I heard from many of you this past Holy Week.  It was a most intense week for a lot of us to  be sure.  Remember, it was a most intense week for Jesus  culminating in His death on the cross.   As His followers we share “…the fellowship of His sufferings, being  conformed to His death.”  (Philippians  3:10b)  But then comes His  resurrection!  We share in that  also.  As Paul says in Philippians 3:10a,  “…that I may know Him and the power of  His resurrection…”

That resurrection power is available to each and every  one of us who call Him King of kings and Lord of lords!  My prayer is that we may know Him fully and ‘the power of His  resurrection’ completely.  It is through His resurrection power  residing in us that we are able to go forward in His name to be and to do all that He has ordained for us.  As with the initial decision to follow Him,  it is our choice to decide how deep we will go with Him and how far. 

The overwhelming thread of struggle last week that I  heard from you revolved around trust in Him.   Not trusting, losing trust, trying so hard to trust, believing in trust  but finding on closer look that it was not there or was deeply shattered…these are the issues that swirled in our hearts (and it is always a heart issue).  On this Resurrection Sunday I offer the  following:

TRUST HIM because He said, “I  am the way, the truth, and the life.”  (John 14:6a)   He is the way to the Father, the way for us to follow.   He is the truth.  Unlike the ‘truth’ of men His truth is eternal and complete and whole.  He is the life.  This life is forever.  It is imbued with power from on high.  It is  complete.

TRUST HIM because He said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,  and all these things shall be added to you.”  (Matthew 6:33)  If we pursue Him above all on this earth He  promises that our needs while on this earth will be met.  Period…no question…He said  it.

TRUST HIM because He said, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will  find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”  (Matthew 7:7)  He leaves no room for doubt.  When we move closer to Him, He moves in our  life.  In His timing it will be given, we will find, and the door will be opened!  Whatever you are pressing toward Him for,  know that it will be done in His perfect time and in His perfect  will.

TRUST HIM because He said, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle  and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”  (Matthew 11:29)  Choose to give it all to Him, let Him lead  and teach you as you walk toward the freedom He died to give you.  The rest He offers is found in complete  surrendered trust in Him that He knows us better than we know ourselves.  He  knows us and will lead us if we let Him.

If we believe He rose from the dead then let us  believe in Him.  If we believe He rose from the dead then let us trust in Him completely and walk as His followers in the resurrection power He died to give  us!

Please join us this week as we ‘pray the states’  toward the 2012 Presidential election.   Each state is important in forming our United States of America.  We commit to pray for a different state each  week so we not only provide prayer cover but also to make us aware that our  country is bigger than the space we personally occupy in  it.

This week please cover Rhode Island admitted to the  Union May 29, 1790, in prayer.   We are  praying for each state in the order of admission to the Union.  Pray for wisdom and discernment for the  political leaders, pastors and church leaders, the people residing in Rhode  Island and for all in our Nation.  These are our United States.  Let us pray that  we will arise united ‘for such a time as this!’ Please repost and share.

Thank you for your continued faithfulness to pray.  Keep our servicemen and women and their  families in prayer for salvation and safety.   They are our frontline on the battlefield, let us be their frontline in  the spirit.  May God richly bless you  this week and break the fear that would keep you from completely trusting in Him  so you can walk forward and truly know the power of His resurrection in your  life in Jesus name!  Amen and amen!