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 The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber. <Previous Message · Archives · Archive edition Friday, February 25, 2011  Amish buggy entering into White Rock Covered Bridge in southern Lancaster County. There's the distinct sound of the clackety-clack of horseshoes on the wooden bridge deck! "Thanks For Praying" "Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should" (Ephesians 6:19-20). I heard a compelling story from a friend named Bill that reminded me of the importance of prayer. Many years earlier he met a man and had a burden to pray for him. Bill didn't have an opportunity to share a verbal witness but prayed for this man over the years, though there was no evidence as far as he could determine that he had any spiritual interest. Five years later Bill was visiting a church as a representative of a mission. In the congregation was that very man he had been praying for (who had no idea he would be there or even had any association with that type of church). As they shared together following the service the man expressed how God was working in his life as a follower of Christ. Today as you're reading this devotional and have an interest in the things of God, remember, somebody prayed for you. Actually many people have. You will easily recall some of them as you read this, others you may not even be aware of. Faithful people spent time on their knees lifting your name up to God. Pause, if you can, right now to consider several and thank God for them. Some may be in heaven, but I'm sure God has a way of getting the message to them! Others are living and may need a brief, but earnest word of thanks from you for their vital investment in your life. It will spur them on to prayerfully invest in even more lives.  In our daily text the apostle Paul writes from a prison cell as he shares his prayer request with the Ephesian believers. We have a lot more record of Paul's prayers for others than requests he makes with regard to his own needs, probably because he includes them in his correspondence to the churches! Yet Paul was aware of how dependent he was on the prayers of other believers.Surely there were many who prayed for his salvation over the years, especially those to whom he persecuted. The martyr Stephen, in his dying plea, prayed for those who opposed him, which certainly included Saul who gave consent for his death. "While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.' Then he fell on his knees and cried out, 'Lord, do not hold this sin against them.'" Immediately following his prayer he died (or as the Scripture reads, he "fell asleep" (Acts 7:59,60). I wonder if Saul was within hearing distance of that extremely generous prayer; certainly God was. Stephen's prayer was in concert with many others who were pleading in prayer for Saul's salvation when he was "still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples." Surely Ananias prayed when he went on his most memorable personal evangelism visit following Saul's conversion. Barnabas doubtlessly prayed often for the young convert. The main focus in Paul's prayer request to the Ephesians is very instructive. He didn't request prayer for a quick release from prison, although I am sure he would have gladly welcomed that. He didn't ask for better food or more comfortable living conditions. He wasn't insisting on bodybuilding equipment for the prison weight room. I'm sure his 24/7 heavy chains built plenty of muscle every time he moved! No, he asked prayer concerning his ministry of witness for the Lord, that "whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel." Today I encourage you to keep on praying. It's wonderful when we see the evidence of our prayers but I believe there are many, many answered prayers we will not see until we reach the other side. Some of you have prayed for us and continue to do so. Thanks so very much! We are where we are today because you, and many others, have taken the time to pray. Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber  Daily Prayer: Father, we are so grateful for the power of prayer and its positive affect in our lives. Yet we confess that we don't avail ourselves to Your prescribed means of communication nearly as often as we should. Jesus quoted Scripture when refuting Satan's temptations in the wilderness experience and He spent time in intense prayer when He needed strength, courage, and faith for the trials that lay ahead. We likewise pray for our brothers and sisters, that their faith in You will mature and that they will remain faithful in times of testing. We pray for ourselves that we will stand firm and remain confident in our Christian faith as we oppose the evil forces in this world. In the name of Jesus we ask these things. Amen.Our conviction is that most of the expressions of service for Christ are taking place unheralded in scores of smaller settings all around the world. We witnessed such an expression yesterday.  Golden Nuggets is an example of a local church serving the community with a meal and time of fellowship for the elderly in our community.  Part of the Golden Nuggets crew who prepare, seve and cleanup! Left to right, Rochelle, Evie, Naomi and Oren Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources "Somebody's Praying Me Through" Video Here's a touching version by a young girl dealing with cancer. "Somebody's Praying" Video "Pray For Me" Video "If My People Pray" Video "He's Everything To Me" Video  Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne. |
 "We want to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!" Personal Ministry Update (Revised 12/31/10)  Each weekday morning Brooksyne and I prepare these messages and distribute them at no cost to you and many others all over the world. Would you please consider a financial offering to support us in this daily encouragement ministry? Donations are tax deductible and will be receipted directly by my chaplaincy endorsing ministry. Thanks!See here for details. 2011 financial offerings to Daily Encouragement Net as of 2/24/11: $1,500.00 SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION  Were you forwarded this edition of Daily Encouragement Net? If you desire you can receive your own free! To receive these "Daily Encouragement" devotionals each Monday-Friday through email see this page to subscribe. This newsletter is never sent by us unsolicited. It was sent to you because you either signed up to receive it OR a friend forwarded it to you. You can also subscribe to the rss feed or as an email subscription through feedburner.Cancel: We respect and value your time and privacy. If you no longer desire to receive these messages you can remove your address from the list by merely using the link automatically inserted by the mailing list software at the very bottom of each email message. (To change addresses cancel your old address and then join again using your new address.) Weekly Version: The weekly version is intended for those who may not check their email regularly or who may desire less frequent mailings. It is Friday's message with a link to previous messages. To receive the free weekly version, send a blank email to this address. Daily Encouragement on Facebook and Twitter:  The daily message and prayer on Facebook. The daily message and prayer on Twitter.Reader Survey: Please take a few minutes to assist us in improving our ministry effectiveness by filling out this online reader survey. To take the survey click here. Please feel free to pass these messages on! "A Daily Prayer" - A blog simply posting the daily prayer. We keep this up each day since it's merely the prayer from the Daily Encouragement Net message! "A Little Foolishness" - Humor/satire blog (a great outlet for non-serious writing but at times with a subtle message!) Last updated with the story of Mildred Swanson, who joyfully discovers her "spiritual gift" is sending forwarded emails! (Note: This material is satire!) "Clear Minded" - Longer, periodic articles on specific issues impacting the faithful believer and church. (Actually this is my intent but I haven't done much with it!) "Hymns of Hope" - Brooksyne along with two friends made a CD using classic hymns. Brooksyne tells the background story of the 11 hymns. All of these songs are also available for download on the site.  Daily Encouragement Net is an affiliate of Christianbook.com. Any orders placed to Christian Book Distributers using this link or any specific product link to a recommended resource in a daily encouragement message will help our Daily Encouragement ministry through a small commission on the sale. Thank you for using these links when purchasing online through CBD!Personal Mission Statement "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and I make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and to prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."  How to become a child of God Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version. © Copyright 2011 Stephen C. Weber - All Rights Reserved Daily Encouragement Net Stephen & Brooksyne Weber 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 Contact us  Endorsed chaplain "Living securely today anchored in God's solid foundation" www.dailyencouragement.net |
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