THIS IS A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM PASTOR KYLE DURING THIS TIME WITHOUT CHURCH SERVICES BEING HELD DUE TO COVID19. PASTOR KYLE INTENDS TO SEND OUT REGULAR MESSAGES TO KEEP US ALL CONNECTED AND IN THE WORD, AND THOSE WILL BE REPOSTED TO THE WEBSITE UNDER SERMONS.

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PRAYING FOR ONE ANOTHER

Dear Church Family,

Over the course of these next couple of weeks (or longer if necessary), I’d like to send you an email of encouragement every couple of days, or so, to unanimously stimulate the body of Christ with the Word during these interesting times. Also, each Sunday, I plan to send you a Bible study that I encourage you to do in your homes the Sundays that we’re isolated from everyone meeting together. These are no doubt unique times that call for unique flexibility from us all.

Matthew 22:35-40 says: One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

I would like to take this time to focus on the important Biblical topic of ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ and I would like to do this through looking at, and discussing, some of the “One Anothers” that are throughout Scripture. 59 times the phrase “one another” (most commonly “allelon” in the Greek) is used in the New Testament in reference to how we should, and should not, relate to one another, and what better time than now to be taking a look at these and putting them into practice as we are able.

The first one that I would like us to look at is “Pray for one another”:

James 5:16 says: Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

Prayer is an essential component of what it means to “walk by faith,” as well as it’s an essential part of true fellowship with one another. This is why we have a prayer chain and do “prayer and praise time” each Sunday. These are ways that we can know what’s going on in each other’s lives so that we can effectively pray for one another. However, though these are great avenues for knowing one another’s prayer needs, it’s essential that we have close, intimate relationships with one another so that we can both hold each other accountable, as well as know how to better pray for one another. During this time, consider reaching out to one another through phone, text, email, etc. to share prayer requests and praises with each other so that the body of Christ can be praying effectively.

In addition to this, God wants us to trust Him, and one way we can do this, is by being in continual prayer with Him. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says: Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. I encourage you to not only make devoted time to be praying for one another and for this world in this time of crisis, but also to be in a continual mind set of prayer in every waking moment. As the verse says, “This is God’s will for us”.

Praying for you all,

-Pastor Kyle