Unless the Lord builds the house

Unless the Lord builds the house its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city the watchmen stand guard in vain. Psalm 127

Today, serving as some focus our prayer, I want to ask you to be reading Psalm 127 and 128 together. They are two short Psalms that seek God in the area of family and finance. This touches every one of us in different ways, and we have seen God answer in a myriad ways as we've sought Him together.

Let's be praying for the rebuilding of broken or strained marriages and families, and for the establishing of our children on a firm foundation of faith so that they can be like arrows in the hands of a warrior, serving the purposes of our King. We know the Orange County divorce rate is over 70%, which wreaks havoc in families, but God wants the church to be a counter-culture for the good of the city. Let's also pray for family members who are far from God to come home. I've already heard of one this week who has turned back to the Lord as a result of prayer. Even if our families are not broken, let's pray for protection and unity and a greater sense of seeking God's kingdom together. Practically, let's pray that God would move powerfully in the Art of Marriage course that is going on at the moment, and at Lights Winter Camp this weekend. It would also be great to pray for those struggling to fall pregnant. Your wife will be like a fruiful vine within your house.

You will eat the fruit of your labor, blessings and prosperity will be yours Psalm 128
God calls us in this psalm to trust Him to watch over the city and to give us the fruit of our labor. In fact there is a warning against unbelieving toil that produces nothing except a broken family. In vain you rise up early and stay up late toiling for food to eat for he grants sleep to those he loves. Sons are a heritage from the Lord. One of God's attributes is a good work ethic, but He calls us to work in humble dependence upon Him as builder and watcher over our work. Let's pray that he blesses businesses, gives favor in the work place, and provides work for the unemployed. Let's pray too that we would be an Isaac-spirited community(Gen 26) sowing generously in a land of famine, because we know that God is our provider. Pray that our testimony in the work place would be good for the Gospel, and that our class "Gospel in the work place' would be fruitful.

God is the builder and guarder of household and city! Let's trust Him and build His way!

Grace and Grit as we seek Him together,
Alan