which stands for something? I do. Some of the names are too long to
remember, like FDA. We all know, from frequent usage, that FDA stands for
Food & Drug Administration. We just don't want to have to say all that
every time we refer to it. How about JFK? We know too that this acronym
stands for John Fitzgerald Kennedy and again, we don't want to have to say
all that every time. Besides, saying JFK has become kind of a term of
esteem over the years. So we find acronyms to be useful in our everyday
lives. How about this one? ACTS. We know what the word means when it is
not capitalized. What does it mean as an acronym? It stands for the four
types of prayer: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication.
We use all four in our services on Sunday mornings, don't we? Each is a
marvelous way to be in touch with our precious Lord. Isn't it cool that
church has its own acronyms! It's even better when we use each kind of
prayer.
Daily life calls for it!
So here I was thinking I was being "hard" on someone who was saying he
couldn't do anything useful anymore, that life may as well end, that all
the good days are over. I disagreed and said to pray, pray with your
whole heart for those near and dear to you, for those who live near you,
for those who live far away and are in the midst of war or famine or
disease. There is no end to the list of those who need prayer. I deeply
believe this, that the list of people who need prayer is endless; we could
spend all day and all night doing just that and not get anywhere near to
the end of that list! Stop and think about it for a minute. Try writing
down all the folks you can think of who would like or need prayers said
for them. Then write down those who don't even know you're praying for
them but who need it, including people in Egypt and Libya.
Then I got out the homework for the Women's Bible Study this morning.
What is the lesson but Simeon and Anna, Anna the widow for 84 years! She
was married for only seven years before she was widowed. Can you imagine?
And she filled her days and months and years with fasting and prayer, as
Luke 2 tells us. It wasn't being "harsh" to ask someone to be useful by
praying, not at all! In Anna's day, remember, women had far lesser status
than men, especially if they were widowed. They had no spouse protector.
And with no children either, they were really alone and at the mercy of
society. Yet here is Anna, staying in the Temple praying and fasting
night and day.
Out of curiosity, I polled the women in the Bible Study class. Had any of
them been prayed for? Had they felt the prayers? Did the power of the
prayers hold them up? Yes, yes, yes, in all sorts of circumstances. And
I was another yes. I have experienced the power and strength of being
prayed for. Otherwise, I'm sure that standing up for my Mom's visitation
and funeral would have been far more difficult. Prayer really matters.
Prayer really helps. Give prayer the priority it deserves in your life.
If you think you aren't useful anymore, think again!!!
May our Lord bless and keep you.
Judy Bergeson, Diaconal Minister
Somewhere along the way I learned "ACTS", one of those mnemonics that
helps you remember things. ACTS stands for the four kinds of prayer,
Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication. In our church
services, we do all four of these.
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