another prayer request
02/15/2003 03:40 a.m.

I'm sorta begining to feel God would have me serve Him by strengthening the church, in a particular way.  and I feel I have no capacity to do it.  So please pray for me.

I feel (let me know what you think about this one) often people leave church with struggles that they don't know how to get God involved in, and the church doesn't seem to get it.  It seems to me that part of the need here is for church members to be attracted to and edified in the area of encouragement.

so often, when a person shares a problem, the usual first response is to say something to try to "fix" it.  Or, even worse, to say something "spiritual" which increases their pain. 

OK, OK, I confess, the reason I know this is because I've had so many struggles (usually caused by my dum choices - but hey, we each have our gift right!)

If we are to encourage another who has a problem that we may not understand, or do not feel confident we have something helpful to say.  Listening is certainly a good balm, if that's all we do is listen sympatheticly.  To listen, without offering words perceived as empty, we must have a faith that can have peace not being able to help.  Often I lack faith that God can handle this without my help, or faith that God can use my prayers; alone, to help.

Actually, I believe being in touch with the particular way our faith is challenged by another's situation is part of God showing me how to pray.  I listen to a lot of people who go to church, do not live (shall we say) mature Christian lives, with their struggles.  One guy was telling me his struggle and I just felt a huge incapacity to feel prayer would help at all, I felt blocked from God.  So I asked him, "do you feel blocked from God,"  That was exactly how he felt.  I needed a faith to seek God, and to seek faith when I felt blocked.  Then I felt a sense of being able to pray for him in a way that was suited to his need.

Please pray for me to be able to articulate helpful ways believers can encourage other believers.  please pray for me to be able to do it in a way that will encourage believers to become more confident in God's ability to use them and that more people will be able to take informed action that will bear good fruit.

thank you for praying for me

Mike