May 4, 2020

Dear Faith Family,

Welcome to May! As we walk through the third month involving unique changes and challenges to our lifestyles, I encourage you to keep praying for as James 5:16 teaches us, “the prayer of a righteous person has great effectiveness.”  Don’t get tripped up on the word “righteous”. A “righteous person” is a person who has been set right with God through Jesus Christ. It doesn’t mean a perfect person, or someone who is a “better Christian” than you. Get that wrong thinking off the table and pray - for God promises that the prayers of anyone who belongs to Jesus are effective prayers. 

This Thursday, May 7, is the National Day of Prayer (NDP). In 1988, when President Reagan established the NDP as the first Thursday in May each year, he stated, “ On our National Day of Prayer, then, we join together as people of many faiths to petition God to show us His mercy and His love, to heal our weariness and uphold our hope, that we might live ever mindful of His justice and thankful for His blessing.”

This year in his proclamation on the NDP issued March 14, President Trump declared, “As your President, I ask you to pray for the health and well-being of your fellow Americans and to remember that no problem is too big for God to handle. We should all take to heart the holy words found in 1 Peter 5:7: “Casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you.”  Let us pray that all those affected by the virus will feel the presence of our Lord’s protection and love during this time. With God’s help, we will overcome this threat.” (For the whole declaration see https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/proclamation-national-day-prayer-americans-affected-coronavirus-pandemic-national-response-efforts/ )

The overall theme for this year’s NDP is based on Habakkuk 2:14 and summarized with the words “Pray God’s Glory Across the Earth.” I encourage us as a faith family to join with our neighbors and pray. The link below contains a Prayer Guide for your consideration.

With living hope,

Pastor Shelley
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