March 3, 2020 SHARE: Reading time: two minutes. During our Lenten journey to the cross and empty tomb, we’ll find some encouragement from Luke’s travel narrative, our Lord’s own journey to Jerusalem. It was on the journey that the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray (see Luke 11). After the Lord’s Prayer and the Parable of the Persistent Widow, Jesus said, “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (v. 13) You’ve got a great companion on your side as you tread the long road of the next six weeks in ministry! Find your strength and your joy in the One who fills you, empowers you, blesses everything you do and takes your humble offering of ministry and uses it to change lives by the gospel. Lent is a time for prayer and I’m praying that God the Holy Spirit will fill your prayers with sighs too deep for words. We’re in over our heads for the next few weeks. Lent is a time for humility, and the tasks of this most busy season have a way of humbling all of us. That’s a good place to be. The Lord lifts up the humbled, the overwhelmed, those whose weakness shows through so that his strength might be on display. We preach best from a place of emptiness. You’re already deep into sermon prep for the coming weeks. Stay a little overwhelmed, then commit your preaching and teaching to the Lord. Your Father in heaven has promised to send you the Holy Spirit. Be confident that as you proclaim, he is at work, stirring hearts, offering hope, healing wounds, granting peace to troubled hearts. You’re not in this alone! A humble heart is the Holy Spirit’s blank slate for offering wisdom and courage. Find encouragement from knowing that as you turn to his Word in preparation to preach, he is at work in you first, and then through you he’s at work in the lives of others. I’ll be praying that you stay constant in prayer as you take this wonderful journey with the fellowship of saints to the cross and tomb. I’ll be praying specifically that you will be filled with the fruit of the Holy Spirit, every gift you’ll need to faithfully serve in this season of growth. And I know you will be filled. Because even a father like me knows how to give gifts to his children. “How much more…?” God bless your journey. Are you interested in helping bring a Grace Place Wellness Retreat to your region? We’d love to hear from you. Contact Darrell Zimmerman today to begin exploring the possibilities. Let’s have a conversation about bringing our Church Worker Retreat to your area soon!