Prayer

Please be praying for baby Stellan. His mom, Jennifer aka MckMama, has a great blog that I often go to. Stellan is in the hospitable with a sick heart. His heart beat has been dangerously high for the past few days. Pray that the Lord would ultimately heal him but also that his family would continue to trust in the Lord and his sovereignty. The last couple posts have been updating on his situation and have also been encouarging with thoughts on prayer and the fact that none of this is taking the Lord by shock, he is in control. Please pray for Stellan

Also, please pray for the family of Troya Sheckles. She was shot and killed last night at a nearby park. This park is a block or two away from mine and Patrick's church. Our pastors are calling us for a prayer walk tonight around the park and then our usual Wednesday meeting will also be dedicated to prayer for our community and her family.

In an email concerning this incident our pastor, Ryan Fullerton, encouraged us to not be afraid in this situation. Here is an excerpt:

Finally brothers and sisters, let's ask God to help us respond to this in faith and not in fear. The problems we are seeing in the neighborhood are the kind the gospel can confront, comfort, and overcome. The gospel alone can change a murderers heart, comfort a mourning families grief, and save those who are now asking important questions like 'why?' I know many of us will struggle with fear but, pray that by God's grace none of us would see this as a season to retreat but we would see this as a call to urgently and fearlessly advance the cause of the gospel on the streets of this city we call home.

I found myself easily overwhelmed with fear when I heard about this. My heart has been humbled and reminded that I am no one special. My heart is just as wicked and evil as the person who shot that gun. I have that wickedness in my heart. And it is only by the grace of God that I'm not acting on the wickedness. I pray that the Lord would continue to remind me of that and of his goodness to me. I also pray that my heart would leap at this opportunity to reach out to our community and share the message of Christ.