Is Anybody LIstening?

"I love the Lord because He hears and answers my prayers. Because He bends down and listens, I will pray as long as I have breath!" (Psalm 116:1-2, NLT)

The psalmist was eager to pray and approached God with enthusiasm because he was confident that God was not only stooping down to listen, but also that God was intensely interested in what he was saying. How many times do you feel like nobody is interested enough to really listen to what you have to say? How often do you feel your concerns are glossed over, trivialized, or ignored by those to whom you try to express them?

One of our greatest needs is to be known and understood by someone who we value. What a blessing for Christians to have that need met by the One who will not only listen, but who understands and loves you so deeply.

Your Heavenly Father is waiting to bend down and listen to you today. Spend time with Him in prayer.

Daily Prayer Focus
Nov. 7 - Worship Leaders
Nov. 8 - Sunday School teachers
Nov. 9 - Chronically Ill
Nov. 10 - Staff-Parish Team
Nov. 11 - Family Night Programs
Nov. 12 - Local Government
Nov. 13 - World Missions
Nov. 14 - Pastor's Families

Prayers

Courtney Singletary & Family

Bryan & Brittany Browning - mother died

Pauline Cooper family

Praises
Answered Prayers

Not Why, But Who?

In her book, Sitting by My Laughing Fire, Ruth Bell Graham wrote this poem:

I lay my whys before Your cross
In worship kneeling,
My mind too numb for thought,
My heart beyond all feeling.
And worshiping, realize that I
In knowing You
Don't need a "why."

Mrs. Graham realized that all of her "why" questions were answered by the knowledge of "who" God is - the great I Am.

David answered his own "why" question this way, "The Lord is my light and my salvation - so why should I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1)


Daily Prayer Focus

Oct 31 - FUMC Church Staff
Nov 1 - All Saints Day
Nov 2 - Children's Home - Macon
Nov 3 - Lay Leadership Team
Nov 4 - Shoebox Ministry
Nov 5 - State Government
Nov 6 - South Am. Missions
Nov 7 - Worship Leaders


Prayers
Courtney Singletary & Family

Bryan & Brittany Browning - mother died

Praises
Answered Prayers

Why Ask Why?

"Why am I discouraged? Why so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again—my Savior and my God.” (Psalm 42:5,11; 43:5, NLT)

The psalmist asks this question three times in the span of the 16 combined verses of Psalm 42 and 43. Obviously, he was wrestling with feelings of discouragement and sadness. He could have let those feelings spiral downward and turn into depression, resentment, or even anger. But, he chooses to look upward and focus his hopes on God, praising Him for being his Savior.

Are you discouraged or sad today? Make a choice to look up and place your hope in God. Meditate upon His goodness and His grace. Praise Him by repeating scriptures like this one out loud and in your heart.

You may soon find yourself asking, “Why was I so discouraged, when I belong to such a wonderful God?”

Daily Prayer Focus

Oct. 24 - Contemporary Service
Oct. 25 - Pastors
Oct. 26 - Bereaved Families
Oct. 27 - Finance Ministry Team
Oct. 28 - Club 56
Oct. 29 - Judicial System
Oct. 30 - N. American Missions
Oct. 31 - FUMC Church Staff


Prayers
Tommy Killough
Emma Gaines
Brandon Hacker
Jeff Powell & Family
Mark Harrell's grandmother

Praises
Women's walk to Emmaus weekend
The power of prayer

Spurgeon's Passion for Prayer

In his devotional book, Morning and Evening, Charles Spurgeon shared these meditations regarding prayer.

"While prayer is an application to divine wealth, it is also a confession of human emptiness. The healthiest state of a Christian is always to be empty of self and constantly depending upon the Lord for provision; to be consistently poor in self and rich in Jesus; to be weak as water personally, but mighty through God to do great exploits.

"This is where prayer comes in, because while it adores God, it puts the creature where it should be -- in the dust...Prayer equips human weakness with divine strength, turns human folly into heavenly wisdom, and gives the peace of God to troubled souls. We do not know what prayer cannot do!...Help us to use it properly throughout this day!"

