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The Focus
by Dennis Wheeler
that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek me." Hebrews 11:6
My good ol' Webster Dictionary defines 'earnestly' as "with serious purpose, zealousness, or intensity."
Sometimes our prayers will be mere pleasure in God's company...sitting by a mountain stream, taking a walk on a beautiful spring day, enjoying an evening out with good friends - - - being thankful for the sweet blessings in our life and we share it with Him.
But other times - our prayers are more purposeful. We have an objective in praying, and we are earnestly seeking God's response. When we pray with purpose, we envision the end result before it is accomplished. When we pray with zeal, we display an energy, excitement, and enthusiasm that shows God we believe He will answer. When we pray with intensity, we are focused on God and the objective of our prayer and nothing else.
For such is the victory we celebrate today!!
This past Sunday our church observed 'Sanctity of Human Life' and Pam Williams, Executive Director of Abortion Alternative Christian Services was our special guest. Around 8:45 a.m., just moments prior to the first worship service, Pam received a phone call that a 15-year old girl in Johnson City had recently discovered she was pregnant and her parents had scheduled her to have an abortion on Monday morning (1/26/04). Pam asked our church to join her in prayer that God would open the avenues for her to be able to speak with the family and share the Good News that God is theCreator of Life!!
Prayers filled with purpose, zeal and intensity were offered continually all day Sunday and into Monday. We prayed with faith...believing that God would intervene.
I received a joyful phone call from Pam on Monday afternoon. God provided her with the privilege of speaking with the girl's mother on Sunday evening and then face-to-face on Monday morning. The scheduled abortion was cancelled and the parents have chosen to allow their daughter to keep the baby and they assist her in raising the child...their first grandchild!!
Praise the Lord!!
As Richard Foster says, "Imagination opens the door to faith. If we can 'see' in our mind's eye a shattered marriage whole or a sick person well, it is only a short step to believing that it will be so."
I remember a song that we use to sing when I was much, much younger..."Prayer is the key to heaven...but faith unlocks the door!"
He serves as the Senior Pastor with southwest Virginia church... a loving church family in Abingdon.
He and his wife Sharon have been married for over 27 years and are the proud parents of two beautiful daughters, one son-in-law, and two precious grandchildren, the second arrived arrived on the scene in September 2004!!
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