1 Peter 5:5-7

One of Pastor Dave’s main points was that our culture’s negative view of authority is antithetical to the Bible’s teaching on authority. We need to hear that claim articulated clearly. How easy it is to hear a principle taught from Scripture on Sunday but then unthinkingly absorb a contradictory message from the surrounding culture the rest of the week. Lord, don’t let me compartmentalize what I learn from the Bible, thinking about it on Sunday but not Monday through Saturday. Every day of the week, help me understand the connection between Your word and my life in 21st-century America.

God has ordained an authority structure in society, in the home, and in the church – for our good. Before the Lord, consider your own roles and responsibilities. Perhaps you are retired. Are these golden years your time to relax and take it easy? Or has God given you the responsibility to use your life’s wisdom to mentor and teach younger people? Perhaps you are the parent of minor children. Are you neglecting your responsibility to shepherd them according to God’s word because you’re afraid they won’t like you? When you need direction and guidance about your children or anything else, do you turn exclusively to your peers? Or do you seek input from older, seasoned people, whether informally or in a structured setting like small group? Holy Spirit, help me examine my roles as a leader and as a follower.

Whether you are older or younger, all of us are exhorted to clothe ourselves with humility. That is not easy to do; pride is at the core of our sinful human nature. The first thing we need to do – daily! – is to humble ourselves “under the mighty hand of God,” as verse 6 says. The imagery of that verse helps me. I picture myself kneeling, bowed, before the Lord with His hand resting on my head. Once we have humbled ourselves before God, we can ask for humility in our dealings with other people. Lord, I know I am not “better” than other people. Root out my tendency to compare myself with others and judge them. Stop me from lording it over others, in my mind and in my words and deeds.

Calvary Family

Pray for physical health and strength for the Polish pastors who are ministering to Ukrainian refugees. If you saw the video update from Pastor Tomasz in church on Sunday, you heard him admit to being tired. He also spoke of another evangelical pastor, Siemion, whose church is very close to the border. Tomasz reported that, since the war began, Siemion has been operating on three or four hours of sleep a day. Ask God to provide these pastors and their congregations with the physical, emotional, spiritual, and financial resources to do the work He is calling them to do among the Ukrainian refugees.

Calvary’s high school students will be participating in a service project on Saturday, March 26, selecting and purchasing birthday gifts for teenage foster youth. Our friends at the Foster Care Auxiliary maintain a “Birthday Corner” where local foster parents can find donated gifts for their foster children. Teenagers, however, are chronically overlooked by gift donors. Our high school students are well suited to fill that need. Who is better equipped to select gifts for teens than teens? Pray that our students will learn something of God’s heart for orphans through this project. Pray that the teens who eventually receive the gifts will be touched by the love of God.

In Christ,
Carol Gilbert

P.S. There will be no prayer blog next week due to travel – our canceled Christmas trip finally rescheduled.

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