From those words, you catch Spurgeon's passionate belief in the power of prayer. May each of us pursue God's presence through prayer with a similar passion.


Daily Prayer Focus

Oct. 17 - Pastor's Families
Oct. 18 - Worship Leaders
Oct. 19 - Boy Scouts
Oct. 20 - Mission Ministry Team
Oct. 21 - Youth Cell Groups
Oct. 22 - Congress
Oct. 23 - Missions to Europe
Oct. 24 - Contemporary Service


Prayers
Women on Walk to Emmaus this weekend
Senior Adult trip to Lake Junaluska
"For God's Glory" women's group
Judy Jeffords recovery from back surgery


Praises
God's grace is sufficient

A Prayer Poem

Prayer

I don't know how it works.

A nobody like me,

talks to a God I can't see,

about problems I can't solve,

and receives peace that no one can understand.

I don't know how it works.

I just enjoy the peace.

"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:7, NIV)

Daily Prayer Focus:

Oct. 10 - Sunday School Teacher

Oct. 11 - Special Speakers

Oct. 12 - Friendship House

Oct. 13 - Education Ministry Team

Oct. 14 - Family Night Programs

Oct. 15 - President of U.S.

Oct. 16 - Missions to Asia

Oct. 17 - Pastor's Families

Prayer Requests

• Walk to Emmaus - This weekend (Men), Next weekend (Women)
• Auto accident victim, and all involved
• Safety over Fall Break
• Family whose todler died in accident

Praises

• God's Peace
• God's help in working through anger

Relaxing Grace

“As a father is kind to his children, so the Lord is kind to those who honor Him. He knows what we are made of; He remembers that we are dust.” (Psalm 103:13-14, GN)

As a parent, you love your children at every stage of their development. You don’t wait until they can walk, read, or ride a bicycle before you love them. If you are a child of God, He loves you at every stage of your development, too. His love is unconditional. It’s not based on what you do or don’t do.

You can receive and relax in God’s love. If you have accepted Christ’s sacrifice on the cross as your salvation, when God looks at you, He doesn’t see your failures or shortcomings. He sees Jesus, His one and only perfect Son.

God loves you right now, just as you are, and He will patiently guide you to become all that He intends for you to be. Praise God today for His amazing…and relaxing grace.


Daily Prayer Focus

Oct. 3 - Worship Leaders
Oct. 4 - Unity in Christ
Oct. 5 - Lifeline Ministries
Oct. 6 - U.M. Women
Oct. 7 - Shoebox Ministries
Oct. 8 - Military/Soldiers
Oct. 9 - Missions to Africa
Oct. 10 - Sunday School Teachers

Prayer Requests

- Youth making college decisions
- Godly wisdom in all decisions

Praises

- God's provision for all needs

By Marian Monk

Bubble Up

Anne Cetas in Our Daily Bread tells a story about a man who was stuck in a long line at the US-Canada border. Determined to lighten the mood, he reached for some bottles of bubble-making solution he had in his car, and began to blow bubbles. He handed out bottles to some other drivers, and “soon there were bubbles everywhere…It’s amazing what bubbles do for people.” The line didn’t move any faster, but suddenly everyone was happy.

Paul encouraged early Christians in their trials: “Do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:18)

Make a commitment to pray each day, looking at the loving, forgiving, just and faithful character of God. This change in focus will change your attitude despite the circumstances you are facing. You may just begin to “bubble” with enthusiasm and hope.

Daily Prayer Focus
Sept. 26 - FUMC Church Staff
Sept. 27 - Unchurched People
Sept. 28 - Strong Marriages
Sept. 29 - U.M. Men
Sept. 30 - Club 56
Oct. 1 - Eductors
Oct. 2 - North American Missions
Oct. 3 - Worship Leaders

Prayer Requests
- Women's Prayer, Praise, & Worship, Friday September 25
- Family in Carrolton whose twin boys died in freak accident
- Victims of domestic abuse
- Pastor's back surgery
- A youth in need


Praises
- Pearson Martin - Good report
- People stepping up and out to serve God




By Marian Monk