When I don't know what to do

One of the things that has been on my mind lately is the overwhelming feeling that I am completely at loss with what to do in my ministry and in personal situations for which I have no answers. Yesterday in prayer before our choir rehearsal, the words of this song that I've heard only a couple of times started to ring in my head and lifted my spirit. I hope that they are of encouragement to one of you.

One of the only things that I am sure of these days is that my job as a minister is to speak directly to people like me that have uncertainty looming in their lives. This is an especially important ministry in our city where everybody puts on the facade of having everything about their lives in order and nothing is wrong. The silent struggles with faith, finances, family, and the future are things that we as a society almost never admit to and so my hope is that this song will be of encouragement to you as it has been to me.

It is from Tommy Walker's "Breakthrough" album and here are the lyrics to it:

When I Don't Know What To Do

Tommy Walker WeMobile Music ©2005 CCLI #4556332

Verse 1

Lord I surrender all to Your strong and faithful hand

In everything I will give thanks to You

I'll just trust Your perfect plan

Chorus

When I don't know what to do

I'll lift my hands

When I don't know what to say

I'll speak Your praise

When I don't know where to go

I'll run to Your throne

When I don't know what to think

I'll stand on Your truth

When I don't know what to do

Verse 2

Lord I surrender all

Though I'll never understand

All the mysteries around me

I'll just trust your perfect plan

Bridge

As I bow my knee

Send Your perfect peace

Send Your perfect peace Lord

As I lift my hands

Let Your healing come

Let Your healing come to me

You can check out Drew Grounds' version on youtube below or listen to the original HERE

Justified

Justified me

Glorified me

Paid my ransom and

I've been redeemed by his blood

Because of calvary

I've been made free

Despite my enemy

I thank God I'm justified

What happened to the prayer?

Let me state the things that we can agree about concerning prayer

1. Prayer is an important cornerstone in the life of any Christian

2. Prayer is an important cornerstone in the life and health of any Church

3. An investment of prayer is necessary for an effective, spirit-filled and life changing ministry

4. It is important to have a personal prayer life

5. It is important to gather together in prayer because there is power in the unified prayer of the children of God as we see throughout scripture

So why is it difficult to get people to gather together to pray? Why must we beg, guilt, bribe and prod people into gathering together to spend time with the source of all life, strength and power?

Every time I have read the words to the post on this blog called "I have a dream", I am overwhelmed by the undeniable reality that it will remain a dream until the members of the worship ministry make prayer a priority...

Several years from now will we look at the month of September 2009 as an anomaly in which we had prayer gatherings every week or shall we look back on it as the birth of a prayer movement in the worship ministry that ushered a new season of God's transformational work in Woodvale?

I would like to say this to everyone of you that takes the time to read this blog:

Every picture of a preferred future for this church - Woodvale - that does not involve the collapse and total demise of the church is not achievable without prayer. Do you want to see more people come to Christ during our services and outreaches? Do you want to have a deeper and more meaningful sense of God's presence in our corporate gatherings? Do you want to see our congregation released in unrestrained worship? Do you want to see people hunger and thirst for more of God? Do you want to see Woodvale's impact on her community increase in leaps and bounds? Do you want to see your pastors take risks and challenge the church to leave their comfort zones? NONE OF THESE THINGS IS ACHIEVABLE WITHOUT PRAYER!!

So my question to you all is this: What is going to happen after September 2009? Are we going to get to some point in the not to distant future and ask the question,

"What happened to the prayer?"

Help Me Believe

Verse 1

I wanna believe

But I'm having a hard time seeing past what I see right now, I see right now

I wanna be free

But when I try to fly I realize I don't know how, no one showed me how

Wish I could see

That this mess I'm in will really work out for my good, you said it would

So, if you can hear me,

Can you give me a sign cause I dont feel you like I should, please if you could

My faith is almost gone, I can't hold on much longer, take this cup from me

Chorus

Help me Believe

Can I believe

Let Me believe

I wanna believe

I'm no good on my own, please give me another chance

Its hard to believe in what I can't see

to give you my will cause you're whats better for me

you can look in my eyes and see I wanna believe, believe, believe, believe

Verse 2

I wanna believe

If I never hear Im sorry I can let it go, gotta let you go

Cause, its killing me.

Jesus you know how it feels cause you've been hurt before, dont wanna hurt no more

Im trying to hear you speak, but my heart is growing weaker, take this cup from me

Verse 3

I wanna believe

When I close my eyes on this side I'll wake up with you, more in love with you

And, and finally,

You will say my race it is over and my work is through, cause I believed in you

I know dark nights will come and some days there'll be no sunshine and you're too far to see