Don’t Know What to Do? Prayer Changes Everything

I meet weekly with an African American pastor who mentors me, encourages me, and sometimes scolds me when I need rebuking. I find these times to be vitally important to me and my ministry, particularly in recent days and recent events where conversations on race and ethnic differences have become so difficult in our country.

As I study and read, and learn, I come to him with wide ranging questions and ideas that are new material for me. Ill ask him if he has read a book I’m looking at, or seen a documentary that I am watching. Often times he says: “Yes, I’m reading that one too.” Other times he says: “No, I don’t need to read about what I’ve lived though for the last 60 years...” And the more I read, the more I know his perspective to be accurate.

 There have been many times over the last 5-6 years or so where I have come to him with a difficult situation, or complex decision And asked him for wise council on how to proceed. More often than not, rather than answer my question outright, he will lean back and say: “Well, That sounds like a tough one; You’ve been praying about this... right?” He asks me the question while he looks at me with knowing eyes. Eyes that know that I have tried to shortcut God’s Way. Then he says: “Tell you what, lets take 30 seconds to pray on that right now.”

I’ve tried to shortcut prayer. Odds are that you have too? I have tried to pursue to decisions I have wanted to make, or come to conclusions in the allotted time that I have determined, rather than praying for God to change my heart, to mold me to His will, and His plan. It’s a good reminder to me, and I would guess a reminder for each of you today as well.

 Fairly recently, back in the early days of COVID-19, I preached a sermon titled “What To Do; When Your Not Sure What To Do?” from the passage Acts 1:12-26, where the Apostles were faced with some of the most difficult decisions they had ever encountered. In it, I shared an acronym for prayer that has been a good reminder for me during this trying season. Let me refresh your memory.

 P - Pause (and Pray)
 R - Read and Reflect (and Pray)
 A - Assess (and Pray)
 Y - Yield (and Pray)

 Would you please take some time this week and pray for our church? We do believe that prayer changes everything, but we do get lazy in actually doing it in the way scripture shows us to do so. Here are a few specifics For Randall Church to add to your personal prayer list.

 1. Pray that we respond to issues of racial unrest rather than react to it. Pray that we keep the Gospel at the forefront of any solutions, or changes we seek to implement at Randall Church.
 2. Pray that we would continue to find safe and sensible ways to worship together during a global pandemic. Pray that we would be a refuge for those who are hurting, and a source of strength for those who need hope to face another day.
 3. Pray that as we begin our church planting efforts in Clarence Hollow in earnest, that we would continue to see folks come and attend virtual groups and online worship gatherings. Pray that the birth of Fieldstone Church would truly be a place where the fields are white unto a spiritual harvest. Pray that those far from Christ would be drawn unto Him!

 Won’t you pray with us? Why don’t you pause and take 30 seconds to do so right now.

 - Pastor Milo