Prayer & Fast Day - Tues., Feb. 14

[sue d.]

Yes, it's Valentine's Day, and for those who are single and unattached - what better Person to celebrate the day with than Jesus, our Heavenly Bridegroom!

As before, let's post our personal prayer requests here, in addition to those prayers needed by Petra, and specific prayers, if you so wish.

Some of which come to mind are:

Bob: for his emotional support. Seeing a 33-year ministry/career come to an end has to be difficult. Pray for his emotional well-being and that in time he will find an outlet for his writing.

John: also for his emotional well-being and financial matters. Petra was his life, and now without the band, he too is having to deal with the end of an era and possible change in lifestyle. Please pray for specific direction from the Lord and peace that it's in God's hands.

Concerts: I've been contacted by a number of potential promoters, but nothing firm as of yet. Pray that these people are led by God to go the next step and commit to a show.

Concerts here in Sheboygan: I've now been contacted by TWO groups in my town to hold a concert with John. These both came in the same week, totally out of the blue - one on our last P&F Day, no less. Please pray for direction on how I should handle this, and ask the Lord to make BOTH of them happen, giving me the energy & time to be able to work with both groups, as I would need to be the key leader for both events.

Anyone else?

[Shell]

We need to pray for Greg and Paul too...I know they're young and won't have any trouble finding other bands to work with, but they're going to need jobs too, and we need to pray for the Lord's guidance, that the Lord brings the right people along at the right time.

[yamasaaaki har har]

Pray for Maiko and Yoshie - the two Japanese believers who studied at UNI last semester and are now back in Japan. Pray for God to continue to guide them and help them show the love of Christ to a nation that really needs it.

Pray for Kansai Gaidai - this is a university in Japan that specializes in foreign language studies, especially English (since English is a "foreign language" to Japan). It is located in Hirakata City in the state of Osaka. Many Kansai Gaidai students travel to the U.S. to study English abroad for 2 semesters. Because K.G. shares a partnership with UNI, this is where the majority of the Japanese students a UNI come from. Pray for the students and faculty at K.G. - I don't know exactly what for, but just go ahead and pray for them.

Also, lately I've been feeling an intense appreciation of Japanese culture and a strong desire to visit Japan sometime in my life. If God really wants me to do that, pray that he will reveal to me when, and that he wil help make it possible. (I really wanna visit my friends again, too!)

[SamScales]

I'm in on it!!!

Sue, you are right, the greatest Valentine all of us ever got was JESUS!

Since Warren's at work, I'ma gonna spend my Velentines with the Lord tomorrow, hehehe.

Please pray also for my friend Scott and his wife Cheryl as they are developing their business and Scott is needing a deposit to come through tomorrow from overseas!!

Pray for Warren - strength for his body so he can keep working and new opportunities to come along to where he doesn't have to do what he's doing and keep hurting.

Please pray for our ministry - I'm pretty discouraged as a singer at the moment.

Pray for Bridget, for her job opportunity, and for the book that publishers will scramble to get it and Bridget can decide which one she will go with.

Pray for Cat and MJ too as they have unspoken needs.

Thank the Lord for the blessings He's given you in the past and thank Him that He will continue to bless you.

[calicowriter]

I've had a hymn going through my head all morning. It's an oldie, but a goodie -- "Trust and Obey."

[sue d.]

Hmmmm..... I don't know that hymn. What are the lyrics?

This one has been going thru my head lately; "Trust" by Sixpence None the Richer:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
Lean not on your own understanding
In all of your ways acknowledge Him
And He will make you paths straight
Don't worry about tomorrow
He's got it under control
Just trust in the Lord with all of your heart
And He will carry you through

Lord, sometimes it gets so tough
To keep my eyes on You
When things are going rough
But when I turn my eyes up to the sky
And I hear Your voice it says to me
(chorus)

So child do not be weary with the troubles
Of this world I have overcome

[epdc]

I�m such an emotional mess right now....

