Why We Pray by Kayla Marcantonio

CPC: Why We Pray

“If God is omniscient – if He is all-knowing – then why do we pray?”

I’m certain I’m not the only one that has had this question cross my mind. Many times the enemy, or our own thoughts, can creep in during or after prayer to make us question the why behind talking with God. For some, it’s easy to slip into solely the function of prayer as a believer, so much that the wonder of it is forgotten. Maybe the more common prayer becomes to us, the easier it is for its importance to fade. For others though, the why isn’t known so we don’t engage. Maybe it’s unknown and intimidating to us, which leaves us stranded on how to start.

We are encouraged in the Bible to talk to God for many reasons. James 5:13 says we should pray if we’re walking through hardships or strained times. Philippians 4:6-7 says if we are worried and need peace, we should pray. We’re taught to pray for those in authority and our nation (1 Timothy 2:2 & 2 Chronicles 7:14).  Paul’s strong example to us in Romans 10:1 is to pray for those who don’t know the Lord that they might be saved!

Prayer isn’t only about giving requests though. Check out almost all of the Psalms. You’ll see that prayer is how we tell God “Thank You!” It’s how we express how we feel about Him. Through it, nothing is limited. In prayer, we can cry, vent, praise, worship, and learn. 

But, the question still remains – why do we pray?

Our God is a BIG God. I can’t begin to completely understand all of His ways and the way prayer completely works. None of us know wholly why prayer comes before miracles and why other times it feels like we are talking to the wall (He still hears us; it’s just how we feel). Until heaven, I’m sure we won’t comprehend how prayer offered in faith can heal the sick and raise the dead. It’s not for us to understand though. We simply bear the responsibility and carry the opportunity to do so – to take time to pause and talk with Him.

I want you to imagine with me for a second that our life is like an adventure or journey through tough terrain. I’m not sure what your terrain looks like – mountains, desert, rainforest, swamp (let your imagination flourish) – but for any journey like the one you’re imagining you would need to prepare, pack, and carry around tools necessary to complete the journey in the midst of such trying landscape. Prayer is more than a tool for us, but follow me for just a second. 

On a journey with just one, small backpack, you would have to be intentional about what you pack. This means every item would have a why behind. Nothing or without reason would be included. Similarly, in talking to God we carry around every good thing He gives us through it – and in them we find the whys. This isn’t a comprehensive list, but let’s look a few.

To Get Direction

In any expert adventurer’s backpack, I imagine they would carry a compass or a map. I say “I imagine” because my preference is Google Maps, but I’m also no expert. An explorer wouldn’t go down a path without following the map, just like a good soldier wouldn’t act unless given orders.

In this life, we are constantly at crossroads both big and small. Through prayer, God gives us the next right or left to take – or when we need to stop for the night and rest – simply by asking Him. His responses always press into our hearts and spirits. We normally know it’s Him because it’s not a thought we would have had on our own, and His responses always line up with Scripture. 

“If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.” (James 1:5)

“Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” (Proverbs 3:6)

To Be Refreshed

Matt and I recently took on hiking, and we are still self-proclaimed novices. Still, I sometimes find myself dreaming and looking up big excursions for the future. One day online I stumbled upon a hidden spring you can hike to in Sedona, Arizona, where the climate is extremely hot and dry. The recommended amount of water to pack for the nine-hour hike is at least two gallons of water per person. That’s the minimum suggestion!

It would be ludicrous to attempt that hike without packing any water, but many of us do the same thing in our daily lives. More than the nine hour hike, we go days, weeks, and sometimes even months thinking we don’t need to be refreshed. 

Jesus said He is the Living Water. When we are tired, exhausted and fatigued from this life, we can sit in God’s presence and be refreshed, like drinking fresh water in the heat of the day. We will come out of time talking to Him stronger than how we went in. Whether it’s through asking for forgiveness or just in worship, His promise is to refresh us when we seek Him and just talk with Him.

“Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. Then times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord…” (Acts 3:19)

“But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with sings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” (Isiah 40:31, NKJV)

 To Surrender

Any adventurer who knows they’ll be trekking multiple days will pack shelter. If it’s not a tent, then it will be a hammock instead. I’ve never been so bold, but I know people who sleep this way outdoors quite often. They don’t usually worry about bugs, bears, or rain. They are at peace to surrender to whatever happens while they are out there.

Talking about this surrendering part makes me think about Indiana Jones in quicksand. (And how funny is it that as kids we thought quicksand would be a bigger problem in life?!). If the movies show us anything it’s that when you get in quicksand, fighting it makes things worse. You start sinking more quickly. But, if you surrender to the pull of it all and slowly take steps forward, you will make it out alive.

