Bonding Time

God's Spirit is alive and kicking in His Church at Parkview Nazarene in Fairview Heights!  Last night, for our new Time With God, we started the church out by getting the adults and teens together to talk to them about intercessory prayer.  The pastor opened the floor up for anyone to present their prayer requests, and my teens flooded the scene with their lists!  It was amazing to see the tables turned where the adults were able to hear so many heartfelt desires pouring from the mouth of Junior and Senior Highers, and they inspired others to join in.  The prayer time was opened for anyone to lead in prayer and the Holy Spirit guided the night from there.  A couple of adults prayed out loud, and then my eyes began to water as I heard one of the teens from junior high begin to lead.  His prayer was heartfelt and sincere, pouring out every thought he had of the concerns for people that was in his life, as well as his own.  He is one of the newest adopted into the Family of God, and dealing with a lot of temptations, but last night he inspired me with how important prayer is.

Time With God lasted an hour last night.  30 minutes of around eight people leading, and another 30 where people were praying quietly together.  What is happening here is in God's control, and that is a beautiful place to be.  Deven was the teen that led in that lengthy prayer, but he was not the only teen to lead.  Stepping forward was William and Howard as well, and I am so proud of both of them for wanting to "try this prayer thing out".  When I began to walk up to the altar I also noticed that Katie had joined her mom already, arm in arm, praying together.  I couldn't help but join them.  I had prayers of my own, concerns for where God is taking me in life, but in the spirit where the Church is praying together those concerns are so much more easily seen as taken care of.  I am so thankful to be a part of the family of God!

William and Deven made a pact to begin an accountabily group.  Joining them, I hope to glean my own understanding of how this works so that I can begin one with someone my own age and close to my backyard.  We are challenging each other to read 25 chapters of the bible every week, starting in Matthew, and letting God lead us from there.  It is good to know you can trust someone with confidence in tough issues like how we are facing our tempations and walking with God.