Moose Lake United Methodist Church

"I think God is the kind of good Friend who enlists other people to pray for us. I think that's what may be happening on those occasions when someone comes to the mind unbidden; this may be God's nudge to pray for that person. But God reveals no secrets in doing so. God simply enlists us to come alongside a person in need, raising them up by our prayers." Dr. Ellsworth Kalas - 'Longing to Pray'

Prayer prompt: With a clear mind and no agenda, approach God in prayer and simply ask for the name of a person who God would like you to pray for.... then pray for them.

"We are privileged to see the spiritual giants who wrote the psalms, not in portraits of their spiritual finery, but in the rags of their candid struggles. No wonder, then, that in our own times of despair and struggle, we turn to the book of Psalms. We know we will find some spiritual kin there." - Dr. Ellsworth Kalas, 'Longing to Pray'

Prayer Prompt: What struggle is closest to you today? Present it too God in prayer and don't worry you can use whatever language you like, God has heard it all before.

Psalm 35

"Contend, Lord, with those who contend with me;

    fight against those who fight against me.

2 Take up shield and armor;

    arise and come to my aid.

3 Brandish spear and javelin

    against those who pursue me.

Say to me,

    “I am your salvation.”

4 May those who seek my life

    be disgraced and put to shame;

may those who plot my ruin

    be turned back in dismay.

5 May they be like chaff before the wind,

    with the angel of the Lord driving them away;

6 may their path be dark and slippery,

    with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.

7 Since they hid their net for me without cause

    and without cause dug a pit for me,

8 may ruin overtake them by surprise—

    may the net they hid entangle them,

    may they fall into the pit, to their ruin.

9 Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord

    and delight in his salvation.

10 My whole being will exclaim,

    “Who is like you, Lord?

You rescue the poor from those too strong for them,

    the poor and needy from those who rob them."

"Since friendship unfolds in the context of daily life, it can hardly be expected to fit into neatly engineered rules. Friendship has more to do with desire than with design. It is a grand thing, but it flourishes in common places, and often in unlikely ones, like the flower that blooms through a crack in the asphalt." - Dr. Ellsworth Kalas, 'Longing to Pray'

Our friendship with Jesus is formed not from rigorous attention to detail but from a growing desire to be near him.

Mark 1:16-20  "16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 18 At once they left their nets and followed him. 19 When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. 20 Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him."

Prayer prompt: Draw near to Jesus with a prayer to grow in your desire to meet with, and follow Jesus no matter what may be getting in the way.

During the season of Lent we will be focusing on fostering a life of prayer with the help of Dr. Elsworth Kalas' book, 'Longing to Pray'. Each day we will post a short quote from the book and a prayer prompt to engage us in prayer. Let the journey begin!

"Thinking that our posture wins favor with God or that it ensures an answer to prayer reduces prayer to magic; however, if we refuse to place ourselves under some particular, reasonable physical discipline, our pride can separate us from God." Dr. Ellsworth Kalas, "Longing to Pray"

Prayer prompt (also from Dr. Kalas' text): "See for yourself how the mood changes as the posture changes. Sit and pray, and prayer takes on a conversational quality. Stand, and you feel you are making an appearance before the King. Lift your hands, and a special sense of adoration engulfs your prayer. Put your head down, and you feel awe, humility, perhaps even shame; lift your head, and there is a sense of glad openness."

Today try more than one of these postures in your prayer time that you usually don't use.

In the Season of Giving & Blessings, the Moose Lake Methodist Church United Women in Faith, and members of Moose Lake United Methodist Church once again answered a call from Lakes & Pines Community Action Council to help out a well deserving family. Lakes & Pines selects a family in need, and a “Giving Tree” is set up in the Church with ornaments listing items from the children’s Christmas Wish List. Members are able to pick an ornament(s) off the tree & purchase items for a child. Additional gifts are provided for the entire family as well. We are honored & humbled to help others in this way!

Come meet our new pastor, Jeremy Woodley.  He preaches Sunday mornings at 9:00 am.

The adult Sunday School class meets at 8 a.m. Sunday mornings from September to May.  The class is studying the book, "Matthew. The Gospel of Promised Blessings” by Matthew Skinner.

"Moose Lake United Methodist Church" is the name of our Facebook page.  The Sunday morning service is live-streamed and recorded on the Facebook page.  You can find the recordings on the Facebook page as videos.