The end of the year brings a time of reflection for most people. For some, looking at the year produces regret and apprehension of more of the same in the new year. For others, that reflection is a time of proud jubilation at the many accomplishments achieved in the past 12 months while girding themselves to continue that path of success for the next 12 months. With life on earth upended by catastrophes and a pandemic, there remains for all, the certainty of uncertainty in our immediate future. Even the most successful person will acknowledge (though maybe not publicly) that they cannot control every outcome.
In Christ, we have a clear, confident picture of our lives and our times. He not only provides the perfect model for life, but He himself provided the means by which we are able to spend time with God. Jesus demonstrated prayer over and over in the Bible.
The Son of God—who lived an immaculate life and whose death and resurrection definitively cleansed us of our sin, making us holy and blameless before the Father and who performed miracles—prayed. He prayed to the Father for help, for strength, for petition, for His disciples, for us. How much more do we need to commune with our Father in heaven?
At the start of the pandemic in March 2020, Grace Redeemer Church’s weekly Sunday Kingdom Prayer began meeting twice a week virtually via Google Meet. At first, those who dialed in were great in number: did the pandemic’s uncertainty and death cause us to turn to our Father more? But the numbers have dwindled and there is a small handful who still call-in twice a week now. Have the uncertainties all disappeared? Are we no longer in need of our Lord in heaven?
I would argue no.
As we reflect on 2021 and prepare for 2022, let us all turn our hearts and minds, our thoughts and words, to our heavenly Father. Join us every Sunday and Thursday evenings for Kingdom Prayer, spend 30 minutes at 8:00 PM with your brothers and sisters in Christ in prayer: praying for the hurting and healing and infirmed in our church; lifting petitions for healing, for reconciliation, for new believers; for our ministries; and pray for God’s wisdom for our church and world leaders. Each prayer meeting is led by one of the members of Session.
Tony Lim and his wife, Simone, along with their 3 children, have been worshipping at GRC since 2009. You can speak to him about men’s ministry and life group.