DEVOTIONALS FROM THE CHURCH AT QUAIL CREEK …storage.cloversites.com/thechurchatquailcreek/documents/40_Days... · THE CHURCH AT QUAIL CREEK MEMBERSHIP. Dear Church Family, I’m

DEVOTIONALS FROMTHE CHURCH AT QUAIL CREEK

MEMBERSHIP

Dear Church Family,

I’m excited about this 40 Day Prayer Devotional that you’re holding in your hands. Each devotional was written from the heart of a member of Quail Creek. I want to encourage you to begin March 12th on this incredible 40 day journey that will lead us through Easter Sunday. As you read the devotion for each day, I want to encourage you to pray that God will speak to your heart. Listen to the heart of the person who wrote the devotion for that day and see the love this person has for the Lord and the church.

Right now is a crucial time that we as a church family need to be in the Word and on our knees praying for and encouraging each other and for direction. I want to quote from Mark Batterson’s book on the 40 Day Prayer Challenge, “The forty-day prayer challenge is going to change your life. In fact, the next forty days have the potential to dramatically alter the rest of your life. God is going to begin a good work in you, and He is going to carry it to completion. Miracles that happen in your life decades from now will trace their origin back to this season of prayer. Breakthroughs that happen during these forty days will become generational blessings that live on long after you die.”

Dale Moreland

God Bless You During These 40 Days Of Prayer

“If you need a refreshment in your spiritual life, if you need a

new touch from God, if you need a new zip in your walk, then

prayer is the answer.”Dr. Stan Coffey

Pray with Us!

QC PRAYER MINISTRIESCIRCLING THE CREEK @ 7:14

JOIN US AS WE PRAY FOR OUR CHURCHSUNDAYS, MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS & THURSDAYS

@ 7:14 AM IN THE CROSSROADS CLASSROOMSATURDAYS @ 7:14 PM IN THE SANCTUARY

HOUSE OF PRAYERSUNDAYS @ 4:30 PM • ENJOY CLASSROOM

LED BY BOBBY HUTCHISON

WOMEN’S PRAYER TEAM1ST TUESDAY OF MONTH @ NOON

ENJOY CLASSROOMLED BY ARDITH JONES

Join a Prayer Group today!Cal l 358-7681 for more information.

Pray with Us!

QC PRAYER MINISTRIESCIRCLING THE CREEK @ 7:14

JOIN US AS WE PRAY FOR OUR CHURCHSUNDAYS, MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS & THURSDAYS

@ 7:14 AM IN THE CROSSROADS CLASSROOMSATURDAYS @ 7:14 PM IN THE SANCTUARY

HOUSE OF PRAYERSUNDAYS @ 4:30 PM • ENJOY CLASSROOM

LED BY BOBBY HUTCHISON

WOMEN’S PRAYER TEAM1ST TUESDAY OF MONTH @ NOON

ENJOY CLASSROOMLED BY ARDITH JONES

DEACON PRAYER WALK SCHEDULE

At the deacons meeting on Sunday, January 26th, our deacons were challenged to a season of prayer for the future direction of the church. We truly believe that God is going to open the windows of Heaven and pour

out His blessings on this church. Will you join the deacons as they prayer walk the building and grounds for God’s direction and blessings? You can

do this at your convenience any day and time of the week.

SUNDAYBobby Hutchison • Donnie Seale • John Michie

MonDayJason Miles • Ben Shoemake • Hal Skaggs • Stan Raef • John Michie • John Schell

TUeSDAYJody Coker • Terry Burns • Mel Richey • Stan Stout

WeDNeSDAYJim Burleson • Damon Samford • Jonathan Williams • John Michie

THuRSDayDustin Hardisty • Troy Bigham • Dr. Steve norris • John Michie • Wayne Riddle

FRiDayMickey McCurdy • Bill Sissel • Steve Self • John Michie

SaTuRDayJoe Brogdon • John Michie • Gene Jeter

40-DAy PRAyER CHALLEnGEDAY 1

PRAYER’S FOLLOW-THROUGH1 Samuel 1:1-28

Zig Zigler once said that most business plans fail because the owners quit too soon. In fact, most plans of any kind fail because of our quitting too soon. When I think of the topic for today’s devotion, “PRAYER’S FOLLOW-THROUGH”, I think of hitting a baseball or a golf ball. The power is in the follow-through. Because of the momentum generated before contacting the ball, power keeps building beyond the contact, thus creating explosive power that is transferred to the ball.

This same principal can be applied to prayer, as we read in 1 Samuel 1:1-28. We all are familiar with Hannah and her prayer for a son, which she promised to give back to the LORD. What we many times miss is the fact that not only did she pray each day, but she prayed with follow-through. She had been mistakenly accused of being drunk during her prayer times in the temple. But after assuring the priest that she was not a drinker, but was praying with much anguish and grief, she then prayed with happiness and expectation. This was the follow-through.

God heard her prayer. She conceived and bore a son, whom she named Samuel. After he was weaned, she dedicated him to God and took him to the temple for Eli to train. This is the same Samuel who anointed David as king. The king whose lineage included Jesus, who is the King of kings and our Savior.

God, help me to begin today to pray with follow-through power. May you receive honor and glory because I followed through. I look forward to my prayers to be guided by your Holy Spirit, as I pray in your will. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Jim Burleson

“I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had no where else

to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient

for that day.” Abraham Lincoln

40-DAy PRAyER CHALLEnGE DAY 2

POWER OF PRAYER

1 Kings 3:9“Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart…

that I may discern between good and bad.”

This is a great prayer! It points to the only source of wisdom. The prayer applied to the only medium for securing power to lead and live.

1. THE PERSON OF THE PRAYER“Give …thy servant.” The person who prayed this prayer was Solomon. He was a young man. He was just ready to enter upon his career in life. He felt grave obligations upon him and he was anxious to be true to every responsibility. He knew his good father had been helped by the Lord, and he went to the same source for help. Solomon was humble, earnest, and anxious before the Lord. This is a good example for every person to follow!

2. THE PETITION OF THE PRAYER“An understanding heart.” He prayed to the Lord to know right from wrong and to discern between good and evil. He desired a heart that could understand God and follow His leadership, to understand himself and to be what he should be, to understand the people of the kingdom and God’s purpose in it and make for them a good king, and to understand the times in which he lived and to measure up to the demands of his day. This is a worthy petition to the Lord.

3. THE POWER OF THE PRAYERThe Lord listened to the prayer of this young king and was pleased with it. The prayer went to the throne of God and touched the heart of God. The Lord granted the petition and gave Solomon wisdom beyond other persons of any age. The Lord did more. He gave riches and honor and length of days to Solomon and made him a great ruler of a great people.

The Lord invites every person now to come to His throne of grace for the wisdom that is needed in every kingdom enterprise. May we pray, “Lord, teach us to pray.” Great days are ahead for The Church at Quail Creek as we PRAY!!

Jimmy Phillips

1 Kings 19:19-21So he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was

plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Then Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him. And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my Father and Mother, and then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again, for what I have done to you?” So Elisha turned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen and slaughtered them and boiled their flesh using the oxen’s equipment and gave it to the people and

they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah and became his servant.

Elijah was a man of God, but he thought he was the only prophet the Lord had and he was trying to flee the wicked king of the Northern Kingdom. He didn’t know that God had reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that had not kissed him. This only shows how God works to restore and renew our lives when we think He has deserted us. He is always working to put us on track or trying to keep us on track. We are often like Elijah; we can find ourselves down and out and don’t know where to turn next. We tend to turn to God only when things get really bad, hoping He will do something to get us out of a bind.

What would you do if someone walked by you and threw a mantle on you and you knew that you were called to the office of being a prophet and called into the ministry to serve God? Would you be willing like Elisha to give up everything to follow God? He and his family were wealthy. They had lots of land to farm and many servants to help them farm the land. Elisha’s lifestyle was one of little needs. He loved his family and he respected his mom and dad. He just wanted to let them know what God had planned for him. Elisha was a man of faith because he was willing to give up everything to serve God. He knew the problems Israel had in doing things their own way and turning away from God. Elisha was excited to see what God was going to do in his life and excited to serve God. He ran to catch up with Elijah. I believe God calls us in the same way today, not only to the full time ministry, but to be called to whatever service God calls us to do. God has given us gifts to be used in service for Him. He won’t give you a job you are not qualified to do. Do we know what we are called to do? More importantly, do we care or are we willing to seek and find out what we can do and do it well because He has called us? We have to learn that we are accountable to God for the way we live our lives. Romans 14:12 What are we looking for in our lifetime; pleasure, possession, power, or serving God? You can make the choice; it is your decision. Are you available for God?

Mel Richey


SEEk GOd’S FAcE

II Chronicles 7:14If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves,

and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and

heal their land.

