Sep 8, 2017 – Prayer Focus

Praise Report

From Fox News… Dr. Marc Siegel writes about the number of lives saved during Hurricane Harvey. After the President called the hurricane a natural disaster, and HHS Secretary Dr. Tom Price followed declaring a public health emergency, “they initiated a coordinated federal, state, and local health care response that has likely saved thousands of lives”

Praying For Our President and his team

Pray for our President as he addresses all the serious matters that come before him for intervention and aid. He has just approved Emergency Declarations for the State of Florida, the territory of the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico…all in the path of Hurricane Irma. He has ordered Federal assistance, to supplement the response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from Hurricane Irma, beginning on September 5, 2017, and continuing. Bless him, Father!

Strategic Focus for Friday

TURN, TURN, TURN! – Part 2 – Moving forward as One in the Storm…KADIMA! 

There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven—

A time to give birth and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.

A time to kill and a time to heal; A time to tear down and a time to build up.

A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance.

A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; 

A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.

A time to search and a time to give up as lost; A time to keep and a time to throw away.

A time to tear apart and a time to sew together; A time to be silent and a time to speak.

A time to love and a time to hate; A time for war and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

The above scripture is familiar to us, but do any of you remember this song from 1965, recorded by many artists, including the Byrds, Judy Collins, Dolly Parton, and others. It was based on Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. 

“Turn, Turn, Turn (To Everything There Is A Season)”

Lyrics adapted from the Bible – Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Music by Pete Seeger

To everything (turn, turn, turn), there is a season (turn, turn, turn)

and a time for every purpose, under heaven.

A time to be born, a time to die, a time to plant, a time to reap

a time to kill, a time to heal, a time to laugh, a time to weep

To everything (turn, turn, turn), there is a season (turn, turn, turn)

and a time for every purpose, under heaven

A time to build up, a time to break down, a time to dance, a time to mourn

a time to cast away stones, a time to gather stones together

To everything (turn, turn, turn), there is a season (turn, turn, turn)

and a time for every purpose, under heaven

A time of love, a time of hate, a time of war, a time of peace

a time you may embrace, a time to refrain from embracing

To everything (turn, turn, turn), there is a season (turn, turn, turn)

and a time for every purpose, under heaven

A time to gain, a time to lose, a time to rend, a time to sew,

a time to love, a time to hate, a time for peace, I swear it’s not too late.

Let us agree with the songwriter Pete Seeger that “it’s not too late”. We need to ask for forgiveness for allowing our egos, agendas and ambitions to cause us to be divided within the Body of Christ. Our choices to separate from one another has caused deep pain in the Church. Let us pray for healing for ourselves and the Body! (As the facilitator reads each petition, respond: Forgive us, have mercy on us and heal Your Body, Lord!)

Facilitator: For division in the family between husbands and wives.

 For not modeling the loving relationship that God designed from the beginning. 

This has led to the highest divorce rate in history in the Church.

Response: Forgive us, have mercy on us and heal Your Body, Lord!

Facilitator: For division between parents and children and between the generations.

Instead of loving and honoring the older generation, we have disrespected them and gone our own way, missing the blessing that was to be bestowed upon us from one generation to the other. 

Response: Forgive us, have mercy on us and heal Your Body, Lord!

Facilitator: For division in local congregations and Christian communities. 

We have not obeyed Your Commandment to “love one another as You have loved us” therefore, we have failed to be the witnesses who would show the world Who YOU ARE!

Response: Forgive us and have mercy on us and heal Your Body, Lord! 

Facilitator: For division between the different denominations.

Although “diversity in unity” is a gift from You, Lord, we have caused our doctrines to become walls of separation between us. 

Response: Forgive us, have mercy on us and heal Your Body, Lord!

Facilitator: For division between the spiritual leaders of the nation.

Lord, You called us to be the spiritual shepherds of Your people in this great nation. We caused division in the flock through our pride and arrogance, which has kept us from being the ONE BODY IN CHRIST that You called us to be. 

Response: Forgive us, have mercy on us and heal Your Body, Lord! 

Facilitator: For division caused by competition.

It’s all about You, Lord, and being one in You! Instead of completing one another, we’ve been competing with one another.

Response: Forgive us, have mercy on us and heal Your Body, Lord!

Facilitator: (This part is to be read in short phrases (designated by // )

so all may agree as they repeat it together in prayer)

Lord, without Your Presence, we cannot be one! // 

Because of our sin, we have prevented You from being with us in the way that You desire! // 

We implore You to forgive us, to heal us and to come and abide with us, making us one in You again! // 

Lord, have mercy on the United States and bless us as we bless you today!

~~~~~

Hineni, Adonai! Here I am, Lord!

Engaging in a Warfare of Love!

The Battle of the Bride!

KADIMA! Onward…forward!

To print the PDF file, use the following link:

https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:5b68a0c0-2ede-471a-80a6-b5945895ad2c