21 May 2013

Praise God for His Favor!

The official death toll from the Oklahoma tornado has been more than halved, down to 24. That's a sight better than the previous report of 51.

While the coroner expects the number to climb higher, we'll take all the good news we can get. Please continue to pray for all those affected, including the emergency workers from all over who have responded to this situation.

Please also prayerfully consider financial support for those agencies providing food, supplies, medical services and so on during this crisis. If you're not able to give, that's okay - prayers cost nothing.

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. 

If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get his help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought.

... The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with.
~ James 1:2-6, 5:17 (The Message)

6 comments:

Sandy Livesay said...

Rev. Paul,

Amen!

Rev. Paul said...

Sandy, we are all grateful for your continued presence. :)

ProudHillbilly said...

I've noticed an amazing number of really ugly web trolls coming out and attacking posts about prayers today, both those of the Moore survivors and those from the rest of the US.

Rev. Paul said...

They're welcome to their opinion, but it will not be welcome here. I'm a fairly tolerant man, but this is my blog. :)

ProudHillbilly said...

I just find it interesting the level of nasty I'm seeing for this. "I don't have the comfort of prayer so I'll excoriate you for yours."

Rev. Paul said...

Clearly a liberal, then. "I hate you because you have something I want/can't have."