I love this entry from the Jesus Storybook Bible.  May we remember God’s Big Surprise for us this weekend and beyond.

Matthew 28:6 “He is not here; for he is risen, even as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”

Ephesians 1:7 “in whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,”

1 Samuel 16:7 For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart

There are so many more things happening on Sunday Morning then I can see with my physical eyes.  It’s important that I put myself in a place to see things the way God sees them.  I know that my reaction to things is burdened by my flesh, and it is my prayer that I let God use me each weekend to see the spiritual side of things.  This is super hard for me, promise!

I pray that I will see God’s children as he sees his children, that I will react to others the way God would react to them, and that I will forgive others the way God forgives them.  Please Lord, give me the eyes of you.  Help me to be the instrument and vessel that you need this morning!

This is part of the discussion started HERE, and HERE, and HERE, and HERE and HERE and concludes the Sunday Morning Prayer Series.

James 3:1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness

This is the one prayer that always hits the closest to home.  My job is working with people in the church.  It’s my calling, my passion, and part of my life purpose, yet…it’s also my job.  I have to guard myself against having a business-like attitude towards God’s work and His people.

I pray that God helps me to not get lost in the hustle and bustle of staffing rooms, organizing environments, and teaching large groups of children.  I pray that God will give me wisdom about how to effectively pastor the children, parents, and volunteers that I will interact with each morning.  There is the potential for life-change in every conversation I have with somebody each weekend, and I do not want to miss the opportunities that I’m given.

Thank you Jesus, that you’ve given me this unique position to influence families each and every week, and I pray that I never lose sight of the privilege afforded to me to partake in God’s redeeming plan for mankind!

This is part of the discussion started HERE, and HERE, and HERE, and HERE continues the Sunday Morning Prayer Series.

Daniel 12:3 And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.

On a any given Sunday morning there are dozens and dozens of volunteers and servants working with children in three different buildings at Trinity Church.  It is my prayer for those working that God would use the children they work with and lead to soften their hearts to God.  Along with that softening of their own hearts, I pray that they will be sensitive to each and every child’s need.  Everyone would say that they want to be sensitive to the children they work with, but with the chaos of drop-off, dismissal, discipline problems, equipment malfunctions, teacher shortages it can be easy to harden one selves to just “getting through it.”

I pray that the Holy Spirit will make each leader working with children able to easily discern the hearts and situations of the children they work with.  It is my prayer that they will not miss a unique opportunity to sow a word of encouragement into the heart of a young child.  It is my prayer that they will be able to clearly hear when a child is calling for help, and they will be equiped to answer that call with love, patience, and kindness.

I know that those willing to be kind to a child, will reap a wonderful blessing!  May all those that take the time to work with children, take the time to listen to children!

This is part of the discussion started HERE, and HERE, and continues the Sunday Morning Prayer Series.

Jeremiah 19:13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

For many just coming to church on a Sunday Morning is a great act of faith.  I realize this, and I pray that somebody hurting comes seeking God on Sunday Morning.  Every week there are hundreds of hurting people that enter our doors and I know that in some way each of them is looking for an answer to their problem.

I pray that somebody searching for answers will find themselves waking up, getting dressed, and heading to church for the first time in an long time.  I pray for the strength of somebody to be brave enough to seek God for an answer to their problem.  I pray that the prayers of somebody’s mother is answered with the arrival of a son or daughter in church this morning.  With confidence I know that the answer to all of life’s problems are found within the bounds of God’s Word, and there is no better place to hear God’s Word than within the walls of our church on a Sunday morning.

Jeremiah 29:13 is one of my favorite scriptures in the Bible, because it gives us the great assurance that God is discoverable.  It’s my prayer that somebody new figure this out each week, so their life can be irrevocably changed for the better.

This is part of the discussion started HERE, and HERE, and HERE, and continues the Sunday Morning Prayer Series.