APACHE PRAYER GROUP (Photo Gallery)!!

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Permalink Reply by Phoebe Macon on September 13, 2010 at 3:13pm

TO ALL ALUMNI: I SAID A PRAYER FOR YOU TODAY

Permalink Reply by Phoebe Macon on October 3, 2010 at 12:46am

FROM: ALL ABOUT LIFE CHALLENGES: "PRAYER FOR STRESS RELIEF"

Prayer For Stress Relief - Does Prayer Work to Reduce Stress?

Let us face the facts: we all have stress. It is the way we deal with stress that differs. The good news is that prayer for stress relief works! Prayer is that unique form of communication with God available to the believer that, when used often and in accordance with God's will, brings us into alignment with God's viewpoint. Being in good alignment means that our whole being is put into its proper perspective and that means life is less stressful and we are better able to deal with the stress we do have.

A proper perspective of our reality is often the biggest stress reliever there is. There is a saying, "Don't sweat the small stuff, it is all small stuff." The proper perspective helps us to understand that our stress is not unique or strange and it cannot defeat us without our help. In other words, when it comes to stress, we give it the power that it has over us. Living a prayer-centered life changes that equation. It is also an amazing thing of irony, but praying for others or intermediary prayer helps to put our own needs into perspective. Because when we focus upon the needs of others, our own needs become less of a focus. "Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:4).

The adage that "Prayer changes things," is only partly right, especially in stress relief. Prayer changes the one doing the praying. God is sovereign and when we pray, we are told to pray with in the will of God as Jesus taught His disciples in Matthew 6:9-13. This model of prayer is a good basis to start from and it can lead us into a deeper life of prayer. This deeper communion with Christ has a result of bringing a clearer understanding of our dependence upon God and His grace, which changes us and can consequently result in changing "things."

James makes this statement: "You ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.'" (James 4:15). Therefore, when we are praying, we need to do so not with a personal laundry list but with the attitude of submission to God and His will. That is not to say that we should not use prayer for stress relief. "You do not have, because you do not ask God" (James 4:2). There is nothing in our lives that God does not know about so when we pray we are not informing Him. Rather, we are bringing our will into alignment with His Will.

But how does prayer relieve stress? When we communicate with God, we do so on a one-to-one basis with no intermediary. This is the only time when we can be honest with ourselves and with God. You'll find no artifice in the prayer closet. One can't simply mumble "I'm fine" when one is alone with God. The realizations that God knows our frame, has a clear understanding of who and what we are, and that He loves us anyway gives us a humility that strips us of false pride and opens our heart to allow the LORD to change us. Situations that cause stress in our life may not change instantly, but our attitude of peace in the face of the stress will make our life seem different. The result of prayer as a stress relief is the recognition of our dependence upon the "Prince of Peace" to bring us through anything!

A prayer for stress relief might include some of the following statements to God: "Father, I know that You know my life and You know the problems and stress that I face. Help me to keep my eyes not on the problems or the stressful situations, but upon You and Your mercy and grace. Father, I cannot change the situations that cause stress in my life but I know that You can. LORD, keep my heart humble and willing to submit to the 'all things' that you have allowed into my life. Father, give me Your strength to stand because although I do not understand how this will change me, I know that You are working in and through me to conform my life to glorify You. Lead me into Your truth by helping me to surrender to Your Word. In the name of Jesus, Amen."

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We have all sinned and deserve God's judgment. God, the Father, sent His only Son to satisfy that judgment for those who believe in Him. Jesus, the creator and eternal Son of God, who lived a sinless life, loves us so much that He died for our sins, taking the punishment that we deserve, was buried, and rose from the dead according to the Bible. If you truly believe and trust this in your heart, receiving Jesus alone as your Savior, declaring, "Jesus is Lord," you will be saved from judgment and spend eternity with God in heaven.

Permalink Reply by Phoebe Macon on October 3, 2010 at 3:34am

Someone sent this prayer to me, so I wanted to share it with all of you!!

