Devotional Messages

DEVOTIONAL MESSAGE

Luke 6:12 – Now during those days he went out to the mountain to pray; and he spent the night in prayer to God. (NRSV)

If you experienced our worship service from last Sunday (in the room, on Zoom, or later from the video), you heard me say that we are “in a moment.”  The “Intentions Offering” inserted in your bulletin offered many ways that each of us can meet that moment, separated into categories associated with our hearts, souls, minds, and strength.  Today, I want us to focus on one of the most important things we can do in this moment, something that falls into the “soul” category: prayer.

There are a lot of ways that we engage in prayer together as a community, but I’m not sure everyone knows about all of them.  In worship, we have an opening prayer and prayers for the offering and communion, all led by our Elders.  We also have the prayers of the people – when we lift up specific concerns and commend them to God with our unison response – and the pastoral prayer that follows.  Both by sharing your joys and concerns and by listening and responding to others, you are joining with the body in prayer.  A prayer list is included in this very email, which is the beginning of the list we will use on Sunday.  Our weekly prayer partners are featured on our social media accounts each Sunday.  Some of you are part of our email Prayer Chain, which shares urgent prayer requests if they come up earlier in the week.

Have you met our prayer table?  In the back of the Sanctuary, we now have a table where you can light a candle to symbolize a prayer that is on your heart.  There is also a notebook in which you can write down whatever prayers you are lifting up – pleas and thanksgivings.  The pastor and others may read those prayer requests and pray them with you, but they will not be shared by email unless you also share them aloud in worship or otherwise let the pastor know you want them shared.

In the May newsletter, we introduced a new way we will be sharing prayer with our community.  On Wednesday, May 22, we will be out in the parking lot to offer “Drive-Thru Prayers of Blessing” for whatever neighbors roll through to visit with us.  Those who came by our Drive-Thru Ash Wednesday seemed so touched by the opportunity, we decided we shouldn’t wait a whole year to do it again!  We would love to have your help in making this ministry happen.

Watch for more ways to get involved in the prayer ministry of Vista La Mesa CC.  As Jesus’ ministry began in earnest, he went up to the mountain to pray.  Whatever this moment may bring, the best way to ensure we are following Jesus and being faithful to God’s call is to make sure the whole process is surrounded by prayer, the speaking kind, the action kind, and the listening kind!