The saddest prayer in the bible is...
View this email in your browser
You are receiving this email because of your relationship with . Please reconfirm your interest in receiving emails from us. If you do not wish to receive any more emails, you can unsubscribe here.
llcf
THE SADDEST PRAYER IN THE BIBLE

Sometimes the best prayers are honest and blue. One of the saddest prayers in the Bible is Psalms 88 written by a man named Heman the Ezrahite. He was a key musician in King David's time. And typically, even the sad Psalms end with a hopefuly tone, but not Psalms 88, which ends, "You have taken from me friend and neighbor—darkness is my closest friend." I'm pretty sure Simon & Garfunkel were inspired by this Psalm when they wrote, "hello darkness my old friend". 

 

Sometimes we need to let our true colors show in our prayer life and not sugar coat our feelings. God can handle our honesty. As I mentioned last Wednesday from Habakkuk 2, C.S. Lewis said it this way; "We must lay before Him what is in us, not what ought to be in us."

 

Today, your pastors want to especially invite you to come in person to our Blue Christmas service which will not be livestreamed for the purpose of creating a safe and comforting space for all.  Blue Christmas is a reflective and lament service for those who are struggling with the holly jolly of Christmas and need a space to grieve. We invite you to come to this quieter-than-usual service and let your soul be ministered to. Invite a friend, invite someone who is hurting, all are welcome just as you are, blue prayers and all.

 

-Pastor Joel

 

PASTORAL PRAYER REQUESTS

  1. Christmas Offering | We are praying that God would provide $250k in the month of December so that we could finish the year financially strong and start the new one ready to reach, teach, mend, and send more and more!  To give or learn more about this offering click here. 
  2. Pray for our Reach During Christmas | Pray about inviting ONE person this Christmas to one of our next FOUR service opportunities; Blue Christmas tonight, Feliz Navidad Bilingual Christmas Concert Friday 7pm, Fourth Sunday of Advent on Sunday at 9, 10:30, 12, or Candlelit Christmas Eve on Tuesday at 4 or 6 pm. 

 ALL CHURCH PRAYER REQUEST

  1. Richard Nelson | Because of my Quadruple Heart Surgery, and medical problems my daughter has we can no longer eat most foods. Foods with high salt levels or sugar free, I cannot eat anything fried. This is just a small amount of food we can no longer eat. But we are learning to trust in God.

  2. Suszan Smith | Please pray to God today. Bless me, James, our kids' health, our house and me. Praying James is healed from fear, anger, confusion; he is in our house with our son Andrew family.

  3. John Manley | I'm very concerned for my health conditions, both physical and mental. Seems that I am surrounded with my prayers of healing as I head toward my 77th birthday with a half dozen serious health problems from heart failure, such as irregular heartbeats, and atrial fibrillation, a total right knee replacement, lumbar spinal stenosis, chronic diastolic heart failure, brain atrophy, major depressive disorder, cataract surgery in 2024 and malignant melanoma of scalp skin cancer. Too much yet to speak on this list. But I pray every waking moment for some reason that all this and I still confront myself with prayers for help, health and healing.

  4. Jamie Sharp | Hi there, I'd like prayers for my boss, Stacey. Her neighbor's apartment caught fire and her, and her kids are living in a hotel, and she can't find a place to live. Please lift her up. Thank you!

  5. Nicky Kelly | Jennie Dorsch - God's wisdom and guidance on purchasing a car, as her car is not worth fixing. Pray for someone to help her through the process.

  6. Reginald Van Appelen | Please pray for my work with mothers, fathers, and families.

  7. Karina Pineda | Please pray for my family to be reunited, for my dad to be free of addiction and for God to support him along the way.

  8. Dora Gonzalez | Please pray for my friends: Nancy, who has been hospitalized for stomach issues and recently lost her husband. Rosa, who is having a lot of health issues that her doctors can't quite figure out.

  9. Daniel Lopez | Pray for good faith for the rest of this month.

  10. Jessika Lizarraga | Please pray for my anxiety to disappear.

  11. Steven Watson | I ask for prayer that I can finish the year loving and cherishing him and I also ask that my prayers be answered for the new year.

  12. Tamara Shearer | My granddaughter substance abuse & witchcraft, her husband & children.

  13. Kevin Mendez | For strength and courage.

  14. Aracely | My son Eduardo, please.

  15. Mary Ann Villaflor | Praying for strength and courage to continue with my legal battle. Peace and joy this Christmas regardless of the circumstances. Thank you.

