What a privilege to serve ...

There are times at college, in ministry when we may feel

nExcited…Terrified?

nEncouraged …Discouraged?

nPeaceful…Frightened?

nRelaxed…Apprehensive?

nRefreshed…Tired?

Sometimes we may feel all of these on the same day!

But there are also times when we are filled to capacity and others when we are running dry.

Bishop Fanta Clarke was in college this week with Fellowship looking at the topic - The Shepherds heart and he quoted the following

“Take heed to yourselves lest you perish while you call upon others to take heed of perishing: lest you famish yourselves while you prepare their food.”

The Reformed Pastor: Richard Baxter

We all in ministry need to remember whose we are.

With my reflections in the past on prayer I really do think that prayer is essential to all that happens in our ministry.

I know that I can ramble, not really knowing what to pray sometimes but sometimes we just need someone to draw alongside us on our journey and offer prayer.

Again with Prayer Min at madness this summer I know that prayer does accomplish much more that we can imagine. I know I only am a baby when it comes to prayer and understanding the implications of real prayer.

Over the course of this week I have experienced much prayer - in youth group, in church at the Min of Healing service on sunday, at CORE on sun night, in college this week, in intercessions at CU tonight ...

OK, CU Tonight - I went along - not knowing what time it was at - for those who want to know - it starts at 7:30 above the arch in TCD - their website is www.bebo.com/TCDCU

I headed up and the topic was prayer ... see lots of prayer this week
Scott Hill was speaking and really spoke into a lot of the questions I asked myself at the beginning of this week.

Using the text from Revelation "knocking at the door" as well as Elijah and the Prophets of Baal where through prayer the door can be unlocked and God will answer. He explained that lots of people pray but for the Christian there are certian keys to prayer.

1. Knowing and praying to the father (Matt 6) It is not enough to be babbling meaningless texts but that we need to be praying to God who is our father - our perfect father.

2. Trust (Ps 13) - There are times when things are going pearshaped but we need to wrestle with the difficult questions - we need to be able to ask - "why God?" and trust him through it all

3. Cross (Matt 27:45ff) - Through the cross we are brought into the prence of God, acess the most holy place - an amazing privellege and responsibility

4. Imagination (2 Cor 4:4ff) - We need to pray to God to give us ideas, challenges as we pray - it is more than 1 way traffice us->God but rather dual traffic. One way he does this is via ides, visions of things. Apparently R...