​God’s love is multi-dimensional. It stretches beyond our understanding, yet the Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, urges us to “know” and “comprehend” and “grasp” the mystery of God’s love.
A major factor of God’s love is its reach. It goes beyond every social boundary and every national border. It has the power to penetrate every form of spiritual darkness and bring healing to the heart, mind and body. Blessed are the people who open their hearts to the message of God’s love!
With this in mind, we encourage everyone to pray in the coming days for Pastor Ben and the Prakash team as they carry God’s love to India and to the Andaman Islands. A venture of this nature is not without risk. Pray for their physical safety, as well as for spiritual protection.  The Enemy is not happy when souls are snatched from his hands.
Our prayers are as important as the mission itself. Pray for the success of the crusade. For God’s healing power to be unleashed. For God’s love to transform hearts and homes. This is His will.

Next Steps...
I will pray for the people in India and for our Pastor and the team carrying God’s love to them.
 

​Rejection is a tough pill to swallow. The more we care, the deeper the hurt when love is refused. Or ignored. 
Love is a risk. It requires courage -- a fierce fearlessness. A daring boldness. Love is willing to extend a hand (and a heart) to someone who may shrug it off and turn to other interests. That yearning echoes in the words of the apostle John: “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him” (John 1:11). Imagine the hurt in the heart of God! Heaven weeps when such a gift is disregarded and tossed aside.
When love is refused, it is natural to draw back to avoid being hurt again. Not so with God’s love. It is constant and continuous. It keeps flowing, in spite of a lack of response. God waits -- yes longs -- for the moment we turn to Him for the comfort only His love can give. Like the father of the prodigal, He runs to embrace us in all of our stinky reality, and to welcome us home. 
God can’t stop loving us -- even when we stop loving Him. But we benefit most when we open our hearts and love Him in return.

Next Steps...
I will welcome God’s embrace and gladly respond to the gift of His love.

Lets face it. There’s nothing quite like a Facebook birthday. Greetings come from far and near, with a little help from FB reminders. Warm fuzzies abound. Who ever received that many “real” birthday cards before? 
Just when we think all things to be discovered have been discovered, someone taps into a new mystery of the universe. The birth of the internet has opened the door to world wide relationships that can be accessed by the click of a mouse. The virtual world, though unseen, has brought people together as nothing before it. 
Ever wonder how God can keep track of every soul in the world?  How He can know the deepest yearnings of every heart? Simple. Though unseen, He is connected. The difference: He not only sees and knows, He loves. Really loves! And He has the power to intervene.
Unlike many FB friends, God is not afar off. He is as near as your heartbeat or your next breath. His love is not somewhere “in the cloud,” it is wrapped around us. Just enjoy it.

Next Steps...
I will open my heart to the unseen God and connect to the revelation of His love. 

​What do crying babies and barking dogs have in common?
They both know how to get attention when they have a need. Their insistent, abrasive cries can bring a parent or an owner running to ascertain the problem and to silence the demanding voice.
Jesus pointed out that persistence in prayer does not go unnoticed by God. He encouraged His disciples to keep praying and never lose hope. He told them a parable about a widow who kept coming to a judge with her case until he got tired of seeing her and granted her request. 
God, however, is not a hard-hearted judge. He is our loving heavenly Father. How much more will He answer and avenge!  He hears our cries - our desperation. He knows our need even before we call. 
Does the answer seem long in coming? Don’t give up! God has a purpose in the waiting time. He is working all things together for our good. His answer will be worth the wait.

Next Steps...
I will not hesitate to cry to my heavenly Father. I know He loves me and that     persistent prayer will be answered.

Young piano students have a hard time grasping the idea of practice. They don’t see any point in playing a song  more than once -- especially if it seemed easy.      “I already did that” they tell me. They miss the concept the song teaches and the technique that needs to be mastered. You build on these basics.
As we enter the new year, we step into the next phase of our vision as a church: To be people of love. That doesn’t mean we toss the Year of Prayer into the old news bin and forget it. It means that we build on the foundation of prayer, growing in our faith by adding to it.
Our Journey of Love is rooted and entwined in the Journey of Prayer. The first command is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength” (Mark 12:30). Prayer gives us the avenue to express that love in words of adoration. Our love for God will grow as we begin to realize His love for us.
We will also learn that our love for others grows as we pray for them. Praying is the ultimate way of caring. It is the giving of the heart. And yes, it takes practice!

Next Steps...
​I will show my love to the Lord by offering my heart to Him daily in prayer. I will start each day with the words, “I love you, Lord.”