2010 week 6

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16 (NIV).

1. Please remember one another in prayer. It is a privilege to intercede for those in need. Our pattern is the saints of the Bible who prayed for God's people, and our Lord Jesus who prayed for us before we came along, and who continues to intercede on our behalf before the Father. Ask God to make us a community of prayer, with prayer the foundational commitment of our life together.

2. A number of our brothers and sisters have close family members who are seriously ill. Please lift each sufferer and their families up to God in prayer. Ask the Lord to help them deal with the illness and experience the love of Christ in their midst:
- Pray for CS's father, who is suffering from lung cancer. Ask for the treatment to bring physical healing. Pray also for his heart to be opened to the good news of Jesus Christ. Ask God to bless CS's family with his salvation.
- Pray for Trang's father, Chinh Nguyen, who is suffering end-stage lung cancer which has spread through his body. Ask God to accomplish Trang's prayer for her parents to turn to Jesus, and to know the love and grace of God. Pray for Mr. Nguyen's physical and mental health as he goes through chemotherapy.
- Pray for Lily's father who has lung cancer and is now under palliative care. He is in a lot of pain and getting weaker. The situation is very trying for the family. Lily's father just yesterday professed his faith in Jesus Christ. Please pray for the Lord to keep and strengthen his faith through this time of suffering. Keep Lily's mom and siblings in prayer for them to also respond to the good news of Jesus. Ask for strength and perseverance for Lily and all family members. [Update: Lily's father passed away on Thursday, Feb 4, 2010. He heard about and indicated faith in Jesus on Wednesday. Please keep Lily's family in prayer for the Lord's comfort and reassurance during this time. There will be a private family funeral.]
- Pray for Maria's dad, Jose DeSousa, who is of advanced age, and was recently admitted to the hospital due to swelling in his right foot and leg, and may have issues with his heart and/or lungs. Pray for Mr. DeSousa to be willing to let the doctors perform needed tests and procedures. Praise God that he is in good spirits.
- Pray for Nelson's dad who had heart bypass surgery last week. The recovery is proving very difficult and he is in great discomfort with a number of tubes attached. He has been put on a machine to aid his breathing. Please pray for improvement in his condition and disposition. Pray for family members - wife, children and grandchildren through this tough time.

3. Please pray for the ESC Adult Sunday School classes. Pray for the preparation of the teachers, and for students to learn and apply the truths taught:
- February 7 & 14: Edric will teach A Survey of Apologetic Methodologies. This will be an exploration of the various tools available to mount a defence of our faith in different situations.
- February 21 & 28: Paul will teach Clones of God: Genesis 1:26-28 and the image of God in the Hebrew Bible. The emphasis will be on what being bearers of the image of God means for evangelism.

4. Please continue to pray for our missionaries:
- Please pray for CY who has now been busy in South Asia with literacy workshops and language learning for just over a month.
- E&B who continue their work in South Asia need to find a new house since their current rental ends soon.
- R&E in East Asia will soon be returning to the USA for home assignment, and making plans for their future field location.
- Others in East Asia: E, R&M, C.- Pray for the Wall's - Suzanne's mother passed away in January.
- Remember the Ng's and the Chim's doing short-term work in Panama.
- JM in Mexico needs a visa which is being held up due to the wait for paperwork needed to make the application.

5. There are brothers and sisters among us who are looking for work and/or are otherwise dealing with the challenges of today's economic situation. Pray for endurance and hopefulness for those who are dealing with change, and looking for new work. Ask for God to provide suitable work. May the Spirit help them to make decisions concerning their jobs, and perhaps their careers. Ask the Lord to grant guidance and peace as they depend on him.

6. Please continue to pray for the church building project:
- Praise the Lord! The bank loan has been approved! This is a major milestone which shows that God is at work among us. Glory be to his name!
- This means that the Building Committee will now turn their attention to getting the building permit, confirming the contractor, working with the MiniSkool on the timeline to vacate, working on getting ready to build, etc. Please pray for the next steps in the building project.
- Please pray positive and effective member participation for the ongoing "Piggy Bank" coin-saving project which will be run through the year, and for other fund-raising efforts.

7. Please pray for our community as we work out this year's church theme, "Leap!" Ask God to enable us to rise up by faith to the next level of ministry and living for Christ as the Spirit leads us. The idea is to become a "missional" community of people that live like missionaries in and for our culture, and not just an enclave of worshippers concerned with ourselves.