We must act before God responds. We have been taught all we have to do is accept Christ. Christ has done all the work. If Christ has done all the work then why does Christ say, “If you love Me, keep My commandments”? God tells Solomon we have to do something. God says He will hear from heaven but first we are called to action. We must humble ourselves. We must pray. We must seek God’s face. We must turn from our wicked ways. Mark Batterson gave the example of his praise team needing a drummer. God told Mark to buy some drums. Mark thought God did not understand the request. God why would I buy drums when I do not have a drummer? God says do as I say, have faith, trust me and be obedient.

God, almost five years ago now, laid it on my heart to attend a Sunday evening prayer time. God started working in me to pray for more than just illnesses, financial problems, need for a job and etc. From then on God has impressed upon me to seek His face. I am not down playing intercessory prayer; we are led to pray for one another. I just believe to move forward we need to seek God’s face. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, who He is and His will. As Christ prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, not My will but Thy will be done.

We must identify our wicked ways. We must look openly and honestly at ourselves asking God to show us our wicked ways. Gossip, gluttony, not giving God our (HIS) time, robbing God and other things we would not like to think of as wicked. Strip away the pride and arrogance. There are wicked ways we may not see. Ask God to expose what we may not be seeing. Trust God to do as He says, I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. God first expects us to act, step out in faith, to trust Him and be obedient to Him.

Bobby Hutchison


Isaiah 43:18-19Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See I am going to do a new

thing! Now it springs up, do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.

As an older adult I have the tendency to want to live in the past. I am currently going through a lot of old church records to come up with our church history. This year we will celebrate our 90th year. Our church was organized December 7, 1924. In my almost seventy years here, I have lived a lot of this history. There have been some pretty lean years and also some great victorious years. Hopefully, we have learned a lot from all of this.

Recently in one of my quiet times I read some verses from Isiah 43. God seemed to be saying to me that I needed to forget the past and see what new thing He wants to do.

We all like new things –new clothes, a new car, a new house. Every New Years a lot of people make resolutions. They want a new start—break some old habits and start some new ones. God likes new things, too. He made a new covenant with us. “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood”, Luke 22:20. When we are in Christ, He says we are “a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, new things have come”, 2 Corinthians 5:17.

God loves to do new things. The world thought they knew what God was going to do. He surprised them by coming as a brand new baby. They were expecting Him to come as a conquering hero. Instead, He came as a suffering servant. They had not listened to what God told them through the prophets. Because they misunderstood His purpose and message they crucified Him. But He surprised them by rising on the third day. He told them they would receive power. He surprised them at Pentecost with the power of the Holy Spirit. God still wants to do new things today.

I think God is saying to us, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See I am going to do a new thing! Now it springs up, do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland”, Isaiah 43:18-19. We cannot live in the past, much as we would like to. I think many of us felt like we were living in the desert through Bro. Stan’s long illness and home going. We prayed and believed God for healing. God surprised us by giving perfect instead of temporary healing.

Are we ready for the challenge before us? What new thing does God have in store for us now? “Rise up, Oh Church” and go forward to see and experience what surprise God has waiting for us to claim. I am ready. Let’s go.

Jessie Solomon


DAY 6

THE NEEd FOR JOY ANd LAUGHTER

Isaiah 61:10“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God;

for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness.”

Many times I find myself becoming so increasingly consumed with the seriousness and complexities of life that I forget God created us to experience joy and laughter. We are called as children of God to celebrate life, to sing and shout, laugh and smile to the glory of the Father, as Jesus himself did during his time on earth. No wonder so many Christian songs and hymns are uplifting as they speak of the joy and celebration that is in Christ Jesus. How effective is our witness when we go about life with a frown or scowl on our face?

Life is difficult and certainly the path that a Believer follows is filled with challenges and obstacles. But God has overcome the world, and we don’t have to worry, judge, or walk around feeling that life is not fair. All we have to do is be still and know that He is God, and He has everything under control. We can experience the joy and happiness of knowing God loves us and holds us safely in His hands. I know my day goes so much better after I have talked to God and am amazed at how He blesses my life in little ways throughout the day that cause me to smile and celebrate, even laugh! By God’s grace, I can be a witness to the joyful life He gives. It is more fun and meaningful to look at life through God’s eyes than through the world’s eyes. “For the joy of the Lord is my strength …”

The next time the world throws you a curve ball, attack it with the good news found only in Christ Jesus. When we open our hearts and minds to His teachings, we can be assured of more joy and less stress in our lives. After all, if Jesus himself had a sense of humor, surely we can find cause to smile and laugh at the world we live in. For me, the thought of someday spending eternity in a place I can only dream about is cause for a smile and celebration every day!

Hal Skaggs

40-DAy PRAyER CHALLEnGE

“To have God speak to the heart is a majestic experience, an experience that people may miss if they monopolize the conversation and never

pause to hear God’s responses.”Charles Stanley

DAY 7

GOd’S PLAN…NOT OURS

Jeremiah 29:11-13(NIV)

11”For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope & a future. 12Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13You will seek me

and find me when you seek me with all of your heart.”

What is your plan for your life? Do you want to graduate from high school, go to college, get a job, get married, have children or travel around the world? Is there some place you always wanted to go, someone you’ve always wanted to meet, or something you’ve always wanted to do? We all have hopes, dreams & desires for our lives. We all have plans or goals, but how do we achieve or reach them?

God also has very specific plans for our lives. He has hopes, dreams & desires for us, too. He only wants the best for us, but won’t make us choose His plan. He gave us “free will” to make our own choices and choose our own path. He may not always like the choices we make, but will honor our right to make them.

So, how do we know when our plan for our life is ultimately God’s plan? Simple. PRAY! – PRAY! – PRAY! – GIVE IT UP! – LISTEN! – THEN…GO FOR IT!

PRAY…without ceasing, that our plan is in line with “God’s Plan!”GIVE IT UP…to God! Let Him take control, showing Him our faith!

LISTEN…to that still small voice leading, guiding & directing our path!THEN…GO FOR IT! With as much exuberance & enthusiasm as you have!

As we all know, our plans are not always God’s plans and our timing is not always God’s timing. WE WANT WHAT WE WANT & WE WANT IT NOW! On the other hand, God only wants what is best for us & in His “Perfect Timing.”

It’s only when we relinquish complete control to Him…when we pray His will, not ours…when we listen to that still, small voice telling us what to do…when we do as God asks…then and only then will we find true contentment & peace with our decision. Then God can bring “His” plan to fruition.

So…PLAN…HOPE…dREAM…but, make sure God is first in the equation. When we do that, we will receive far more than we could ever imagine!

Lequeta Logan


DAY 8

GOd’S PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE

Jeremiah 29:11-14 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare

and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when

you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back

to the place from which I sent you into exile.

There are many paths one can choose to follow in life, all full of many doors which can all lead to different endings. We cautiously approach as we go door to door wondering if the ones we will open will be the right ones. For those who like control, this decision making process only gets harder. Even I am guilty of this more then I care to admit simply because, well let’s face it, it can be scary. I remember thinking as one gets older this would become easier. Well I was delusional I guess, because the decisions only get bigger as well as the effect each one has on your life. In times I fearfully grab onto the idea of how I want my life to be and focus all my energy into what I want, but then where is God’s plan for my life in that? I use the word fearfully because it’s out of fear that we advert from God’s plan. Fear of failure, of losing control, of being uncomfortable, and maybe even losing what we have learned to love.

I know it’s scary, but as a follower of our Saviour and the all mighty Father, I want nothing more than to live the life He thought was worthy enough for me. Have you ever thought of that? The life God has planned for you was worthy enough to Him, to give you life. Beyond that, it was worthy enough for Him to send His only Son to be crucified on the cross. However living the life God wants for you will not be easy. It requires obedience to the gospel, constant prayer, and a selfless life not of us but of Him. In the past four months what I wanted for my life has completely changed from what I wanted, to listening to what He wants for me.

People thought I lost my mind. I quit a good job at AC, turned down a potential 100K + a year job, and I’m now pursuing a life of full time ministry and service. In doing this I have fallen more in love with our Lord and love what He is doing in my life so much I have to say I HAVE NEVER BEEN HAPPIER WITH MY LIFE. I’m learning to listen more, pray more, and seek Him in everything I do. If I don’t see God all over it, then it’s just not for me. So with my whole heart I say, God has a plan for your life and He wants you to live it out. Seek it, trust in it, and then live it. First and foremost pray for it.

Brian Enevoldsen


DAY 9

PEAcE

Psalm 29: 11The Lord will give strength unto His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace.

We live in a stressful world; therefore it is important to develop inner reserves to draw strength from when things go wrong. The most important source of strength is the peace that Jesus Christ offers to those who love Him. There are times when you are faced with dreadful experiences. Very quickly you become stressed and your heart is filled with turmoil. You become tense and discouraged and your health begins to suffer.

When things start going wrong and stress mounts, refuse to let it overwhelm you. Guard against becoming irritable. Control your thoughts and deliberately choose to remain calm. If it is at all possible, draw aside with Christ even if only for a few minutes. Reaffirm your dependence on Him. Remind yourself that His peace is available to you. Very soon your spirit will become calm and His peace will refresh your heart. There is only one worthwhile standard of peace and that is the life that Christ gives His followers.

