As my last post mentioned I gave my first sermon to a congregation a little over a week ago (11th). I am still reeling from it, lol. People assume that when pastors give sermons that they already have it all figured out. When I started sitting down and working on my sermons I started to realize those messages were about changing my heart just as much as they were meant to change the heart of the recipients. I knew and was educated on what I was going to bring, but the process is a reminder to check the application in our lives. That we are living what we are saying.
My sermon was on prayer. Especially praying for others. Paul started all of his letters with a prayer and thanksgiving for the recipient of his letters. He prayed diligently for God's Will in others lives. I believe that is a life changing prayer.
Since I gave my sermon I have pushed myself to go further with my prayer life. Every morning I ask my son to pray with me for his daddy. He loves it and is starting to add to his own words instead of repeating me. I have strived to promote praying for others on my facebook page. Yesterday I requested that everyone comment their prayer request, and I amazed by the requests I received. Plus, I truly enjoyed spending my free time at work praying hard for these people. It improved my day, and I felt very accomplished. Tomorrow my challenge to myself is to ask a stranger while I'm out if I can pray for them. That is going to take serious strength from God. I am not comfortable approaching unknown people about God. That is my weakness.
Let's not mistake that this is easy though. Prayer is our main communication to God. The devil and the world do not take kindly to growing closer to God. Tuesday after my sermon I had problems with my bank account- my card was scammed and I had charges that were not mine. After the request for prayer requests yesterday I woke up to find my bank had an error in their system and my account was messed up most of the morning. God is good and faithful though because he has fixed both of these incidents!! The devil wants to pull us down, but we have to stay strong and keep the communication with God open so he can work in our lives.
I am still praying, cleaning, and searching my house for an area that I can turn into my "prayer closet." We have a small home that needs all the storage we can get and cleaning our an entire closet would not fly with my husband very well, lol.
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