“So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was fervently praying to God for him” (Acts 12:5, BSB).
“Prayer! It doesn’t work. I have prayed thousands of prayers and only a few has come to pass or maybe it was by chance that it was full!”, you say to yourself. I know that is not popular to write what some of us may think silently in our hearts and mind. Do you have that thought in your heart?
James was killed. Peter was in prison and set to be executed the next morning. What are Peter chances that he will be spared? If you were in that prayer room, what do you think of Peter’s chances of escaping the execution? If you are like me, the chances are less than 1%.
But wait, it’s not dependent on my prayer, but it is seeking to align my prayers with God’s will. God called the apostles to be his witnesses and to make disciples. Does that change your perspective on what and how you are praying? I think it does. It moves from 1% to 75% to 80% that God will intervene in sparing Peter’s life.
How should we pray for our Pastor Loren, our person-in-interest in becoming the Senior Pastor Candidate or our Church Retreat? Is it just another “church event” or is there something more to it? How do we understand God’s will and how should we pray?
God has brought Pastor Loren Chong through the Search Committee and the CL interview with him. It will be nice if the Search Committee has a brief summary of Pastor Loren’s life and ministry so that we may know how to pray for him and for ourselves as a church. This should have been done for candidates for our church as this was an afterthought for me. I am certain he and his wife are praying about this ministry opportunity at our church. Have we been praying for him? Let’s seek God’s face together especially in the next few weeks and that our hearts and spirits will be able to discern whether he is to become our Senior Pastor candidate or not. Let’s unite together in prayer.
Quincy, Trixie, and Susy along with others are working on the Church Retreat program. Dr. Aaron Son is our speaker. Worship Leaders are preparing their songs. Breakout Group Leaders have consented in leading a group. Registration workers are waiting for us. It’s not just about attending to see if we like the facility or even the program. It’s not just about what I can get out of it. It is about what you will give to others.
It’s an opportunity for us to bind together in fellowship and in prayer, to extend the right hand of fellowship to friends and strangers who may join us. It’s an opportunity for spiritual ministry, to be minister to or to minister to others.
If you go to the church retreat expecting nothing, you will receive nothing. If you go believing that God will bless you and that you can be a blessing to others, you will be blessed. Do you believe that God will bless you if you are going?
God has something for you on Labor Day Weekend. Open your heart, your mind, and your spirit to what the Spirit of God will be saying to you. You may just have a divine encounter with God over Labor Day Weekend. I will be there and I look forward to seeing you there as we share together in the Lord. Let’s pray for God’s riches blessings on our retreat.
Kingston Tong
August 11, 2024