This week I’m participating in a Week of Prayer and Fasting at Suburban Church. Suburban joins other area churches that select a week in the month of January to pray and fast before the Lord. This year Suburban’s theme is “Looking to Jesus”. For this week I will share devotional thoughts gleaned from the scripture passages and prayer times our Elders and other prayer leaders will share.

READ: Psalm 139:1,2; Acts 1:7,8; Acts 2:5,6

Last night Steve and I went to the annual meeting of our Homeowner’s Association. Steve has been to these before, but I haven’t ever gotten to one. It was fun to meet neighbors who live outside of the radius of our immediate area. I was so glad we went as we got to hear of concerns of our neighbors and even the deep pain of one neighbor who lives in a tough situation.

Then this morning Jerome led us into Acts 1 during our prayer time. We spent time praying into these verses describing God’s heart for us to be witnesses and His promise of the power for that. As we prayed I thought again of our neighborhood – both the immediate neighborhood and neighborhoods close by. I know many of the names and situations of our close by neighbors. We live in an area that is filled with people from many ethnic backgrounds. I love walking the neighborhood on summer evenings near dinner time. The cooking smells are exotic and amazing! I was drawn to Acts 2:5 “Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in their own language.” God did a mighty work in Jerusalem that day. He provided power through Holy Spirit for His people to speak the Gospel to a group of people who feared God, but needed to know more. He provided this ready crowd to hear. And He provided a miraculous sign that drew that ready crowd to His ready people – the result was 3,000 people baptized that day!

My prayer turned toward the God-fearing and God-seeking people from every nation under heaven staying in Corvallis – even in my neighborhood. God has placed His Spirit of power in me. My prayer today is that He will create readiness in my neighbors and create divine appointments for me that will be the intersection of readiness for me, for them, and for Him!

Lord, I love the synergy of Psalm 139 with the energy of Acts in my heart today. You know me, You search me, You perceive my thoughts and all of this is about love. You seek relationship with every man and woman. You seek relationship with my neighbors. You know them, You search them, You perceive their thoughts. Lord bring them to me and me to them through the power of Your Holy Spirit and the energy of Your love — all for the purpose of knowing You!