PRAYER MATTERS

Dear friends in Christ, welcome to the first edition of  Prayer Matters in Faith’s Voice.  Prayer “Matters” can have multiple meanings.  First, prayer is vital to our lives as Christians. Prayer is important!   Where would we be if we could not talk to our LORD?  And, by sharing our personal prayer stories, we are encouraged by our brothers’ and sisters’ life experiences with prayer.  These personal “matters” shape our lives with Christ.  

Susan and I remember a 1977-78 newspaper column response by Rev. Billy Graham.  He was asked by a reader, “How can a person get faith that lasts and grows stronger?”   In answer, Rev. Graham wrote that faith is like a 3-legged stool.  Personal “faith” needs three things to stand strong.  First, we need to read and learn what God says to us in the Bible.  Second, true fellowship, personal relationships with other Christians, is a leg.  The third leg is prayer, where we each speak out our personal relationships with God.  These three are needed to have a faith that holds us up.  If our faith stools only have one or two of the three legs, it will be wobbly.  God has given us His Word in our Bibles, with fellowship with other Christians, and, God invites us to pray to Him.

Prayer “matters” means that prayer is vital for our lives in Christ.  Secondly, prayer “matters” means that for each one of us, God gives personal experiences of Him through prayer.  Each of us has precious memories of God’s responses to prayers that are very personal to us.  How many of us remember learning common table and bedtime prayers from our parents?  How many have experienced God’s touch on us in unique, personal ways we can share to encourage each other?  May God bless us as our faiths prayerfully grow stronger together

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Prayer Team Update

Please note that Faith Lutheran Church’s Prayer team members will be available after worship in the new Prayer Room located in the East Wing, across from the wall of crosses.  Prayer team members will pray with you for physical healing, or for emotional or spiritual needs for you or your family.  Watch also for a message soon to come about how to schedule private prayer times outside of services, during the week.