Today I went to pray for the VBS
program at our church. A room was set
aside for volunteers to come into to pray, we were given names of leaders and
helpers, an overflowing list of names on a page. There was a list of the Bible stories that
would be told and the verses that would be memorized. We were given the stations
that would be running, places like the Preschool Palace, Epic Bible Adventures, Tournament Games, The Imagination Station, Chadder Theatre and of course the
Fanfare Finale that will take place tomorrow.
And we were given the names of children attending the program, in order of
age and in some cases to whom they belonged.
In the midst of the prayers of unity, joy, patience, passion and simple service
for the leaders; we prayed for the children that they would easily understand
the message presented to them, that what they learn here will hold them for
life, a lifelong hope of Life and beautiful hearts. We prayed that in turn their families would
be open to hear their children retell the stories and listen to the message
they bring home with them; that they too would be transformed. A room filled with prayer, for every hour and
every moment, for all of those that were there in that place.
Covered in prayer moment by moment…I want to be
prayed for like that.
John’s cousin has been in the ICU
in Vancouver Hospital for these past 2 months, she was brought in by ambulance
and received emergency surgery. Things
did not go well, there were infections and complications. She has been through
much. Before her surgery she told the
Doctors to do everything possible to keep her alive, no matter what. She has been, poked, prodded, taped, tubed, scanned,
x-rayed, sedated, transfused and intubated .
She has been near death; touching death, death touching her. The Doctors
were ready to give up, but Sandra said, “Don’t give up yet, I will ask her
friends to pray.” And Frieda is getting better. She is still there in that place but she has started to get better, surrounded by the prayers of her friends.
Covered in prayer by faithful friends…I want to be
prayed for like that.
Now, Jesus was in Jerusalem at the
time of Passover and He asked the disciples to go and make the place ready for
them to share the Passover meal. It is
near the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus goes later to pray, where He asks
the disciples to stay awake and pray with Him, to pray for Him. It is in this Upper room where He shares the wine and the bread. It is the place where Jesus tells them that He
will be betrayed by one of them and in this Upper room Jesus tells Peter, you will
deny knowing Me; not once but three times.
And in this place, after the Passover meal; where He shares more than food, Jesus says to Peter, do
not worry; I have prayed for you that your faith will not fail…the comfort of
Christ.
Covered in prayer by Jesus…I want
to be prayed for like that.
“He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
The Lord was my support.
He brought me out into a spacious place.”
Psalm 18:16-19
