Snowflakes, Prayer, and Fellowship
Wow—it’s snowing! ❄️ I looked out the window just now and couldn’t believe it. Earlier, on my way home from lunch, I drove through some light flurries, but by the time I reached home, it had stopped. I guess the snow caught up with me after all. How fun!
Last night Tom and I had dinner with some dear friends, and what a blessing it was to reconnect. The Lord has called them out of the “institutional church” as well, and we shared stories of what God is doing in our lives. I love when the Lord’s mark on people is so clear. It’s evident He has beautiful plans for this couple, and I’m eager to watch His work unfold in them.
Lately, Tom and I have been revisiting some of the things we’ve been taught—especially around prayer. When and how are we supposed to pray? Jesus taught His disciples to pray like this:
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
But I can’t help but feel there’s more depth here than meets the eye. I believe we can never pray too much—no matter the situation. Prayer should always be led by the Spirit, with our hearts tuned toward His guidance.
Tom struggles with avoiding “law” and “religion” in this area, which is a good reminder. Sometimes if he doesn’t know what to pray, he simply remains silent—and perhaps that is the Spirit’s leading for that moment. After all, if our words are for show or obligation, then it isn’t prayer at all.
Tom also raised another question: why are we going to all these groups? What’s their purpose? What are they really accomplishing? It’s so easy to do things because we feel like we “should” or because “everyone else is doing it.” But what does Scripture say?
“Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.” —Acts 2:46
“After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia's house, where they met with the brothers and encouraged them. Then they left.” —Acts 16:40
“They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.” —Acts 1:14
“They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” —Acts 2:42
Interestingly, right after Tom and I had this conversation, I received an email from AB through Simple Church that confirmed it all:
“Koinonia is a Greek word that occurs 20 times in the Bible. Its primary meaning is fellowship, sharing in common, communion. The first occurrence is Acts 2:42: ‘They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.’ Christian fellowship is a key aspect of the Christian life. Believers are to come together in love, faith, and encouragement.”
When I look at the groups we attend, I’d say yes—we share teaching, fellowship, encouragement, and meals. But prayer seems to be the weakest link. Too often, we allow so little time that it becomes quick and cursory. The truth is, we don’t really know how to wait on the Lord. Silence makes us uncomfortable, and we want instant gratification. But prayer isn’t a “drive-thru” service. It requires patience, stillness, and listening.
Lord, teach us how to wait on You. Help us to be patient and comfortable in silence as we seek Your voice with our whole hearts. Remove religious filters and worldly influence, and show us what true prayer looks like to You.
A couple of weeks ago, one of my molars began to hurt. I had started chewing ice again (since I was out of iron pills), and I feared I had damaged one of my fillings. But I soon realized the pain was coming from a crowned tooth—and it was getting worse every day. I suspected infection, so Tom and I prayed for healing. Within a day or two, the pain disappeared completely. The infection was gone! Hallelujah! Thank You, Lord, for caring even about our teeth.
Thanksgiving will look different this year. M and L will be out of town and offered their home if we want to host. So, it seems A and C will join us for Thanksgiving Day, and then we’ll celebrate with R and E on Sunday. I am so sad that we can’t all be together. E and A are not able to reconcile their differences so they are not comfortable being around each other… Or actually it is R and C that have the issues but it is A and E that are being affected. My heart is so hurt over the division in our family. Lord, I pray for your healing touch in your mighty and powerful name!
The Lord recently brought another woman into my life who is struggling with her husband’s pornography addiction. Thank You, Lord, for orchestrating these divine connections. Please give me wisdom, discernment, and Your heart to minister to her with compassion and truth.
We met this last Sunday at K and P’s house for breakfast and fellowship. It was pretty nice. Since this was the first time of getting together it was more of a “social” gathering than anything else. A and CB joined us so I guess they just wanted to get caught up with everyone. I was hoping to get into the word and prayer but I guess it was not to be. Maybe next time…?
And today, T asked us to house-sit during Thanksgiving week. That should be interesting since we are already house-sitting for M and L—we may have to “divide and conquer.” 😊
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