CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 845

“Suddenly”

Colossians 1:11 (NRSV)  May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father…

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A sink hole opens up.  An earthquake hits.  A terrorist bomb goes off.  Your doctor urgently requests an office visit to discuss ‘abnormalities in your blood test’.  The list of sudden crisis events is evident every day in the news media as well as our personal lives.

The Scout Motto is: ‘Be Prepared’ which means you are always in a state of readiness of mind and body.  Jesus exhorts us similarly to be ready in mind and body but also in spirit. Do not be afraid of sudden terror or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes, for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught. – Proverbs 3:25,26

There is one thing we can always expect and that is the unexpected.  It is our spiritual relationship with the Father through Jesus Christ that prepares us to deal with the unexpected, sudden crises of life.  You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. –  Isaiah 26:3

The sudden disasters and crises of life serve to remind us of just how fragile life is – and how temporary it is in light of eternity.  Many of us fear death and would rather not think about it. Death however sudden is not the end of our existence.  The choice we make while in the body concerning Jesus Christ determines our eternal destiny.  … if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. – Rom 10:9

We need to live out our daily lives in anticipation of the imminent return of Jesus Christ.  Suddenly, in an instant, the LORD Almighty will come with thunder and earthquake and great noise, with windstorm and tempest and flames of a devouring fire. – Isa 29:5,6

If God were to call you from this life in the next moment, do you have the assurance that you will be in heaven with Him?  …Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come – Mark 13:33

You can have the blessed assurance of eternal life by confessing your sin and accepting God’s gift of salvation through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ who suffered and died so that you may be forgiven and become a child of God.  But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. – John 1:12

May you have the power, peace, and steadfastness of faith which brings hope in all of the sudden crises of life through the Holy Spirit’s presence in your heart.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. – Romans 15:13