From Angela Gilbert -
Are you tired? Overwhelmed? I know the feeling!
God says: “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me — watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” -- Matthew 11:28-30 (The Message)
Doesn’t that just make you go “whew, give me some of that.”
I truly can, now, on occasion, feel that kind of freedom, peace and rest. But, I have to let go of control, which is all about fear: fear of messing up, fear of the unknown, fear of embarrassment, fear of just not being in charge of the entire universe. Hello? Not our job. God’s job!
Ways that help me to “get away with Him” and “take a real rest” are:
~Listening to worship music (sometimes loud enough so that I can’t hear the kids!)
~Reading the Bible or looking at/working on my scripture cards
~Doing a devotional with my child
~Praying with my child on the way to school
~Recounting all the ways I’ve failed in my flesh and that God has succeeded
Your ways may be similar, or very different. I encourage you to find the ways that work for you, and to regularly practice them. God wants to provide this for you, as one of His many priceless gifts.
In doing that, if any of you “Learn the unforced rhythms of grace,” let me know! I’m still working on that one.
Dear Lord,
Please help us to rest in You, to see You in each day, in all kinds of ways. Thank You for giving us ways to get to know You better and to share our burdens with You. Thank You for being strong enough to handle it, and loving enough to want to. Thank You that we don’t have to be in charge of the universe! Please help us to breathe deeply and enjoy what You have in store for us, knowing you are leading the way.
Amen.
RIVERSIDE: We are called to be a house of prayer. As a part of that calling and gift, this little space is set aside in the world for the prayers of Riverside. Come here for encouragment, shared concern, praise updates, prophetic encouragment, and anything else God wants. Comment and let the praying begin.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Sunday, February 24, 2008
I recently received some strong Words from the Lord regarding our community mission:
The Lord desires to release Faith into Riverside. It is only by the power of faith that we will experience what it means to walk in the Kingdom.
Our mission as a community in the Kingdom is for healing and evangelizing.
By healing the Lord means all forms including: physical healing, inner healing, freedom from addictions, and spiritual healing.
Our mission of evangelizing is to be done through showing God's love.
We must allays remember that mercy triumphs over all curses, but to see this, we must apply the power of God's love in faith and prayer.
If we ask with a pure heart for God to glorify His Son in power and love, he promises to do it!
I believe that Riverside is being called to walk into a new thing and that God has blessed us to use us in his great plan.
Please join me in prayer,
Dear Father God,
We hear your heart's desire for a people who will be called by your Name. We call upon the power of our Savior to wash us, purify us with his blood and his Spirit. We long to be a pure and holy people who will bring the Kingdom to this world. We long to see your Will done on earth as it is in heaven and we give you our hearts, our minds, our souls, our bodies, and our spirits to you for total submission and guidance. We desire to do the greater things that you have promised for those who believe and ask for the Kingdom in your name. This is our greatest desire and there is nothing that we will not give up to achieve what you want us to achieve in your Name for your Glory and the Glory of your Son. Thank you Jesus for all that you long to give us, if we will just repent and seek your face. You are a good God and we give thanks and praise to your Holy Name. In the name of our precious Savior Jesus we ask this.
Amen
God bless each and everyone at Riverside. May we be a light to the world by the light that is in us.
Sincerely
John Roper
The Lord desires to release Faith into Riverside. It is only by the power of faith that we will experience what it means to walk in the Kingdom.
Our mission as a community in the Kingdom is for healing and evangelizing.
By healing the Lord means all forms including: physical healing, inner healing, freedom from addictions, and spiritual healing.
Our mission of evangelizing is to be done through showing God's love.
We must allays remember that mercy triumphs over all curses, but to see this, we must apply the power of God's love in faith and prayer.
If we ask with a pure heart for God to glorify His Son in power and love, he promises to do it!
I believe that Riverside is being called to walk into a new thing and that God has blessed us to use us in his great plan.
Please join me in prayer,
Dear Father God,
We hear your heart's desire for a people who will be called by your Name. We call upon the power of our Savior to wash us, purify us with his blood and his Spirit. We long to be a pure and holy people who will bring the Kingdom to this world. We long to see your Will done on earth as it is in heaven and we give you our hearts, our minds, our souls, our bodies, and our spirits to you for total submission and guidance. We desire to do the greater things that you have promised for those who believe and ask for the Kingdom in your name. This is our greatest desire and there is nothing that we will not give up to achieve what you want us to achieve in your Name for your Glory and the Glory of your Son. Thank you Jesus for all that you long to give us, if we will just repent and seek your face. You are a good God and we give thanks and praise to your Holy Name. In the name of our precious Savior Jesus we ask this.
Amen
God bless each and everyone at Riverside. May we be a light to the world by the light that is in us.
Sincerely
John Roper
Saturday, October 20, 2007
A Call to Prayer
A Call to Prayer
2 Chronicles 7:14
if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
As God’s people, we must always seek our Lord’s heart first in all things. As is indicated in the above verse, we are called to humble ourselves, pray, and seek the face of the Lord. The Lord has promised his people that if they will do this, he will hear and he will respond. The Riverside Community Church is joining for 3-days of prayer Nov. 7th-to-10th. It is our desire to seek out God’s will pertaining to where Riverside is to have a home. But, we must first humble ourselves and make God’s Word have a home in our heart.
