When the path ahead changes, we can trust God to direct our steps. A closed door can leave you feeling uncertain, but faith keeps you standing on what God has said rather than what you can see.
We heard testimonies of unexpected changes, healing, and urgent needs in our gathering. Through each one, we were reminded to bring our families and our circumstances before the Lord.
God Directs Each Step
We may look back on our lives and see that things didn't turn out the way we once imagined. Yet God has been faithful through every season, and His Word reminds us who directs our path.
"A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps." (Proverbs 16:9)
One brother shared that he had worked in the same place for 11 years when he realized that door was closing. He hadn't expected a job change, and the meetings and circumstances around him made that season uncomfortable. He prayed and asked the Lord if he had made a wrong turn.
The Lord showed him that a new season had come. He described the uncertainty as feeling like he was standing on thin air, but when we place our trust in God, we are standing on faith. The Lord has not forgotten us when the road changes.
Testimonies of God’s Help
Before worship, several members of our church family shared what God had done in their lives.
Provision and healing
One sister received a message that she had lost a job she had held for three years. She remembered Pastor Terry's teaching about responding to rejection with redirection, and within 24 hours she had another job that she described as even better.
Another sister testified that she had found a lump in her breast, but when she went for an examination, the doctors couldn't find it. A third woman shared that her neck pain had stopped and that her chiropractor had seen improvement. She continued to believe God for healing in the rest of her body.
Help in an urgent moment
April shared that she became dizzy while working, and a coworker who wasn't normally there helped her get medical attention. At the hospital, she learned she had experienced an episode of supraventricular tachycardia, with a heart rate of 199.
Tests showed no visible damage to her heart. Although a procedure was still being considered, April thanked God that someone was there to help before she understood how serious the situation was.
We also remember the Kingdom Builders testimonies shared on another occasion. Sister Shelby spoke of serving the Lord for seven decades, and Lewis shared how he prayed with a mechanic after feeling led to meet him. These testimonies remind us to give God praise for His faithfulness.
Speak the Name of Jesus
The testimonies led us into praise and prayer. We prayed for healing, deliverance, new direction, and loved ones who need salvation. We sang and spoke the name of Jesus over fear, sickness, families, and every difficult situation.
The Scripture also gives us the order for resisting the enemy. James 4:7 tells us to submit ourselves to God and resist the devil. Submission to God is part of our daily walk. We cannot live in complacency and expect to stand against the enemy while refusing the Lord's direction.
We cannot save our loved ones by our own strength, but we know the One who can. We continue to pray and speak the name of Jesus over their lives, trusting in the power of the name of Jesus.
Pray for Children and Families
During the service, we gathered around a family whose 16-year-old daughter was in the hospital after taking pills. Her mother asked for prayer, and our church family prayed for her daughter to live, to know God's love, and to be free from the struggles she was facing.
We also prayed for another mother and her sons. The encouragement given to both families was to pray against harmful outside influences and ask God to place Godly friends around their children.
One sister shared that she had prayed over the friendships in her own sons' lives. Another remembered turning to John 17, where Jesus prayed for His disciples and asked the Father to keep them from evil. Our children must live in this world, and we can bring them before the Lord in prayer.
Bring Every Need Before the Lord
We continued to pray for members of our church family with health concerns. We prayed for Tim's throat and heartburn, for Bev's voice, and for Joe's back. We also prayed for Tom, who had been hospitalized with a heart condition and was awaiting further testing.
These needs were not treated lightly. We brought them before God together, believing that He hears prayer and asking Him to strengthen each person and family.
Prayer continues beyond one gathering. Pamela has shared that she prays each night for her family and church family. Steve also began seeking the Holy Ghost after seeing her speak in tongues, as shared in these testimonies of freedom through faith in Jesus.
Keep Standing in Faith
Trials and uncertainty do not mean that God has forgotten us. We can bring our needs to Him, submit ourselves to Him, and stand on His Word even while we wait.
The testimonies we heard gave us reason to praise, and the needs shared gave us reason to keep praying. The Lord is with us, and He hears His people when we call on His name.
