Jesus to his chosen disciples:  Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest. (Mark 6:31)
 
This is the last blog post till fall. I am sensing the need to shed some responsibilities and deadlines and spend more time reading, contemplating, resting. And, of course, praying. May all of us have a spiritually refreshing summer – not a “spiritually vacant” summer, to quote the prayer of someone in my small group.
 
Here are some issues to tackle in prayer this summer:
 
1.  Ask the Lord to draw you to His Word throughout the summer. The Bible is not a textbook or a reference book; it is a meeting place. May the Lord help all of us find the will and an effective way to hear from Him daily through His Word. Pray also for the Calvary body as our pastors teach from the book of John. Pray that we will come every Sunday with open and eager hearts, not a “been there, done that” attitude.
 
2.  Take time to pray for fathers. Father’s Day is June 19, but dads need prayer every day! Ask the Lord to fill fathers with wisdom from above and with the ability to sacrificially love their wives and children. Thank Him for the crucial role fathers play.
 
3.  Lift up Vacation Bible School, June 27 – July 1. Pray that many of us will use VBS in our personal mission fields, inviting children to come and meet Jesus. Ask God to prepare the hearts of the children to respond to the lessons, formal and informal, they will receive. Pray that our building will be not just a busy, fun, loud place but also a holy place where God is at work in ways above and beyond what we can imagine.
 
4.  Be sure to pray for the two editions of Family CampJuly 23-27 and 27-31. Pray that every participant will experience refreshment and rejuvenation of body and soul at camp. Pray for Spirit-filled worship each night around the campfire. Ask the Lord to use camp to help people new to Calvary forge strong connections to their church family.
 
5.  Talk to the Lord about joining a small group next fall. In small groups, we learn and live out God’s Word together, share our joys and struggles in a setting of watertight confidentiality, encourage and challenge one another, and pray faithfully for each other. Watch for more information and sign-ups in August.
 
6.  Also talk to the Lord about how you will serve at Calvary next fall. Serving in obedience to His leading is the best way I know to develop the gifts He has given you and to build relationships with your brothers and sisters in the body. 

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