FROM YOUR PASTOR’S HEART July 15, 2024

There are times when it is unwise to share what is on my heart. Sometimes, my heart is broken over the struggles that people who I care about are going through in their lives. At other times, my heart is sad because of the evil taking place in the world around us. On rare occasions, I am facing my own hurts and heartaches, which no one wants to hear.

The good news is that there is One who is always there to listen to our problems and offer us solutions. We serve a Mighty God, who is always available and always able to minister to our needs. Prayer is one of the most valuable and most powerful gifts in our spiritual arsenal. It is mightier than the sword and swifter than an arrow. It offers greater protection than any type of shield. As we have witnessed recently, it can defend against any attacks from the enemy, whether they are from some illnesses or from men.

Sadly, I feel that this awesome gift from the Lord is often underutilized. Prayer is not like a weapon that requires a permit, training and practice in order to be effective. There is no limitation on where it can be activated. We can either bow our heads or lift our eyes toward Heaven, when we pray. We can lift up prayers at any time of the day or night. If our hearts are broken, we can fall on our face before the Lord. If we are filled with joy, we can stand with arms raised high in praise and adoration for God’s goodness. We can offer prayers in private or in public, with full assurance that the Lord will hear.

I want you to know that no matter what is going on in my life, you are always on my heart and in my prayers. One of the greatest blessings that I can bestow upon the people that God has entrusted to my care is to pray for you. I pray for the needs that are known to me, but also for the Lord to minister to your unknown struggles. For there is not a pain or problem that we face that goes unnoticed by Him. As the title of this article indicates, my prayers for you are always: “FROM YOUR PASTOR’S HEART.”

Serving in love,

Bro. Jim