We believe that God desires for Riverside to be a people who serve the world around them and show God’s love through the act of selfless service. During this prayer we are seeking to align ourselves with God’s heart for our church. If we have God’s heart for the community, then God will put us where he desires us to be to serve the community.
Our intent is to seek God’s face thus allowing his Kingdom to break through. We are asking members of the Riverside to sign up for specific time periods through out the 72- hour period so that we will maintain a continuous and unbroken prayer chain for three days.
God will do powerful and amazing things for this Church when we seek him intentionally in continuous prayer. Please contact Cecily Breig @ 210-363-5516 to sign up for a time slot on our prayer list. Thank you and God Bless
2 Chronicles 7:14
if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
As God’s people, we must always seek our Lord’s heart first in all things. As is indicated in the above verse, we are called to humble ourselves, pray, and seek the face of the Lord. The Lord has promised his people that if they will do this, he will hear and he will respond. The Riverside Community Church is joining for 3-days of prayer Nov. 7th-to-10th. It is our desire to seek out God’s will pertaining to where Riverside is to have a home. But, we must first humble ourselves and make God’s Word have a home in our heart.
We believe that God desires for Riverside to be a people who serve the world around them and show God’s love through the act of selfless service. During this prayer we are seeking to align ourselves with God’s heart for our church. If we have God’s heart for the community, then God will put us where he desires us to be to serve the community.
Our intent is to seek God’s face thus allowing his Kingdom to break through. We are asking members of the Riverside to sign up for specific time periods through out the 72- hour period so that we will maintain a continuous and unbroken prayer chain for three days.
God will do powerful and amazing things for this Church when we seek him intentionally in continuous prayer. Please contact Cecily Breig @ 210-363-5516 to sign up for a time slot on our prayer list. Thank you and God Bless
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Thoughts on the land...
I've just started reading a book called "Hiddenness and Manifestation" by Graham Cooke, which explains that there are 2 different seasons we encounter with G-d: one is when He seems hidden from us, and the other is when He manifests / presents Himself to us. Both are part of how He works...in the hiddenness, He is encouraging us in a teachable way to understand His deeper truths. We have to go on our faith that He is present, and learn to trust His Word in greater degrees. When He is manifest, we experience Him and His blessings and joy...but it is hard for us to understand His deeper truths during this time. I think we have been in a time of great manifestation in Riverside, where He has poured out blessing after blessing for us and on us. He has spoken of a Kingdom campus, and we are so excited! I wonder if we are now moving into a time of hiddenness, where He wants to teach us His truths, which can only come when we slow down and humble ourselves before Him. It may be that this must happen before we are to enter the "Promised Land" so to speak.
The women's Bible study going on right now is called Seeking Him--and it's about revival...which is something Scott has often talked about regarding our community. I love the thought! It's exciting to see how G-d is moving among us! This week's study is about humility and 2 Chronicles 7:14 leapt out at me.
" If My people, who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." (2 Chron. 7:14)
The study question asked, why did G-d put that we must be humble first in this scripture? My thoughts are so that we would raise Him up and put Him first before ourselves. Once that prioritization has happened, then we place ourselves in a position to hear Him more clearly with our hearts.
Proverbs 11:2 was part of the study, and it reads: " When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom." The study goes on to clarify that those with humble hearts are candidates for revival! And that is definitely on our hearts!
This could all seem harsh, but I see it as G-d encouraging us to trust Him, and put ourselves in a state of humility, so that His deeper truths may be revealed to us. He wants to teach us more!!! He is so good! With humility comes wisdom. And that wisdom is what Graham Cooke is talking about in the times of hiddenness. It all seems interlocked to me.
So maybe our prayers should begin with placing ourselves in a position of humility, asking for Him for forgiveness and cleansing, for conviction and refining, and then to also pray in agreement that we have heard from Him about the specific plot of land--and would like His clarity. Help us LORD to be patient during this time. We are excited, but will not move forward until You say so.
Let us remember who He is and who we are in Him--and trust that His way and timing are perfect.
Have a blessed day--
Beth
The women's Bible study going on right now is called Seeking Him--and it's about revival...which is something Scott has often talked about regarding our community. I love the thought! It's exciting to see how G-d is moving among us! This week's study is about humility and 2 Chronicles 7:14 leapt out at me.
" If My people, who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." (2 Chron. 7:14)
The study question asked, why did G-d put that we must be humble first in this scripture? My thoughts are so that we would raise Him up and put Him first before ourselves. Once that prioritization has happened, then we place ourselves in a position to hear Him more clearly with our hearts.
Proverbs 11:2 was part of the study, and it reads: " When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom." The study goes on to clarify that those with humble hearts are candidates for revival! And that is definitely on our hearts!
This could all seem harsh, but I see it as G-d encouraging us to trust Him, and put ourselves in a state of humility, so that His deeper truths may be revealed to us. He wants to teach us more!!! He is so good! With humility comes wisdom. And that wisdom is what Graham Cooke is talking about in the times of hiddenness. It all seems interlocked to me.
So maybe our prayers should begin with placing ourselves in a position of humility, asking for Him for forgiveness and cleansing, for conviction and refining, and then to also pray in agreement that we have heard from Him about the specific plot of land--and would like His clarity. Help us LORD to be patient during this time. We are excited, but will not move forward until You say so.
Let us remember who He is and who we are in Him--and trust that His way and timing are perfect.
Have a blessed day--
Beth
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)