Why are we doing this?

Thank you for your visit to our site. It's about 4am here in New York as I write. I'm normally asleep at this time as you can imagine, but I can't go back to sleep, at least not now.

A few months ago a few members of our church, Worship and Praise Community Church, went to a conference in Conn. During one of the services, one of the preachers spoke of something that at this present time I don't even remember. All I know was that after it was spoken, I felt the Lord speak to my spirit about "days of prayer". I quickly scanned through my mind if there were any days of the year that I can do something like this at our church (though at that time I felt a need to let the whole congregation know it, but God did not release me to tell). The church had just recently completed a 21 days fast at the onset of the new year, we were well on our way with GB365 (a yearly Bible reading group), and the church was poised for a new, but another lasting thing. As I thought on the 40 days of prayer concept, I remembered what my sister told me after we finished our 21 days fast: "We should do more things like this, only let's put some action to it." So I wrote done on a receipt paper, "40 days of prayer, faith and action".

While the service was going on, I continued to think about when I can implement this program churchwide back home in Staten Island. I suddenly came to a realization that the best time to do something like this would be right after Easter Sunday. Thinking about the current state of the world with the economy going crazy, with increasing numbers of murder - suicide by parents who had lost their jobs tragically ending thier lives because of lost hope, I knew that God had given me this idea. I also thought about the need for every member of the church to have a sustainable prayer life that consisted of daily devotion and commitment to a life of prayer so I knew that if we are to make a change in our habit of prayer, this new "program" must run a lenght of time. 40 days just sounded right, but it did not feel right. Thinking about Easter Sunday, a time where Christians globally mark the ressurection of Christ - this would be a great time to begin, but when do we complete it? 40 days does not feel conclusive. Then I felt the Spirit of God direct me to the Day of Pentecost where the Holy Ghost was initially poured out! I thought, "That's 50 days after Jesus' ressurection". For 40 days Jesus ministered to His disciples showing, by infallible proofs, that indeed He was risen and that He is Lord! After His ascension, the disciples spent 10 days waiting for the outpouring of the Holy Ghost - at last, "50 days of prayer, faith, and action!"

So why?

In all honesty, members of our church are currently feeling the effects of this economy. We have brethren who can't seem to find a job no matter how hard they search. The news is almost always filled with stories of millions who have lost their jobs, countless more who have lost possesions, and an increasing number of tragic losses of lives from individuals who have lost hope. In these uncertain times, people need to learn how to pray. The Bible leads me to pray. There is a passage in the Scriptures that states, "If my people, which are called by My Name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I here from heaven, and forgive their sins, and heal their land." This passage is a directive from God. If there is going to be sustainable hope - transforming hope - then it must come from God. The government is doing the best it can with the resources it has, but it's just getting crazier and scarier. If there is anyone that can fix the problem that we have now, it will be only the Hand and the Help of God.

Trusting in God and learning to lean on Him is "Sustainable Hope." But, as believers in the providence of God, we can not just sit idly by and watch people in and around our communities - yes, even in our very own families and churches - start to manifest hopelessness and not do anything. The Apostle James, in his letter to the church as a whole, tell us that we must do more than just have faith. He wrote, "Faith without works is dead, being alone." In order for our communities to have transforming hope, we, as the church - the representatives of Jesus Christ, must do something. The book of Acts is filled with believers helping other believers as well as their communities in crisis. We are in crisis. We need to rise to meet the challenge.

So for the next 50 days, approximately 7 weeks, we will pray for our nation, our state, our city, our boroughs, our community, our neighborhood, our friends, our family, and ourselves. But not only will we pray, we will encourage others to pray also. We will invite them to our homes for community and neighborhood prayer meetings. We will invite our co-workers to meet us somewhere in our places of work during times appointed, to pray for each other's communities. We will seek to do good daily to someone else. We will take at least $1 per day and set it aside for someone else who may be in need. We will look to supplement lost wages with these givings. Imagine if 100 people would give but $1 per day for the next 50 days, that would total $5000 dollars. If $50 gift card is given to a family of 3 or greater for food, that would be 100 families. Think about it. Then let me know what you think.

This blog will be dedicated to those who need a word of encouragement. For the next 7 weeks - and possibly even longer - we will blog on a weekly basis, every Tuesday, a word of encouragement, wisdom, and sound advice. Turn to this blog weekly for yourself and lead someone else to read this blog as well. You never know, someone's life may be depending on it.

We bless you in Jesus Name! Thanks again for reading.

Pastor L. Jones Ayudtud