Dirk van Reenen

House of Prayer4:30 pm

Sundays in theEnjoy Room • C152


DAY 10

OLd TIRES

Psalm 40:2He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet

on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.

Have you ever tried to take an old tire to the landfill? If so you probably found out that they wouldn’t accept it. The reason they won’t accept it, is because no matter how deep you bury them, they will eventually find their way to the surface.

In the early 80’s, there was a bank being built in Fritch, Texas. My company was fortunate to be selected as the plumbing and air conditioning contractor. Construction got off to a quick start but came to a halt when proper ground compaction could not be achieved. Compaction is achieved by applying the correct amount of moisture to the right kind of soil and then mechanically compacting it. No matter how much the contractor worked the soil, changed the soil, beat the snot out of it, he could not achieve a firm foundation.

Everyday an old man that lived in Fritch would show up and tell them that they were never going to get compaction on that site. He said that years ago, the site had been a garbage pit and that they had dumped truckloads of tires in the pit and covered it up. Thinking that the old man was senile, the contractor spent weeks doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results. (I think that is the definition of insanity) Failing the test once again, the contractor decided to dig up the site. About ten feet down, he hit the first layer of tires. Excavation continued until the hole was fifteen feet deep and the last of the tires were removed. By the time they were able to refill the hole and get the compaction completed, the project was almost five weeks behind. Building materials were stacked all over the site awaiting a firm foundation.

The story above is the story of my life. I was wrestling with my salvation. No matter how hard I worked at being a Christian, life always seemed to crumble around me. When I would begin to doubt my salvation, I would take on another job at church but no matter how hard I worked I couldn’t achieve a firm foundation. Much like the bank above, my family needed to make withdraws from my life but there was nothing there to draw from. My account was overdrawn. Like old tires, I had buried my sin and addiction, hoping no one would find out. And like old tires, they kept resurfacing. Finally, tired and broken, I gave up the fight and asked Jesus to remove the wreckage. At that point, all the life group lessons and preaching (building materials) that I had sat through for years, began to come together. Everything began to make sense. I began to look and act like the man, the father, the friend, God wanted me to be.

Put down your shovel. Stop trying to cover up what you can’t keep buried. Jesus knows it’s there. Let him wade into the mud and the mire and rescue you.

Mickey McCurdy


DAY 11

FASTEN YOUR SEATbELT

When are we as men and women at our greatest and most powerful? It’s when we are on our knees in prayer before God with a clean heart and praying according to His will. There are things we should pray about, and there are things by which we should ‘take action’. If we are not careful, prayer can become ‘repetitive words from habit’. Also, prayer can be used as an ‘excuse’ for not taking action.

As Christians, we must understand that ‘WE’ may very well be the ‘ANSWER’ that God chooses to use in someone’s life. Always remember, there’s our part, and there’s God’s part. If I meet someone who is hungry, I don’t need to pray about that. I must feed him. If someone is being unfaithful to their spouse, then prayer isn’t the answer, repentance is the answer.

If a single person is praying about a potential partner, the Bible already clearly outlines who we should search for and more importantly, who we should ‘NOT’ search for. For example, we are commanded to ‘NOT’ be unequally yoked to a non-believer (2 Corinthians 6:14). However, the Bible does not tell us about the ‘specific person’ we should search for. Therefore, we pray about the person God specifically wants for us.

Also, Psalms 66:18 says “if I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear”. We must get our hearts right with God before we can have success in our prayer life. As Christians, we must regularly examine our hearts. James 5:16 tells us that the prayers of a righteous man accomplishes much. If we at TCQC learn to effectively pray as a congregation with our hearts right before God, as well as be people of faith, then fasten your seatbelt my friend. The unseen becomes reality and God will move in ways we never thought possible...

Terry Christian

“The more you pray, the less you’ll panic. The more you worship, the

less you worry. You’ll feel more patient and less pressured.”

Pastor Rick Warren


DAY 12

MOMENTS OF MERcY

Psalm 86:1-7(1)Hear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. (2)Guard my life, for I am devoted to you. You are my God; save your servant who trusts in you. (3)Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I call to you all day long. (4)Bring joy to your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. (5) You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you. (6)Hear my prayer, O Lord; listen to my cry for mercy. (7)In the day of my trouble I will call to you, for you will answer me.

When my 3 children were young, this is what I heard. MOM—where are you? MOM—I need Help! MOM—Hold me.MOM—He’s touching me! MOM—I CAN’T it’s too hard!!!MOM—I LOVE YOU!

I responded to each call because I loved them. I responded because they needed me. I responded because they were my children. I knew their voice. When the neighbor children called for MOM I did not respond because they did not belong to me; I didn’t recognize their voice.

This is similar to how I communicate with God. God-where are you? God- I need Help! God-Hold me... God-they are being mean to me.. God-I CAN’T it’s too hard!! God- I LOVE YOU!!

He responds because He loves me. He responds because I NEED HIM. He responds because I am His child and He knows my voice. He answers in the manner what is best for my good.

I am thankful to have a Father, the Creator of the Universe that hears my call; however, He only responds to HIS children, those whose voice HE knows.. but He welcomes all who will come to Him and accept His call for salvation.

Do you know My Father? Does He know you? Will you become His child? Accept His call today.

Jennie Raef


DAY 13

WITH A SONG IN MY HEART

Psalm 100: 2 & 4Serve the LORD with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs…

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name.

Did you ever wake up with a song rattling around in your head? Did it take a while for you to figure out where the song came from? Was it a song from your childhood, or a new song that you heard yesterday on your newest electronic device, or maybe it’s a song from Sunday’s worship service?

I have special songs that define my time line here on earth. The first one is to my kids and then to my grandkids: “Jesus Loves Me This I Know.” This song also defines my time working with the neighborhood children brought in by 9 buses. It wasn’t only a song but a prayer for them to carry the rest of their lives. My second song with my kids is one they still react to (even with a smile on their face), “So, Rise and Shine and Give God the Glory, Glory”. It did get them out of bed.

A song I feel that our church stands on is “How Firm a Foundation”. I was here as the Lord led us to build at this location. I have been here as many of us have prayed and continue to pray many hours over this church. A song that brings tears to my eyes is “Thank You for Giving to The Lord.” It brings to mind the precious years that my husband served working with children. I know he will meet some of those children in heaven one day. At Christmas and Easter we are surrounded with songs that share with the world about our Saviour. It is said that music is the universal language.

Today, as I study my lesson for any given Sunday, I have my hymnal with me. In recent days I’ve come across a song that has stuck in my mind. I find myself humming it from daylight to dark. It is called: “AWESOME!” My God is awesome, He can move a mountain; keeps me in the valley, hides me from the rain. My God is awesome, heals me when I’m broken, strengthens where I’ve been weakened, forever He reigns.

So start your day with praise, thanksgiving, and a song in your heart.

Ardith Jones


DAY 14

AN ASPIRIN IN A bOTTLE

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in

all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.

Do you ever wonder why the world we live in today seems to make no sense? Although all scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, the words of these two short verses are bound to be some of the most power-packed words of wisdom for successful daily living one could hope to find. The message they bring is painfully simple. If one will just analyze each phrase one by one, that will become crystal clear. Just pick it apart, dwell on it and see what happens. Most importantly, hide them in your heart.

As individuals and as a nation, we can easily slip into a mode of trusting in our own knowledge, and begin to ‘do it our way’, so to speak. How easy it is to forget that in the midst of our self-inflicted trials that often take us to complete desperation, the Bible holds the wisdom of an Almighty God right at our fingertips.

So what does this have to do with an aspirin in a bottle? Jesus often spoke in parables while making a point to ordinary people like us. A parable compares some supernatural thing of God to common things that we’re all familiar with. Let’s say you have a pain of one sort or another, possibly a headache. On your shelf sets a bottle of aspirin. If you, for whatever reason, choose not to take the pill in order to gain relief, is the medicine in the bottle going to change what ails you even a little bit? I think not. Surely, you are aware of the bottle’s very existence. Yet, it would be such a simple solution. Why, then do we find ourselves enduring the storms of life while all of this amazingly complete potential for relief from our pain; the Holy Bible, sets unopened and unnoticed on the shelf? Just as the aspirin left in the bottle does nothing, the inerrant Word of God will do nothing if we choose to ignore it and rely on our own way. We have to open it up, take it in and absorb it into our hearts, our minds, and our character.

Acknowledgment of these simple yet powerful words, if heeded, will not only change a person. It will change a home that is bound for disaster; a business venture; a church; a nation that is in a tailspin to destruction. It will change the world. But, in order to see any results we must remember: you can’t leave the aspirin in the bottle.

