How can we give thanks when times are hard?!

December 5, 2010 by Leave a Comment

November 24, 2010

Donna is no stranger to the H.o.P.E: she is beloved by many of the people who have come to really appreciate her and her music on Wednesday night. She was up front for an entirely different reason: Her young adult son had had some scary news regarding his health. Yet his faith and his family’s faith remains strong. For now, Donna needed the prayers of her H.o.P.E family and they responded in unison. As they surrounded her and mothers in the congregation held her in their arms, it felt like the best place to be on Thanksgiving eve!

Around the Fall, the Israelites celebrated a holiday not unlike Thanksgiving. The season is associated with the harvest and God’s provision. There was another reason to be thankful. The Festival of Tents or Tabernacles was for thankfulness. It was instituted in Leviticus 23.

The purpose of this Festival or Feast was celebrate God’s faithfulness to them while in they were wandering in the desert. They lived in temporary homes in the light of a more permanent one in the Promised Land.

How can we give thanks when times are hard? Even while we are in temporary dwelling place, we celebrate because God is faithful and is preparing for us something much more lasting. I heard once that Psalm 27 was recited during that time. My favorite passage of the Bible is Psalm 27:4. It has new meaning now beyond a simple longing to see the God. And then there is verses 5 and 6:

For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
and set me high upon a rock.

Then my head will be exalted
above the enemies who surround me;
at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the LORD.

We “made music” with Calvary’s Light and they sang of peace and flowers that one day won’t fade. We gave our thanks for what God will do.

An unexpected prayer request came from a Jenny. During her Bible Study with Pastor Ron earlier that day, she revealed that she had just found out that her doctor had told her that nothing could be done for her. He told her that she would die from cancer. She spoke of her faith in God and said that she wished she had spent more time being thankful.

It’s never too late with God. That’s the beauty of Him. So she gave thanks for her family, her fiance, for her friends and for Jesus. And she said thank you for the breath of life in her tonight, and another chance to say that God had been good to her. We sang a scripture song borrowing the words at the end of Psalm 27:

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the LORD
In the land of the living.

Wait on the LORD;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the LORD!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

-Pastor Sabine

Filed Under: cancer treatment, covering prayers, Dr. Sabine Vatel, healing, house of prayer, Thanksgiving Day

2010: Lord, Teach Us How To Pray

January 1, 2010 by Leave a Comment

December 30, 2009
Maria and her husband have wrapped Anne with loving prayers.

Anne’s face lit up when she saw the Christmas-themed quilt laid out for her during House of Prayer Experience. It was her first time participating in the prayer meeting, let alone up being in front of everyone. She was flanked by Dave and Maria. Just to think that a week ago they were total strangers, and now they were her new friends.

Anne had gone to the health food store and while she was browsing the merchandise, Maria came up beside her looking for a little gift, too. They struck up a conversation. Maria smiled as she remembered how they spoke until the store’s closing. Maria found out that Anne was going through chemo and radiation for breast cancer, and that this woman’s husband had been ill and that her son had recently been in an automobile accident. Maria felt compelled to tell this stranger about H.o.P.E.

A week later there they were together again. Dave is well today, but he himself had to go through cancer treatment a year ago. Although he wasn’t up to coming up to receive his quilt at the time of his illness, he showed up this time with a heart to support Anne.

Upon hearing of their encounter, a crowd also came up to stand by Anne and pray with her. Anne was overjoyed and whispered her gratitude to God and everyone.

The New Year has begun with a renewed commitment for corporate prayer. We repeat after the disciples who once asked Jesus, “Lord, Teach us how to pray” (Luke 11:1). Prayer leads us to be in tuned with divine appointments-wherever or whenever they may be. We ask for God to teach us how to pray and to help us connect to one another for His glory and to the One who is the true source of our peace in this New Year.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Pastor S.:)

Thank you very much for your prayerful support of House of Prayer Experience.

Thank you simply for your presence…on location or online, for facilitating with singing and music, for audio-visual- technical help, for your smiles and greeting at the table or within the sanctuary, for giving a word of encouragement in the parking lot, for inviting people you know, for sharing your joys and giving us the opportunity to pray for you and for believing that God’s House is meant to be a House of Prayer … for all people!

Abundance of blessings in this New Year, people of H.o.P.E!

Filed Under: cancer treatment, Lord's Prayer, Teach us how to pray