Many times it is God’s will for us to take a step forward or to walk through a season that we are fighting tooth and nail. Like that quicksand, we are adamant to fight our way out of it, which only makes things worse. Jesus modeled in prayer – both in the Lord’s prayer and in the Garden of Gethsemane – that our time spent talking with God is to help line ourselves up with his plans instead of fighting against them.

“May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10)

“Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet, I want your will to be done, not mine.” (Luke 22:42)

To Communicate

Today on a long journey we would simply pack our iPhones or Androids devices, but back in the gap the go to was a Walkie-Talkie. I still think they are fun to use just for the feel of it all. What makes two-way radios helpful for our conversation about prayer is the range between the two. We have to use phones from city to city because a radio would be out of range; if you want to use them to communicate, you have to stay close to the other person who has the second of the pair.

Prayer keeps us close to God. It’s just that simple. When we talk to Him, it keeps us from wandering too far off from where He wants us. 

Through prayer, He affirms His love for us by His Spirit. He lets us in on His secrets. He affirms what we are His. All of this, and more, is accessible just by talking to Him.

This is why we have 21 Days of Prayer every fall – to put talking to Him into practice. We put Him first so He will stay first because the foundation is there. From that point of seeking Him, we will see direction, refreshment and surrender come more quickly or easily. He’s the reason why we pray!

Get ready for 21 Days of Prayer starting August 2 through August 22. Prayer kits can be picked up at the following times at CPC (through contactless pickup):

·      Sunday, August 2, Noon - 2 PM

·      Monday, August 3, Noon – 2 PM

·      Monday, August 3, 4 PM – 6 PM

Or, you can request a digital download of all the files by emailing jamie@crossingplacechurch.com.

Haven’t signed up to participate in 21 Days of Prayer? Text “21DAYS” to 337.243.6005 to receive further instructions, daily prayer videos, and weekly prayer walk challenges!

The Grinch and Easter - April 6, 2020 - Pastor Den

 By Pastor Den Hussey

I love the Grinch. 

No, we haven’t been quarantined so long that it’s already Christmas. I was thinking this week of how we’re about to have Easter together online, and it reminded me of something the Grinch realized after he took all the trees, toys, and food from Whoville.

“He hadn't stopped Christmas from coming! It came! Somehow or other, it came just the same!”

The Grinch did everything in his power to stop Christmas. But he couldn’t stop it from coming at all. I think this relates to the situation we find ourselves in during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It seems like the enemy is trying to steal Easter from us in 2020.  

Some of us have attended church on Easter Sunday most of our lives. Bonnie and I both can recall going to church those weekends even though our families didn’t attend very often. We rarely missed an Easter Sunday at church. It makes me wonder if attending church on Easter Sunday has become so familiar that we do it now out of obligation rather than devotion.  

Don’t get me wrong, I love going to church! I love seeing people, I love everything about it. I’ve been asking myself during this season if I’ve taken The Church for granted. For me? The answer is yes. As much as I hate to admit it, church is a habit. It’s not always devotion.

I understand that every commitment requires action that we don’t always enjoy. We do things because we know we should. That’s called discipline. But church should be more than discipline. It should flow from and deepen my devotion to the one Easter is all about. 

I have a new appreciation of church and Easter this year. 

I told you at the beginning that I believe the enemy is trying to steal Easter from us this year. I believe that strategy is about to blow up in his face and be almost as a great a failure as that first Easter weekend was for him.  

Think about it. He – at least he thought it was him – had Jesus killed.  He believed he had silenced God’s Son and killed God’s plan for the redemption of mankind. Early Sunday morning, that plan disintegrated quickly.  

The same thing is going to happen this Easter Sunday.

Jesus isn’t going to rise from the grave again as He resides in Heaven with our Father, but Jesus is going to overcome the plan of the enemy. His attempt to steal Easter from us by limiting our ability to gather together is actually going to cause people to celebrate Easter in a more meaningful way from their homes with those they love closest to their sides!

Just like the Grinch tried to stop Christmas and failed, the enemy is again trying to stop Easter. Let’s make sure he doesn’t do that. We have a potentially once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to pull our immediate families together and celebrate what Easter means to us personally, prayerfully, and I believe powerfully!  

Let’s do that! 

I’ll be leading a devotion through the last week of Jesus’ life every day through the YouVersion Bible App plans. I’ll also be sharing a short video devotion about the events that happened each day that week from Palm Sunday through the resurrection. 

We’ll celebrate communion at home Good Friday at 3:00 p.m. I believe this will be the best Easter on record for all of us!  And, maybe like the Grinch:

“Our hearts will all grow three sizes that day!”