Terry Burns


DAY 15

GUARd YOUR HEARTProverbs 4:23

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

For many years I worked for a software vendor company as a corporate trainer. My job took me across the country training clients to use our software. We were confident that our product would help them do their jobs more efficiently. Data is entered and reports retrieved. The output was information, which gave clients the knowledge they needed to make the best decisions for their business. The information age coined a phrase many of us still use, “garbage in, garbage out”. When bad data is entered into a system or data entered incorrectly, no good data or effective reports will come out of it. The same is also true in our Christian life. When we allow garbage in our hearts and minds, only garbage will spill out of it. Conversely, when we allow our hearts and minds to be filled with Christ and saturated in the Word, our hearts will spill out His love, His mercy and His grace. I am persuaded that one must be a proactive gatekeeper at the door of their heart. Music, books, magazines, movies, TV, conversations; what are you reading? Listening to? What images are allowed in your mind? What are you watching? What conversations and gossip do you participate?

A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. Luke 6:45

One must be intentional about who and what is allowed in. Engage the filter option. Install the guard feature. The Bible is full of useful instructions to help us live a life that brings honor and glory to the Lord. Who and what gets the best of you and your energy?

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21One must be intentionally in the Word applying those instructions in our

daily lives with the help of the Holy Spirit. Daily prayer, Bible reading, quiet time, are tools we use to have the mind of Christ, to follow after Jesus, to love God and love people.

As a teacher in our Student Ministry, we stress the importance of allowing the Holy Spirit to help our students guard their hearts. A few years ago we painted the scripture Proverbs 4:23 on the wall of our life group room. Everything we say and do circles back to guarding your heart, listening to the Holy Spirit and responding accordingly.

Leslie Shelton


DAY 16

cHIckEN ExPRESS

Revelation 22:7

Have you noticed the sign across the street from the church down toward Walmart? A new Chicken Express restaurant is to be built. It was pointed out to me by a couple in my Life Group, Jerry and Phyllis Rogers. It is a caricature of this chicken running for its life, and reads, “Are You Ready?”. We have had a few chuckles about the sign. It is getting to be our greeting to each other---”Are You Ready?”

In Revelation 22:7 Jesus says, “Behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is he that keeps the words of this book.”. 1 Corinthians reads, “in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, He will return.”. So let’s get ready. How? Assuming you have accepted Christ, prayer is always a good place to start.

When I came to this church I didn’t have much of a prayer life. I joined up with a group that would meet on Sunday mornings before Sunday School to pray for the pastor and the service. I was privileged to pray with some of our prayer warriors in this small group. People like Larry Renetzky, Larry West, John Michie, J. C. and Joy Chapman, Harrold Olesen and others. My prayer life was strengthened in this small group. In the 40 days of prayer last year I grew even more. We would meet and have prayer before going throughout the church in individual prayer. There were men and women from other Life Groups all praying in one accord. Due to the recent events in our church, we are needing prayer more than ever before. Let’s make an effort to be a part of the 40 day prayer group.

Don’t be like that chicken running for its life on the sign. Jesus is not coming to rapture any chickens, real or personified. “Are You Ready?”

Jody Coker

“In the silence of the heart God speaks. If you face God in prayer and silence, God will speak to you. Then you will know that you are nothing. It is only when you realize your nothingness, your emptiness, that God can fill you with Himself.

Souls of prayer are souls of great silence.” Mother Theresa


DAY 17

“PRAYER IS THE kEY TO HEAvEN, bUT FAITH UNLOckS THE dOOR”

James 1:6-8

Prayer is the designated way for us to communicate with God. With certainty, it is more for our benefit than His!

The words of this old hymn continue, “Words are so easily spoken, Prayer without faith is like a boat without an oar.” The author must have had James 1:6-8 in mind when composing these lyrics: “But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

“Like a boat without an oar”: a boat alone just floats aimlessly or is tossed about by the wind on the surf of the sea. The oar is used to give the boat direction and to see that it reaches its destination. Our faith acts as the oar to give our prayers direction.

Thomas Lewis

THER

E IS

POW

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PRAY

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DAY 18

ARE YOU bOWING TO A “bLOck OF WOOd?”

Isaiah 44:6-24

Man has been trying to substitute god for GOD since man’s beginning; man-made gods, with no power or life in them. Or we push GOD far back in our prioritized life, behind jobs, careers, family, children, and even ourselves. And we wonder why our world is devoid of joy, happiness, and purpose.

As we approach GOD with our prayers, let’s take an inventory of some His attributes. He is the Creator, not the created. He is eternal, without beginning or end. He is holy and righteous. He is powerful, vanquisher of all his enemies. He is our redeemer and the author of our salvation. His love is eternal and without prejudice. To those who seek Him and ask for His forgiveness of their sins, that forgiveness is as unending “as far as the east is from the west.” He owns the “cattle of a thousand hills”; no need is beyond His ability to meet.

Come to GOD in obedience and fear. Bow before the Most High and make your request be known to Him. Cast your anxieties on Him, He can carry them. Acknowledge Him for who He is, GOD…with all capital letters! Remember He is not a “block of wood”!

Frank DeRight

thursday, may 1, 2014


DAY 19

A ROOT OF bITTERNESS

Many years ago, a person very close to me, I will call him, “G” did something, that to me at the time seemed like the end of my world. It seemed to me that G took away everything I had and would ever have. I was left hurt, alone and bitter. The more I thought about the situation the more bitter I became. The more bitter I became, the more my thoughts dwelt on G.

Time passed and God blessed me by replacing what G had taken and had given me so much more. I was once again happy. Happy until G’s name came up, then the bitterness that had consumed me a few years before was back. My bitterness was eating me from the inside. I couldn’t let myself heal. It was like a sore that I kept picking at. It was raw and infected.

One night I went to a revival at the church I was attending. The Pastor was talking about forgiveness. He said Jesus said in Matthew 6:14-15 “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Well, needless to say I stayed after the service to talk to the Pastor. He had convinced me that I needed to forgive, but that was much easier said than done. I told him all the details, all my hurts and told him that I really didn’t want to let my offender off the hook. What G did was wrong and I had the right to be mad and bitter. What the Pastor told me next eventually changed my life.

He told me forgiving someone was not saying that what they did was OK, it was saying I choose to let it go. He told me how my root of bitterness was keeping me from real Worship and how it was hindering my prayer life. When he finished I knew I had to forgive. Not for my offender, he would never know, but for me. Then I asked the big question, “How do I forgive?” The Pastor asked me if I would commit to do what he was about to ask me to do, no matter how I felt about it. I was ready, I said yes. He told me to go home and start praying for my offender. Pray that God would bless him. Pray for 30 days. I told him that God would know that I didn’t mean those words. He said yes but to do it anyway.

So I went home determined to give this 30 days as I had promised. The next morning I was on my knees praying for my offender. I even said “God You know that I don’t mean this but, please bless G” I prayed for him everyday for weeks, everyday saying or at least thinking, “You know I don’t mean it, but bless him.”

One day, about 4 weeks into my promise, when I prayed “God please bless G”, I stopped and with tear filled eyes I said to God, “I really do mean this” God had not changed my story, He didn’t erase my memory, He changed my heart. Not so G could be blessed, but so I could be blessed. So I could let go of the hurt, empty the bitterness in my heart and have room for the joy.

It is not important that G knows that I have forgiven him. It is important that I was obedient. The last 25 years could have been so different if I had not chosen to forgive. I thank the Pastor who shared God’s truth with me that night. I thank God that He has forgiven me.

Sharon Griffing


DAY 20

Matthew 14:29-31“Come” Jesus said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water

and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

It’s sometimes harder to trust God when we see the wind and waves crashing all around us. When it becomes complicated and doesn’t look safe. When we take our eyes off Jesus and are filled with fear and doubt, we sink. But we forget that our Savior has not abandoned us and left us to drown in the storm. Never once did Jesus leave Peter’s side. Even when Peter looked away and forgot that Jesus was there to catch him and keep him safe. Jesus stayed at his side with outstretched arms and caught him when the storm was about to drown Him. If Jesus had the power to call Peter to actually physically walk on water, why wouldn’t he be able to keep him afloat?

Many times in our lives we step out in faith ready to follow Jesus and at the first sign of danger we become filled with fear as though Jesus has left our side! But if we believe that Jesus can calm the storms of the sea and the storms in our life then we can begin to let go of our fears and worries because God is in control of all things, He is almighty, and He is on our side. He is FOR us. Who could ever stop us? What could stand against us? Our God has not abandoned us. Even when we can’t see past the storm, He is there. Even in our doubt, He is there with outstretched arms to catch us. Jesus never calls us into the unknown with the intention of letting us drown. So let go of you fear and TRUST.

Ask God to forgive you if you’ve doubted Him and to help you place your faith in Jesus. Ask him for peace during your storm and to remind you that he is with you through it all with outstretched hands ready to catch you and that no storm is too big for Him.

Aubrey McCarthy

“Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to

endure a difficult one” Bruce Lee


DAY 21

ALONE TIME

Luke 6:12 (NIV)One of those days, Jesus went out into the hills to pray,

and spent the night praying to God.

