Febuary 2012 - The Power of Prayer

"Prayer is the pulse of life; by it the doctor can tell what is the condition of the heart. The sin of prayerlessness is a proof for the ordinary Christian or minister that the life of God in the soul is in deadly sickness and weakness." - Andrew Murray

"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints" - Ephesians 6:18

God has been answering our prayers in a way that is just amazing. For example we had some unexpected expenses come up prayed that the Lord would help us even if someone had to put money in our hands. Later that same day as we went for a walk as a family one of our neighbors gave us a had for our son Joshua and then put some money in our hands. Wow, now that was definably not by chance but by God showing us that He is in control of our lives.

Just before I left for our high school winter camp a few or our students and myself were felling sick, and once praying for healing and good health we were all able to attend the camp and had a blast. We had also been praying for the parents of our two of our graduated high school students to be reconciled and after a year of prayer, they are now back together and leading their kids once again. Praise God for healing their marriage and restoring the family. 

Another one of our high school students who we had been praying for had moved away to Washington for college and the Lord has answered our prayers as he is being a bold witness for the Lord and is thriving in a local church there. We had one of our graduated high school girls stop by church for a visit who had moved to a college in Northern California. She is being a very bold witness for the Lord too and is sharing the Gospel with everyone around her.

It is so exciting to see fruit in the life of those you have pored into and invested in. We praise God for being able to see graduated students continue to with with Him as so many walk away from the Church, we are blessed to be able to know so many who continue to stand for Christ. Don't let the enemy keep you trusting in the lie that pray does nothing. Prayer is powerful, because God is all powerful. We hope you are able to spend some time just talking to God and listening to him daily. Prayer is effective, but we must allow God to answer our prayers as He sees fit, in His timing. We will go though suffering, and trials in which we don't understand why we are not healed but we know God is all loving and we can trust Him.

The second part of James 5:16 says "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." How true is this declaration in God's Word! Sometimes our prayers are not effective simply because we are not fervent but pray with an emotionless attitude that asks God to care about something that we have very little passion about. Pastor David Guzik said about this verse that "Effective prayer must be fervent, not because we must emotionally persuade a reluctant God, but because we must gain God’s heart by being fervent for the things He is fervent for."

If you are not currently praying daily, here are some resources to help you pray:

What Is Prayer? - Blue Letter Bible
The ACTS Prayer - Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship
How to Spend an Hour in Prayer - Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship
Questions about Prayer - Got Questions Ministry
Does God Answer Prayer? - Blue Letter Bible
Why Should We Pray? - Blue Letter Bible
What Are Some of the Things We Should Not Do with Prayer? - Blue Letter Bible

Praise God For...

• Restoration in the lives of our high school students parents, and graduated students returning to the Lord.
• The open door at our two local high school campus where we get to share the Gospel.
• Allowing us to serve and be used by Him for His glory, as we keep our eyes on Jesus.
• Taking care of our every need, and sustaining us financially in His perfect timing.
• Family drawing closer to Jesus, who are reading their Bibles and are fruitful in Christ.
• For our precious son Joshua (who is now 6 months old) and the blessings of parenting!

Please Pray For...

• Lost people to come to Christ and for people and church to boldly preach the Gospel.
• The open door to continue at local high school campus where we get to share the Gospel.
• Israel as people and nations seek to harm those God has made promises to.
• Wisdom as parents in raising Joshua in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
• The High School students at Calvary Chapel to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Seek and save that which is lost and press on in Love,
Tim, Anna & Joshua Molter

Enjoy this funny video: The Skinny on Prayer from The Skit Guys

Description: Prayer is our way to communicate with God, but as Christians we often treat prayer as something to be checked off a list and we miss the part where we are building our relationship with the Creator of the universe.

Rachel's Challenge

This week at our local high school campus in Chico, CA, our students who come to our weekly Bible studies told us about a Rally they were required to attend called "Rachel's Challenge". After the Rally we found out this was about Rachael Scott. The Rally was about not being a bully which is a good thing, but it allowed for us to mention the real reason those students were shot and killed at Columbine. Why? Because they were Christians.

"I have no more personal friends at school. But you know what? I am not going to apologize for speaking the name of Jesus. I am not going to justify my faith to them, and I am not going to hide the light that God has put into me. If I have to sacrifice everything, I will. I will take it. If my friends have to become my enemies for me to be with my best friend, Jesus, then that’s fine with me." —Rachel Scott, 17, Columbine martyr (1.)

"Now I have given up on everything else. I have found it to be the only way to really know Christ and to experience the mighty power that brought Him back to life again, and to find out what it means to suffer and to die with Him. So, whatever it takes I will be one who lives in the fresh newness of life of those who are alive from the dead." —Cassie Bernall, 17, Columbine martyr (2.)

Seventeen–year–old Rachel Scott was killed because she had a Bible. They tormented her by shooting her in the leg, and taunted her by saying, "Go be with Him now", before killing her. Next was a bright–eyed seventeen–year–old named Cassie Bernall. When the gun was put to her head she was asked, "Do you believe in God?" She paused for a second, and then she answered, "Yes". Staring at her, the gunman asked, Why?" Before she could reply, he pulled the trigger and shot her through the temple, killing her instantly. (3.)

Eighteen–year–old Valeen Schnurr was also shot for believing in Christ. When she tried to tell them that they would be able to stop killing if they too believed, they shot her nine times. She was left with permanent nerve damage from nine wounds. Seventeen–year–old Kacey Ruegsegger survived after being shot in the face and shoulder for being a Christian believer at Columbine too. (4.)



If you were to die tonight and stand in front of God, and He asked, "Why should I let you into Heaven?" what would you tell Him? Did fifteen people at Columbine High School have to answer this question? Yes, they did. Two other people weren’t thinking about it much or they wouldn’t have done what they did. (5.)

As you live your life for Jesus, turn your back on trying to please the crowd; face Jesus, and please Him with every fiber of your being. That’s what these faithful witnesses did, and their names will be written in the annals of history... (6.)

Source:
1., 2., 5., 6. - "One Thing You Can’t Do in Heaven" by Mark Cahill, Chapter 11. 'A Pocket Full of Tickets'

3., 4. - http://blockyourid.com/~gbpprorg/judicial-inc/85rachel_joy_scott_killed_because.htm & http://blockyourid.com/~gbpprorg/judicial-inc/columbine_killers.htm

A Tooth or Two?

All of Josh's fussiness and extra drool has finally resulted in his first tooth! Last weekend the sharp, new addition to his mouth made its first appearance. Now he has even more drool, a nose that runs like Niagara Falls, a sharp projectile and more pain as the tooth comes in the rest of the way. But wait! There's more! I think I feel the second one coming in too. Fasten your seat belts folks; we're in for a ride!

learning to crawl and move about

learning to sit up and stay sitting up

gotta look good going on walks, such fun