Praying with Confidence
Our Lord Jesus is our model for all things in life and faith. With that in mind it is important to note how intentional He was in making time to be with God the Father and to pray (see Mark 1:35). These were such important priorities for Jesus that He even refused to allow the ever-present needs of people to deter Him from making time to pray. Jesus was intentional when it came to prayer.
Following our Lord’s example, we are setting aside an intentional time to pray together across our association on January 5-7, 2021. LCMC’s Three Days of Prayer is a designated time for us to come together as one across the association to pray. It is not the only time we pray of course. It is, however, a time when we can be united around a common purpose, one modeled for us by our Lord and Savior.
As we join together on these days in January, we will be able to pray with confidence knowing that our prayers are not dependent upon us but rather upon the character and power of the One to whom we pray.
LCMC Pastor Graeme Sellers writes: “God does not want us to find our confidence in prayer in how well or how right we’re praying; but rather, in our conviction of His goodness and kindness to His kids.”
This assurance of the love and goodness of our Father in Heaven sets us free to pray. We do not have to be paralyzed nor stymied in prayer, waiting until we think we have prayed right enough, good enough, long enough. Rather, we are set free to pray in confidence knowing to whom it is we pray, our good Father in Heaven who is determined to be good to us.
Let’s come together across the association to pray during these three days in January and let’s pray every day before and after. Let us pray as God has taught us in the form of the Lord’s Prayer. Let us pray as prompted by the Word and the Spirit of God. Let us pray that the Holy Spirit bring us together as one so that millions can be drawn by God to faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. And let us pray to the Lord as others have done throughout history: “Lord, do whatever You need to do in us so You can do whatever You want to do through us.” For Yours Lord, is the Kingdom, power, and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Author
Mike brings 40 plus years of leadership and ministry experience, having served in Lutheran congregations in Nebraska (Christ Lutheran Church) and South Dakota (Trinity Lutheran Church) as a youth pastor, worship leader, associate pastor, and senior pastor. He also served as President for The Master’s Institute Seminary for ten years and most recently, as Director for the Alliance of Renewal Churches (ARC). Mike is passionate about helping leaders and congregations create an atmosphere that is a safe place for developing healthy leaders and disciples in the church, and equipping God’s people for lives of effective witness and ministry in the world. He is the author of the book, Being a Safe Place for the Dangerous Kind, in which he articulates the essential connection between solid theology and healthy practice in mission and ministry.
Mike enjoys sports of all kinds, having served as a high school basketball and baseball coach while serving Trinity Lutheran Church in Rapid City, South Dakota. He and his wife of forty-two years, Debi, enjoy reading, hiking, and swimming, and Mike enjoys the occasional golf outing. They have five adult children – Andrew Michael, Joseph Ross, Rachel Christine, Stephen Daniel and Benjamin John, and three grandsons – Michael, Isaac, and Lucas. Mike and Debi live in Gilbert, Arizona with their three-year old white Labrador, Maggie Mae.
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