simple people simply praying

Hello every one, greeting from a rainy evening here in Moscow. I just wanted to give an up date on our first prayer retreat. Natasha will follow with photos and what took place, but I just wanted to share a couple of high lights. First I was rally amazed at the response we had. We had 41 hours of prayer time to fill and every hour time slot was filled up. We started praying at 10:00 on Sunday night and finished on Tuesday at 3:00 pm. The theme that emerged in the teachings was the simplicity of prayer. That there are no great deep, deep theological insights to prayer. That a PHD is not needed, that prayer is simply trusting in our God. The first deep, deep truth about prayer is seen in a small child. A small child asks his mommy and daddy for every thing it has need of. They are quick to ask for all things they need without hesitation. They know that they can call upon mommy or daddy, and they will respond. They don’t think it over, they just simply ask.
The second deep, deep truth is seen in a child’s persistence to ask. Mommy, can I have some candy? No! Mommy, I want some candy. No! Mamaaaa, I want some candy!!! I said, no. Mama, I Really Want Some Candy!!! Ok, here, have some candy.
But then the last deep, deep truth in a believer’s prayer life is seen when mommy or daddy say no! Because a parent knows that there are times when the answer has to be no. Because a parent knows what is good and what is not good for their child, and they love them enough to say no!!
Prayer is simply relying on God for all things, being persistent in our request to Him, and knowing that some times God’s answer is no. The simplicity of our communication with our Heavenly Father could not be any simpler.

One moment that stood out for me personally, came in the closing moments of the retreat as we were waiting for the shuttle bus to take each group to the train station. One woman by the name of Sveta, who came with one of the ladies that attends the fellowship, came up to me and shared her story that she has been battling with cancer. And that the doctors told her that her cancer was incurable. She told me that when she heard the news she rejoiced because she knew then that only Jesus could heal her, that she didn’t have to put her confidence in man but only in the hands of the Savior. I marveled at her response to humanly tragic news. But is it not what it is all about, all the teaching from the Bible leads to one conclusion, simple trust in our God. That as a believer we have been bought by His precious blood and we belong to Him, and Him alone. That what ever happens in the life of a believer, that life is in the hands of our all mighty God. God Bless you, dean