Saturday night is always filled with prayers for pastors. I was awake four times throughout the night praying. I prayed for all pastors before I went to bed. There are some I know of that are going through difficult times personally and in their church. The Lord also had me praying for those who travel and fill the pulpit. He had me praying for the pastors who would hear them to be encouraged but most of all to be filled by the Holy Spirit in a new, different way. The way a church will be what God desires is to have a leader God desires. Sometimes the pastor is told by God to do or say things the congregation does not want. Sometimes there is change needed but the congregation is resistant. It can be hard for a pastor to continue on the path God sets before them but they must never waiver from His desires. Instead they must continue on pursuing His will no matter what. The congregation must trust their pastor and follow their lead. The times I woke up during the night I prayed for my pastor. He had a tough week with the church building, the church bus broke, and dealing with kidney stone pain. It seems like when there is stress, there is kidney stones. I remember one time I told an urologist that and he just looked at me. I wish I would have kept a journal on his pain. Sometimes I wonder if the enemy is behind them. We have prayed over and over for healing yet it has not happened. Why God? Why does Your servant have to suffer so? I know there are people who are suffering worse with dying with a disease but I still wonder 'why?' During the night I thought once again about the plea for "on earth as it is in heaven." There are no kidney stones in heaven. Therefore, if I pray that prayer shouldn't they be removed from earth? It is times like this we have a choice to make. We can either turn away from God and be mad at Him or we can turn into God and allow Him to be our strength. Over and over again we choose to turn into Him for strength. Kidney stones will not beat us just as MS and my breast cancer has not beat us. If they are from the enemy, then I say 'bring them on' because you can't beat us. If God chooses to allow them, He has a reason and we will continue to walk in obedience to Him to fulfill His will. No matter what, the enemy will not win. I would have thought he would have figured that out by now but he never gives up. We need some deeper faith as we continue to plow through in getting the building rehabbed. Maybe that is why God is allowing the stones to happen. But on the other hand how will that happen when Doc can't function normally? Here it is Sunday and bus is not fixed and Tuesday is coming. We need it to be in working order to bring in the twelve children/teens it does. It has been exciting that we have grown to where I am picking up some because the bus is full. Throughout the night I cried out to God to open doors that need opened in our church situation. Doc is worn down. He needs some things to happen to encourage him. I cried out and asked God to hear our pleas and encourage us. Dear Jesus, Thank You for the way You provided the ER doctor yesterday who specializes in the field of urology! Thank You for the timely manner we had there! Thank You for listening to my prayers throughout the night! Father, we need encouraged as we continue on the path of obedience You set before us. Cleanse us so You can fill us. May You be greater than kidney stone pain, a broke church bus, and an unfinished building. May our faith grow through these difficulties. May You continue to direct our path to fulfill the desires of Your heart. I pray for Your supernatural empowerment in Doc so he can preach today. If that is not the plan, then I pray for You to give me Your words to present. Thank You Jesus for being Our Hope. Amen.
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