Prayer Snares: christianity today

Take note all you "GO" facilitators...

Common habits and practices that can dull our conversations with God.
by Wayne Jacobsen

Though the exercise of prayer offers comfort for the moment, many prayer requests treat God like a genie in a bottle. Here are some prayer requests that reflect our human desires more than the desires of God. Do these sound familiar?

The Trivial Prayer
"I pray I can get over this cold," or "Give us a rain-free day for the church picnic."

Our comfort and our plans are important to us, but could God have something larger in mind? Might the farmers around us desperately need the rain? Our requests need to reflect things we truly expect God to do, not just our hopes and whims. We don't want our requests to trivialize the awesome gift of prayer.

The Self-Motivated Prayer
"My brother's unit just got called up to go to Iraq. Let's pray he won't have to go."

Though we can understand the emotion behind the request, it is still misplaced. If he's in the military, why shouldn't he go? God's purposes frequently include hardship and risk. Should we ask him to trump his purposes for our convenience?

The Controlling Prayer
We're spitting into the wind if we ask God to make other people act according to our will. He doesn't force people to adhere to his will. Why should he make them act according to ours?

The Manipulative Prayer
We're usually more diplomatic than four-year-old Charissa, who knew what she wanted: "Jesus, would you help Bob and Laurie learn how to spank their children, so their kids won't hit me when I visit them?" It worked for Charissa, but I don't think prayer is supposed to send subtle (or not so subtle) messages to the faithful.

The Blaming Prayer
One group was praying for an infertile woman. Some thought she wasn't getting pregnant because her husband wouldn't be a good father, so they asked God to change him. The wife tried to manipulate the husband to change, and before long, she was incredibly frustrated. The group had missed the point. None of us qualify for God's gifts. If God waited until everyone was ready to have a baby, no one would ever give birth.

The Mass-Produced Prayer
Why do we think prayers are more likely to get answered if more people are in on it? God's answers to prayer are not based on a tally sheet. Prayer was designed for two or three faithful believers, not large numbers of uninvolved people.

Wayne Jacobsen is director of Lifestream Ministries in Oxnard, California.

fr http://www.christianitytoday.com/smallgroups/articles/prayersnares.html

1st Mimosa Walkers Cell - 2 Oct 2007

Top L-R: Charis, Zel, Tresno
Bottom L-R: Frank, Kenneth, Kenny
Not in pic: Edlyn

a Light* sharing: "New Challenges", Oct 07

"New Challenges 1" – A Friend like Andrew

When you're down and troubled
and you need a helping hand
and nothing whoa nothing is going right.
Close your eyes and think of me
and soon I will be there
to brighten up even your darkest nights.

You just call out my name
and you know whereever I am
I'll come running oh yeah baby
to see you again.
Winter spring summer or fall
all you have to do is call
and I'll be there yeah yeah yeah.
You've got a friend.

If the sky above you
should turn dark and full of clouds
and that old north wind should begin to blow
Keep your head together and call my name out loud
and soon I will be knocking upon your door.
You just call out my name and you know where ever I am
I'll come running to see you again.
Winter, spring, summer or fall
all you got to do is call
and I'll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Hey, ain't it good to know that you've got a friend?
People can be so cold.
They'll hurt you and desert you.
Well they'll take your soul if you let them.
Oh yeah, but don't you let them.

You just call out my name and you know wherever I am
I'll come running to see you again.
Oh babe, don't you know that,
Winter spring summer or fall,
Hey now, all you've got to do is call.
Lord, I'll be there, yes I will.
You've got a friend.
You've got a friend.
Ain't it good to know you've got a friend.
Ain't it good to know you've got a friend.
You've got a friend



Your definition of 'friend': ______________________________________

WANTED: A Friend like Andrew!

John 1: 40-42. Did you notice the first thing Andrew did? He searched and found his brother and told him about Jesus! When we see Andrew in the Gospel of John, he is always bringing others to Jesus. Shouldn't you be an Andrew, too? Who is someone with whom you would like to share Jesus? Why not begin to pray daily that the Lord will open their heart and help you see the opportunity to share your faith and Jesus' grace!

SHARE:

How you have brought someone to know more about God this year.

What does being a friend mean to you and how has God spoken to you about it recently.

Why do you think bringing your friends to Jesus/Trinity/cell group is important?

Who do you want to bring to Jesus before 2007 ends?

i. Pre-believers with physical and emotional needs:___________

ii. Believers who need to come back to the Lord: ___________________________

iii. Pre-believers who need to witness the power of God & be saved: ___________

PRAY: Loving and righteous Father, please bless me as I seek to share Jesus with... Give me wisdom to see your work in their lives, to know the right time for them to hear about Christ, and to have courage to share my faith and your salvation with them. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

TAKE HOME MESSAGE: (fill in your own, here)

==============================================


"New Challenges 2"

Passionately in Love?



No one knows a broken heart like God does.

– John Ortberg, "Love Beyond Reason."


Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is born of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God — for God is love. God showed how much he loved us by sending his only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love has been brought to full expression through us. And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. ( 1 John 4:7-13 )

God will look to every soul like its first love because He is its first love." – CS Lewis


SHARE:

How do you know that God loves you? Share some instances in which you have known His love.

What is your 'passion level' (on a scale of 1 – 10) for God? Are you passionately in love?

Last week, we shared about how we can be a friend like Andrew. Knowing God's love for us, what are the ways which we can show God's love to our friends whom we want to bring to God?

Do I really know God or just know about God? What commitment can I make to know Him better?



Take Home message: Know how much God loves you and live in His purpose for your life. Make a commitment to get to know God better.