We see several times in the scriptures where Jesus went out alone to pray to His Father. If Jesus, the Son of God, God Himself, perfect, sinless – had the need to pray to His Father, how much more our need. How much “alone time” do we spend with God? There are 168 hours in a week. Even if we subtract 8 hours a day for sleep and 45 hours a week for work, we are left with 67 hours. What do we do with that time? Just as our finances/possessions belong to God, so does our time.

And as we are blessed by giving our tithes and offerings, we will also be blessed by giving of our time. This involves a sacrifice on our part. Praying while I am driving or watching TV is not really “alone time”, nor a sacrifice of time. We cannot have a close, loving relationship with God nor can we know His will unless we spend quality time with Him. I would like to challenge everyone at TCQC to get involved in the 40 Days of Prayer.

Last year during this time, I made a commitment to get up an hour earlier each morning to spend more alone time in prayer and in Bible study. Unfortunately, this does not always happen since I enjoy my sleep. This is a challenge for me, but we must stay committed so Satan will not have the temporary victory, but that we will be blessed and God will be glorified.

Joe Brogdon

“Your prayer for someone may or may

not change them, but it always changes YOU.”

Craig Groeschel


John 10:27-30My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them

out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are One.

This scripture is important to us because it causes us to consider many things. First, there is reassurance in the promise that our salvation is secure in Christ. Our destination is determined by our choice to believe, internalize, and trust God’s Word to be irrefutable Truth.

Secondly and most importantly, My sheep hear My voice…How in the world do we hear His voice? We say we are Christians, yet do we really take the time to listen for His direction in our lives? He spoke complete books to His apostles, yet we only hear one word at a time. This should cause us to search our hearts and consider, what voice are we listening to?

Cynthia Hauck

NEEd PRAYER?GO TO

TCQC.ORGCLICK ON THE PRAYER

TAB TO SUBMIT AN ONLINE PRAYER REQUEST

OR TO JOIN QC PRAYER CONNECT,

A PRIVATE FACEBOOK GROUP.


dOES GOd STILL SPEAk?

John 10:2-4“But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper

opens, and the sheep hear his voice and he calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out. When he puts forth all his own, he goes before them and the

sheep follow him because they know his voice.”

Do you hear the voice of God? Do you communicate with Him? Our culture and society today often argues that the way God spoke to the patriarchs in the Bible (and even the little known characters like Ananias in Acts 9) doesn’t happen anymore. Others argue that God only speaks through the Bible. Even religious organizations urge us to believe that God only speaks through His chosen messengers.

While there is no doubt that God speaks to us through His messengers and through the living Word, even the Word says that He speaks to us. In John 10:2-4, Jesus tells His followers that we are the sheep and He is the Good Shepherd. He also tells us that His sheep follow Him “because they know his voice.” If we know his voice, He must be speaking to us and doing so regularly.

As John Eldredge writes in his book “Walking with God,” the Word of God is not a book of exceptions; rather it is a book of examples. As James 5:17 mentions “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours” and therefore if his nature was as ours, then why would God not speak to us as He did to Elijah. God still speaks to us and he does so through his Word, through His creation, and I believe He still speaks directly to you and to me. He may not use the burning bush like he did with Moses; but more often than not, it will be through the “gentle whisper” that He used to speak to Elijah. We just have to turn down the noise around us, quite our hearts, and earnestly LISTEN for the voice of God. Try it; His desire is a conversational intimacy and relationship with each of us. That is why we were created!

Ryan Monroe

“He who kneels the most, stands the best.”

D.L. Moody


EMbRAcING OUR STRUGGLES

Romans 5:3-5“…we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

This passage has given me the strength so many times to not just get through my struggles but see them as another opportunity for me to grow in Christ. This verse encourages me to press on like no other because it focuses on the good that can come from the bad…we as humans don’t think like this too often which, to me, says this concept has God’s name all over it.

As a coach, my job is to not only teach my players the game, but also to push them through workouts that cause their bodies to work harder than they’ve ever worked and complete tasks they usually didn’t think they could do in the first place. Why do we as coaches do this? We understand that our players can accomplish their goals if we put them through the proper—sometimes painful—training. I apply this thought to my life many times. When God is allowing me to go through something that is difficult and sometimes even painful, I just have to believe that he is allowing it for a greater purpose in my life and my job is to simply trust my “coach.”

Like I mentioned before, this verse doesn’t just tell us to endure through our suffering, it tells us to REJOICE in it! There have been very painful times in my family’s life when I had to read this and remind myself that if we stayed true to the course then we would not only come out of what we were going through but would come out of it with endurance, character and hope—a deep life sustaining hope. What more could I as a wife/mom want for my family? No mother enjoys seeing her family in pain but when I hold onto His word, I have learned that He holds on to us. I want to be a constant reminder to my family that we are to secure our hearts in Him as we go through anything that comes our way. We all know that there will be suffering, so I encourage you to hold on to this verse and rejoice in the One who will see you through to the other end of it. My prayer for you is that you come out of it stronger, with greater character, and with a deeper hope to strengthen you in your walk with our Lord Jesus Christ.

Amanda Martin


OvERcOMER

Romans 8:37-38“But in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor

things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love

of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord”

A lot of times God uses music to speak to me. I am taking the KLOVE Challenge this year and listening to only Christian music when it is possible. It is so important that we put good in~~when we do, good will come out of our mouths and actions. Proverbs 13:20 says “He who walks with the wise, shall be wise, but the companion of fools suffers evil.” Surrounding ourselves with positive people who are encouragers causes us to be so much happier!!

One of my all-time favorite Christian musicians is Mandisa, who has overcome a lot in her own life. Her song, Overcomer, is one of my favorite songs. It is on my 5K playlist to remind me I am an overcomer and can make it to the finish line :0) I listen to it when I need encouragement. I also shared it with a friend who lost her 20 year old son in a wreck this past fall, it has been an encouragement to her too.

If you know me, you know that I love this church~~the people I serve Jesus with, worship Jesus with, and love Jesus with. I believe with all my heart that we are overcomers. Jesus is in our midst and I love the direction we are headed.

Ephesians 3:20-21 says, “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be all glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen”

I cannot wait to see what God has in store for our church!!

“Whatever it is you may be going through, I know He’s not gonna let it get the best of you. You’re an overcomer, stay in the fight ‘til the final round, you’re not going under, cause God is holding you right now. You might be down for a moment, feeling like it’s hopeless. That’s when He reminds you, you’re an overcomer!!” — Mandisa

Beverly Zearley


GOd WILL PROvIdE cOMFORT

II Corinthians 1:3-5 NIVPraise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of

compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we

ourselves have received from God.

Do you ever feel you are experiencing more troubles in your life than you can handle, and ask God, “why me?” Have you experienced being laid off from a job, had a family member or friend suffering with a major illness or affliction, or gone through the death of a child, a dear friend, or a parent?

As Christians, we are not exempt from facing trials, troubles, and sufferings during our journeys through life. During those difficult times we may question God as to why this is happening to us. According to His Word one reason is that God wants us to learn to comfort others just as He has comforted us in our times of trouble.

Experiencing trials, troubles, or sufferings helps your faith grow as you see God work, and also allows you to be better able to empathize or give comfort to someone else going through what you have gone through – whether Christian or non-Christian.

It was in facing the death of a friend who discovered that she had terminal cancer just after giving birth to her second child, that God gave me the verse in today’s devotional. I knew I would lose my friend, but that God would be there to comfort me and help me through it. Now I can comfort others.

In 1994, Richie was laid off from his job. God did not give him a better job right away, but He was faithful to provide a job in His time. We learned to depend on God more and He was faithful to provide for all our needs. That journey has allowed Richie to minister to others countless times because he has been down that same road. Richie uses Proverbs 3:5-6 as his comfort verse from God.

Do you have a special scripture that God has used to comfort or lead you? God may well intend for you to use that scripture to help comfort someone else within our church or even to be His arms of comfort in the community. Are you willing to let God comfort you and use you?

Richie and Brenda Cowan


MY HEART, cHRIST’S HOME

Galatians 2:20

I am often asked what my favorite Bible verse is. Just like you, I have many that I love and have committed to memory, but I have a very special verse that I have tried to center my life around. It is Galatians 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me and the life that I now live, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me”.

Sin is a part of my life whether I like it or not. I am responsible for my sin and should be held accountable to God for that sin, yet Christ chose to die (be crucified) in my place so that I would not suffer the loss of a close relationship with God. He was crucified just for me and only me. He chose that death. He was not forced or coerced or even demanded to do it. He just loved me even when I was unlovable and said’ “Let Me take your place”.

