This week we welcome Christine Lee into the pulpit. Christine is a long-time member of SCBC and at one time, served on our pastoral team. She is married to Richard and together are proud parents of Aaron and Bethany.
Currently, Christine is one of our partners in mission working with Urban Promise Toronto. Her ministry among the moms and children in Toronto housing comes from a heart devoted to God and tender toward the needs of others. It is a privilege to have Christine and her family as part of SCBC and to have her bring us God’s Word this week.
When we began our current series I mentioned that Scripture presents us with two views of prayer, one is subjective and one is objective. The subjective side of prayer focuses on getting to know God and experience his rest, peace, and life. We could call these types of prayers “communion centered prayers”. The objective side of prayer is characterized by a fervent pleading for God’s kingdom rule to be realized in our lives and world. These types of prayers could be called “kingdom centered prayers”.
It’s important to realize that both kinds of prayer are important and should be practiced. They are both emphasized in Scripture. And personally, I don’t understand why people, scholars, authors, need to draw such rigid lines between the two kinds of prayer. I find that I experience God’s character and love in amazing ways when I pray objective prayers – asking God’s purposes to be furthered and his kingdom to come.
In any case, this week, Christine will focus on 1 Samuel 21-22:5 and will shift our focus to the objective nature of prayer as we come to the last weeks of our 40 days of prayer.
This week please pray:
1. For Christine as she prepares the message and as she preaches on Sunday.
Give thanks to God for her servant heart and passion for our Lord. Pray that she
will experience God’s blessings as she ministers through Urban Promise and she
preaches on Sunday.
2. For your brothers and sisters in Christ at SCBC. Pray that we will be
disciplined in our prayer life as we journey through the 40 days and that God
would grant us a hunger for him and dependence upon him.
3. Ask God to bring about his kingdom rule in your life and in our church. May he
truly direct our paths and may his purposes be realized in our midst.
In thanksgiving for you, Tom.