PRAY: Dear God, I believe that you have loved me with an everlasting love. Help me to love others and see others the way you see them. I pray that I will always love You, and I want Your love for my life. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.



-shared by spiritedly, first part of Oct, 2007, Light* cell.

 

 

 

 

Photos courtesy of Jonathan "Prayer Summit" Chua, from Light*.

Mid-Autumn Festival @ Sunnydale~~~~~**

Hi All,

For easy viewing, have uploaded them to: http://rachellmc.multiply.com/photos/album/20/Cell_Multiplication_Mooncake_festival

God bless, have a nice day!

---Rachel Lee from Sunnydale~

~~~***~~~~When One becomes TWO~~~~***~~~

Jesus washes the disciples feet

1 It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. 2 The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" 7 Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand." 8 "No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me." 9 "Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!" 10 Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you." 11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean. 12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. 13 "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

In 3 months time...

1) What do you see yourself growing in?
2) What role do you see yourself playing in cell?

Last night cell was a time of fun, fellowship and interesting strolling holding our lanterns viewing sunnydale condominium in its cool night breeze~ ^-^ And after finishing a very very delicious serving of homemade/handmade Bee Hoon that was filled with love@_@, sweat-_-" and ^o^hard work of a faithful servant of God, , as well as other wonderful food gathered by everyone; we had a time to bless each other with positive word, words of encouragement and for several, words of affirmations and thanks~ (\*^o^*/)

Like what was shared last night, this is a beginning of something great. And indeed multiplications are a natural course to take for us christians, for the advancement of our Lord's Kingdom. As we are moving into a new chapter, a new season, we look into scriptures where is describes the role of which we are truely called to play. The role of a servant. So, as Jesus washed his disciples feet, and thereafter calling us to do as he did:serve. I encourage all sunnydalers as well as mimosa walkers to grow in this area. It is not a position of glory; it is a call to glorify God. Hold on to the vision you have casted for yourself, and after 3 months, really look for it hard, and open to discover for yourself, what you have commited in prayer unto God. See for yourself his faithfulness and the potential of what he can do in your life.

So dear brothers and sisters in christ, may our lives be a wonderful testimony that we would share when we reach heaven~ ^-^

And no worries!!! We would still see each other at YAS!!! ^o^*

Shalom~

The Usability Factor

Shared during Grow in Light*.

How can God use me?
Keep this question in mind as we go forth.
In the Bible, we find some people who are used by God. Take a look at these characters and ... How can God use ME?

300.
Have you watched the movie 300? Do you know that this show is inspired by the Bible's '300'? Yes, there is also a '300' in the Bible. They are known as the 'Gideon 300'.

Judges 7:1-7

Gideon's 300 Chosen Men

1 Then Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the people who were with him, rose early and camped beside the spring of Harod; and the camp of Midian was on the north side of them by the hill of Moreh R157 in the valley.

2 The LORD said to Gideon, "The people who are with you are too many for Me to give Midian into their hands, for Israel would become boastful, saying, `My own power has delivered me.' 3 "Now therefore come, F103 proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying, `Whoever is afraid and trembling, let him return and depart from Mount Gilead.' " So 22,000 people returned, but 10,000 remained.

4 Then the LORD said to Gideon, "The people are still too many; bring them down to the water and I will test them for you there. Therefore it shall be that he of whom I say to you, `This one shall go with you,' he shall go with you; but everyone of whom I say to you, `This one shall not go with you,' he shall not go." 5 So he brought the people down to the water. And the LORD said to Gideon, "You shall separate everyone who laps the water with his tongue as a dog laps, as well as everyone who kneels to drink." 6 Now the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was 300 men; but all the rest of the people kneeled to drink water. 7 The LORD said to Gideon, "I will deliver you with the 300 men who lapped and will give the Midianites into your hands; so let all the other people go, each man to his home." 8 So the 300 men took the people's provisions and their trumpets into their hands. And Gideon sent all the other men of Israel, each to his tent, but retained the 300 men; and the camp of Midian was below him in the valley.

There are many conjectures to why God used these 300 men. Some said that it was because of the way they drank the water, it showed a certain watchfulness. There could be many reasons, but I'd like to believe that these 300 men had a heart for God. Something that the other thousands men did not have. These 300 really believed that they were fighting the Lord's battle, not for their own honor and glory.

==

Paul. Everyone has heard about Paul. God has used him mightily to do many things and he also wrote the epistles. He was also a missionary to help spread the gospel.

But not everyone knows that he had someone who had a close friendship with him, to keep him going at the point of time in his life where he might have given up or failed. This person is Barnabas.

(Read Acts 4:36. 9:27-15:39)

His nickname was the "Son of Encouragement". Acts 11:23,24
We are rarely in a situation where there isn't someone we can encourage.
Our tendency at times is to criticize. It may be important at times to point out someone's shortcomings, but before we have the right to do this, we must build the person's trust through encouragement. Are you prepared to encourage those with whom you come in contact with today?

Throughout the years, God has used many people. Some, like the 'Gideon 300' are unnamed. Some have died for Christ as missionaries. Some, you would have never heard of them. But there is a reason why God uses these men and women, and in Trinity we use "F-A-S-T".

This stands for:
Faithful
Available
Submissive
Teachable

Points to ponder:
1. FAST. Which one am I good at?
2. Which do I need to improve?
3. One area which God can use me in (Eg Serving the needy, giving $, encouraging people...)

As a cell, we are on a "Secret Barnabas" mission for these 2 months, so let's start encouraging others in our cell! =)