Is any among you suffering? They should pray.
James 5:13 (NRSV)
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PRAYER
Blessed are You, O Lord, the God of Israel our Father, forever and ever. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is Yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and You are exalted as head above all… And now we thank You, our God, and praise Your glorious name.” 1 Chronicles 29: 10b –11, 13
Jesus said, “And this is the way to have eternal life – to know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the One You sent to earth.” John 17: 3
“The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. Those who know Your name trust in You, for You, O Lord, have never abandoned anyone who searches for You. Sing praises to the Lord who reigns in Jerusalem. Tell the world about His unforgettable deeds… He does not ignore those who cry to Him for help.” Psalm 9: 9 -11, 12b
Is this a time of trouble for you now? Are you still hurting from a season of pain in the past? Is your strength gone? Do you wish for even a little respite? When we are crying out to God for relief and He seems not to hear, when we doubt that praying matters, and the God we believe in appears to have checked out – where do we turn for strength, comfort, peace, healing? When we are in the midst of a dark time, it’s often difficult to remember where we can find that shelter from the storm, where our help comes from, and who promised never to leave us or forsake us.
The Bible is full of the accounts of people of great faith who were beset by trials, suffering, and challenges. This is earth, not heaven, so trouble here is no surprise, but knowing that doesn’t make it any easier. Jesus knew well how hard this life was, and He didn’t sugar-coat the truth to His disciples. “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16: 33 Ahhh, with Jesus we have exactly what we need to meet whatever life has to dish out. In Him is our hope and our joy! In Him is exactly what we need -- strength, comfort, peace and healing – found in the wisdom of His Word and through a deepening relationship with Him through prayer, study and service. The Scripture verses quoted above provide important guideposts in the process of transforming the pain of our trials to healing our hearts, minds, and our bodies. His Word is His promise forever!
* Praise God for His greatness, power, glory, victory, and majesty! Praise Him for His creation and provision, and ownership of all that we are given.
* Work each day at getting to know God and His Son, Jesus. Acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord of your life; speak to Him about whatever is in your heart – He knows already, but a close relationship is built through the intimacy of sharing your life with Him.
* Show that you trust God to guide you, provide for you, and to know what is best for you. Trust His leading and then obey by doing.
* Seek Him through daily, honest prayer, in the lives of family, friends, and strangers, in the beauty of the world, by reading and studying His Word, and by honoring His Son with your testimony.
Let us pray: Gracious, merciful Father, Thank You that Your promises are from everlasting to everlasting. No more tears, no more pain, no more death, no mourning. I want to live with You forever. I give my life to You now, and I claim Jesus as the Lord of my life. I want to live my life free from sin, loving You and others with all my heart. Please, God, help me in my weakness, as You provide for me and guide me day by day. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen
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Do you have a prayer request?
You can e-mail it to
Prayer Request Cards can also be found in the pew card holders.
Prayer requests will be prayed for daily by our Prayer Team.
All prayer requests are held in confidence unless you specify otherwise.
Please join us at our James 5:13 Prayer Gathering every Thursday night at 7 PM in the CUMC chapel. This is open to all and you do not need to be a church member to be lifted up in prayer.
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Free Bibles
Available from the stands at both ends of the main hallway. Take one home if you need one!
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PRAYER PARTNERS
If you have not
signed up to participate in Prayer Partners, and would like to, please contact Meredith Fichtel for more information.
BECOME A PRAYER PARTNER “Prayer is the center of Christian life. It is the only necessary thing. (Luke 10:42) It is living with God here and now.” ~ Henri Nouwen, Prayer and Peacemaking Jesus said, “And I tell you more: whenever two of you on earth agree about anything you pray for, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in My name, I am there with them.” Matthew 18: 19 – 20
WHAT IS PRAYER PARTNERS? Prayer Partners is a team that was formed in our church several years ago to provide encouragement, support, accountability, and faith-building within two-person groups. With the guidance of Pastor Roy and lay prayer leaders, participants will be paired with a prayer partner of the same gender.
WHAT WILL PRAYER PARTNERS DO? Partners get together regularly to pray for one another, for others, and for whatever is weighing on their hearts. They share their joys, their trials, their faith journeys, their struggles in a covenant relationship of Christ-like love, compassion, honesty and trust. Prayer partners are secure in the confidentiality of their relationship. They often make gratitude to God a focus of their time together. Learning how to listen to one another and how to become attuned to the voice of God speaking to their hearts are important skills that prayer-partnering helps to develop. Also, there is real power in praying together! WHY DO I NEED A PRAYER PARTNER? You might think, “I have close family and several friends I can talk to, why do I need someone else to pray with?” Your prayer partner will, hopefully, be someone who knows you less well than a family member or good friend, and can be more objective, non-judgmental, and can share in your mutual growth in faith. Praying gets God involved in our lives in a very personal way. Scripture affirms that when two or more are gathered in His name, God is there with them. God wants to share our joys, bear our burdens, and be in communion with us through prayer. With a mutually-sustaining and caring prayer partner, you will find that you are growing closer to God, and gaining greater insight into the person God made you to be, through the regular, intentional practice of prayer.
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Centerport United Methodist Church is a welcoming, family-friendly worshipping community. In addition to worship services, we offer spiritual formation and christian education for children, youth and adults. We have an active and growing Sunday School and youth group. There are multiple and varied opportunities to live out your faith in the local community and the world. Our members currently come from Centerport, Greenlawn, Huntington, Northport, East Northport, Cold Spring Harbor, Smithtown, Syosset, Fort Salonga and Kings Park.
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Centerport United Methodist Church • 97 Little Neck Road • Centerport, NY 11721 • 631.261.5222
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