Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it, with thanksgiving. Colossians 4:2
What power there is in knowing we can come before God and share our deepest concerns with Him. Such is the God we have and the love he has for us. In both the Old and New Testaments, communications with God was central to the relationship He shared with his people.
In a word, prayer is communication. It is going before God and speaking to Him honestly, attentively and respectfully. Our prayers are to be done without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:16). Our prayers should be offered to God in times of thanksgiving and distress, in sickness and in health and above all, in faith.
We know that through faith in Jesus’ sacrifice, death and resurrection, we have salvation from our sins. And by this redemption we are transformed into God’s children. As God’s children, we can call on our Father at any time, in any place, and under any circumstance.
To pray then, is to speak with God as one would a friend. Your surely have needs, fears and joys. Through a simple prayer of your own accord, thank God for the joy of living He is giving you. Thank Him for your good health, the people in your life and for His provision. Let God know of your fears and everything that hurts you and breaks your heart. Pour out your tears before God and He will comfort you. He will bless you and give you peace even in times of
trouble.
Don’t forget that Jesus reminds us – just as He did His first disciples – “Peace, I leave with you;
my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not our hearts be troubled,
neither let them be afraid.” John 14:27
There’s also the 19th century song that says it very well: “What a friend we have in Jesus, all
our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer.”

Lutheran Hour Ministries “Attending to Prayer

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Looking back over your life have you considered how the hand of God has been with you? How often have you done and and suffered many things, without any exertion or desire of your own, or without any thought before it happened. During such events, have you wondered: “Where on earth have all these things come from, surely not from my mind? My thoughts were elsewhere?”

“A person’s heart devises their way, but the Lord directs their steps.” (Proverbs 16:9). How often God was with us when we didn’t know it, and with what truth Peter has said, “He cares for us all.” (1 Peter 5:7) Therefore, considering this, our very life itself has been brought through so many evils and dangers by the ever present and most tender goodness of God, who, far above all that we purposed or perceived, carried us in his arms.

From the Psalms: “I remember the days of old; I meditate on all your works; I muse on the work of your hands.” (Psalm143:5) “Surely I will remember your wonders of old.” (Psalm 77:11) Again, “I remembered your judgments of old, O Lord, and have comforted myself.” (Psalm 119:52) Such exhortations are intended to teach us that, if God was with us when we thought he wasn’t, or when it seemed that he wasn’t, we should not doubt that he is always
with us, even when he appears to be far from us. For he who has sustained us in so many of our necessities, without our aid, will not forsake us in our smaller need, even though he seems to be forsaking us. As He said in Isaiah, “For a small moment have I forsaken you; but with great mercies will I gather you.” (Isaiah 54:7)

Pastor Darryl

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John 15:26
The promise of the Holy Spirit had eventuated just as Jesus said it would. But how the Holy Spirit made his entry was unique, particular the event that day of speaking in tongues.
We may not have that same gift available to us, but each of us has our own unique Spirit-given language of some sort—a way to reach out to the people around you who do not yet know Jesus or believe in Him. It may not be a literal language, like Spanish or Vietnamese. It may be a skill that you have that brings you into contact with people
who need help—a gift like nursing, accounting, or building. It may be a gift of caring or hospitality—something that helps you build relationships with your neighbours, and ultimately allows you to share your faith with them.
Whatever your language is, it’s one you can speak “in the street.” It’s one that, if you are willing, God can use to bring His love and mercy to other people. You don’t have to be experienced or wise. You just have to be willing. (reference from Lutheran Hour Ministries 19/5/21)

Pastor Darryl

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John 17:6-19
Jesus has been talking to, and teaching his disciples in the upper room, but then he began to pray.

Unlike when Jesus would go off to a quiet place to pray to the Father, Jesus now prays aloud in the presence of the disciples so that they could clearly listen.

There are three parts to Jesus’ prayer. He prays for himself, then for his disciples, then for future believers and the world. Even where Jesus prays for himself it is in the context of what he will do for others. We are part of the others, so, we are also invited to “listen in” to his prayer as it is for us as well. By this prayer we can learn more about Jesus’ relationship with the Father, and therefore our relationship with both the Father and Jesus.

You don’t have to wonder whether Jesus intercedes for you. Right here in John 17 is the finest example of him doing so. What a wonderful assurance and comfort we as a Christian have, that Jesus has already spoken to the Father on our behalf.

Pastor Darryl

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Matthew 26: 26-30
Why we celebrate the Lord’s Supper/Holy Communion/Eucharist. Scripture must be the basis of our understanding
of the Lord’s Supper. Jesus Christ not only gave us this Holy meal, but his command determines the administration of the sacrament. The giving of this gift is found in the gospels of Matthew 26:26-30, Mark 14:22-25, and Luke 22:14-20. All of these note that Jesus specifically states the bread is His body, and the wine is His blood. Yes, Christians observe the Lord’s Supper as an act of obedience to remember Christ and his death, but the bread and wine are not merely a representation of Christ’s body and blood. Christ’s body and blood are really present with the bread and wine, just as Christ said they are – “This ‘IS’ my body, …. This ‘IS’ my blood. (Matthew 26:26,28). That being so, God gives blessings in the Lord’s Supper, forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. The converse is also true. If this meal provides us forgiveness of our sins, as Jesus Christ taught, then the true presence of His body and blood, as He taught, must also be true. (John 6:22-69). So, when we participate in the Supper there is a ‘communion’ with Jesus and with one another when they gather at the Lord’s table (Eph 4:3–6; 1 Cor 10:16,17).
The Lord’s Supper is indeed a wonderful gift, a treasure, a means of grace and is good news – the gospel, given for our comfort and spiritual strength.

We do not try to explain how Jesus can be present with his body and blood under the bread and wine. We simply must trust Jesus’ words. Luther explains in the Large Catechism. “…Now the only way this treasure is passed along and made our very own is in the words ‘Given . . . and shed for you.’ For in the words, you have both truths, that it is Christ’s body and blood, and that it is yours as a treasure and gift.”

Pastor Darryl

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