Heimtal Moravian Church

 

Pastor:                      Rev. Matt Gillard

Phone:                      (780) 239-2005

Office:                       R. R. 3 S. Edmonton, AB. T6H4N7

Phone                       (780) 955—7305  Office

 

Email                        heimtal@telus.net

Web                          www.heimtal.com

 

 

Heimtal Joint Board Members  2010

 

Pastor:             Rev. Matthew Gillard

 

Elders:             Ruth Brackenbury

                          Faye Lentz

                          Betty Voelker

 

Trustees:         Norm Lentz

                          Gordon Mansell

                          Wade Lange

                          Grant Wudel

Treasurer:       Elmer Smith

 

Heimtal Messenger

A Monthly Newsletter from the Heimtal Moravian Church  Vol. 11             No.7                       July, 2010

Prayer: Preparing the Heart

 

When it comes right down to it, I think there are two main types of prayers that people pray. The first is what I call “pleading” prayer. We plead with God to act in such a way that will either help someone else, or will help ourselves. We plead with God to do something out of the ordinary. For a person to be healed, for the impossible to be made possible.

 

Now I have no scientific data to back up my next comment, I think that these pleading prayers cover about 90% of all our prayers to God. This isn't a bad thing, it is simply a consequence of being humans who seek the help of their Creator.

 

Yet, there is another type of prayer which I like to think of as a “softening” prayer. These are prayers which we pray which help to soften our hearts for the work which God has in store for us in the future. It is this type of prayer which tells God “not my will, but yours.” These types of prayers are difficult because their consequences are much more difficult than the words. When Jesus said them, it meant his physical death.

 

For us at Heimtal, it means that we are going to have to let some parts of ourselves be consumed by God in order that God's will be done in our neighborhood. We are seeking for God not only to show us where we should go, but for the willingness to be lead no matter the direction. This is a lot tougher than it sounds. Scripture is full of people who put conditions on their willingness to follow where Jesus is going.

 

I ask that you do your best to pray the following things for the church.

 

That we, as servants of Christ, will be people who follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in the future as we believe that God has a greater mission for this congregation.

 

That we, as servants of Christ, are willing to be molded, formed, changed, into the people God calls us to be by allowing those parts of us which cling to personal power to become things which glorify God.

 

That we, as servants of Christ, be open to new experiences which will challenge our perceptions of how we do church.

 

Please make an extra effort to pray these things in relation to Heimtal. They are things which will soften our hearts to the leading of the Spirit, whatever that may be, in the future.

 

Peace and Blessings,

 

Pastor Matt