PRAYER FOR THE DAY

DEAR GOD, LET YOUR GRACE AND BLESSINGS FLOW DIRECTLY AND ABUNDANTLY INTO OUR LIVES. TOUCH US, HEAL US, ENCOURAGE US AND DELIVER US FROM ANY AND ALL PAIN, SUFFERING AND HEARTACHE...ALLOW YOUR WILL TO BE DONE WITHOUT ANY INTEFERENCE AND HAVE THINE WAY OH LORD...POSITION OUR MIND AND OUR HEARTS TO RECEIVE ALL THAT YOU HAVE IN STORE FOR US...PROTECT US AND GUIDE US THROUGH WHATEVER DIFFICULTIES AND STORMS THAT MAY ARISE IN OUR PATH...BE OUR SHIELD AND REFUGE...GIVE US THE TOOLS OF STRENGTH, COURAGE AND WISDOM TO FACE THE ENEMY AT ALL TIMES. RULE OVER OUR THOUGHTS, WORDS AND ACTIONS SO THAT THEY CAN BE A REFLECTION OF YOU...INSTRUCT YOUR ANGELS TO WATCH OVER US ALSO AND BE OUR GUARDIANS...THANK YOU DEAR GOD FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE, WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND WHAT YOU WILL DO...WE TRUST IN YOU AND ALL THAT YOU HAVE DONE BECAUSE IN THE MIDST OF IT ALL, YOU ARE STILL GOOD, FAITHFUL AND JUST...IN JESUS' PRECIOUS HOLY NAME, ALL THESE THINGS I PRAY...AMEN AND AMEN

God Bless!!

Love and Blessings, Phoebe Macon c/o '75

Permalink Reply by Phoebe Macon on October 31, 2010 at 1:56am

(PRAYER: Written By Josephine Henderson Herd, 1890)

Gracious Savior, let me make,
Neither error or mistake---
Let me in Thy love abide,
Ever near Thy riven side.

Let me, counting all things dross,
Find my glory in the Cross,
Let me daily with Thee talk,
In Thy footsteps daily walk.

I would gladly follow Thee,
For Thou gently leadest me,
Where the pastures green doth grow,
Where the waters stillest flow.

For me is Thy table spread,
And Thou doth anoint my head,
And my cup of joy o'erflows
In the presence of my foes.

(Josephine Henderson Herd, 1890)
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SCRIPTURE
"If you stay joined to me and my words remain in you, you may ask any request you like, and it will be granted!"
(John 15:7 NLT)
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"MY CUP OF JOY OVERFLOWS": Written by Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Without God, all of our efforts turn to ashes and our sunrise into the darkest of nights. Without him, life is a meaningless drama in which the decisive scenes are missing.
(Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.)
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HAVE A GREATLY BLESSED WEEK EVERYONE!!

Love and Blessings, Phoebe Macon c/o '75

Permalink Reply by Reginald "Reggie" Hall on November 1, 2010 at 10:37am

ALUMNI FRIENDS: Please keep Phoebe Macon and Her Family in your Prayers this week. I just found out today that Phoebe's First Cousin Edward "Scottie" Macon a Centennial High c/o '85 Alumni passed away today at work. Scotty was 43 years old. Phoebe & her Family are in mourning.
Thank you all !
-Love, Reggie

Photo of Edward "Scottie" Macon

Permalink Reply by Tamara Johnson on November 1, 2010 at 12:29pm

Phoebe,

You and your family (The Macon Family) will be in my prayers.

I'm so very sorry to hear of your loss.

Love you, Take care & God bless!

Love Tam

Permalink Reply by Edmund Stevens on November 1, 2010 at 12:44pm

Phoebe,
So sorry to hear about the loss of your family member.
You are a great friend and you and your family will be in my prayers.
God bless you all, Love Ed

Permalink Reply by Phoebe Macon on November 2, 2010 at 1:49am

THANK YOU ALUMNI FRIENDS FOR YOUR CONDOLENCES AND WORDS OF SYMPATHY. I appreciate your kindnesses and thoughtfulness, (Reggie Hall, Tamara Johnson, Edmund Stevens, Wayne Ware, Honor Rae Patterson Drake, Roosevelt Brown, Chestener Gorden Rice, Renee Campbell Hall, Kasaundra Neal Johnson, Steven Windom). Special Thanks to Wayne Ware and Reggie Hall for letting our Alumni Friends & Classmates know about my Cousin's passing. To Roosevelt "Rozi" I love the Flower Bouquet Gift, Thank You so much!! Our Family: We all are still in a state of shock right now. As our Family plans the upcoming Service please continue to keep us in your prayers. Thanks also to those who may have said a prayer for us but were to shy to post a note; and thank you as well for the future notes to come. Please bear with me, I'll try my best to post an individual personal note to all of you when I get the chance.
God bless!!
Love and Blessings, Phoebe Macon c/o '75