When the servant of the man of God [Elisha] got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city.  “Oh, my lord, what shall we do?” the servant asked. “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered.  “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them. And Elisha prayed, “O LORD, open his eyes so he may see.”  Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.   (2 Kings 6:15-17)

 
The Bible records plenty of dramatic, movie-worthy scenes that clearly show our powerful God at work – scenes like the parting of the Red Sea, miraculous healings, and sightings of the four weird living creatures.  In our normal, humdrum lives, however, He is not as obvious.  And when we are in a trial, we feel alone and wonder where He is.  It is by faith we say, He is working! Like Elisha, we can pray that the Lord will open our eyes to see what is normally invisible, that He will grant us the privilege of witnessing His power.
 
Here are some suggested ingredients for prayer this week:
 
1.  Sit before the Lord and examine your faith and your deeds in light of James 2:14-26 and Pastor Dave’s sermon yesterday.  Is my faith just cheap talk?  Does my everyday life provide hard evidence of the faith I profess?  I know all the “right” Christian answers, but do my actions reveal that I believe them too?  Ask the Holy Spirit to show you specific areas where your talk and your walk don’t match.
 
2.  This Friday, Jan. 9, Tomasz Chylka will be leading an evangelistic meeting in Pruchna, a town about 15 miles from his church in Pszczyna, Poland.  Teenagers and parents have been invited for songs, drama, a Bible message, and distribution of gift-filled shoeboxes (in the spirit of Samaritan’s Purse).  Please ask the Lord to open the ears and hearts of these teens and parents and to create opportunities for fruitful one-on-one conversations between believer and unbeliever.
 
3.  Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.  (Matthew 2:11)  What treasures of yours – money, time, talent – will you offer the King in this new year?  Consider that question in His presence.
 
4.  When is the last time you said, “I was wrong” or “I’m sorry” to someone?  Ask God if there is someone to whom you need to apologize.
 
5.  Lift up the Women’s Ministry event – Jumpstart Your New Year – on January 16.  Pray that many women will choose to attend and will take the opportunity to get to know someone new.  Ask the Lord to stay close to the woman who will be sharing her testimony that evening, reminding her of the value of her story and protecting her from attacks of the enemy. 

6.  The Discover Calvary and Family Equipping Fellowship classes begin next Sunday, January 11.  Ask the Lord to achieve His good purposes through these classes.  Ask His blessing on Paul Bautts and on Dave and Carrie Tebay as they lead.
 
7.  I recently read an excellent, balanced article on the erosion of Americans’ religious freedom in Biola Magazine.  One interesting point was that American Christians have contributed to the problem by compartmentalizing their faith.  If our faith is only in play on Sunday mornings, then religious freedom becomes merely freedom to attend the church of your choice, not the freedom to live out your faith in every arena of life.  Read the article  here and pray through the specific prayer suggestions at the end of the article.

In Christ,
Carol Gilbert, Prayer Chair
Calvary Community Church of Brea