How can I ever repay Christ for what He did for me? The answer: I can’t. The only thing that He asks of me is that He and I be allowed to have an intimate relationship and let Him set up residence in my heart (Rev 3:20: “Behold I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come into him and dine with him and he with Me”). Once He enters my heart, I make Him the Lord and boss of my life. All of my thoughts, words, and deeds revolve around Him. He is now in control of my life and He has proven that He does a much better job than I ever did. When I turn over every part of my life to Jesus, I am free from the worries and cares of this world. What happens, happens. It is not my concern anymore and I can concentrate on things that matter; my family, my grandchildren, and my church.

I believe the same is true for our church. When we turn over everything to Jesus and let Him be the Boss and quit trying to manipulate Him into doing what we think is best, we will be liberated. We will not need to worry about church “stuff”. It’s His church anyway. During the 40 days of prayer, I pray that we will become active participants in our church. Jesus wants us to be more than just attenders and become attainers for the glory of God.

Gene Jeter


GOd THE OMNIScIENT

Ephesians 3:20 NLTNow all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

Our vision is limited. We can only see as far as our eyes allow us. When you look across the flat land in the Texas Panhandle, you can see for miles. You may feel as if everything within your field of vision is all that exists, however we know that there is a whole world, an entire universe, beyond what our eyes allow us to see.

In a similar way we have a limited field of vision of our lives. We have a plan for our lives whether it be a career, a ministry, a dream, a goal, where we see ourselves spiritually, but our vision stops there. We cannot see beyond what we think. However, God sees the universe that is beyond what we see. Though we might think or ask for something that may seem to us as big, God sees beyond that and accomplishes more when we allow Him to. When we give Him complete control of our lives and of the situation, He takes it far beyond our field of vision and forms it into something we could never have imagined.

Pray the prayer for spiritual growth that Paul prayed on his knees for the church of Ephesus as you strive to accomplish what you see in your field of vision and ask God to take it far beyond what you can even think or see. (Ephesians 3:14-21) Pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources God will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit. Pray that your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong, that you will have the power to understand how wide, how long, how high and how deep His love is and that you will experience His love, because then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Also pray that as you pursue your dreams, your plans, and your goals that God will take complete control and bring the situation to a place that exceeds our standards and that meets God’s plans because we are human and our ideas are not God’s.

Haley Self


“The greatest gift we can give to others is our prayers.”

REJOIcING THROUGH LIFE

Philippians 4:4Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say Rejoice!

I’ve been drawn to this scripture for a little over 2 years now. If anyone was

to ask me why I picked this scripture I wouldn’t have know the answer other than I love it’s simple message. Yet, I’ve not been living a life of rejoicing. Don’t get me wrong, my life is full of joy just not like what Paul is talking about. When life is sad then I’m sad. When life is good then I’m good. I have let circumstances determine my emotions and my moods. I haven’t been rejoicing in my Lord in everything. Paul writes this while he is in prison.

He is in one of the loneliest places anyone can be and he is saying rejoice in the Lord. And in case you might have missed it….he says it again, Rejoice! (Yes, with exclamation!) I love that! Philippians 4: 6-7 goes on to say: Do not be anxious about ANYTHING, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Paul is saying no situation is too hard for God to handle. Give it to Him and He will take care of it.

Get off your prison floors and REJOICE! So what does this scripture mean to me? It means I have so much to rejoice about and that’s exactly what I’m going to do. As we pray together, let us also rejoice together. For our God is good!

April Clayton

Women’s Prayer TeamFirst Tuesday of

each monthNoon • Enjoy Class Room


Philippians 4:6-7Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition with

thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts

and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Several years ago my eight year old son Ryan was at baseball practice playing first base when a ground ball was hit to shortstop. The shortstop fielded the ball and made a hard throw to first base. A normal routine play except the sun was in Ryan’s eyes and the ball landed in his mouth instead of his glove. As I made my way to him on the field all I could see was blood, a permanent tooth laying on the ground and a scared little boy crying. I calmly got an old t-shirt to help stop the bleeding and we left for the emergency room.

I did not get excited and kept reassuring Ryan that everything was going to be alright. By the time we got to the hospital there was no more crying, he just wanted to know if he was getting a gold tooth (he got a fake one instead). Afterwards, I was concerned that Ryan would not want to play baseball or be upset for losing his permanent tooth. Instead of worrying I just gave it all to God and prayed for healing.

By putting God in control everything has worked out better than I could have ever planned it. Ryan has continued to play baseball and shows his fake tooth off to everyone he can.

Damon Samford

“Gentlemen, I have lived a long time and am convinced that God governs in the

affairs of men. If a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable

that an empire can rise without His aid? I move that prayer imploring the assistance

of Heaven be held every morning before we proceed to business.”

Benjamin Franklin


NEvER QUIT PRAYING!

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the

will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Our son was a school dropout. We struggled with him most of his young life. He never “fit in” at school. After dropping out of school he eventually got his GED and was hired and fired from numerous jobs.

WE NEvER QUIT PRAYING.

He got arrested, was into drugs and because we didn’t agree with his lifestyle at the time, eventually we kicked him out of the house. We were as heartbroken as we could be. We blamed ourselves and questioned our parenting. But…

WE NEvER QUIT PRAYING

Then late one night Debbie prayed and cried the most difficult prayer she’s ever prayed. “Lord, we do not want our son living like this…do a miracle in his life or take him home to You.” Looking back…after a short time…God performed that miracle! He came back to Jesus, eventually found a career and was blessed with a beautiful wife and two precious boys…our grandson. We still…

NEvER QUIT PRAYING!

God was the perfect parent to Adam and Eve. He provided a perfect environment with all they ever needed. And look what they did; going against what God had for them! Realizing this has helped us with the sorrow we had over our son’s choices. Don’t give up! God answers prayers.

NEvER QUIT PRAYING!

“PRAY WITHOUT cEASING.”

David and Debbie Smith


dAILY bREAd

Hebrews 11:6And without faith it is impossible to please God,...

Have you ever wondered why the Lord’s Prayer only requests our daily bread and not our weekly, monthly, or yearly bread? Do you ever wonder why God does not reveal more of his will and future plans for our lives? The whole eleventh chapter of Hebrews tells us what faith is and speaks of great examples of saints of the Bible who lived by faith. Noah built a boat even though he had never experienced rain.

By faith, Abraham was ready to sacrifice Isaac, his son and promised heir to all that God had promised. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego responded to the king that they were ready to follow God into the fiery furnace even IF God did not choose to rescue them. Stephen was one of the first early Christians who, by faith, died for his beliefs. History tells us that many of Jesus disciples died violent deaths due to their faith in him and their refusal to renounce their faith.

It does not appear that any of the above biblical characters were given a clear vision of how things would turn out in the end, but by faith, they obeyed God. When we wonder why God does not reveal more of his will to us than what he has for us in the present day, remember Hebrews 11:6.

It takes faith on our part to please God. If it was always revealed to us how things would turn out, it would not require much faith to trust and follow God. God may not always show us a vision of our future, but he holds our future in his hands. He instructs us to trust him by faith with our future on a daily basis.

Mark Fannin

“Prayer is simply a two-way conversation between you and God.”

Billy Graham


bE HAPPY...ENdURE WITH A SMILE.

James 1:2-5; 12“Consider it all joy when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing

of your faith produces endurance. Let that endurance have it’s perfect result, that you may be perfect & complete, lacking in nothing. If you lack wisdom, ask of

God who freely gives to all...Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has

promised to those who love Him.”

Endurance (hupomone, in Hebrew) = ...basically, patience with a smile; happily waiting

Though we may not be happy about the specific details of a particular situation, we can take each step with a smile. Yes, we can! No matter what you are going through, God knew it beforehand. He will see you through, if you let Him. He provides the wisdom needed for all our circumstances. Faith in God and in His provision for us in any trial or need provides for this “happy endurance”. Faith in God is knowing that He has your back; knowing He will protect, provide, prevent, & prevail.

For you have read, “Worrying cannot add a single hour to our day” Matthew 6:27. On the contrary, worry can actually take minutes, hours and even days from our progress. Smiling produces energy! Try it for a day. Smile at those who pass you in the hall. Smile at the store clerk who asks how your day is. Better yet, ask her how her day is…with a smile. Try it and see if your smile doesn’t energize not only yourself, but also those who receive it.

Oh the lowly person I would be, if not for the humbling and refining of life’s trials. Oh the greater person I would be, if I endured joyfully...with a smile. Trials refine and make great the things that were once rough and unrefined. Endure your trial with a smile.

Norma Thomas


“Prayer is not so much an act as it is an attitude; an attitude of

dependency, dependency upon God.”Arthur W. Pink

cONFESSION – vS – ASkING FOR FORGIvENESS

1 John 1:9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and

purify us from all unrighteousness.

As Christians, do we have to ask forgiveness for our sins? Did Christ not die for all our sins, past, present and future and if so are they not already forgiven? I challenge you to show me where in the New Testament, following Christ’s crucifixion (which was the atonement for sin), that it says that we have to ask for forgiveness for our sins. I’m sure some of you are screaming blasphemy, but before you burn me at the stake, let me make my case. The Bible tells us we are to confess our sins but does not say we have to ask for forgiveness. So what’s the difference? For me the difference was my motive.

