Prayers: January 23, 2022

Jan 22, 2022   •  

Prayers

 

Always be joyful. Never stop praying.  Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

 

  • Thank God for the beauty of the snow, reminding us of His creativity and power, even though it might cause an inconvenience to our day.
  • Thank God for surrounding us with family or friends who look after our welfare.
  • Thank God for the refreshing that comes from His Spirit, filling us with joy, covering us with your shield of favor and blessing, leading us forward with hope.
  • Thank God for His deep and abiding peace that results when we obey Him.
  • Thank God for makeovers – When someone becomes a Christian, he becomes a brand new person inside. He is not the same anymore. A new life has begun! 2 Corinthians 5:17 TLB
  • Pray for those with health concerns.
  • Pray for those in nursing facilities experiencing another round of isolation from loved ones due to COVID.
  • Pray for those suffering from winter storms and the effects of the volcano eruption causing tsunami and other related destruction.
  • Pray for our college students starting the Spring semester.
  • Pray for the Chinese students who come from overseas, for those who want to study in the US and those who have difficulty returning to China due to quarantine policies. Pray also for those who are here having trouble adjusting to life with COVID restrictions.
  • Pray for fellow brothers and sisters in China where government restrictions prevented Christmas decorations from being hung, preaching on campus, evangelistic publications from being printed, and worship services from being held. Pray for those who are harassed or discriminated against because their faith is considered a “foreign hostile force.”
  • Pray for resolution to the COVID crisis.
  • Pray for our 2022 Official Board – that they will be guided by God’s wisdom for planning and collaborating and draw on His strength for persevering until their tasks are done.
  • Pray for our pastors, for their health, stamina, and ability to impart God’s truths in understandable ways.
  • Pray for new believers in baptism or discipleship classes.

 

 

To Think About

We don’t want to be fearful, but somehow fear sneaks in without permission, often making us feel hopeless and helpless, stealing our peace and concentration. King David teaches us how to overcome fear in Psalm 34:4- I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. As we read the rest of Psalm 34 and develop an awe for God’s goodness and majesty and understand how He loves us deeply, we can trust that He is in control, overseeing our lives because He wants what is best for us.  As we concentrate on who God is, our fear of the Lord puts our fears in this world, pandemic, broken relationships, health or joblessness, into perspective.  We can take refuge in the presence of God and relax in His peace, trusting in the Lord’s goodness.  For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him. Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! (7,8)

 

禱告事項

“要常常喜樂， 不住的禱告， 凡事謝恩。因為這是 神在基督耶穌裏向你們所定的旨意。”

帖撒羅尼迦前書 五章 十六至十八節

 

  • 感謝上帝賜給我們美麗的雪，提醒我們祂的創造力和大能，儘管這可能會給我們的生活帶來不便。
  • 感謝上帝賜予家人或朋友在我們身邊看顧我們的福祉。
  • 感謝上帝以聖靈使我們振奮，給我們充滿喜樂，用您的恩惠和祝福作盾牌遮蓋我們，以希望帶領我們向前。
  • 感謝上帝當我們順服祂時，祂就會賜給深刻而持久的平安。
  • 感謝上帝給我們改頭換面。「若有人在基督裡，他就是新造的人，舊事已過，都變成新的了。」歌林多後書5:17《和合本》
  • 為那些有健康問題的人祈禱。
  • 為那些那些在護理機構中因新冠病毒而與親人再次隔離的人祈禱。
  • 為那些那些遭受冬季風暴和火山爆發造成海嘯及其他相關破壞的人祈禱。
  • 為我們的大學生開始春季學期禱告。
  • 為來自海外的中國學生、想在美國就讀的人以及因隔離政策而難以返回中國的人祈禱。也為那些在新冠病毒限制下難以適應生活的人祈禱。
  • 為在中國因政府限制禁止懸掛聖誕裝飾品，禁止在校園傳道，禁止印刷福音書刊，禁止舉行敬拜活動的兄弟姐妹們祈禱。也為那些因信仰被視為「外國敵對勢力」而受到騷擾或歧視的人禱告。
  • 為解決新冠病毒危機禱告。
  • 為我們的2022年董事會禱告—願他們將在上帝的智慧領導下計劃和合作，並依靠祂的力量堅持不懈，直到完成他們的任務。
  • 為我們的牧師，他們的健康、耐力和用可理解的方式傳授上帝真理的能力禱告。
  • 為洗禮班和門徒訓練班的新信徒祈禱。

 

 

思想

 

我們不想害怕，但恐懼不知何故，未經允許下而潛入，很多時候讓我們感到絕望和無助，搶斷我們的平靜和專注。大衛王在詩篇34:4中教導我們如何克服恐懼—我曾尋求耶和華，祂就應允我，救我脫離了一切的恐懼。當我們閱讀詩篇34篇的其餘部分，而對上帝的恩慈和威嚴產生敬畏，並了解祂如何深愛我們時，我們可以相信祂在掌管一切，看顧著我們的生活，因為他要給我們最好的。當我們專注於上帝是誰的時候，我們對上帝的敬畏把我們對這個世界的恐懼、疫病、破裂的關係、健康或失業等問題有着正確的觀點。我們可以投靠於上帝之前，在他的平安裏安心，相信主的美善。耶和華的使者在敬畏他的人四圍安營，搭救他們。你們要嘗嘗主恩的滋味，便知道他是美善；投靠他的人有福了！（第 7，8節）

 

 

We don’t want to be fearful, but somehow fear sneaks in without permission, often making us feel hopeless and helpless, stealing our peace and concentration. King David teaches us how to overcome fear in Psalm 34:4- I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. As we read the rest of Psalm 34 and develop an awe for God’s goodness and majesty and understand how He loves us deeply, we can trust that He is in control, overseeing our lives because He wants what is best for us.  As we concentrate on who God is, our fear of the Lord puts our fears in this world, pandemic, broken relationships, health or joblessness, into perspective.  We can take refuge in the presence of God and relax in His peace, trusting in the Lord’s goodness.  For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him. Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! (7,8)

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