Pastors Garage
February 29, 2024
Morning Y’all. I apologize for not getting out a PG last week as it was a
pretty full week with us being on the road for most of it. I figured I
better rise to the occasion today as it’s a pretty special day! You only
get the chance to write a PG on Feb 29 every four years, and if you take
into account that I usually write them on a Thursday morning, and do the
math, the next opportunity for me to write one of these won’t come for
another 28 years!
We had the privilege to attend an event put on by the River House of Prayer
out of Regina last weekend called “Repairing the Altar of the Lord;
Activating the Local Church in Biblical Corporate Prayer”. A couple weeks
prior I got a call from a man I greatly respect named Graham Beke who runs
the house of prayer asking if I would consider attending. I have always
admired Graham for his passion and humility in encouraging others to grow
closer to God. Plus I readily admit, my prayer life was in desperate need
of some activating! It was an amazing time of both learning some simple,
practical techniques in getting us more focused on prayer and also praying
together as pastors and various church leaders from across southern Sask.
I personally have had some real breakthrough in my own walk as a Christian
and pastor over the last few weeks. I also sense a shift in our church from
a dry, hard season into some exciting things that the Lord has for us ahead
if we press into Him! But the reality is that any time the Lord wants, and
starts, to initiate breakthrough, the enemy also rises to the occasion
because he definitely does not! As I was thinking and praying about this I
felt a bit of a sense of dread about the possible battle ahead. In light of
that I felt God saying that I/we need to bath everything in absolute
humility and prayer! But I was also reminded and encouraged, at the prayer
thinger that I mentioned earlier, that the battle is already won! Graham
shared how so often we tend to struggle more than we need too because we
get too focused on the enemy. We need to focus on the one who already has
paid the price and won the battle at Calvary and walk in light of that
taking our God-given authority as saints, children, and heirs over that
defeated foe!
And I believe that this breakthrough or shift is far bigger than me! It has
to be! That God is also birthing something in many of your hearts as well!
I have sensed a greater desire for prayer and I want to give you some
opportunities to walk that out! The ladies have been meeting in the
Oakshela room on Wed mornings at 8:40 if you would like to join them in
prayer. There are two times you can have a time of prayer with some guys,
one being Monday mornings at 9am in the sanctuary and Wednesday mornings at
6:30am in the Oakshela room for a time of bible study, prayer, toast and
coffee! Also a few ladies came to me earlier asking if they could clean out
the old prayer room on the right hand side of the stage, which had
basically become a storage room, and once again use it as a room dedicated
to prayer. Sunday mornings at 9:30 would you consider joining us there to
seek God’s face and uphold our service in prayer? The last few Sunday’s a
few of us have been meeting there and I have sensed a tangible shift in our
morning services! Could it be possible that prayer actually works? In
reality, I am convinced that it is the only thing that actually works!
Spoiler alert! It has been my desire for almost a year now, ever since Carl
Dixon the pastor of the Lumsden church, shared with me how his church’s
midweek prayer meeting has seen a real turn around, to initiate something
similar here. I definitely believe that small group, age or gender specific
prayer times have great value in breakthrough and encouragement on a
personal scale. I also believe that there is real power in prayer in a
corporate setting if we want to see that same breakthrough and power
released for our church! It is my desire to initiate a weekly prayer
meeting in the very near future. If that is something that excites you and
you would like to be a part of making it happen please reach out to me! I
am also endeavouring to have Graham Beke come out here in the near future
to share his heart!
Please join us this Sunday at 10:30 for our morning service, we only have
two videos left in our realignment series, both entitled “Sent!”
I will leave you with some verses we looked at on Wed morning during our
time together as men. *“Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love
them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other
with genuine affection, and take delight in honouring each other.” Romans
12:9,10.*
Pastor Mike