Author: nourishwomen

Prayer Like A Mosquito

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Farewelling summer is met with a touch of sadness in our house. My husband, myself and our two boys adore the warm, summery and luxuriously long days. We enjoy daily swimming or surfing, even if its just for 5 minutes after dinner. We love coffee on our back deck with the dog passed out in the sun. There is often a paddling pool up in the back yard for the boys and the sprinkler is on. We go to bed absolutely spent and happy. We love everything about summer days. Well, almost everything…

There is one thing we will be quite happy to send on its sweet way at the change of seasons. You see, with the beach on one side of our house and marsh land on the other, we get many mosquitos. I don’t just mean the occasional mozzie. I mean plagues of the little tyrants. They quite literally suck! We hate them and yes, hate is a strong word. They wait in the dark places during the day. They are waiting for our heads to hit the pillow so they can circle in waves. Occasionally they stop, but without fail, just before we slip into slumberland they are back. Touching down on our foreheads and making us swipe at ourselves like crazed lunatics. Every so often it get so dire that my husband gets up out of bed (shock horror) and initiates the blood bath on our bedroom ceiling armed only with his underpants and a flexible yet firm book.

A mosquito is such a tiny creature but nonetheless, its perseverance and persistence get results: our blood! In 1 Thessalonians 5 v 17 it tells us to be persevering in prayer. I can’t think of anything much that is more persistent than a mozzie. You can even threaten to kill them, but they just keep coming back.

Again, in Luke 18 v 1-8, Jesus tells us to be like the persistent widow who drove the judge crazy for her cause so that eventually, through her persistence, not because he even cared, he granted her request. Furthermore, God tells us to be like Jacob, who wrestled with God. “I will not let go unless you bless me” he said. To be honest, I sometimes find it a bit strange that our all loving, all powerful God would want us to be this persist and this desperate in prayer, but when Romans 12 v 12 says “be faithful in prayer,” Colossians 4 v2 says “devote yourself to prayer” and Ephesians 6 v 18 says “pray in the spirit on all occasions”, you know it is something God wants from us.

A quote that my friend recently put on social media today caught my eye. It said, “Are you praying about it as much as you are talking about it?”.

Over the last little while my prayers have been pretty desperate. At times, I have thought that maybe it’s just not the will of God and wondered about giving up. Although, when you want something enough, you’ll keep at it. Like the mosquitos drive for blood, I have a need in my life which until it is granted, I will not stop. I know God is teaching me lessons along the way. Lessons of patience, lessons of trust, lessons of grace. I have prayed persistently, although I haven’t yet prayed about my need more than what I have thought about it. So I’m keeping at it because I believe that the word of God is the truth and is power and the blood of Christ means that I can pray directly to the creator of the universe. How incredible is that?! Yes, I am going to keep praying persistently because I don’t think I’ve reached the annoyance level of a Lauderdale mosquito yet! After all, in comparison to an infuriating mosquito, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him?

By Rachel Cooper

Sunday March 8th

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Hi all,

Jesus spoke to His disciples about “doing it different”.

But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
(Mark 10:43-45)

This came as a response to some of the boys trying to sure up a position of significance in the kingdom. Jesus showed them that significance is not found in the position or notoriety, but in being able to genuinely serve others.

Our significance is found in what Christ has done for us and in us and is out-worked in our service to others. In that place we find contentment and real purpose. Jesus never struggled to prove and show His equality with the Father because He knew He had it.

In Christ we have nothing to prove. That releases us into the joy of serving. Let’s continue to value and build a culture of serving and showing high value to others.

As I heard at the CT launch breakfast “It is good to meet together.”
It will be an amazing day in Church as we continue our month of vision with the ‘serve’ aspect of our strategy.

P.S. Pre-service prayer in Hobart was fantastic last week. Let’s keep it happening 9:30am in the room right hand side of stage.

It’s The Little Things; Laura’s Secret to Loving Children

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Laura’s face is a much-loved one around Energizer Church, particularly among the children down in EKids. Since joining us in August last year, she has jumped right in and served cheerfully and effectively in kids’ church. Laura’s natural affinity and gift for working with children is not something that is contained within the walls of our church though; she also works at a local Early Learning Centre throughout the week, working with children from babies to primary aged kids. Laura is very aware of the vital role she plays in the development of these precious little people and she is keen to launch out into the deep in 2015 in her workplace. “I have such an important role to play in the way that children learn and grow, and this year with God’s support, I want to strive to follow through with what I have learnt from church and implement it into my workplace. I really feel like this year is a big year of growth and confidence.”

Launching into the deep has been a common theme for us at Energizer Church so far this year, with the phrase “do it different” on everyone’s lips. For Laura, this year is about stepping into her identity in Christ, being happy and comfortable with who she is and allowing that to draw people to God. In particular she is passionate about showing the love of Christ to the young ones in her care: “I feel that I was always meant to do it, even though it’s been hard at times and I’ve wanted to try other things, something always stops me, so I think there is definitely a reason God wants me working with children and I think that’s where I’m going to have the most impact.” Laura’s love for the families which whom she work speaks volumes about her spiritual conviction: “working with children really gives me a great opportunity to connect with families in a positive way through building relationships to the point where I can openly mention God to them”. Laura also prays passionately for the families connected to her workplace and never let’s an opportunity to step out and help a stranger pass by. “I don’t necessarily believe that the only way we can tell people about God is through words; every little bit matters”.

Although she works in a secular environment Laura is not alone as she takes the love of Christ into her world. She goes in the strength of our Church, a community who believe in one another and champion one another. “To me church plays a vital part in the way I connect with people beyond the church. Without church I wouldn’t gain the confidence and support to step out in faith. Some Sundays I listen to sermons and feel that the sermon is really speaking to me; that God is telling me something that I need to know in order to step out in faith and reach the lives of others”. However, it’s not just Sundays that encourage and inspire Laura, a regular attendee at her LifeGroup, she attributes some of her confidence to the strong relationships she has forged within the church. It’s these relationships, along with leaning on her favourite scripture, Romans 8:38-39, that keep Laura staying the path when trialling days threaten to get her down.

“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord”. (Romans 8:38-39 NLT)

“Connecting people to God, for me, is all about showing his love; showing people that they are not alone and that there is someone who loves you more than anything. Sometimes all people need to hear is that they are not alone and that god loves them. Sometimes it’s the little things that can make a huge difference.”

This week, as you go into your workplace, school or wherever you are headed, remember, like Laura, the little things can make the biggest impact on people’s lives. Let’s be a church who are always ready to show the love of God with our service, our words or even just a smile!

By Jen Grubb