Merry Christmas.

Have a blessed Christmas break!! See you in 2009!

"Cry in my Heart" by Starfield

"For what do I have
If I don't have You, Jesus?
What in this life
Could mean any more?
You are my rock
You are my glory
You are the lifter
Of my head
Lifter of this head"

Joy

"Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd on the stalls...yes I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation" Habakkuk 3:17-18

True joy comes from kowing that God Himself lives within you and has fellowship with you, regardless of your environment. Celebrate him, spend time with the Father, and share in His joy!

Day 17 of 40

40 days. A lot can happen in 40 days. Are you still praying for change during these 40 days between Metros? Are you reaching out to others in your place or work? Are you being bold about sharing your faith? It is so easy during the holidays to be to your family and friends while others are without family and friends and are desperately lonely. Pray that you can be used to make another person's Christmas season better. Thank God for everything you have been given and remember how fortunate you are. May God continue to bring about change and revitalization within our communities. May these 40 days be a lesson of growth and renewal within the Young Singles ministry. May these 40 days glorify God and bring people to him.  

Until next time, be blessed. 

P.S. If you have any prayers or praises, feel free to leave a comment or email catalystblog@gmail.com so the Catalyst Prayer Team can be praying for you! 

The Armor of God

"Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep praying for all the saints." 

Ephesians 6:10-18 

It is so interesting that the Lord gives us so much protection to shield us from the Devil. He protects every part of our body, our head, heart, feet, and chest. We could be good Christians when we are honest, ready to move on his call, righteous, have a strong faith but we can only fight back when we use the sword of the Spirit (the word of God). We can only fight back when we have a weapon. If we don't pick up our weapon every day we can't fight. Pray to the Lord, that you put on the complete set of armor EVERYDAY. The Devil is ready to attack everyday and there is spiritual welfare going on around you. We have victory in Jesus everyday and we can be warriors everyday if we chose to pick up the word of God and fight. 

Our God is...Faithful

The Lord is faithful.

Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed. Joshua 23:14

Faith and knowledge rest(s) on the hope of the eternal life, which God, who does not life, promised before the beginning of time. Titus 1:2

Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilt conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Hebrews 10:22

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

Confess your unfaithfulness to the Lord, praise him for always being constant and trustworthy, thank him for his fullfilled promises, his love, and his faithfulness.

Our God is...Accessible

We are blessed that God is so easily accessible to us. He doesn't require anyone human to intercede on our behalf. Reflect on these verses and praise him for being so available to us. We can call on him anytime.

What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way our LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to him. Deuteronomy 4:7

One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. Psalm 27:4

In Christ you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. Ephesians 2:13

In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. Ephesians 3:12

Come near to God and he will come near to you. James 4:8

Pray that you may approach him with confidence and find mercy and grace. Pray that you come with a sincere heart and in faith. Draw near to him. He is there waiting.

Peter's 9 Denials

Hello all,

I'd like to share what I read this morning & has been on my mind all day. It's Acts 10, particularly v. 9 - 16. God, through Cornelius (a Centurion, the leader of 100 men military divisions called centuries) calls to Peter essentially to teach him that God is welcoming to all.

The part that struck me was Peter's three denials before finally opening his eyes & understanding. So I then remembered his other denials (Matt 26:69-75 & John 21:15-17) & thought, "How can the rock upon which the church is built tell God he doesn't need Him nine times?".

It's because Peter was man & man is selfish. To this, I encourage everyone to spend time in prayer & in the word every day. I know that we're all twenty-somethings & are trying to establish careers & relationships. Don't be selfish. Set a routine. Read while you have breakfast. Get the bible on CD or mp3 & listen while driving to work.

Let's continue praying for the group leaving for the Amazon next week. Pray for Eddie's grandmother, who was recently diagnosed with lymphoma. Pray for strength for Phil's aunt Alva, who is dealing with her husband Floyd's impending death from advanced liver cancer they discovered last week (the doctors give him one to three months).

Prayer and Praise Night

What a blessing last night was! Prayer and Praise Night was a complete success. A great turnout with some great prayers. Thanks for all that came and a big thank you goes out to Reality's Prayer Coordinators, Mindee and Chuck. They did such a great job! There are pictures to come. Please continue to pray for those preparing for the Amazon as they will face difficult obstacles in preparation. Also, feel free to leave a comment about last night and share with others your thoughts about last night.

Until next time, be blessed!

Veterans Day

Today we take a moment as a nation to honor Veterans who have served our country in the armed forces. We are blessed through the men and women who make huge and unimaginable sacrifices to protect our freedom and liberty. Lift them up in prayer today and continue to thank God for his protection of our nation.

Pray for:
-Their continued dedication to protect our liberties
-Their families who also make sacrifices
-The healing of those who were wounded in battle
-Peace for their hearts

Until next time, be blessed.

P.S. Did you know that Veterans Day is the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I?

Welcome!

Welcome to the Catalyst Singles Prayer Blog from Prestonwood Baptist Church. This is a way for our class to connect daily and to be encouraged by prayers and praises. Everyday the prayer team will try to post something that inspires you and encourages your prayer life. It will be a way for us to communicate prayer requests and the blessings in the Catalyst class. Feel free to leave encouraging comments to share with others!

If you have a prayer request you would like to share with the class or if you have one that you would like just Catalyst leadership team to be praying for, e-mail catalystblog@gmail.com (just remember to specify - public or private)

Thanks so much and we are very excited to see how God uses prayer to change our lives! Until next time, be blessed!