Week 8 A Prayer for Our Nation

WEEK 8: A Prayer for Our Nation
by Adrianna Anderson

Heavenly Father, we have abused and mistreated the gift of life you gave to us by abusing our bodies with drugs and alcohol. We have tried to medicate the sin out of our lives and it has not worked. Drugs and alcohol are tools used by the enemy to trap and kill us. It has worked. Lord many in our nation have fallen victim to this sin and are reaping the effects in their lives it has brought with it. Show mercy on us Savior and deliver our nation from this deadly killer. It has taken over our homes and has touched the lives of many we know. Remove the hold it has over us. Help us to glorify You in our bodies through the things we put in it. Give us a hatred for drugs and alcohol and help us to fill our bodies with your holy word. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

"Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit," Ephesians 5:15-18
"Listen, my son, and be wise, And direct your heart in the way. Do not be with heavy drinkers of wine, Or with gluttonous eaters of meat; For the heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty,
And drowsiness will clothe one with rags."
Proverbs 23:19-21 NASB
“Harlotry, wine, and new wine enslave the heart."
Hosea 4:11 NKJV
"Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself,"
1 Corinthians 6:19 NLT

Week 6 A Prayer of Repentance for our Nation

Week 6: A Prayer of Repentance for our Nation
by Adrianna Anderson

Father, music was meant to glorify you and express a heart of love and gratitude for who You are. Lord our nation has strayed from glorifying You in its music to being slaves to sensual words with impure meanings in songs today. We have allowed the music of today to capture our hearts and lead us astray. We have meditated on words that do not glorify You. We have been ensnared by the culture and glamor of society through artists who do not know You. Forgive us Lord and help us to remember that as a man thinks in his heart so is he. Help us to meditate on songs and music that are honoring to you. Please help our children who can be so easily deceived in this area. Convict them by your Spirit that even a little worldly music can entangle their hearts and cause them to turn away from You.
Father, this nation has earned millions of dollars off of ungodly entertainment. Even though our nation is in terrible decline financially this area goes unaffected. Lord, our priorities are wrong and it is evident in the choices we make. Lord will you raise up godly producers that will make films that bring the message of hope to the screen? Will you cause them to share the gospel through television programs, plays, and musicals? Show those that don’t know You that ungodly entertainment won’t fill the void in their heart and that only You can. Help us to glorify You in what we watch and spend our money and time on. Help us to set godly standards in our homes of what will be permitted and what will not be permitted as it pertains to entertainment. Help us not to compromise this area of our lives. In Christ’s name we pray, Amen.

"They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.” 2 Peter 2:19

"Don’t you realize that this sin is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough?" 1 Corinthians 5:6 NLT

"I will refuse to look at anything vile and vulgar. I hate all who deal crookedly; I will have nothing to do with them." Psalm 101:3

"Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak." Romans 14:19, 21

Week 5 of the 52 weeks of Prayer

Week 5: A Prayer of Repentance for our Nation
by Adrianna Anderson
Lord God, we have trusted in the world and the things of this world. We have become a materialistic nation with a continual desire for more. We have not put our trust in You for what we need but have lusted in our hearts for temporary riches. We have looked to the world to meet our needs through our jobs, careers, 401 k plans, get rich quick schemes and greed. We have even taught our children that materialism leads to true happiness and riches. God turn our hearts away from the love of money. Help us to desire true riches. Help us to return to trusting in You, the Only One who can supply our every need and give us true happiness at the same time. In Jesus’ Name We pray. Amen.

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.
1 John 2:15-17

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,
Titus 2:11-12

52 Weeks of Prayer

Friends, our church started 52 weeks of prayer for our nation and I wanted to invite you to be a part of it. I have written some of the prayers under repentance. Please join me.

Week 4: A Prayer of Repentance for our Nation
by Adrianna Anderson

Father, our schools and education systems are in trouble because we have removed you from our way of life. We have removed your word and any reminders of you from our schools and have reaped the fruit of our labor. Our children know more about evolution than creation. They are not being taught that You were there from the beginning and created the world and all that lives in it. We have strayed far away from You. Bring us back Lord. Raise up godly teachers and educators who will fight to bring Christian values and teachings back to our schools. Father, turn the hearts of the educators back to you. Open their eyes to see the truth, the truth of the consequences of leaving You out of our education. Show us mercy and help our education system to return to you; the Way, the Truth and the Life. In Jesus’ Mighty name we ask. Amen

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
Romans 1:18-20

Ruth

I am so excited about this next bible study.

