Weekly Prayer Points

“Why do you look for the living among the dead?” Luke 24:5 (NIV). We begin this week with our glorious celebration of our Lord’s Resurrection! Perhaps there were folks with your church for Easter worship who were new, or who do not attend regularly. Pray for these folks specifically that being with the church for Resurrection Sunday may make a significant impact and lead them to a new and deeper walk with Christ. Pray for your congregations, your Regions, and the CBC’s efforts to win the lost to Jesus. It is our highest calling! The CBC Executive Board meets at our national office in Fairmont, WV, on Friday and Saturday for our Spring face-to-face meetings. Pray for the Holy Spirit to clearly guide these meetings. Please pray for the following congregations and pastors: Mill Creek in Tryon, NC and Pastor Andy Parker Ministerio Evangelica La Gloria de Jehova Cafarino Zarco Mosquera in Panama and Pastor Cafarino Zarco Mosquera Ministerio Evangelistico La Puerta Estrecha in Venezuela and Pastor Jairo Hernandez Ministerio Internacional Centro Cristiano in Venezuela and Pastors Angel & Carmen Franceschi CBC Prayer Committee

Pray for God to bless all CBC Congregations with rich and special times of worship on Resurrection Sunday. May His Holy Spirit help us to celebrate Jesus’ victory over death, Hell, and the grave, and may it produce the fruit of salvation with many individuals getting saved. Please pray for the following congregations and pastors: Maranatha in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Pastor Lewis Ponga Umbe Maranatha in Tanzania Africa and Pastor Daudi Faraja Melvin Hill in Columbus, NC and Pastor Craig Scruggs Midway in Surgoinsville, TN seeking pastoral leadership CBC Prayer Committee

Pray for God to bless each CBC congregation with deep and wonderful times of worship and fellowship as we gather around the Lord’s Table for Love Feast and Holy Communion. Pray that God will put it in the heart of each member to attend this special time to obey and honor Jesus until He comes. Please pray for the following congregations and pastors: Maji ya Uzima Kikonde in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Pastor Lambert Bya'ene Joshua Malinde in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Pastor Mleke Mwenge Mana de Cielo in Venezuela and Pastor Asdrubal Rodriguez Maple Spring in Eglon, WV seeking pastoral leadership CBC Prayer Committee

Pray for God to bless the work of the Annual Meeting and Worship Conference Program and Arrangements Committee as they plan this year’s event in Pennsylvania, and pray for each person who will present in any capacity. Pray that God will be glorified and Christ’s Church be edified. Please pray for the following congregations and pastors: La Javilla Comunidad del Cristo in the Dominican Republic and Pastora Alicia Celestin Destin Limestone in Limestone, TN and Pastor Jim Griffith Little Pine in Ennice, NC and Pastor Eddie Wooten Maison du Potier in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa and Pastor Kifuluga Asani Alaiz CBC Prayer Committee

Let us thank God for all the pastors of CBC and ask Him to bless and encourage each one, along with their spouses and families. Please pray for God to raise up more pastors for CBC congregations in need. Ask Him to inspire individuals to enter the ministry and for congregations to be discerning in their calls to ministry. Pray that those whom God calls will respond positively and say yes to Him! Please pray for the following congregations and pastors: Kiruri in Burundi Africa and Pastor Bukobero Pierre Kiryankonzi-Kibogi in Uganda Africa and Pastor Twagiramunga Christopher Knob Creek in Johnson City TN and Pastor John Swonger Knobley in New Creek WV and Pastor Chris Edward Leatherman CBC Prayer Committee

Pray for our CBC brothers and sisters in Venezuela during these times of transition, and that God would protect, provide, and bless them. Pray also for our CBC brothers and sisters in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the challenges they are facing due to war and displacement. Pray that we will all be faithful to pray for each other and that God would move in each CBC member and congregation. Please pray for the following congregations and pastors: Kibwanyi-Mubende in Uganda Africa and Pastor Hagumimana Benjamin Kidaho in Rwanda Africa and Pastor Adam Mbarushimana Kinogo in Uganda Africa and Pastor Twzermyana Emanuel Kiruma-Mubende in Uganda Africa and Pastor Elisa Niwamanya CBC Prayer Committee

One final point. According to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Thomas Nelson, 1978, pages 1110 & 1113, surveying the King James Version, the word "prayer" is used 245 times in the Old Testament and 68 times in the New Testament. The word prayed is used 31 times in the Old Testament and 34 times in the New Testament. The word prayer 83 times in the Old Testament and 31 times in the New Testament. The word prayers is used twice in the Old Testament and 22 times in the New Testament. The word prayeth, 4 times in the Old Testament and 3 times in the New Testament and finally praying is found 6 times in the Old Testament and 14 times in the New Testament. That means the word prayer and its five companion words are used 543 times in the King James. I pray that my point has been made. The concept of prayer is from the beginning to the end of the bible. It is as important as any of us can imagine. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (KJV) gives us an invitation: “Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of [...]

I know, brothers and sisters, that I am on a soapbox this month about prayer. I am not aware of any other way to develop a relationship with God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit than to pray. Prayer will cleanse the mind and open the heart to what the Holy Spirit is trying to tell us. So, prayer should be between them and you. Matthew 6:5-8 says it better than I: “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore, do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask him” (NKJV). Please [...]

This part of the newsletter is devoted to prayer and praying. To get right to the point, the Covenant Brethren Church was built with prayer. Numerous meetings took place before the Covenant Brethren Church began and concluded with prayer. I am not a member of the Executive Board, but I am absolutely positive that each meeting begins and ends with prayer, as do our Annual Meetings. Is there anything that we should not pray about? No! This is explained in 1 Thessalonians, “And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves. Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” 1 Thessalonians 5:12-18; (NKJV). Please pray for the following congregations and pastors: Iglesia Restauracion y [...]

We as Christians are in a hard place. We are to live in a world that does not respect our Savior. We work with some, we shop next to others, and when we travel, we will find them there also. We need to respect them as humans and remember that they, too, can become members of the family of God with just a few words. But, until they do, they are the enemy of our cause. We must still pray for them, as scripture tells us. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He maketh His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love them which love you, what reward have ye? Do not even the publicans the same?” Matthew 5:43-47 (KJV) Please pray for the following congregations and pastors: Iglesia Misionera Cristo [...]