“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”       (Matthew 11:28-30)
 
I was a guest last week in a home on Easy Street in Yorba Linda. What a sought-after address! The fact is, though, that life on this earth is not easy, not even for those living on Easy Street in the Land of Gracious Living. Troubles line every street.
 
Life is hard, but the yoke offered by Jesus is easy. With a yoke, the Master provides guidance and instruction. Taking the yoke means accepting His authority. Bow your head in prayer this morning, affirming that you want to obey Him today, not go your own way. Bow your head and feel Jesus’ yoke settle on your shoulders. As you plow another row of life today, with its dry clods, sticky mire, and painful stones, remember your gentle and humble Master and experience His rest.

I visited Easy Street at the invitation of a member of our Chinese congregation to participate in a small group Bible study. We had a great discussion of the larger passage in Matthew 11 that includes these verses. I used the opportunity to ask how Calvary can be praying for the Chinese congregation. 
 
The members of our Chinese congregation are keen to share the truth they have found with other Chinese people. Praise God for their passion to reach others for Christ! Ask Him to guide them and use them.
 
Many visitors attend the Chinese service once or twice and then disappear. Pray that the seeds that are planted sprout and grow. Ask the Lord to protect the Chinese congregation from discouragement and to strengthen them to continue extending a warm welcome to visitors.
 
Pray for families who have recently emigrated from China. Life is full of challenges for them. They struggle to learn English and adapt to American culture. Children typically learn faster than their parents, which can cause stress. Parents rejoice to see their children’s rapid progress but want them to retain their fluency in Chinese and remember their Chinese culture. Families feel the strain of separation when fathers travel back to China on business, often for weeks or months at a time.
 
Lift up Demi Gao of our Chinese congregation who continues treatment for Stage 4 lung cancer, diagnosed six months ago. Pray for remission and for relief from the side effects of the treatment. Ask God to fill up Demi, her husband, and their two children with faith and trust every day.
 
Ask the Lord to show us how we, as an English congregation and a Chinese congregation, can connect more often to worship together, to help and encourage each other, and to enjoy fellowship together.
 
Here are a few additional suggestions for prayer:
 
Lift up Kay Lewis to the throne of grace. Kay, who has been attending Calvary for less than a year, has been under treatment for multiple myeloma – a type of cancer of the blood – for five years. She started a new, aggressive treatment several weeks ago. Pray that the treatment will be effective and that Kay will be strengthened to stand up under it.
 
December 31 will bring to a close our 3-year “Journey Continues” capital campaign. Lay your giving record before the Lord and ask Him to direct your participation.
 
In Christ,
Carol Gilbert, Prayer Chair
Calvary Community Church of Brea