Deacon's News
Deacon's Bench - April 2012
submitted by Trish Reynolds
Prayer Opportunities
Recently I had the good fortune to read the book “Overcoming Overload” by Steve & Mary Farrar. God led me to this book after a long personal struggle. He wanted me to understand that He doesn’t want us to be anxious about anything. He didn’t create us to go through life at 24/7 speed. In a world that does not stop we are to take some downtime to talk, pray, and worship Him.
When we allow the world to run us 24 hours a day/7 days a week we find ourselves in overload. This book shows us that there are seven ways to find rest in a chaotic, non-stop world.
1) You need a Sabbath – Sabbath gives us a chance to restore, revive, recover, reflect, relax, replenish and renew.
2) You need Sanctuary – A place to regularly, purposefully withdraw from the world.
3) You need Sustenance – Feed your spiritual side. The food of the Christian life is the word of God. When you feel anxious ingest some wisdom from the Bible and you are no longer spiritually hungry.
4) You need Supplication – Find a place to decompress. Humble yourself and earnestly pray to the Lord about what is going on in your life. Concentrate on private prayer and pray continuously throughout your day.
5) You need to Simplify – John Ruskin once said “every increased possession loads us with a new weariness”. An overscheduled workload leaves us without significant quality time with our loved ones. Your loved ones will treasure the time you spend with them, not a last minute item that you purchased on a whim that will fade quickly
6) You need a Sovereign – Sovereignty means that God is King. He rules our events & circumstances, nothing happens by chance. His armor will protect you when the fires of life are burning around you. Like the two foot thick bark on the Great Red Woods of the Sequoia National Park. These trees have survived destruction that would destroy a lesser tree. God will help you through your trials. He hasn’t and never will fail us.
7) You need a Savior – Trust and Obey. Most of us put our trust in those who have proven to be trustworthy, demonstrate their love for us, show that they keep their commitments to us, and proven themselves as honorable & having integrity. Guess who that describes…God. You can trust God with your whole heart, your life, and your dreams.
In our society there are three lies that get us into trouble, having it all, doing it all, and deserving it all. These lies are terribly destructive, taking their toll on our physical, mental, and spiritual lives. Each year, generally at the beginning of the year, we make resolutions for one thing or another. Spring represents renewal; choose this time to make a new resolution to “Overcome Overload”. Make time to spend some quality time with God on a daily basis. Start small and it will become a part of you and your daily faith journey.
First Baptist offers two prayer opportunities: The Prayer Chain and Prayer Partners. These "prayer warriors" pray for each other daily and in times of crisis. The Prayer Chain is organized by Sally Welch and prays for those who find themselves in tough circumstances. Prayer Partners, team members of the congregation to pray for each other for a month and is sponsored by the Board of Deacons. God answers our prayers. The apostle Paul urges us to “pray without ceasing” in 1 Thessalonians 5:17. Please contact Kathy Adkins if you’d like to join our "prayer warriors" by calling the church office at 423-5721.
