Gathering to Pray

A dear brother had a need--his wife is sick and is having some major tests done on Thursday. So he sent out an email, yesterday, and we gathered together, tonight. And we prayed for this young couple. That God would heal, that He would guard their minds and hearts, that He'd help our unbelief, and that His will would be done. We worshipped and remembered that He is the fount of every blessing, that He's near to the brokenhearted, and that He is able to do more than we can ask or imagine. And that through it all, He is good.

We also wept...for the pain that we felt, and the goodness of God that we felt. And we rejoiced...in the prayers that He'd already answered, and the promises of His love from His word that we voiced. We gathered in His name, and He was with us. We did it. Life together. Bearing burdens. It was a beautiful picture of community and of the body of Christ.

I took another dear brother home afterwards, and on the ride he commented about what a beautiful picture it was. "There have got to be a lot husbands in this world tonight who's wives are facing health tests tomorrow, alone, without a community like that to lean on--but our friends can face it with hope. Because they've got friends lifting them up through it; and because no matter what happens through this, her eternity is security." There is a greater hope, and there's a lot of comfort found in the community of believers. I left tonight having worshipped well, and thinking we should do this more often--gathering together to proclaim His goodness and our need of Him. Thank Him today for His body.