May It Be...

It's always a pretty incredible thing, to hear the powerful sermons that come to the forefront around the Christmas season, for truly the thought of God coming to Earth to redeem a broken humanity is hard to fathom.

And if you'll permit me to include among them, my pastor is on a series discussing the Adventurers, a play on words of the characters of the Advent season and he said something yesterday that really provoked some consideration.

In discussing Mary's response to the promise of Jesus' birth and the account of her visit to Elizabeth, this observation was made. And although we see it in Luke 1:38, it exists numerous times elsewhere through Scripture.

What is truly amazing about the sovereignty of God and the free will of humanity is that God will not act for us or through us without our consent.

Consider how often we see the response.

I am your servant.
May it be as you have said.

It's a nod to the power of prayer! A direct relationship between our petitions and God's Hand, which we further see through both era's that are divided by Christ' life.

Thus if we limit our prayers to God, it stands to reason God's response will in turn, be limited?

Yet if we are open and willing to see it through to completion....

How often do we look at circumstances and decide "no more". God's plans take time and any time we abort the mission early, it usually spells bad news in comparison to what would have been, had God been allowed to work in His time.

So, on this #seniorPastorMonday, may I encourage you as our congregation was encouraged? Let's pray today, that Pastors will not abort the mission. May they see through to completion, the plans and purposes that God is working in their lives and ministries. Pray for those, where there needs to be a realignment as God's servant and a willingness for God's word to come alive and manifest itself in our midst. Pray for Pastors who are tired of the journey, may they be strengthened. As they refresh others, may they be refreshed themselves. May the power of prayer be rekindled and fanned, as unleash themselves to God's sovereignty.

May the miraculous occur
As promises are fulfilled
For those who remain in Him.
Unrelenting, unwavering.
Faithful to the cause of Christ,
For the glory of God.

- PNC