and needs help.
** From A Distressed Husband: God send your angel armies to defeat the enemy’s attack on my marriage and family. I pray against all evil spirits of divorce and separation. I pray for a spirit of forgiveness to enter my wife’s heart.
**Oliver: Prayer for nine-months old Oliver Blanco undergoing lung surgery this week
** Jim R. – inoperable brain tumor; given till December to live; pray for a miracle.
I get letters….
From Mary Deane: My heart is so heavy for Lucas Riley’s family and loved ones! I know God will give them all they need to continue on, but there is nothing tougher or more heartbreaking than losing a son. They are, and will continue to be in my prayers. God has been so faithful, merciful and most loving to me through each and every day since David passed into His Presence (David was 28 when he died in a motorcycle accident in 2008). It took me a lot of time to realize it though. God used you, and each of your prayer partners, to help me through the most difficult time in my life.
From Tom Ravensberg: Hi Jay, just an addendum to your words (dealing with seeming defeat in life). When we can realize in our hearts and minds that faith in Christ is our victory that overcomes the world then we can rejoice in any circumstance. Our circumstances don’t need to change to have the victory in this life. Believing in the promises of God in Christ is the victory. When we proclaim the glory of Christ and the hope of eternal life in Him, we overcome the enemy. Faith itself is the victory that overcomes the world
On Prayer: “Prayer is not the only thing we do – just the first thing we do.” Anonymous
Good passage to meditate upon this week: “Trust in the Lord will All your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5,6
Jay