Waiting for an Invite

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock.

Rev 3:20

Has there ever been a time in your life when you felt like God was missing? Maybe He was just waiting for an invitation. We all have heard the stories of God getting someone's attention in a dramatically, but the truth is, that's not the way He normally works. As it says in the verse above, Jesus usually knocks and waits for us to open the door. But how do we do it? Prayer. Through prayer we begin to acknowledge God's presence in our lives and invite him to guide us.

At Thursday Night Worship for the last 2 weeks, we've been looking at our priorities. I can't think of anything more important than connecting with God through prayer. That statement was easy to write, but it's not always so easy to put into action. The words "Just Do It" come to mind here. I have to schedule it in or else it doesn't happen. Maybe you've never really prayed before or need to switch some things up in your prayer habits. Here's a link to some great prayer methods. I'm sure you'll find one or more that work for you. Another way to get your prayer life jump-started is by praying with friends. This week you can plug into the 24 hour prayer time on Thursday or join us for All-Night Prayer on Friday. Invite God into your life this week. Spend some time in prayer.

Interested in finding out more about Chi Alpha? Take a look through our website and don't forget to click on our events link for our info on what's coming up.

Wise Choice

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
all who follow his precepts have good understanding.

Psalm 111:10

This past week at TNW we looked at a few things that help form the kingdom of God in our lives. One of these was regularly reading the Bible. The key word in that last sentence was read. There is wisdom written on every page, but the only way you can access it is by cracking it open and meditating on the Holy Spirit inspired words. If you're like me good intentions are not enough to make this a regular part of your life. I need a plan. We have extra copies of the Bible reading plans we handed out at TNW. If you would like the paper version, stop by the XA office this week and pick one up. Need other options? Bible Gateway has a bunch. Check them out.

Speaking of wisdom, our new president takes office this week (in case you didn't know why all those extra people were on the Metro). Let's be in prayer for Barak Obama and all of the leaders of our government that God would give them the wisdom they need to guide our country well. Enjoy your extra days off this week and don't forget to check out our upcoming events by clicking on our Events link.

9:9 @ 9

In Matthew 9:9, the author tells the story of his first encounter with Jesus. Jesus speaks the words, "Follow me," and Matthew leaves everything to become a disciple. Following Jesus begins with hearing his voice. This year we'll have an opportunity each weekday morning @ 9 am to open ourselves to God's voice throughout the day. Starting tomorow (Tuesday) we'll be meeting in the West Chapel, a room on the left side of main Kay Chapel, for corporate prayer and worship. Join us and we'll listen to Jesus together.