... Do you trust God enough to follow Him?


Ruth's journey of unbearable loss, redeeming love and divine legacy comes alive in this six-week study.

Join me at Northpark Baptist Church this Wednesday October 26 as we dive into this journey of a woman who trusted God enough to follow Him. I hope to see you there.




For those of you who have never heard of Kelly Minter please visit her web site:
http://www.kellyminter.com/

The Grace Card

Everything can change in an instant ... and take a lifetime to unravel.
When Mac McDonald loses his son in an accident, the ensuing 17 years of bitterness and pain erodes his love for his family and leaves him angry with God ... and just about everyone else.
Mac's rage stonewalls his career in the police department and makes for a combustible situation when he's partnered with Sam Wright, a rising star on the force who happens to be a part-time pastor and a loving family man.
Mac's home life is as frightening as anything he encounters on the streets of Memphis. Money is tight and emotions run high as he constantly argues with his wife and his surviving son Blake, who is hanging with the wrong crowd and in danger of flunking out of school.
Sam Wright also never expected to be a police officer. He has a calling—to be a minister like his Grandpa George. But leading a small, start-up church doesn't always put enough food on the table for a young family, so Sam doubles as a police officer. With his new promotion to Sergeant, Sam starts questioning if his real calling might actually be police work rather than the pastorate.
Can Mac and Sam somehow join forces to help one another when it's impossible for either of them to look past their differences—especially the most obvious one? Every day, we have the opportunity to rebuild relationships and heal deep wounds by extending and receiving God's grace. Offer THE GRACE CARD ... and never underestimate the power of God's love.
www.thegracecardmovie.com

YOU MUST SEE THIS MOVIE!

Sheds For Tornado Victims in Alabama

What an honor it was when I was asked by the editor in chief to take pictures for the Alabama Baptist Newspaper of some churches building sheds for victims who lost everything in the devastating tornadoes this April. This was a great way for me to experience ministry and my enjoyment of photography at the same time.
Here is the article:

Sheds built, delivered as ministry to survivors

By Courtney Searcy
August 11, 2011

When people displaced by tornadoes gather what is left of their possessions and begin to rebuild, where do they keep their salvaged belongings?
Westmont Baptist Church, Birmingham, partnered with Pathfinder Mission, a ministry associated with Gateway Baptist Church, Montgomery, to provide the answer to that question: sheds.
Teams from Bethsalem Baptist Church, Billingsley, and Pleasant Grove Presbyterian Church gathered with Westmont Baptist volunteers July 16 to assemble 18 of these storage units from prefabricated parts prepared by volunteers at Pathfinder’s headquarters in Eclectic.
Then they delivered them to homeowners in the Pleasant Grove area. That day, only eight or nine homes were scheduled to receive sheds. However, as they delivered them, they encountered others in need.
To qualify, homeowners had to be registered with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and have proof that they lived on the property before the April 27 tornado.
Many receiving the storage units didn’t believe they were free until volunteers drove away without leaving a bill. The act of kindness opened doors to share the gospel and give Bibles to several unchurched families and individuals. 
Brad Eubank, pastor of Bethsalem Baptist, said the experience moved some of the volunteers from his church to tears as they recounted stories from their day. He said ministering to people who had been through so much was an emotional experience for them.
“Sometimes it’s hard to find the right spot for a church to fit in to minister. … It’s great to find a place to serve in a unique way,” Eubank said.
The unique ministry began in 2005, when Pathfinder began to assist in disaster relief on the Gulf Coast following Hurricane Katrina. Volunteers met a woman who had her property cleared and her belongings recovered but needed a place to store them.
The April 27 tornadoes revived a need for the sheds, and the effort evolved into a collaboration of countless individuals.
Charley Elgin, co-founder of Pathfinder, had connections with Westmont and Bethsalem, which had members eager to meet any needs possible. Westmont has worked toward disaster recovery alongside churches such as Pleasant Grove Presbyterian since the tornadoes hit.
Monetary donations from across the country linked more and more people to the ministry. Each shed costs about $300.
While builders were obviously key players in getting the sheds prepared, cooks from Westmont prepared and served meals to them.
“This was a joint effort. Really and truly, I don’t know how many people were involved. This has been a corporate effort of Christians in the Kingdom to put this together,” said C.B. Scott, pastor of Westmont.
For more information, visit www.pathfindermission.org/AlabamaShedsFromGod.html.