Pray: Believe Series

Prayer is our core practice for Believe this week.

Key Question:  How do I grow by communicating with God?
Key Idea: I pray to God to know him and find direction in my life.
Key Verse:  God has surely listened.  He has heard my prayer...He has not held back his love from me.  Psalm 66:19-20

When I asked my kids what they discussed Sunday they shared that they had talked about different ways to pray.  Some of their insights included:  singing a prayer, praying at different times of day, praying by yourself or in a group, using recited or memorized prayers.
They continued to share some of the many things we can pray for like family and friends.

Sermon link
Family Page: Prayer

Over the years prayer has been studied again and again at our church.  We have done studies on

• The Lord's Prayer 
• Bill Hybel's Too Busy Not to Pray
• Praying the Psalms (Ben Patterson)

One of the books I have picked up for heavier reading on Prayer is:
Prayer:  Does it make any difference?  by Philip Yancey

Worship: Believe Series

Key Question:  How do I honor God in the way he deserves?
Key Idea:  I worship God for who He is and what He has done for me.
Believe, Chapter 11, Worship  (Daniel 6; Acts 16:16-35)
Key Verse:  Come let us sing for joy to the Lord.  Let us give a loud shout to the Rock who saves us. Psalm 95:1
This week at worship Mike McClenahan shared the following 3 points:

As we have discussed this topic this week we have wrestled with the consumer and contributor roles in worship.  For us worship is about what we get and what we give.  But I have to wonder as I think more about it if corporate worship isn't more about collaborating with our gifts to bring God glory -- something we can only do together.

Gathering with others to worship God is just one of the many ways we worship.  Sometimes we worship alone (in quiet or chaos), sometimes we gather as a family, sometimes we may attend a large convention to worship, but we try weekly to join our church community to worship on Sunday morning.  We like to leave worship refreshed and renewed having shared with others on a journey to know God better, to serve Him together, to experience together the life He wants for us.

I love the question Mike left us with Sunday:  "What is most important to you about your personal and communal worship?"  I don't know that I have one answer...what I find is it depends on where I am in my journey -- somedays I need quiet time with God, sometimes I need to know I am not alone on this journey, sometimes I need the excitement and energy.  So thankful I know a God who meets me right where I am no matter what the circumstances.  He is always worthy of worship.  And worshipping Him always brings life back into focus giving me His strength to return to life circumstances whatever they may be.

The song that has been running through my mind this week has been "Pray About Everything" (from Group's Kingdom Rock VBS in 2013 - a CD that seems permanently fixed in my minivan's CD player).  If you want to enjoy it here is a link to a church that took a run at celebrating worship and brought a smile to my day (makes me just want to be a part of the fun you know they had making this!)

Philippians 4:6-7

Don't worry about anything; instead pray about everything.  Tell God what you need.  Thank Him for all he has done.

Which will be a good lead in to next weeks theme -- Pray.