A DAY FOR PRAYER AND FASTING

Tomorrow, Thursday, January 12th, many of us will be praying and fasting for Gideon Ruhl, Brody McCarty, and others in need of a particular demonstration of the power of God. Below is a set of Scriptures and prayer needs to guide you in seeking the Lord as you do that. If you would like to join others praying, the church lobby will be open from 7-8am and 12-1pm. 

SCRIPTURES TO INSPIRE FAITH AS YOU GATHER TO PRAY

Jeremiah 32:17
‘Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.

Psalm 91
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
5 You will not fear the terror of the night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only look with your eyes
and see the recompense of the wicked.
9 Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place—
the Most High, who is my refuge—
10 no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
no plague come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
12 On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the adder;
the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.
14 “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
I will protect him, because he knows my name.
15 When he calls to me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”

SPECIFIC PRAYERS FOR GIDEON RUHL

A note from Josiah Ruhl, Gideon's father: 

Gideon's condition seems to be stabilizing, but not in the way we had hoped. While we are praising the Lord that we have not seen much digression in the past three days, we also have not seen improvements. He has lost all control of his facial, mouth, and throat muscles. His motor skills for the rest of his body are extremely limited. He is able to walk a little, but he is not able to pick up his feet off the ground while walking and he gets tired very quickly. He is unable to speak or swallow. His mind seems to be healthy, although he did express that he is unable to read well (probably due to his muscles in his eyes not being fully functional). He is able to show proper emotion - he is crying when he sees loved ones, and he is smiling and silently laughing when something funny happens. There have been no answers from the medical professionals at Duke for a cause, and each lab that has been sent away comes back negative. 

Please pray:

• for us to use this situation as an opportunity to point to our Savior
• for Gideon's complete healing
• for muscle coordination to return to his mouth and throat
• for Gideon to be able to talk and swallow
• for his muscle coordination to fully restored
• for him to be filled with a spirit of joy, and not to give in to discouragement
• for our family to be united in faith during this most difficult situation
• for the health of Jedaiah, Arrow, and Moses (they are all struggling with illness at home)
• for wisdom for future treatment for Gideon and the other children who struggle with the same symptoms that Gideon had leading up to this condition
• for our hope to be found ONLY IN CHRIST, and not in our current situation.

When I asked Gideon to recite a scripture for me after we were at the hospital for a few days(prior to losing his speech), he said, "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."  1 Thess. 5:16-18

Thank you for your continued prayers.

Josiah

SPECIFIC PRAYERS FOR BRODY MCCARTY

A note from Tim and Sarah McCarty:

Brody has Eosinophilic Esophagitis and we have been working the last two and a half years to get him into remission. (There is no cure).   We have been unsuccessful in getting him in remission by using medication. His esophagus is showing signs of hardening which means scar tissue is building up and eventually his esophagus would close up so no food or drink could be swallowed.  We started him on an elemental diet today meaning he will eat no food but will get all his nutrition by a medical formula.  He can have water in addition to the formula but no other drink.  We will keep him on this diet for 6 weeks then he will be scoped (upper endoscopy).  If he is in remission then we will introduce one food at a time for 6-8 weeks then he will be scoped again.  This will help us to determine which foods are truly safe for him to eat.  We have done our best to explain to him what is happening and why but he is sad and angry.  
Please pray for Brody that he will have an understanding of the importance of this and that he will learn to cope. Pray that he will learn to communicate his feelings so we can help him though this.  Please pray for Tim and I that we will rely on The Lord to guide us in parenting and discipline during this time.
-Tim and Sarah

OTHER MATTERS YOU CAN BRING BEFORE THE LORD: 

LOVING OUR NEIGHBORS IN LIGHT OF MLK DAY JANUARY 16th 

Pray for Willie Harris of Mt. Zion Church, who is preaching at SGC this Sunday.
Also, in light of MLK Day, pray…

• To accept those of other races the way Christ has accepted us (Rom. 15:7)

• To refrain from judging unwisely, rashly, and insteaad judge wisely and with humility (for example: after removing logs from our own eyes (Matt. 7:3) 

• That we'd ask the Lord to search us and point out offensive ways we treat and think about those of other races (Psalm 139:24)

• That we would take the initiative to restore relationships (Rom. 12:18)

• That love would guide our interactions with, and our thoughts and discussions about those of other races (1 Cor. 13:4 - 8)

HAND OF HOPE IN HONOR OF SANCTITY OF LIFE SUNDAY JANUARY 15th  

At a recent fundraiser Tonya Nelson of Hand of Hope shared an update on their ministry and needs. In the past eleven years, God has blessed Hand of Hope with almost 25,000 client appointments, 1412 babies born -- 187 this past year, and 43 conversions. Thirty percent of the abortions in North Carolina take place in Wake County, and of the clients who visit Hand of Hope, only 35% initially plan to keep their babies.

Hand of Hope currently has two locations: one in Fuquay-Varina, and one in Raleigh across the street from an abortion clinic. At this time last year God provided for the purchase of a property next door to the abortion clinic. Hand of Hope spent 2016 seeking permission to occupy this facility, and it has been a bumpy road. There is still opposition to Hand of Hope's occupying this facility, and most likely the legal repercussions will continue to occupy Hand of Hope's time and budget through 2017.

Please pray for God's provision for Hand of Hope, both to continue to serve the women of Wake county, and also for all aspects, legal and otherwise, of their occupying their new facility. Please also pray for opportunities to rescue babies and to change the hearts of men and women seeking abortion.

OUR LOCAL AND NATIONAL LEADERS IN LIGHT OF INAUGURATION DAY JANUARY 20th 

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. (1 Timothy 2:1-2)

Being so close to Trump's inauguration, tomorrow becomes a good opportunity to pray for the upcoming administration. 1 Timothy 2:1-2 helps us as we do that.