There was an instance in my career when I made a very bad decision that hurt some of my employees. I was embarrassed at my behavior and wanted to crawl under a rock and hide with shame. I asked God to forgive me for the sin but what I was really asking for was for God to remove the consequences. I ask God how I should handle this situation and he told me that to the same degree that I had influence, to the same degree I had to make my amends. That meant that I had to go to all my office staff and ask for forgiveness, not just the ones that had direct knowledge of my sin. I asked God if there was another way and he led me to this scripture. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

God, like a loving father, allowed me to crawl up into his lap that day and as he held me He said, “Mickey, I’m going to show you some character defects in your life. It’s not going to be comfortable but you hold on to Me and trust Me, you will be a better man when I’m done.” God revealed to me that He was not going to let the consequences pass this time. You see true confession is when we can say, “God I know that I have sinned against you. I don’t like the person I’ve become. Because I believe in your promise that your desire is to “prosper me not to harm me”, I’m ok with whatever consequences you decide to take me through because I know you want the best for me.

The consequences didn’t taste good that day and it took me some time to regain the trust of my employees, but God did restore me. God showed me that if I will truly confess and trust him in the area of correction, He will do a great work in my life.

Mickey McCurdy


1 John 5:14-15 This is the confidence we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us. And if we know that he hears us, whatsoever we

ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

The Lord wants us to pray boldly expecting for Him to hear and answer our prayers. Our prayers should be full of praise and worship befitting our King, Lord and Savior. Linda and I could fill volumes with the answered prayers in our lives, from a loving mate to our precious healthy children and grandchildren.

Prayer time is a chance for us to crawl up in the lap of our Jesus to become close and personal. Like any loving father, Jesus wants us to talk to Him often and about everything, asking for wisdom and guidance. We should be praying continually for our church and for the pastors that lead our church.

You can talk to God while doing your chores, driving your car or anytime you find yourself alone. Just talk to Him (even out loud) as you do with your friends. After all He is the best friend that you could possibly have. So if you see one of us driving and talking to ourselves, we are just talking to our best friend and constant companion the Lord Jesus Christ.

Tom and Linda Spencer

“Bold prayers honor God, and God honors bold prayers. God isn’t offended by your biggest

dreams or boldest prayers. He is offended by anything less. If your prayers aren’t impossible to you,

they are insulting to God.”Mark Batterson — Author of “The Circle Maker”


FAITH IS NOT A FORMULA

1 John 5:14-15“This is the confidence we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according

to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.”

Many years ago I prayed that God would cause a certain event to come to pass. I had searched His Word and determined that I was asking according to His will. Then I believed that 1 John 5:14-15 assured me that He would indeed grant my request.

I diligently prayed and waited for several years for this request to manifest itself on my behalf. I was positive that it would happen in time; there was no doubt in my mind.

At one point, as I was fasting and praying for this, God “hit” me with the realization that IF this were actually to happen, it would still have been Him, not my faith, that made it happen. My faith was not some formula to make God act! I realized that my faith alone pleased Him (“And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6).

He also wanted to know how a negative answer might affect that faith. As I considered for the first time this possibility, I consciously decided that my faith in God did not hinge on what He might or might not do for me. I knew that what He had already done for me was waaay more than I ever could have “deserved”, even if He never did one other thing for me in my entire life!

I continued to wait and still believed…at His appointed time, it did NOT happen!

My advice: if you are praying for something, allow God to have the final say; you will not be disappointed (for long)!

He not always “works all things together for good…”(Romans 8:28)—He often works all things together for the best!!

Sherrie Lewis


A SIMPLE FAITH FOR A SIMPLE MAN

My faith is built on the fact and belief that the Bible is the Word of God. It is Holy, complete, and inerrant. Although the Bible is full of symbolism that can be confusing to my simple mind, it is also full of simple truths that my faith and trust is built on.

Our PredicamentGenesis 1:1 In the beginning, God — This scripture explains that God has always been. He wasn’t created. He has ALWAYS been. WOW!

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word (or Jesus) and the Word (Jesus) was God. — My understanding (the symbolism thing) is that Word refers to Jesus. He has always been, and He is God.

Romans 3:23 For All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. — We have a sinful nature. One must be pure in God’s sight to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death — Our sin creates a chasm that separates us from God. We have no hope! What can we do?

Hebrews 9:22 Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin. Without forgiveness we are destined to separation from God. Now we’re desperate. What can we do? Help!

Our HopeRomans 5:8 While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. — Christ shed His blood, so our sins would/will be forgiven.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish. — ‘nuff said.

John 14:6 I am the way the truth and the life: no man cometh to the Father except through me. — Jesus is the only way to bridge the chasm our sin has created. He gave His all on the cross.

Our Assurance1 John 5:13 These things have I written unto you that ye may know that ye have eternal life. — Jesus will welcome each believer into His Kingdom.

Ben Shoemake


The Lord is good! - The more I read and study scripture the more I am convinced that the Lord desires for us (His people) only good and not only good but good all the time. As such, anything that comes into our life that is not good, meaning that if it does not bring joy, peace, and praise for the Lord, it is not from the Lord.

God expresses His desire to pour out blessings and favor on those who seek Him; in the Old Testament it is through the Law and through Grace in the New Testament. James 1:17 explains that: “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father…”. Matthew 7:9-11 further explains; “Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him?”.

If God’s desire for us is good then what happens to believers when we experience such things as sickness, disease, misfortune, want, and sometimes even untimely death? First we must realize that this is never from God but in reality is from our adversary the devil. Satan’s intent is always to kill, steal, and destroy. If Satan cannot have access to our spirit because of God’s saving Grace afforded to us by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ; he wants to attack our soul and body such that we are mentally and physically as destitute as one who has not experienced the saving Grace of Jesus Christ.

God wants to and will protect us from all Satan’s attacks. However, we often move out from under God’s umbrella of protection by giving Satan access to areas of our lives. He gains access through things such as sin, unforgiveness, and fear to name a few. Satan may also gain access through the sins of our ancestors which Scripture describes as generational. As long as we let these attacks go unchecked they can be devastating to our lives individually and collectively.

God has given us the responsibility to defend ourselves and our families from these attacks. The battle is spiritual. Ephesians 6:12 tells us: “For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” We as Christians must be aware of the battle and know the enemies weapons, as well as the weapons available to us.

The Good News is that the battle has already been won. Jesus paid the price to deliver us from all these attacks that Satan brings upon us mentally, physically, and spiritually. Through the power of the name of Jesus Christ we have authority to rebuke all Satan’s attacks. So we can truly join the Psalmist and proclaim: “Give thanks to Him, bless His name. For the Lord is good; His loving kindness is everlasting and His faithfulness is to all generations.” Psalms 100:4b-5 (All Scripture from NASB)

Wayne Acklin


IN THE PRESENcE OF ALMIGHTY GOd

Exodus 34:8Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped God.

The true purpose of prayer is to come into GOD’s presence and to worship HIM, then allow HIM to show us HIS agenda and what to pray for. GOD will reveal a promise, a problem or a person that HE has placed on our heart to intercede for. We are to fall on our knees or on our face before a Holy GOD AND ASK him to cleanse us from our sins and to fill us with HIS Spirit and to call unto Him to show us great and mighty things we do not know. (Jeremiah 33:3)

Our GOD is Holy and wants to spend quality time with HIS children. Too many times we ask GOD to change our circumstances and the people around us, but HE desires to change us so we can conform to the likeness of JESUS. (Romans 8:29)

When we come into GOD’s presence every day, we need to ask HIM to teach us how to pray and what to pray for that day. When we focus on GOD and not us He will reveal HIS desires for our life and show us visions and direction HE has planned for us. Our job is to seek HIS will and GOD’s job is to establish our steps. When we do our job, GOD will do HIS.

When we pray we need to praise GOD, pray for HIS work in our family, in our church, in our country and in our world. Pray for our daily needs and our daily struggles as JESUS taught HIS disciples and us in Matthew 6:9-15. Every time we pray, let us remember to pray as JESUS prayed in the garden of Gethsemane to the Father before HIS capture and taken to die a horrible death on the cross. “My Father, if it be possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will”.

GOD knows what the best decision for every request we ask from HIM, so let’s say, “not my will but Almighty GOD, may Your will be done. Amen.”

John Michie


“In our home there was always prayer - aloud, proud and

unapologetic.”Lyndon B. Johnson

Proverbs 3:5-6Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths.

