Nutshell – A Renewed Call to Prayer
I’ve been here at Oak Chapel for almost a year — and a very blessed year it has been for me, despite the crow, the cat, the break-in, and the pandemic — but even after 11 months, I still find myself sorting through old files here at the church. Each time I engage in this exercise, I discover some fascinating information about our storied history and the many holy people who came before us as well as those who are with us today.
This past week, I stumbled upon a binder and a stack of cards — all dealing with prayer requests. I guess I never realized how abundant and robust Oak Chapel’s commitment to prayer has been over the years. You are, indeed, prayer warriors.
I was planning to place a renewed emphasis on prayer as we prepare to return to worship at the church, but it has become clear to me that communicating the importance of prayer to this group won’t be much of a challenge — you already get it in a deeply meaningful and spiritual way.
Still, I think it is important that we focus on prayer — now more than ever. As I reviewed the prayer cards from 10, 12, 15 years ago, I could see that overwhelming majority of them dealt with health issues, which is completely understandable. Praying for health in all its forms — physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual — is, indeed, a worthy undertaking. But moving forward, I wonder if we can expand our prayer regimen to include intentional prayers of praise and thanksgiving as well as prayers for guidance and enlightenment.
If this current health crisis has taught us anything, it is that we are not in control and that the more we rely on God to guide us, the better choices we will make and the better lives we will lead.
Until we meet again, Be Blessed — Pastor John