​Have you ever reflected on Jesus' prayer for you?

On the night before he died, Jesus prayed for all who would believe in him through the gospel message. He prayed that all believers would be one in him, and that he would be in us. He prayed that the love God has for Jesus would be in us. And he prayed we would be his witnesses in the world so others might believe. (See John 17:20-26)

How does that make you feel? I feel so grateful for his prayer. It shows Jesus' heart for us and his desire for unity in the body of believers. It shows his desire to live in each of us, filling us with God’s love. What a great prayer!

I’ve always appreciated the prayers of others. I remember my nana praying out loud for me as a child and I felt as if she really cared about me and wanted good things for me. As an adult now, when others pray over me and speak words of knowledge and prophecy over me I am encouraged and blessed. I also appreciate the prayers of you and others for me. Your prayers strengthen me, and I pray that mine strengthen you.

This week I’m praying for you in response to Jesus’ prayer for us.
I’m praying that God will draw you closer to him and unite you with one another here at MEAC and with all believers world-wide.
I pray our unity will show the world that Jesus is the promised Messiah.
I pray your spirit-filled life will testify to that.
I pray you will personally know more of God’s great big love for you and receive his love.
I pray that the spirit of Jesus will fill you afresh and teach you more and more of him, till you see Christ’s glory. Amen.

Yours in Christ,
Rev. Tanya

​Repeatedly in the book of Acts, we read that the believers prayed together and shared the gospel and the Lord continued to add to their numbers. The early church was growing, and it soon became evident some structure was needed to help the Church care for everyone, including all the widows who needed help.
When the apostles first heard that some widows weren’t getting their needs met, they respond with instruction to appoint some wise leaders who are full of the Holy Spirit and have a good reputation, for it was not desirable for them to neglect prayer and the word of God. The apostles knew they were called to devote themselves to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. This was their highest priority, and the result was, “the word of God kept on spreading” (6:7).
After the spirit filled men were appointed, the apostles prayed and then laid hands on them, publicly setting them apart for church ministry (6:6). The whole problem-solving process was oriented to God through prayer and God’s Word.
Here we are reminded that all Church leaders and the entire congregation need to walk in daily in relationship with the living God, in submission to His Word, and in dependence on Him in prayer.
This Sunday we will hear more about prayer and serving God in the ways we are all called to. We will pay special attention to Stephen, one of the men appointed to serve in the early church. He was the first person to be killed for his faith in Jesus. As he was dying, he prayed a special prayer of forgiveness for those who were stoning him. God would use even the horrible circumstances of Stephen’s death to continue to grow the Church. Nothing can stop the spread of the Gospel! Prayer and Gods words empower it. So, be encouraged to keep praying!
Perhaps pray about whom you can bring to Church on Sunday?
See you then,

Reverend Tanya Cummings

Are you devoted to prayer? For the month of July, Bishop Paul has called all the churches in Jumbunna Episcopate to focus on prayer and attend a prayer day on July 27th. I hope you will attend if able. Prayer is important for so many reasons and it ought to be a higher priority for us as a Church. As we begin looking at prayer in the early church, as depicted in the book of Acts, we see how the early believers were totally devoted to prayer. In Acts chapter 1 we read that Jesus, before ascending to heaven, had told the believers that they would be His witnesses all over the world. After this all the believers went to Jerusalem to gather in what we call the upper room and once there; devoted themselves to prayer. They didn’t begin planning a big missionary endeavour or devote themselves to whiteboarding an action plan. It says they devoted themselves to prayer! (Acts 1:14) This is the first of three different times in these initial chapters and Acts that we see this phrase “devoted to prayer”. See Acts 2:42 and Acts 6, where the leaders of the church say, “We need to devote ourselves to prayer and the ministry of the word”. I want to encourage each of us to spend more time in prayer this month, and in fact be devoted to prayer. As you think about your life, your family, and all the responsibilities you carry, devote yourself to prayer. Make prayer an even higher priority above strategizing, planning, and preparing. I believe that when we put God first, he crowns our efforts with success. There’s no way the disciples would have succeeded in their mission to spread the gospel if they weren’t grounded in prayer, seeking God’s will and relying on the Holy Spirit to enable them to carry out God’s mission in the world. Prayer comes first! May we each choose to devote ourselves to prayer this month and beyond, trusting God will bring about his plans and purposes in our lives and in the church and world. Let us pray about all our missionary endeavors and action plans, learning to depend completely on God, so His work will be done in His way and His time. Prayerfully Yours, Rev. Tanya

​I am a big fan of fantasy series and one of the all-time greatest is no other than The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien. The movie adaptations came out when I was in high school and I remember using the character development of Aragorn as a case study for our HSC theme: journeys. One of my all-time favourite scenes is the arousing speech Aragorn gives in the last film, the Return of the King when the black gates are opened, and the soldiers face the great army of Mordor. Aragorn gallops back and forth along the front lines, rallying the soldiers of Gondor and Rohan as he addresses their fear, saying:
 
        Sons of Gondor! Of Rohan! My brothers. I see in your eyes the same fear
        that would take the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of Men
        fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is
        not this day. An hour of wolves and shattered shields when the Age of Men
        comes crashing down, but it is not this day! This day we fight! By all that you
        hold dear on this good earth, I bid you stand, Men of the West!

(If you want to watch the movie clip, click on this link: Aragorn's Speech At The Black Gate | LOTR - The Return of the King (2003) (youtube.com))

This week we come to our final instalment of Ephesians (6:10-20) and Pauls sends it off with one final arousing speech like Aragorn's. Instead of the black gates of Mordor, Paul opens their imagination to the cosmic spiritual battle we all find ourselves soldiers in. As we stand on the front lines, the music building to a crescendo, Paul shouts, 

'Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of
           God, so that you can take your STAND against the devil's schemes.(v10)
'...put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you
           may be able to STAND your ground, (v.13)
and after you have done everything, to STAND. (v.13)
'STAND firm then...' (v.14)

Paul's arousing call is to STAND in the full power and might of God himself, to put on the armour of God he bestows upon us, so that we can bear with every assault the Devil throws at us and STAND victorious as children of the King. 

As we consider this cosmic truth, this spiritual battle, how do you prepare yourselves for battle? Are you ready to defend your faith? Are you ready to stand firm in trials? Are you equipped to combat the Devil's lies with the truths of the Gospel? Are you ready to resist evil? 

This Sunday we'll consider what it means to be ready and put on the armour of God each day so that we can STAND firm in our faith to the end. 

Amy