30 Days of Prayer for The EDGE Colorado, Day Nineteen

Day 19

We have added a few more people to our prayer list.  Welcome.  You can find the archives of these prayer days at http://markkraakevik.posterous.com/

For our prayer time today, I want us to consider a story from the book of Daniel, chapter 3.

13 Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, 14  and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? 15 Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?"

 16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." 

This is what I find inspirational about this story.  Here are three teenage boys who say, "We will not serve your idol.  God can save us from your furnace, and EVEN IF HE DOES NOT, we still will not worship your idol.  

As I pray about what I want God to do in my life, I have very specific goals.  And it is easy to say, I will worship God and not turn to the idols of this world, because my God is a big God and he will do big things for me.  It is much harder to say, and even if he does not do big things, I will still not turn from God to this worlds idols.  

For me this boils down to allowing God to be God.  He will do what he will do, and I will commit to worshiping him regardless of the circumstances I face.  

Remember Paul and Silas singing in the jail cell.  

 Acts 16: 25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.

That is just plain crazy, but they committed to praise God regardless of their circumstance.  

Please pray with me that The EDGE becomes that kind of a church.  We know God can save us (from furnaces and jail cells), and even if he does not, we will sing praises all the louder!!  

Specifically today would you pray for:

1) We have planned a graduation party for the neighborhood youth tomorrow.  We are hoping for 100 teens.

2) Please continue to pray for Kim Kopp, and others we know who are battling against cancer.

3) Pray for Grant Chinn, who is looking at an expensive car bill right now

4) Pray for those in our congregation looking for jobs. 

5) Pray for Lois Kraakevik, as she waits for a hip replacement surgery.  

6) Pray for those traveling this week

7) Pray that our services this weekend would be well received.  We are focusing on I John 1:5-10.

Thanks for praying,

Mark

Posted via email from Mark's posterous