I pray for your doors

This month, I'm praying for your doors. Again, it's sounds like a bit of a strange topic, but let's press in and pray for your doors...

I pray for the doors of opportunity in your lives. As you travel throughout your life, you will be invited into various positions of leadership/power. I'm praying for you, that you would make wise choices when it comes to taking on more responsibility. I'm praying for your protection in those roles you do step into - that they would only solidify the character you already have, and not tempt you to compromise on that. I'm praying that you would have incredible discernment as you decide on which opportunities will consume your gifts, time and energy. I pray that you would be presented with a variety of God-given opportunities that will lead to the furthering of His Kingdom in and through you.

I pray for doors that are shutting in your lives. Whether by choice or not, we all have doors that are closing on good and bad opportunities in our lives (relationships, dreams/hopes, promotions, etc.). It is my prayer that doors that are closing will be for your greater good, and that the doors that have been shut for this reason would remain so. I pray that you would not be tempted to reopen doors that should remain closed. I pray that you would have peace about doors that are currently closing. And I pray for healing in your hearts for those doors that slam closed on you unjustly.

I pray for the the doors in your homes, for each room they lead to, and each hand that touches the handles. Life takes place behind those doors - the fighting, the learning, the growing, stretching and loving. I pray that your doors would be covered in protection and that only good would enter in - I pray for a spiritual barrier against evil in any form that tries to enter through your doors. I pray for the guests that you welcome in - that they would sense something different, positive and safe about your home. I pray for the kids in your home, yours, and the ones they invite over - that as they walk through the doors, they would have confidence in who they are, and would stand taller as a result of walking through that spiritual 'veil'.

I pray for the doors in your heart... that as Christ knocks (Rev 3:20), you would eagerly invite Him in, to permeate every room of your heart - even the darkest crevices of closets long ago forgotten. I pray that you would be intentional in the upkeep of your heart's doors. From the heart the mouth speaks (Mt 12:34), and if good is stored up, good comes out (Luke 6:45), so guard you heart (Prov 4:23) with a good door.

I pray that you would earnestly "make every effort to enter through the narrow door" (Luke 13:24), by cultivating an ever deepening relationship with God and growing in your uncompromised convictions towards a life of prayer and surrender to God.

In Jesus' name, Amen.

.:.When I had my own apartment at Briercrest, the first thing I did after I moved in was to pray over my doors, literally. I encourage you to consider praying over various doors in your lives - from those at your work, to your home and in your heart. Doors are both entrances and exits, and we need to be intentional about who, what and how, we're entertaining and hosting through our doors.:.

Talk about the Bible

Guest post By Moira Gardener

The Bible is like a treasure map that gives us guidance in our lives.  It is a collection of different books written over a period of 1,000 years by many people who were guided by God. The oldest book is 3,500 years old.  Now that’s old!

The Bible is divided into two parts: the Old Testament and the New Testament.  The Old Testament, written in Israel long ago (with some books written in what is Iran today), tells us about the beginning of the universe, the history of the Jewish people, His message to them and God’s commandments.

The New Testament talks about Jesus’ life, the history of the early church, and the way we receive God’s forgiveness. Some of the books in the New Testament were also written in Israel.  Others were written in what we know today as Greece, Turkey, and maybe even Italy.

By reading the Bible, God’s treasure map, we can learn who God is and what is important to Him.   Reading the many interesting stories will give us practical tips on how to live life – how we should act, do good, pray, comfort others, and how Jesus saves us.  There is enough “treasure” in this book for everyone in the world – young and old, and the more a person studies it, the more treasure can be found.  We also learn about God’s love and life in heaven.  But the most important discovery will be a best friend named Jesus.

Once you find these treasures they can be yours forever and ever.  They cannot be stolen or destroyed.  But they cannot be given to you by another person.  You will need to dig for them yourself by spending time reading the Bible, praying to God and asking Him to show you the treasures He has for you.

Recap

What

• Collection of books
• Inspired by God 2 Timothy 3:16-17 Discusses what the bible is and how it can be used

When 

• Started 3,500 years ago 
• Written over a period of 1000 years 

Where

• Old Testament written in ancient Israel and some books in what we know today as Iraq
• New Testament also written in ancient Israel and in what is known today as Greece, Turkey and maybe even Italy.

Who

• The Bible is the word of God holding treasure for everyone.
• Written by people guided by God.

Why read the bible.

… to dig out treasures.
Here are a few, and I’m sure you can add your own:

• Find out how much God loves you
• Find out how to pray
• Find comfort in sad times
• The biggest reason to read the Bible is to find out for yourself what God has to say and not to hear it second hand.

Check it Out

• Psalm 19 7-11 discusses many of the treasures we can find.
• Timothy 3:16-17 tells us who inspired the Bible.
• James 1: 19-27 Talks about listening to and then doing God’s will.

Talk about Communion

I believe we are called to participate in a believer’s communion – and that means believers of all ages. We will not ever expect a child to partake of the elements, nor will we require that a child reach a predetermined age before they are allowed to participate. Rather, we support you as the parent(s) in explaining and determining whether your child is ready to take this step in their relationship with God.
Children will occasionally stay in the service to observe communion. The celebration of the Lord’s Supper is an essential aspect to a Christian’s walk, and so we want to facilitate the ability for children to observe and/or participate where appropriate. It is also important that children understand their place in the larger community of faith, and allowing them to stay in to observe helps foster a greater understanding of their role and contribution to the local church.
We would like to encourage you to talk to your children about communion, as part of an ongoing faith conversation, and it’s relevance to your child(ren)’s walk with God. Here are some tips on how to begin the conversation at home:
Start by reading 1 Corinthians 11:23-29 together. From there, ask some comprehension questions like, What was Jesus doing? Or What are we to remember? Then review all that communion helps us to remember:

1. That we are sinners saved by grace.
2. That Christ died on the cross for our sins because he loves us; that he rose on the third day and is going to return.
3. That through his sacrifice, he made a way for and wants a personal relationship with us.
4. That when we partake of the elements, we are to make sure we are not holding any offences with others.
5. That the elements are not literally his body and blood, nor are the elements a mid-service snack.

Communion is a sacrament we do to remember, but it is also as an act of worship and obedience. Talk to your kids about preparing themselves for participating in communion through the following actions:

1. We come with a humble and faithful attitude.
2. We seek forgiveness for our sins.
3. We reflect on what Christ did and how much he loves us.
4. We receive with reverence and thanks.

Other key verses to refer to:

• Luke 22:19-201
• Corinthians 10:16,17
• Matthew 26:26

Some things to consider when deciding if your child should participate:

1. A child who can confidently profess a faith that claims Christ as his/her Savior is welcome to participate in communion. A child who can confidently say he or she is not a Christian should feel comfortable to allow the elements to pass by.
2. If a child has shown no sign of thinking of themselves as a moral agent before God, it is appropriate to tell the child not to participate. This will differ between every child – we want to see kids understand who they are in relation to God, and be able to make their own decision about Christ. This can happen for some five year olds, and still some eleven year olds may not comprehend this until later.
3. Children need to be able to profess a faith that includes beliefs that:
   1. God sent his one and only son,
   2. Jesus, to earth as a baby.
   3. Jesus grew up and taught people about God’s love.
   4. Jesus who had never sinned, died on the cross for our sin because he loves us.Jesus rose from the dead and will return.