Crossroads Church Of God

As I sat down to write this month’s pastor’s corner only one word came to mind…pray. There are times in our lives when we are called to do just that…pray. Jesus took prayer seriously. On many occasions, He left the ministry He was doing and spent time alone with the Lord in prayer.

Just before He chose his twelve apostles (and after he had healed a deformed man on the sabbath), Jesus prayed alone with God… “One day soon afterward Jesus went to a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night (Luke 6: 12, NLT).

Are you overwhelmed with the future and what lies ahead? It may be time for an all-night session with God. And I’m talking about just you and God.

I certainly love corporate prayer and getting together with others to pray, but Jesus makes it clear that there are times when we need to get in our “prayer closet” or somewhere alone with the Father and just have a heart to heart.

I think that’s what the Lord is telling me to do. We have some challenges as a congregation…we have some decisions to make corporately… …I want to challenge myself and each of you to spend more time alone with God in prayer.

Yes, we must pray together as we face the future, but I think we must also get alone with God and ask Him to move us to where He wants us to be.

Before God can move us to where He wants us corporately, we must allow Him to move us to where we need to be individually. We must seek His face…asking the Holy Spirit to make us more like Jesus…striving to be holy as our God is holy.

In Matthew 6, beginning with verse 5, Jesus says, “And now about prayer. When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I assure you, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father secretly. Then your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you (Matthew 6: 5-6, NLT).”

Let’s go pray!

With Love,

Pastor Bruce