From our RHM

Dave Crum writes:

I ask you to consider setting aside regular times of prayer, and fasting, for the next four months, beseeching our Lord on behalf of Providence OPC in Paso Robles.  Perhaps our Presbytery will instruct me to communicate to our churches a region wide day of prayer and fasting at our meeting next week.  In the meantime, here are Pastor Walker’s words for your prayers: 

Tim and Irene Walker give thanks for the increased outreach efforts that God has enabled the people of Providence OPC to undertake over the past few months and also for the faithful praying for this mission work by people from around the presbytery.  Please join the members of the congregation in praying that God would bring fruit from the outreach efforts at this critical time.  Ask that God would bring many visitors and that He would enable the mission work to continue by providing more people and adequate financial resources.  Please also pray that God would enable the members of the congregation to continue to trust God at this challenging  time, as they labor diligently and pray fervently.

Please pray for Tim and Irene Walker's health as well.

Bayview, Chula Vista

RE Mrs Postma:  Praise the Lord with us that Pat is back home from the hospital.  After running several tests, the doctors concluded that she has some kind of allergy that was effecting her kidney function.  They have prescribed the appropriate medications, and hopefully Pat will be on her way to a full recovery soon.  Thank you all for your support in prayer.

Bayview, Chula Vista

Please pray for RE Roy Postma's wife, Pat, who is in the hospital undergoing tests.  She has been feeling poorly for a couple of weeks, and there seems to be a problem with her kidneys, though so far they have not found any specific cause.  She will receive results of more tests on Wednesday.  Pray that the Lord will provide an accurate diagnosis and plan of treatment.

Sovereign Grace, Redlands

Recently a small independent congregation disbanded near Redlands. Their "pastor", a retired Bible Presbyterian who now attends SGOPC, recommended to his congregants that they consider attending Sovereign Grace. A number have visited with two couples now coming to worship regularly. Please pray as we follow up with these families that, if it be the Lord's will, many of these folks will call Sovereign Grace their new church home.

Bayview, Chula Vista

Please join us in praying for Covenant Christian School.  Because of a low student enrollment this year, we are facing a serious financial crunch at mid-year.  We sent out an urgent appeal at the end of December, and God has provided wonderfully — far beyond what we (in our weak faith) dared to hope.  But we still need more donations in order to finish the year "in the black."  And beyond that, pray for the Lord's blessing on our efforts at student recruitment for the next academic year.

An experiment in prayer-networking

Dear brothers,

     This blog is an experiment in prayer-networking within our presbytery.  We understand from God's word that prayer is an essential aspect of our ministry, and meeting around the throne of grace is a wonderful privilege of our fellowship in Christ.  

     We regularly share prayer requests and praises from our churches with one another during our stated meetings.  But in between times, unless there is a serious emergency, we hear very little from one another regarding week by week concerns of our churches.  When we pray for each other, we are usually praying "blind" or praying in generalities.

     Accordingly, I want to invite you to use this blog with me to help keep each other current on prayer needs within our churches.  Anyone can read and comment on postings, but I can also set it up to allow specific people to join me in posting requests directly to the website.  If you are interested in participating in this posting feature, send me an email with the address you want me to use in listing you as an "author," and (I think) the software will take care of the rest.  (If you want to delegate official prayer reporting to another member of your church, that is fine, but I'd like to limit the circle of post authors to one per congregation.  That is, this is not a vehicle for the sharing of requests from our general membership.  That I think would quickly get unwieldy.)

     When you post requests or praises, I suggest you simply put your church name in the "title" window (e.g., "Bayview, Chula Vista") so we will know immediately where the post is coming from.  Please keep your requests as brief as possible while giving us enough information to be able to pray intelligently.  Encourage us with brief news concerning answered prayers as well.  (If you have an apt quotation or brief comment to encourage us to pray, please feel free to share that as well.)  You can decide how often to post — weekly or monthly and when there is an urgent need.

     If you have questions or suggestions, let me know.  I know next to nothing about blogging, and am learning as I go.  But I wanted to start something along these lines while the thought is still fresh.  If the Lord wants it to be a blessing and help to us as we try to connect more effectively with each other's ministries, then he will make it work.  If not, then it can go onto the blog ash-heap of history.  Looking forward to praying and praising God with you all for his many mercies.

Sincerely,

Roger