My mom says I have to see a psychilogyst but I don�t want to, at least not know, it makes me upset when she tells me that i don�t know why.

some petheads here know this but there�s someone from my town that i fell inlove with and well let�s say he didn�t answer the way i expected. he hurted me a lot. right now we are friends but it stills hurt me to see him and hang out with him (we work together so there�s no point in no talking to him) because i still care about him but he doesn�t feel the same way, or maybe he does, he is a big mess too....

During day I�m fine, i�m self confident, i�m happy and all but in the night, i just have problems for sleeping (and considering i get very tired for the day is not normal), i cry sometimes, i feel like i worth nothing, i get so full of anger, i look myself and i wanna break the mirror sometimes i scare �cause i feel i could do something like that anytime soon. I even fight with God saying things like "even You can�t help me...." then in the morning i�m all ok again and I apologyze to God for what I said.


I pray to God this feelings i have for this person go away ya know because being inlove is awful if people don�t give you the same ya know...it feels so bad ya know. At night i felt i can�t stand it, is a very bad feeling.

My self steeme has been lifted up though at night is like "the low self steeme monster" would show up again ya know. I don�t know what�s wrong with me. At night i hate myself so much but during day i like what i see on the mirror, i think i have a nice personality and stuff but then this heavy burden comes to me in the night.

Something that might be related is the fact that I haven�t been able to go to church lately because of work and school. I get scared sometimes of me not coming back ya know. I�m hoping that when I graduate in may i be able to go or I don�t know, maybe going with my sis to her youth group i don�t know yet.

Do you think I should see a psychilogist?. I say to my mom he won�t be able to help him but deep inside i kinda think he could but the idea of open up upsets me i don�t know why.

hugs.

[Shell]

Aw, that guy stuff is so complicated. You shouldn't be afraid or feel like there's something wrong with talking to someone if you're having a rough time, Elo; it might help you sort things out and help you cope a little better. It might be scary at first, but you would probably feel better if you talked to someone. It's hard when things don't turn out how we expect, but this could be the Lord's way of letting you know this isn't the right person for you. E-mail me if you need to. At least talk to your girlfriends and let them know what's going on, don't keep it all to yourself.
And remember, the only man you can depend on never to let you down is Jesus. Focus on Him.

Dan, it's cool you want to see Japan. Trust that the Lord will open some doors for you to visit there. I think their culture is really interesting too, but places I'd like most to see are England and Eastern Europe. There's also a young lady in Brazil I'd like to visit some time. Or maybe I could get her to visit me. One of these days....I need to stay here in the U.S. for the time being though.

[74CAPethead]

Trust and Obey
Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Ex. 19:5

When we walk with the Lord in the light of his Word,
what a glory he sheds on our way!
While we do his good will, he abides with us still,
and with all who will trust and obey.

Trust and obey, for there�s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey. (Chorus)

Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
but his smile quickly drives it away;
not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh nor a tear,
can abide while we trust and obey.

(Chorus)

Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,
but our toil he doth richly repay;
not a grief nor a loss, not a frown or a cross,
but is blest if we trust and obey.

(Chorus)

But we never can prove the delights of his love
until all on the alter we lay;
for the favor he shows, and the joy he bestows,
are for them who will trust and obey.

(Chorus)

Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at his feet,
or we�ll walk by his side in the way;
what he says we will do, where he sends we will go,
never fear, only trust and obey.

(Chorus)

By: John H. Sammis, 1887

[calicowriter]

There you go Sue!

Thanks 74CAPethead! Actually, I didn't know there were that many verses. I was only familar with the first 3.

ELO: It might be a good idea to talk to someone, but I'd see if I could find a Christian counselor first. Also, since you problem seems to be magnified at night, perhaps if you were to read some Bible verses right before you get in bed it would set your mind on better things, ala "Think on These Things" -Phil 4:8. Marriage may not be God's plan for you right now. But He is a loving Father, even if it seems like He is withholding something from you. He knows best. Remember the passage about what Father will give his child a snake if he asks for a loaf of bread, and how much more will our heavenly Father give us good gifts? (I'm sorry about the paraphrase but I am really busy at work and don't have time to hunt it down in the Bible.)

