Beats From Your Pastor’s Heart
2 Corinthians 1:11, “Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf.”
We must realize that all of the pressures we face in our environments are continuous calls to us to spend more time with the Lord.
Even our fleshly disposition with its negative reactions, lusts, and moods is another call and a sign that we need to withdraw and pray.
The apostle Paul also faced many difficult situations, such as the one he describes in 2 Corinthians 1:8: “For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:”
Here, not only did Paul face a desperate environment, but he also had to handle his reactions of despair to the environment.
Yet in verse 11 he could testify that God would deliver him by means of prayer.
We must see that the practice of withdrawing to pray and spend time with the Lord should increasingly become a normal part of our Christian life.
The Greek word translated withdraw in Luke 5:16 is a compound word made up of two prepositions, one meaning under and the other meaning apart.
The combination of these two words indicates that He withdrew into privacy.
He separated Himself “apart” in privacy to be with the Father.
If we desire to cultivate our love-life with the Lord, we will surely discover the Lord Himself moving in us, prodding us to withdraw from all the empty talk and looseness in our living in order to spend more time with Him.
To practice withdrawing we need a vision, and this simply means having before us a vision of the kind of life the Lord Jesus lived on this earth spending time with the Father.
He was continuously withdrawing to cultivate and nourish His life with the Father.
This is how He expressed God.
And this is the life that is now within us.
It is a life of withdrawing.
Until Tomorrow
With A Shepherd’s Love,
Pastor Jackson
FRIDAY’S PRAYER REQUESTS
KATHY MABE
Paula Ferus
Marlon Cook
June Cronan
Amy Garner
AMY GARNER’S MOM & Dad
Andrew Halevi & Daughter
Ashely Burn’s Sisters
Brandon’s Dad
Coly/Connor – Allison’s G’sons
Dan Haines
Darlene Wiggins
David Burnette
David Harrison
Denise Hulsey – Jordan’s G’mother
Donnie Butler’s Dad
Doris Loyd
Dr. and Mrs. Davis
Easton Fielder
Eric Ward
Erik Magnusson
Freddie May’s Mom
George & Linda Alexander
James Burnette
James Garner’s Friend
JERRY ROBERTS
Jillian Gray
Jodi Bateman
John Austin
John McClain
June Cronan’s Sister
Kim McClain’s Mother
Larry Barker
Lee Cronan
Lillanna Magnusson’s Mom
Linda Breedlove’s Sister – Sarah
Linda Hodges’ Sister
Lonzo Christin
Lori Blount’s Mother
Mary Sims
Marynell Ford
Maureen Brown
Michael Stanley
Pastor & Mrs. Driskell
Ricky Gipson – Ashley’s Brother
Ricky Stubbs
Rose Fuller
Roseleigh Osborn
Sandra Graham
Scott Lanier
Soso Nzolo – 17 Yr. Old South African Pastor’s Daughter
Tom Witcher