calvarylcms1@gmail.com

      

“Lord teach us to pray…”

Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” ~ Luke 11:1 ~

This week as you pray….

• Remember that prayer is a learned activity
• Remember that prayer is a spiritual discipline
• Commit yourself to at least 5 minutes of prayer each day
• Pray each of the scripture readings below
• Think of your prayers as a conversation with God. Speak to him just like you would to a person in the same room
• Vocalize your prayers. Pray “out loud”
• Move beyond the “wish list” of prayers. Truly seek the will of the Lord for you, your family, and your church.

Prayer is half of a wonderful conversation with God. As God speaks to us in His Word, we are blessed to respond in prayer.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. ~ Psalm 19:14

In the Bible we are commanded to pray

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Any prayer spoken in faith to Jesus will be granted.

If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ~ John 15:7

Candles and Lights

Light is central to our being. Without it life itself is not possible. In the Biblical Creation story, light is the first thing created by God:

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. ~ (Genesis 1:1-4)

The book of Isaiah tells of the coming of the Messiah, the one who brings light:

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined. (Isaiah 9:2)

The Gospel of John begins his narrative in this fashion:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:1-5)

Today, we continue to use the light of candles and electric lights to symbolize this.

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5)

“Father, hallowed be Your Name”

This week as you pray….

• Commit yourself to at least 5 minutes of prayer each day.
• Pray each of the Scripture readings below.
• In your prayers, consider what it means that God is our Father and for His name to be Holy

Prayer & Scripture: Prayer is talking with God. Tying prayer to Scripture causes you to be intimate with what God has said. You can pray for the peace of God which surpasses all understanding which guards heart and mind in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7) By making this request you are repeating back to God what He has already said in His Word.

In Jesus all believers are children of the Father and should pray with and for each other.

for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. ~ Galations 3:26

God is Lord of all and has the power to grant our prayers.

Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth. ~ Psalm 124:8

Since God’s name is God as He has revealed Himself to us, we cannot make His name holy. His name is Holy and God is Holy.

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!~ Psalm 103:1

Scripture of the Day

When You give it to them, they gather it up; when You open Your hand, they are filled with good things. Psalms 104:28

The view the corresponding devotional message for this scripture please visit Lutheran Hour Ministires for a web version, poscast, and e-reader options at http://www.lhm.org/dailydevotions.asp?date=20130326

Introducing the new blog and website for Calvary Lutheran Church!

Welcome to the new blog and web home for Calvary Lutheran Church.  Please let me know what you think as well as anything you want to see on here.  I plan to replace this site for our current webpage since this site is much easier to update and maintain.  It also integreates well with our social media sites like facebook and I have embedded an online calendar so everyone can keep up to date with events.