FROM HER DESK

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. (Mark 11:24)

The memory verse above sounds simple, yet it takes enough time and effort for you to do what is right in God’s presence.

Yes, God is Holy and Righteous; therefore, those who seek His presence should make sure that he or she is always in tune with our God Almighty. Otherwise, you will fail to receive His blessings. Remember that it is sin that separates us from God.

Therefore, I invite you to share with me and my staff at Vision 2010 the different articles presented this month (November 30) until next month (December 28) which is focused on Experiencing the Power of Prayer.

Today’s newsletter cover was creatively prepared by lay out artist Grace Bordios of Mindanao Daily Mirror. It is all about our daily communion with God in meekness and in truth, which He desires from all of us Christian believers.

 
May you be blessed and encouraged after reading the following articles prepared today.

 
Ana Theresa F. Basilio

Editor-In-Chief

The Champion’s Prayer

(Kristin Jaravata)

Today is your gift Lord

Please help me to see within

Every challenge, your blessing for me.

Set me a goal that’s just out of my reach,

And help me to grow

By the lessons you teach.

And while you are putting my self-doubts to rest,

I’ll concentrate only on doing my best.

When my joy is in you,

Then my strength cannot fail,

For I know that your purpose

Will always prevail.

 The popper of the popcorn

By Jofferson Jones Panos and Apple Cayubin

“Prayer is the life of the ministry—the fire that pop-ups the popcorn.” These are the words of Rev. Romy Romarez, head of the Membership Department.

 Prayer is indeed the blood that sustains life to the Body of Christ—the church including of course, the Membership Department.

 To give an intuition, the Membership Department, aside from recording the number of members also includes the counsel, follow-up, evangelism, small group ministry involvement, funeral courtesy and the like for its member. With that, it is apparent that this department caters a lot of activities and one thin is for sure: the exercise of these exertions is grounded with prayer. The department’s prime pastoral care concern is the holistic nurturing of an individual. This signifies that the department assesses improvement in all the aspect of every member’s life, may it be physically, socio-economically, emotionally, and, above all, spiritually. It desires to make prayer a lifestyle. Not only by morning, night, or in meal time but for its members’ to pray ceaselessly in their thoughts and actions.

 Many projects of the department which may seem impossible to accomplish became possible because of God through prayer. An example is our Radio Ministry which has been airing for three years now to provide innovative access for its members.

 Just few years ago, our member corroborated the power of prayer as they took their corresponding board exams. Aspiring nurses, pharmacists, teachers, and others were able to pass their qualifying examinations. Members who also asked for jobs got their prayers answered.

 The head department of the ministry proved the power of prayer himself. He has this experience when before he could ask for it, he has been granted a scholarship for his Masteral Studies and that was so apt for that time because it is costly to study and God has been so good to him, that He gave him a chance. And more than that, he was also able to be one of the head pastors of DCAGC which he has been praying for a long time before.

But that’s not all, you see, God has been so good in answering prayers in the department. But that were prayers before. Time continues to flow. After past, there exist the present then followed by the future. As we encounter various trials, prayer still remains today. The following are Rev. Romarez prayer concerns:

• For the department, he prays that God may able the department to do its function—to provide the holistic needs and improvement of its members.

• For the nation and for the world, he prays that God may take away the burden of worldly sins and he advocates that our country may have complete freedom from graft and corruption.

• Personally, he shared to us one of his prayer concerns that God grant his desire to really be an effective agent or catalyst of transformation in molding the members into a holistic person.

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him” (1 John 5:14-15). This verse truly synthesizes the way God treated the concerns of the department for its members and its head since they did not lose their confidence that God hears our prayer. Thus, prayer has been truly the best popper that made the best popcorns!

