January 24, 2011 Forward Motion Faith

Community Prayer

We gathered together at United Brethren Church tonight for our first substance abuse prayer initiative tonight.  It was an awesome time of prayer, testimony and combined faith.  I am so righteously proud of our pastors!  Hats off to the guys that helped pull this initiative off! I have grown to love these pastors as dear friends in Christ.  They are leaders who have a burden to take our city from this scourge that has overtaken it. 

• Greg Voight – Thank you for allowing us to gather in your beautiful sanctuary to call on the Lord tonight.  Your leadership in the faith community is valued my friend!                 Thanks for your praise team and your refreshment team for a job well done!  Thanks for your prayer for our law enforcement officers – they put their life on the line every day for our safety.  They are truly agents of God.
• Tom Alexander – Thanks for your commitment and time in preparing the agenda.  Your office team does an outstanding job!  Thank you for your transparency tonight.  You have handled the pressure well and yes, the faith community is behind you without question.  I know you and your lovely wife have faced life challenges you never dreamed you would face.  We love you both!
• Barb McKittrick – Your transparent testimony in relationship to your experience with an addict was stirring.  Thank you for being honest about your feelings.  Thank you for being with us tonight and yes – Jesus is the answer!
• Lindsay Bishop – What can I say? Once again your dance team hit a grand slam!  I have never seen your team without the anointing on to worship in dance.  Thank you for your commitment to the expressive arts for kingdom work.
• Joel Seymour – Your pastoral leadership is a model for us all.  Thank your comments on the public school system.  At a time when it gets rocked for its decisions etc., you made us proud of the availability of a public school system that teaches our student.  Yes we can and we should pray for righteousness in the system and for Godly teachers to influence our students.
• Dennis Coll – Your wisdom and choice of words always leaves me with a smile.  Thank you for your comments on the family.  So much said in such few words. You’re the best at speaking wisdom without sharing the library.  I appreciate your friendship and for mentoring us in our Thursday morning pastors gathering.
• Steve Rauch – You da man!  There is only one of you! There is only one golden radio voice in Lancaster and it belongs to you my friend!  Your comments on the media and how God has used them and will continue to use them was refreshing.  Thanks big guy!
• Jason Cordle –  You brighten up my day no matter when I see you.  Your passion for Christ is evident in your life, your words and your prayer.  Thanks for your comments tonight on this being not just a large town problem.  Sin knows no social or geographical boundaries.
• Ron Grubb – Grubby!  You have mastered the ability to speak with well-intentioned words.  Only you my friend!  Thank you for leading us to trust the Holy Spirit to lead us into this prayer initiative.  His guidance will be perfect and we need to trust Him every day to lead our prayer efforts for our city.   Asking God to invade our court system buildings and for wisdom and knowledge for the court personnel was great.  We know the Holy Spirit is the executive agent of the Godhead.  Our court judges, magistrates and administrative personnel will be influenced by righteousness!

Finally, a special “thank you” the faithful members of our churches.  Without you being present tonight it would not have been success.  You are the folk who bring your families to our churches every week.  You are the ones who are fighting, along with us pastors, a daily battle for those in our families who have addictive behavior issues.  Few families are exempt from being affected by the drug abuse epidemic.  But I honestly believe that when we stand together – God will answer our prayers and avenge the body of Christ from our oppressor.  We are praying for grace and mercy to invade the streets of Lancaster, Ohio.

May the drug dealers find righteousness and come to Christ!  May their customers find deliverance!  May the families of victims and users find healing!  May our city be avenged from this oppressive scourge.

I close with the prayer found in 2 Chronicles 20.12 where Jehoshaphat called on God and pleaded ignorance before the Lord.  He prayed “we do not know what to do but our eyes are on You!”  Yes, we may not know what to do or how to do it when it comes to seeing this epidemic eliminated from our city – but isn’t that why we gathered tonight?  Not knowing led us to the One who does!