Absolute Dependence On The Lord

Philippians 1:18-26 || Sunday, October 11

It was a joy to worship with you this week! On Sunday morning, I announced that we would begin an intentional six-week period of corporate prayer and fasting to focus our hearts on the Lord and pursue His guidance during this season of transition. In all the doing of life and ministry, it is easy to become distracted from seeking the Lord. But God has given prayer and fasting as two precious spiritual disciplines to draw us into deeper fellowship with Him and greater sensitivity to His direction.

Starting today, our weekly newsletter will include a prayer prompt to help guide your prayers for our church family. As you pray each week, you are also invited to participate in a midweek fast, which could mean abstaining from food for a full day, simply skipping lunch, or forgoing caffeine or sweets. However you choose to fast, I encourage you to devote the time you would normally spend eating a meal or enjoying coffee/dessert to coming before the Lord in prayer on behalf of our body.

As we begin, I'd like to share these words from the book of Ezra, which Ezra spoke as God's people returned from exile to Jerusalem:

"Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our goods. For I was ashamed to ask the king for a band of soldiers and horsemen to protect us against the enemy on our way, since we had told the king, 'The hand of our God is for good on all who seek him, and the power of his wrath is against all who forsake him'" (Ezra 8:21–22).

Brothers and sisters, let's humble ourselves before our God and cry out to Him today — that He would work for our good and His glory during this season. He is able and willing. His power is perfect and unparalleled. We are weak in ourselves, but in Him we are made strong. May the focus of our prayer for this week be our absolute dependence on the Lord.

In Him,

Noah