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This Week’s Prayer and Fasting

We are coming off of a great week with Love Week 2019!  God moved in so many ways, it was truly miraculous.  To see so many of you give of your time to serve individuals, families and community organizations was awesome.

The week before Love Week I was praying for God to send “workers into the fields” (Matthew 9:38). Boy, did he answer my prayers!  We had over 200 individuals participate and worked over 1100 hours together.  Peoples lives, their homes, and our community all felt the impact of your willingness to be generous with your time.  What an example of love in action.  In fact, that is why we call it “Love Week.”  Jesus said, “we are to help the poor, the widows and those in need.”  Paul said, “for him who knows to do good and does not do it, it is sin.”  Jesus said we are to “love the Lord our God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind;” and then He said, “love your neighbor as your self.”  Jesus said, “if you love me keep my commandments.”  He also said, “why do you call me Lord and do not do the things that I command.”

What I saw this last week was the Vaughn Forest family being obedient to God’s command to love Him and to love others.  Love is something we do more than it is a feeling.  We can not truly love without giving of ourselves, and I saw a lot of people giving of their time and energy to help others.

Where does that put us as a church?  We have been praying and fasting for God to move in our lives and in our church.  We have been praying for God to guide our pastor search teams.  We have been praying for the healing of those who are not well.  We have been praying for deliverance from difficult circumstances.  Let me suggest that we are most like Christ when we are giving and serving others.  Jesus in fact said, “He came to seek and to save.”  He said, “He did not come to be served but to serve.”  I believe that God responds in love by answering our prayers when we are in love serving and giving to others.

I hope and pray that this past week will be a catalyst for all of us to not only pray and fast but to love those around us “in deed and in truth.”  I pray that the culture of Vaughn Forest will be that we are a people who are known for our love.  I also pray that our love for God and love for people will be seen by all through our actions and attitudes.

-Norm Bell, Pastor of Local and Global Outreach