Great Prayers

A major architect of welfare reform as President of the Board of Trade and as Home Secretary, Winston Churchill also continued to push a radical social agenda while running the Navy. While he was in charge of the Royal Navy between October 1911 and May 1915, not only were there major improvements in pay and conditions for sailors but detailed consideration was also given to the future of the spirit ration; to the punishing and eradicating of homosexual practices; to the spiritual concerns of the fleet; and to the regime of corporal punishment that underpinned naval discipline for boy sailors.

Why are we feeling so depleted when God has promised us strength equal to our days? Pastor Robert Morgan leads a busy life as a pastor and is also a multitasking caregiver to his disabled wife. Most days he feels exhausted, yet over time God has shown him how to build himself up when he's worn himself out. He has learned to fully embrace Psalm 84, as he moves from strength to strength. The valleys and the weaknesses are inevitable. Our task is to embrace these as we wait for God to take us to our next time of strength.

In this volume, Mark described Jesus' ministry around the Sea of Galilee, starting at Capernaum, traveling across the sea to Gergesa, and back to Capernaum. Jesus and his disciples were caught in a violent storm as they sailed across the sea. Once they reached the shore, they met a man who had been driven from society and lived among the tombs. The evil spirits cast out of the poor tomb-dwelling man spooked a huge herd of pigs that ran into the sea and drowned. The pig owners and other neighbors were angry, and they urged Jesus to leave their area.

One of the things that make the Gospel of Mark so appealing is the ordinary people the writer describes. They faced issues like those many face today: a man with a debilitating physical condition, someone making a major vocational change, critics and faultfinders, a person with a damaged arm, the pressure of work and time, selecting helpers, and being misunderstood. Each of Mark’s stories contains lessons for the listeners.

Which year of your life was the most impactful so far? One year of my life, God spoke to me in a way I would never experience again. The things I heard and see manifest would forever change my life.