The Good Shepherd - April 1, 2020 - Pastor Kayla

By Kayla Marcantonio

While unfortunate, it’s true for many believers – the longer we study the Bible, the least likely we are to revisit passages popularly taught. You don’t have to give me the side eye! I’m not here to point my finger at you. In fact, I’m the one with my hand raised in confession first. This is something I’ve been guilty of before. 

Sometimes it is to convince ourselves that we’ve already learned the lesson that applies with certain verses. We can come to view Scriptures as one-sided, as one-and-done notches to put on our spiritual belt.

“I already know the principle there. Let me study something fresh and new.”

Take for instance this widely known passage where Jesus introduces himself as The Good Shepherd in John 10:

“I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.” John 10:1-5

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve looked at this passage starting from when I was a child. In recently doing a devotional, the author prompted us to study these words of Jesus once again. I have to be honest – I was tempted to stick to the same application I always have: When you spend time knowing Jesus’ voice (studying the Word and prayer), you’ll be able to distinguish His voice from anyone else. Case closed.

This particular morning though, I didn’t follow my immediate temptation. Instead, I begrudgingly forced myself to read the passage again. Unexpectedly, a question popped into my head that had never formed before.

“Can sheep even see well?”

Sometimes we can be drawn to think these questions come from our own intelligence. My leaning is to believe God’s Spirit prompts our minds with questions and direction to oil up our thought process and bring us somewhere new. We can see this in Job when God asks the rhetorical question, “Who gives intuition to the heart and instinct to the mind?”

Obviously, it’s Him.

Back to the question. 

Curious, I pull out my phone and google that question – “Can sheep see well?” Several responses popped up with the same answer. Apparently, sheep have excellent vision and have almost 360-degree peripheral sight. 

In fact, a sheep can see almost directly behind themselves several feet. Still, sheep have terrible vision right in front of their faces. What they see right in front of them is usually indistinguishable.

After reading this, I just about ran around my house in excitement. This is no exaggeration! I couldn’t contain this new revelation. You’re probably already trekking there with me.

Jesus wasn’t solely teaching about following His commands and knowing His voice. He was proclaiming the promise and the arrival of the Holy Spirit who would be available to every believer. 

In paraphrase, Jesus told His disciples, “You won’t be able to see me or the direction I’m going. This will be new. These times will be blurry, but follow My Voice. Follow my Holy Spirit. You can trust it’s still me, even though you won’t see my physical body in front of you.”

I challenge you to go back and dust off some of the verses, passages, and stories in the Bible you feel you’ve already conquered and checked off. Remember, Hebrews 4:12 says that the word of God is alive.

When I speak to my husband or my friends and family, I never expect to have the same conversation every time we talk. That’s because they are alive! They have feelings, emotions, thoughts, and opinions. I can expect something familiar and something new each time we communicate. 

The word of God is alive as well. How beautiful that we can expect something new from the Holy Spirit each time we pause to read and listen.

Wednesday, March 18, 2020 Devotion: Pastor Ryan Carr

Pastor Ryan Carr

Wednesday Night Devotion

March 18, 2020

CPC COVID-19 Press Release Statement

We are taking the severity and societal concerns of COVID-19 seriously. Our leadership team has met and agreed that our best plan of action is to suspend all regular church gatherings – Sunday, Wednesday, Small Groups, and all events (including our Community Easter Egg Hunt) indefinitely. We will also no longer have our team in the office during the week. We will continue along this path until our national and state leaders determine it is safe to gather again. For now, we will continue to stream our Sunday worship experience at 10:00 AM on our Facebook page. Then we’ll upload the video to our YouTube channel for easy access through our website or app.

Regardless of your personal feelings about the approach our leaders have taken to COVID-19, it is still wise to take all precautions prescribed by the CDC in Atlanta. These are applicable in most cases of sickness, but especially prevalent now.

1.     If you or anyone in your family is sick – even a little bit – stay home. 

2.     Wash your hands frequently and utilize antibacterial sanitizer.

3.     Avoid any gatherings in any groups if possible

4.     Regularly check on those you know at high risk 

One of the keys to stopping this virus is to observe the proposed “social distancing” that all our leaders are promoting. We know this is contrary to what we believe and teach, but we believe it is absolutely necessary for this time. We recommend that you stay home as much as possible.  We will continue to update you regularly through text, social media, and email.  

If there is something you need, please contact Jamie Gaspar (jamie@crossingplacechurch.com).  We love you all and we are praying this virus dissipates quickly. Let’s continue to be the Church by loving and serving well!