This Sunday is our Friends & Family Sunday. I can’t tell you how excited I am about seeing our Worship Auditorium filled with the friends, family members, coworkers, and neighbors whom we’ve invited. What a blessing it will be to have all our guests sitting with us this weekend!
I’d like to offer one final thought as this special Sunday approaches: the importance of prayer.
Paul encouraged the Christians in Philippi with these words: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6). As the family of God that we are, let’s commit to prayer for the remainder of this week. Let’s bring our requests for this upcoming Sunday before our gracious Lord. Let’s share with our God our heart’s desire to see the people we love sitting next to us at church this weekend. Let’s petition the Lord to work in their hearts, to remove obstacles that would keep our friends and loved ones from coming, and—especially if they are yet to believe—to ready their hearts for the good news of Christ. I am believing with you that God will be doing a beautiful, glorious, and mighty work amongst us and our guests this Sunday. Let’s see what he does!
If you haven’t already invited someone just yet, use this week to extend an invitation to that person, couple, or family that’s been on your heart. Even if it’s a last-minute invitation, you never know what God will do through it, and that, right there, is something to get excited about!