Centered In Prayer

I spent most of my Christmases in Louisiana as a kid. I was born in Louisiana, and its influence on my life runs pretty deep. We spent every Christmas at Mum Mum and Pop Pop's house. I have three distinct memories of Christmas as a child: 1) Like many, we always read the Christmas story from the gospel of Luke. 2) My Mum Mum always put an orange and nuts in our stockings. 3) Red Beans and Rice were a Christmas treat.

As we enter the season of Advent, the conference prayer team would like to highlight several areas for you to consider in your prayers.

1.    Pray for the gospel to be lifted high! Christmas is a time when many people attend worship services who normally do not. Pray that children's Christmas programs, Cantatas, and Candlelight services will all draw people to Christ. Make room for the gospel in your own life. Christmas can be the busiest time on our Calendar. Create space for your spiritual rest. Use the Christmas story as a prayer guide for you and your family.

2.    Historically, oranges and nuts were placed in stockings during hard times. Many people continued to put them in stockings as a reminder of times past. Take time as you pray to remember all that you have to be thankful for and all that God has brought you through.

3.     Red Beans and Rice may not sound like a treat if you're not from Louisiana, but they were a cherished treat for our family. When I think about our favorite meal, I remember all the laughter and joy we shared around our table. Pray for the spirit of joy in your life and in the life of your family and church.

On behalf of the conference prayer team, it is our joy to gather each Monday morning and pray for the needs of our conference. Our desire is that God will awaken the desire for prayer within our conference. We hope that this Advent season will be filled with Hope, Peace, Love, and Joy as we join in prayer, thanking God for all he has done and will do through our conference!

For the Kingdom,

Jared Middleton

Join us in praying:

Local Churches: 

We are praying for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit to spark a revival in the hearts of all; for the new church plants; for prayer coordinators in each church; and for the many opportunities that each church has to reach the least, lost, and hurting in their community. 

   SGMGMC: 

We are praying for the leaders of our South Georgia Conference, the upcoming Called Annual Conference, the formation of district prayer teams, and the Wesley Foundations to have the needed resources to reach our college-age students. 

  The Global Methodist Church: 

We are praying for Bishop Leah Hidde-Gregory and her family, the planning and preparation that is taking place for the General Conference in Johannesburg, South Africa, and for the GMC as it continues to grow around the world.