[epdc]

shell, God has shown me he is not for me. I asked God to show it to me and He did. But it stills hurt ya know.

Bridget, is not like i wanna get married NOW (how scary!!!!!!), I�m just like this because I have feelings for someone and it didn�t work out. That�s the thing, what I want right now is to stop having feelings for him ya know.

is so awful at night, i feel so hopeless, is like if I would change completely ya know.

I�ll do that, I�ll read some scriptures before going to bed. Maybe this is a sign of me needing a revival.

can somebody hug me??????? (lol)

[Shell]

Consider yourself hugged sweetie. And trust this will pass with time. Believe me, you're MUCH better off finding this out BEFORE you are married. Or before you've been stuck in a dead end bad relationship with someone who's not right for you for years.

[sue d.]

I'll give you one, Elo

{{{{{{{{hugzzz}}}}}}}

It CAN help you to talk to a Christian counselor. That doesn't mean you are crazy or nuts - it just means that you need some help in getting you through this time in your life.

I've always said that if you break your arm, you go to the doctor to fix it. It heals, you get the cast taken off and your arm is good to go again.

Your head is the same. If it is not working right, you go to the doctor. He talks with you, works with you, maybe gives you medication and helps you fix the problem. You are healed and you go on.

Don't be afraid to go to the doctor.

[SamScales]

Awww ((((((ELO))))))

I'm so sorry that you are struggling this much with this! I agree with Bridget, you do need to talk to someone, but don't go to some regular psychiatrist! All you need is a pastor who knows how to counsel, a Christian Counsellor, someone who will give you GODLY advice. Everything else is just mumbo jumbo that's not gonna be a permanent fix.

You know the scriptures about keeping your eyes upon the object of your faith, which is Christ, but I understand how hard that can be when you feel like you're spinning out of control. What's hard for you is, that you are still around the guy during the day, you put on the tough act and a front and then when you get home alone at night, all those feelings you've bottled up during the day come pouring out.

Nighttime is a bad time for anyone who is struggling to begin with.

Any time when we struggle the first thing we should do is run to the Word of God, run to the Lord to help us through, sort things out and seek His comfort. He's the only one who can give perfect peace.

Sometimes it really helps when we talk to someone who is like an Aaron and Hur, to hold up our arms when we get weak and walk with us through that valley we are going through, teaching us, encouraging us and bringing us a message of hope through the Word. A pastor can help you with that - so can a Christian Counsellor.

Your anger comes out of a lot of frustration, not just in this situation, but also from situations in the past when you got hurt. Hurt upon hurt is harder to heal.

Lord Jesus,

I thank you so much for my sweet friend and sister Elo. She's such a bright young lady, full of life and joy and Lord I pray that You would help her to put her smile back on her face and her focus steadfast upon You and strengthen her to know who she is and what she wants and point her to the future you have layed out for her. Help her to be patient when it comes to guys and wait upon You to bring the right person to her and she will know without a shadow of a doubt that You have brought this person to her.
Lord help her with the struggles at school, the lessons, the tests. Help her to remember everything she's learned. Give her rest at night and strength throughout the day and times of restoration.

Help her to organize her day, help her to seek You and find You and help her to know that You love her. If you are withholding from her, it's only to keep her from harm and destruction, pain and suffering in the long run. Thank You Lord that You fill her with Your Spirit, Your Joy, Your Peace and Your love. Thank You Jesus that Elo is strong and mighty in You! AMEN

Hang in there Elo - and maybe go see your pastor and talk to him. I bet you are missing church and - I'm sure he misses seeing you too.

[epdc]

thank you so much gals, i feel so loved and protected by you

i feel kind of down tonight, good is we have pizza (LOLOL) so that cheers me up LOLOL.

is such an awful feeling................