E-note 4/8: Let us pray

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Last night at Pioneer Clubs we began the last unit of lessons and skills before the summer break. As usual Craig and Christi-Lynn Martin did a wonderful job leading the kids in singing and crafting. I am so thankful to God for them and their loving care of these kids each week. Please remember Craig and Christi-Lynn in prayer as they go into the summer months expecting their first baby in September and waiting on the Lord. Wonderfully and wisely the last unit of Pioneer Clubs is all about the Church. A topic so close to the heart of Christ and so providentially in the spotlight later this month in the Upper Valley (the "God's Heart for the Church" conference is 4/24). Please pray for the nine children who regularly attend and their families. May God do a work of grace in all, giving more understanding and greater love for Jesus.

This has been a difficult week for our brother Roland. He has been having trouble breathing all week long and yesterday his oncologist had him admitted to DHMC. He was given a CAT scan at 2:00am. He was mighty tired this morning as he waited to hear the results. By noon he heard that all was clear, the cancer has not spread. His lungs, however, are still a problem and something of a mystery to doctors. He will stay under hospital care for another day or two. How do we pray for Roland? The way we pray for all Christian family who are sick. We pray that Roland will have such gospel peace that he will be anxious for nothing, knowing that nothing can separate him from the love of God in Christ. We pray that in this affliction he would not fall into temptation, particularly the temptation to charge God with wrongdoing and the temptation to abandon faith, hope, and love. We pray that he will even rejoice for this "light momentary affliction is preparing for [him] an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison." And we pray, that if it pleases the Lord, our brother lives on in the body so he might bear fruit to the praise of God. We pray these things, not just thinking about praying them. We pray these things for our God has ordained that his purposes unfold upon the prayers of the righteous.

There is much to pray about in this life isn't there? We groan inwardly as we await the redemption of our bodies. We have great sorrow and anguish in our hearts over the unbelief all around us. We have much anxiety for the churches here in the Upper Valley and around the world. Let us pray. Yours in Christ, John