Wednesday Names and Prayers

I finished the book of Acts this week.  Yesterday I (finally) went to the Birmingham Art Museum.  In the European section of the Museum were two large paintings from the book of Acts: The Liberation of Saint Peter by Giovanni Lanfranco,

Picture courtesy Birmingham Museum of Art

and St. Paul Shipwrecked at Malta by Laurent de La Hyre.  

 

It was interesting to see these paintings on the day I finished the book of Acts!

Today I began working my way through the book of Romans.  I came to an interesting verse in the first chapter.  Paul says,

"For although they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened"  Romans 1:21

Sometimes God is not honored and not thanked by men.  When that happens, they are referred to as foolish, futile in their thinking, and having dark hearts.  My friend Lisa was healed of cancer many years ago.  Her philosophy since then is that she is not going to be like the nine lepers who neglected to thank Jesus for their healing and their health (Luke 17:11-19).  Everyone who meets Lisa knows that God gave her back her health and that she is thankful to Him for that.  She thanks and praises Him for that daily .  Paul takes that one step further and tells us that if we do not honor and thank God, we are in danger of being foolish, futile, and dark.  While Paul is speaking specifically to the unbelievers, I think that it is a good reminder to believers to be careful and purposeful to give God the honor, the thanks, and the praise of which He is worthy.

Prayer Needs Today:

1. Continue to pray for Nancy, please.  Chemo was yesterday and chemo weeks are difficult.  Pray for rest and strength and moments of great joy.
2. Kate McRae had a stable MRI last week.  Please continue to pray for her in her fight with brain cancer
3. Anna will be traveling home from a trip to Israel.  Please pray for safe travel for her and her group.
4. Emily is in the middle of VBS week as are many others.  Please pray that the week will wrap up well, that Emily and others will have the strength they need to finish well, and that children and parents will know Jesus better because of their time in VBS. 
5. Pray for those traveling on vacation this month, that the time would be a good time of spiritual and family renewal.  Pray especially today for Gavin and Katie who are making an 8 hour car trip with a preschooler, a toddler and an infant.
6. Please remember John as he travels home from an overseas missions trip
7. Pray for Mark, Susan and Rachel as they wrap up their time overseas and prepare to travel home next Tuesday as well.

Be generous with your pastors.  As they take a little time this summer to get away with their families in order to have time to reconnect and rest, be gracious in giving them this gift of rest.  Be faithful in attendance at church, even when there is a guest pastor in the pulpit.  Be diligent to care for one another in the pastor's absence.  Pray for them as they attend General Assembly, or Conference, or Synod Meetings, or whatever your denomination calls it.  Pray that these times would be focused on what God wants them to be, rather then on a human agenda.

God's peace to your homes and your hearts.  Honor Him.  Thank Him.  Reflect Him.