  16. Al Bacani | My daughter is visiting from Japan- please pray that we can help her make a stronger connection to God.

  17. Katherine Brown | Please stand in agreement with me as I patiently trust in the Lord for answered prayers. Believing for salvation for my family, healing, financial blessings, the church, the pastors, all of our members, friends, neighbors, the world, wars and America.

  18. Mike Gipson | Pray for me that God continue to use me in ways that take me out of my comfort zone to be a blessing to Him and to others.

  19. Glen Upshaw | Pray for health and having surgery upcoming in the next few weeks having stent placement.

  20. Ruth Zimbron | I would really appreciate continued prayer for Bella, that she would have healthy relationships and be healed of the hurts if the past. I would appreciate prayer that my children Jonathan, Gabriela and Bella would completely surrender their lives to Jesus. Thank you.

  21. Alex Sanchez | Please pray that my circumstances change. That he can make me financially independent so I can support a whole family, to show me a little favor and that he continues to change my heart posture, thank you.

  22. Caroline Sandoval | Pray for all the new teachers like me, to stay compassionate, calm and focus, during the Christmas season, thanks!

  23. Adriana Castillo | Thank you for always reaching out. Please pray for my family to have meaningful relationships with others, for my eye health, and for a job opportunity for me.

  24. Maria Vasquez | Pray for God's peace for me and my husband in our life. And reconciliation with my 5 siblings that I lost because of greed from sale of mom's house.

  25. Dylan Carter | Just praying that I'm able to start school next month smoothly. And for all of those that don't have parents or family this year, like me.

  26.  

    Ruth Robbins | Healing and deliverance for my family.

  27. Yolanda Villalba | Safe travel Mercies.

  28. Rhonda Hendricks | Keeping us all covered with his blood. Praying for all the homeless people. Praying for shelter during these cold nights. In Jesus name Amen.

  29. MIchael Lumpkin | Just that we do the Lord's work.

  30. Mireya Juarez | I want to send prayers to my neighbor's family, their mom recently passed away from a heart attack and to my grandmother who's been in recovery from hip surgery for the past 2 and a half years it has been a very difficult recovery for her.

  31. Alyssa Salvador | I have a prayer request for my brother again. He will officially be going to prison on January 6th and will be there for 2 years.

  32. Joji Silo | Please pray for the coming JOB 2025 Pastors and Leaders Convention - Pt Sean and team coming, pray for their safe trip to 🇵🇭 Philippines! Also, add that many leaders will be motivated to stand up and keep going even during tough times.

  33. Valerie Garcia | Pray for all my children and grandchildren in spiritual warfare.

  34. Kiren | We are mourning the loss of our beloved pet sage. Please pray for healing and comfort our family (Kiren, Ezra, Asher, Phil, and Felix) and for us to be able to process this loss, especially for our boys and our other cat, who keeps looking for sage (deceased cat). Thank you, church family.

  35. Phillip Marquez | Peace after mourning the death of our family's beloved cat, Sage. Grant us wisdom to guide our children to process this in a healthy way. Especially with our 5-year-old, Ezra, as this is his first experience with death of a loved one. He was deeply mourning this loss. For healing in the heartache my wife (who was the initial owner) is feeling.

  36. Jessica Sebastian | Please pray for my husband Cody who's struggling with many serious health concerns. Please pray that his kidneys recover, remain functional & that he always put his faith in God.

  37. Angie Dunlap | Please pray for my husband Jim who was recently diagnosed with cancer. Please pray for healing and that we will continue to experience Gods goodness, grace and peace.

ALL CHURCH PRAISE REPORT
  1. Pastors | Our Christmas Village event drew more than 350 people and we had an abundance of toys to give away, God provided through you all, praise him!
  2. Adriana Castillo | I'm grateful Jesus for LLCF.
  3. Katherine Brown | Praise and thank God for Jesus. Jesus is our PEACE in the world.
  4. Mark Keppler | My back was hurting now it's not. Praise the Lord.
  5. John Manley | Thank you for your prayers!
  6. Richard Nelson | Thank you for your support and your prayers.
      

5951 Downey Avenue, Long Beach, CA, 90805

| |