 Prayer: A personal encounter with God   We have heard of many testimonies of how God answers prayer. Yet, there are still those who stopped praying -and believing God- because they did not receive the answer they want. Why do we pray? What is the truest sense of the word PRAYER in the first place? Do we just pray because we want or need something? Do we even pray when we are being blessed?  Prayer is something more. It is the backbone of a Christian life; our life line to God. There are those who would associate prayer to someone. Not because he or she prays really loud or he or she deliberately shows it in public. Instead, it is because that person truly lives a prayerful life. In our church, we can associate prayer to Lj Depakakibo-Engkong. There are those of us who closely witnessed her prayer life and are blessed with her. And we are privileged to have gained a closer look of how she lives a life in prayer and communion with God.   F & R: What is prayer for you? Lj: Prayer is a relationship with God, an expression of the love we share with each other. It’s more of listening than asking as God allows my love for Him grows. F & R: In what ways or instances does God respond to your prayer? Lj: In several ways: when I humble myself before Him and worship Him, He responds by allowing me to experience His presence – this is more than enough, more valuable to me than the answer to my prayers. He responds to me by leading me to His words, if I need assurance, guidance. He responds through other people – their suggestions, and confirmation. He responds by giving me peace of mind. He responds sometime instantly, sometimes progressively, and sometimes after praying for a long, long time. F & R: What was your greatest prayer that God really answered? Lj: Prayer for miraculous healing for Jem, my son, from the effect of rubella virus when I contacted German measles during my first trimester of pregnancy. F & R: How do you define life without prayer? Lj: Hopeless, miserable, empty F & R: What is your prayer for our church? Lj: To become a house of prayer, to become humble and broken before the Lord. Only in this way that all other activities will be blessed because they are sought after God’s will. F & R: Can you give us a verse that is important for you and connected to prayer? Lj: God’s promise to me and my family – Psalm 115:9-15 “People of Israel you must trust the LORD to help and protect you. Family of Aaron the priest, you must trust the Lord to help and protect you. All of you worship the Lord so you must trust Him to help and protect you. The Lord will not forget to give us His blessings; He will bless all of Israel and the family of Aaron. All who worship the Lord, no matter who they are will receive His blessing. I pray that the Lord will let your family and your descendants always grow strong. May the Lord who created the heavens and the earth give you His blessing.” (CEV) F & R: What are the plans and promises of God that you have sought and are already fulfilled? Lj: A lot of promises and plans: for me to bear children, for my husband to become an OB-gyne, to become a mother and be involved in the prayer ministry, to raise livestocks, Jem’s healing, and miraculous healing of a cyst and kidney, gall bladder stones. F & R: Of all the prayers that you have brought before God, what is it that you consider a personal prayer request? Lj: That God’s will and purpose in creating me be accomplished, that my longing and hunger for God’s presence and mind and heart be granted. A fruitful life! Indeed, when we come to God in prayer, He works in our lives. We may not always get the very things we prayed for but we are assured we will get the best things, the things we truly deserved. Prayer is a personal journey. A walk with our Savior. A conversation we often miss experiencing because of our “hectic” schedules. May we be reminded that a life full of prayer is life full of blessings and fulfillment. Let us develop a prayerful life!

An up close interview with Magnification Department head Dr. Joy Cabiles:
AAQ: What is prayer?

JC: Prayer is talking to God in a special way. Communicating to Him in a way only you and God knows.

AAQ: Why is prayer important to you? And why do you have to pray?

JC: It is important to pray because it is our line of connection with God. Prayer has power and it helps. I pray because I feel God’s comfort and peace

AAQ: In what way does God answer your prayers?

JC: I know that He is answering my prayers because I feel peace afterwards; everything will just fall into its proper place. I also have that feeling that God is just there listening to my prayers.

AAQ: How is your prayer life?

JC: Though God has been challenging me to pray even more, He is always answering my prayers. Sometimes you would not expect God’s answers to be so clear. At the same time, God is also testing my faith and perseverance. Because sometimes when God seem quiet I would go to the extent of insisting Him. There is an impatient place in my heart and God is teaching me to wait.

AAQ: Could you give us an example where you prayed so hard and God really answered?

JC: In 1989 I was pregnant with my first child. My back was painful so I had an x-ray. I was afraid that the baby would come out as abnormal. I prayed that God would protect the baby. The baby came out great! God gave us a bouncy and jolly baby girl.

AAQ: How is your prayer life with your children?

JC: Our schedules are not always the same so the only time we could pray together is on Sundays. However, I can definitely see my children growing in their prayer life. Our prayer, my husband and I, is that our children would grow more in their faith with God.

AAQ: What are your prayer requests?

JC: Christmas Cantata - I pray that the choir would be ready and that they would master the songs. And that the songs will speak to them first;

Another is the Praise and Worship- I pray for more worshipful hearts not just performance; and

The services - Order in every aspect of the worship/service as well as improvement AAQ: What is your favorite verse?

JC: “…I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Joshua 1:5)