The year was 1978 and I had the world by the tail in a downhill pull. My wife and I had both graduated from college in 1975 and began our careers. She worked as a registered nurse at High Plains Baptist Hospital and I worked as a laboratory technician at St. Anthony’s Hospital. After our honeymoon we had moved into a furnished apartment at Puckett Place apartments and life was good. Our newly wed days off work were spent relaxing around the pool, playing tennis at the apartment’s tennis courts or riding our bicycles around the new Puckett Place housing addition and walking through the houses that were under construction. She got her paychecks on Fridays from High Plains and the next week I would get my paychecks from St. Anthony’s. Every Friday was payday for one of us as we began our marriage! There I was, married to my High School sweetheart, living in the fanciest apartment complex in town with plenty of money to spend. What more could a guy ask for? We bought furniture and saved up the money for a down payment on a house. We contracted with a builder and had our first house built and moved into it in October of 1977. We all know how the story goes. First comes love then comes marriage and then comes Carolyn with a baby carriage. It was the winter of 1978 and we had just found out that Carolyn was expecting our first baby. We were excited and nervous and anxious all wrapped together as we wondered about the upcoming role of being parents.

We were both very happy with our jobs at that time. Carolyn had made close working and personal relationships with several nurses that she still maintains today, almost 40 years later! High Plains Baptist Hospital was a new hospital and a leading facility at the new medical center complex. The laboratory at St. Anthony’s Hospital was a state of the art facility with the latest and greatest testing equipment. St. Anthony’s was on the cutting edge of hospital care as they were the first in town to begin doing open-heart surgeries. The days went by in a blur as we worked as hard and fast as we could just to try and keep up with the daily workload. And, working in the laboratory was not my first job at St. Anthony’s. I had begun working there as a pharmacy technician when I was a junior in High School. My pharmacy job plus my laboratory job had created an eight-year career path and I was up to accruing three weeks of vacation per year.

I was really surprised when the phone call came from a former co-worker at St. Anthony’s asking me if I would be interested in going to work for the V.A. Hospital. After all, I had eight years of seniority, three weeks of vacation and a job at the biggest, best hospital in town. Why in the world would I want to leave? The V.A. hospital looked more like an insane asylum than a hospital. It had a ten-foot tall chain link fence around it that I supposed was to keep the patients from escaping. There was nothing nice about it! And, their salary offer was less than I


was making at St. Anthony’s. I blew off the request to come check out the V.A. with a casual, “Let me pray about it” knowing all along that there was nothing to pray about. How foolish it would be for me to take a cut in pay, lose a week of vacation and go to work at the dumpy V.A. instead of staying at St. Anthony’s where I was totally happy. Little did I know that God had other plans for me.

How do we know the will of God for our lives? First, we have to ask ourselves, is what I’m asking for or wanting to do scriptural? God will never lead us down a path that violates His Holy Word. We can always start there. If it violates God’s word then it is not God’s will. Second, we have to decide if we have inner peace. Our God is the God of order and peace, not chaos and disharmony. Know God. Know peace. No God, no peace. Lastly, pay attention and see if God is opening doors or closing doors to direct your path. In my case, there was no scripture to consult regarding switching jobs. But it seemed like God was really opening a door for me. The question was, was I smart enough to step through it? The phone calls from the laboratory staff at the V.A. continued. Each time it would be a different person telling me how much they enjoyed working at the V.A. Finally, I came to a point where I thought maybe I really should pray about the decision to work at the V.A. and see if God was leading me to take a cut in pay, lose vacation time and go work at that dump. Surely, He would not do that. Truly, God does work in mysterious ways. When I sincerely did pray about moving to the V.A. God gave me peace about the decision and He had already opened the door. I still remember all the people at St. Anthony’s telling me I must be crazy when I gave my resignation and told them I was going to work at the V.A. That was in May, 1978.

October 1, 1978 changed my life forever. It was a Sunday morning and Alisyn Brooke Rollins was born at High Plains Baptist Hospital. Carolyn and I took one look at that precious gift from God and fell into a deeper, different kind of love than we had ever known. I was head over heels, madly in love, love at first sight with a six pound, brown haired, brown eyed little girl! She and her happiness and protection were all that mattered. Carolyn felt that same way only more. After all, a mother’s love for her children knows no boundaries. We took her home from the hospital and embraced with open arms the role of new parents. We loved everything about it. We loved our God. We loved each other. We loved our new daughter. We loved our life.

Carolyn and I had been Christians a long time. Carolyn grew up in the church and had been saved as a young girl. I began attending church at the age of eleven and got saved not long after I heard the good news of the Gospel message. Our first “date” was when I had asked Carolyn to go out with me and she told me she could not. Her church was having a revival meeting and she was part of the revival youth choir. She asked me if I would like to attend. When I walked into Grand Avenue Baptist Church that night the place was packed. Sure enough, Carolyn was seated in the choir. I did not know if she even saw me come in or

40-DAy PRAyER CHALLEnGEDay 40 ConTinueD

knew I was there. But, before the evangelist started preaching, the choir came down and Carolyn walked to the pew I was sitting in, sat down beside me and put her hand on my hand. I thought I had died and gone to heaven! We would eventually be married in that same church with Carolyn’s grandfather performing the ceremony. We began our walk with God as a married couple and later as new parents at the church I had grown up in, Second Baptist Church. We never argued about attending church or paying our tithe or whether or not we would attend now that we had a new baby. God and church were a part of who we were and who we wanted our family to be.

Carolyn’s three months of maternity leave went by way too fast. It was January 1979 and it was time for Carolyn to go back to work. That had always been our plan. She would take her maternity leave; return to work and the baby would go to childcare. After all, we had the new house built and it was going to take both salaries to keep us in the lifestyle we had become accustomed to. Imagine my surprise when Carolyn said, “I can’t do it.” “You can’t do what?” I asked. “I can’t leave her,” She replied. I stood there stunned with my head spinning thinking about our finances and having our household income cut in half. But I looked at her and our precious baby girl in her lap and said, “Well, then don’t leave her. Stay home.” Then I went out into the back yard and screamed to myself, “How are we going to make it?”

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

Remember those calls from the V.A. asking me to go to work for them? Remember how moving to the V.A. made no earthly sense yet I had prayed about it and felt like that is what God wanted me to do? Taking that step of faith and walking through the door that God had opened for me was now beginning to make sense. The laboratory at St. Anthony’s was staffed 24/7. Day shift worked hard for eight hours and passed the baton on to the evening shift, which passed it to the night shift, which passed it back to the day shift. And that cycle continued with only a very rare occasion of working overtime to make any extra money. That was not so at the V.A. At the V.A. there was a day shift and an evening shift but there was no night shift. Night shift was covered by call back. Every one hated their week of being on call. Each tech shared the burden of being on call and if the hospital needed lab work during the night we would be called. Each call back paid the overtime rate for a minimum of two hours no matter how long we stayed. So, even though everyone hated the call back part and the lost sleep part, there was a financial silver lining when payday came! Guess who began to volunteer taking other people’s weeks of being on call? You guessed it. I did! God had provided the avenue for me to make enough money to allow Carolyn to stay home with our baby daughter when He opened the door for me to work at the V.A. So Carolyn got to be a stay at home mom and raise our beautiful baby

40-DAy PRAyER CHALLEnGE Day 40 ConTinueD

girl with a love that only a mother could give. She was there for the first smile, the first laugh, the first turn over, the first tooth, sitting up, crawling, talking and walking. She got to experience and enjoy every first there was with our first child. What a blessing it was. God knew we would need to enjoy every precious moment we had with Alisyn, for her time on this earth was to be short. Alisyn was killed in a tragic accident when she was eighteen months old. On her grave marker we had these words chiseled in the stone. “Our precious baby girl. Alisyn Brooke Rollins. In heaven there is one angel more.”

So, we had to answer a tough question. Do we only trust in the Lord when we have the world by the tail in a downhill pull or do we also trust in the Lord when our world is turned upside down? For Carolyn and I, we trust Him. God is a part of who we are. He is a part of our family whether it is a time of sorrow or a time of blessing. We continue to acknowledge Him in all our ways and rejoice that our daughter is safe in His arms until we see her again.

As for that move to the V.A. that required a loss of seniority, a cut in pay and a loss of vacation time. It made no earthly sense yet it was a blessing from God. God was making straight our paths. St. Anthony’s hospital went from being the biggest and the best to being shut down and sold at auction. At the same time, the V.A. went from being a dump to being one of the nicest healthcare facilities in town. It can’t be all bad when you work for an organization that prints it’s own money! God had more in store for me than I could have ever imagined when He orchestrated my move to the V.A. but that is another story for another time.

“Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to Him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21

Dale Rollins

“There are many things that are essential to arriving at true peace

of mind, and one of the most important is faith, which cannot

be acquired without prayer.”John Wooden

40-DAy PRAyER CHALLEnGEDay 40 ConTinueD

“If my people, who are cal led by my name, wil l humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn

from their wicked ways, then I wil l hear from heaven, and I wil l forgive their sin and wil l heal their land.”

2 Chronicles 7:14

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DEVOTIONALS FROM THE CHURCH AT QUAIL CREEK …storage.cloversites.com/thechurchatquailcreek/documents/40_Days... · THE CHURCH AT QUAIL CREEK MEMBERSHIP. Dear Church Family, I’m