This is part five on the "Living Larger Than Ourselves" of his sermon series.
This message I really enjoyed, and it probably is one of my favorite messages I have heard from Pastor Kev.
The First Church of Jerusalem's Answer to Overwhelming Challenges: PRAY
Praying Principles
1. Pray for change.
"The pain of the world will sear and break our hearts because we can no longer keep them closed. We've seen too much now. To some degree or other, we have surrendered into service and are willing to pay the price of compassion.
But with it comes the joy of a single, caring act. With it comes the honor of participating in a generous process in which one rises each day and does what one can. With it comes the simple, singular grace of being an instrument of Love, in whatever form, to whatever end."
-Ram Dass
2. Pray repeatedly.
I can't tell you how many times I probably have prayed in my life, but it's a LOT.
"Pray repeatedly" and "Pray expectantly" kind of run together, so read below.
3. Pray expectantly.
Pastor Kev had mentioned that even though God may not change the circumstance of a situation, he may change you--I find that very true. There have been some circumstances in my life that he did not change, but it definitely changed me as a person. In some respects I would say it changed me for the better, but I wished back then that there could have been some change in the circumstances I was placed in when I was younger.
Those circumstances have changed me in many ways but in for the better I would have to say it has made me stronger, and a better person. It has made me realize that there are people who do really bad things in this world but not everyone is like that. I have had to realize that what happened back then was not my fault but at the fault of another.
I was angry at God when I was younger because I incessantly prayed for Him to help me I now realize I do not need a reason to be angry at God. I do in fact have a reason to be angry at that person that changed my life forever when I was young. Sometimes I wonder what I did to have someone do that? I know the answer is nothing but why me? He was supposed to love me and protect me, why would he do that?
Anyway, I'm still going through that stuff, so if you would like, just pray for me. Pray for peace and forgiveness. I want to find it in my heart to forgive him (though in my selfishness I sometimes feel like he doesn't deserve to be forgiven) and to be able to just move on, and not let him or those memories control my life.
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I really like this acronym:
Pray Until Something Happens = P.U.S.H.
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Prayer has always been a source a comfort until all of that happened in my life, but regardless I still prayed. I got tired of praying at one point because I never saw any change. He did not change the circumstances like I had mentioned before but I know I have to be thankful for Him that I got through all of it, and look where I'm at today. I am happy, have an amazing life, with amazing people, and I'm still standing strong.
Thanks not only to Him, but to everyone who has stuck around and helped through the hardest times and even through this period of my life: You guys are dear to my heart and I am not sure where I would be without any of you.
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"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."
-Melody Beattie
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