Scripture Reading:
Ephesians 3:12 – “In Christ Jesus and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.”
Reflection:
I remember when my father’s health was failing in 2012. Diabetes was taking him away from us slowly and it was very difficult to understand why God was not healing him. He was only 76 years old. My mom was struggling with his health care and the family did not really know what to do about it. I remember asking God: “Why does my Dad have to be sick like this?” “What is it that we need to do so my Mom does not get sick because the role of caregiver is taking a toll on her?”
When my “what if” questions became long and tiring, I began to pray. I did not want to dwell on those questions but my Dad was so sick and he was suffering through so much. As I began reaching out to God for direction and help, suddenly I felt at peace. My heart felt the love of God and the love of my family. Our family became closer together and my brothers, sister, our spouses and my Mom began the process of planning for my Dad’s end of life care. We cried, we prayed together, and we loved on one another to get through our pain and remembering life together as a family. Happy times and good times. Challenges and successes. Life has been to good to the Snyder family is what our conclusion was. We loved our Dad until he went to heaven in August of 2015 and today his memory blesses us each time we are together as a family.
God hears our cries for help and comforts us. When we pray, God will draw us closer, giving us an awareness of our Creator’s unfailing love and living hope.
My prayer for you during this week is that you have faith in God’s goodness and for confidence to call on God.
Prayer Requests: (Please send any new prayer requests to my e-mail address rsnyder@voaches.org.)
· Pray for the financial turnaround of our affiliate over the next 4 months. We have had a challenging year and pray for God to bless our affiliate with the necessary funds to support his children.
· Pray for Ann Todd, a friend of Russ and Karen Snyder, who is undergoing chemotherapy treatments for a cancer diagnosis. Pray for God’s healing touch and our compassion and love to support her journey to a healthy recovery.
· Pray for Jim Sents, Jr’s family as they continue to struggle over his unfortunate death last year on March 3, 2024. Pray for his children, brother, Gina and for those who loved him and called him friend.
· Pray for the upcoming Spiritual Colloquium that is being held on Saturday, March 9, 2024. Pray for Chaplain Jules and the planning team as they finalize preparations for the day.
· Continue to pray for our VOA Central Louisiana Affiliate who experienced a fire at one of their IDD group homes this week. Fortunately, the residents and employees were evacuated safely but are now displaced until the fire restoration company rebuilds their home. Pray for a quick resolution to this temporary displacement and safety for the residents.
· Continue to pray for a successful outcome for Volunteers of America Chesapeake & Carolinas this week as some important meetings on Irvington Woods.
· Continue to pray for our affiliate to have favor and expand services and housing in Winston-Salem North Carolina after our productive meetings this week with the Community Development Office and Office of Planning.
· Continue to Pray for our affiliate as VOACC navigates through some challenging times. Pray for our leaders for strength, courage and wisdom. Pray for our team members for compassion, love and wisdom. Pray for compassion and love throughout our organization.
· Continue to Pray for Kathy Stucy and her husband Gene as they both were diagnosed with a form of cancer last week. Pray for their medical teams and that their treatment and pending surgeries are lifted up to God for a hedge of protection and grace.
· Continue to pray for the Aranyaka family (Suzanne Tobin’s family) as they mourn the loss of her cousin. Pray for her family as they adjust to his death and may God’s greatest good be manifested in their lives this week.
· Continue to pray for Belen Vera’s family as they mourn the sudden loss of his father last week and praise God for his mercy and grace as the community responded and raised enough money to pay for his father’s funeral costs.
· Continue to pray for Rachel Basdeo and her family as they mourn the loss of her mother, Jeanneth Connell. Pray for God’s greatest good to be manifested in their lives during this difficult time.
· Continue to pray for Hannah Mills, whose grandmother if gravely sick. Pray also for Hannah’s Mother who is handling her mom’s sickness very hard. Pray for peace and a calmness in their lives and may God manifest His glory all around them during this difficult time.
· Pray for Ravi Walden, principal at Michael Graves Architects, who is battling cancer and will be had surgery last week to remove some additional cancerous tumors. Pray for Ravi and his family as he endures the surgery and recovery. Pray for the medical team as well as his caregivers. Pray for God’s greatest good be manifested in Ravi’s life in the weeks and months ahead.
· Continue to pray for Cheri Smuck, who broke her leg and is continuing to recover. Cheri was also diagnosed with bone cancer and is undergoing additional treatment.
· Continue to pray for the development of The Residences at Irvington Woods and that God provides direction to the team to find a path to close on the financing in early 2024.
· Praise God for His words of affirmation and love.
· Praise God for His love and mercy in our lives.
· Pray for all of us to be thankful during this time of the year for our health, family, employer, friends, and our freedom.
· Pray for an end to gun violence in our Nation and communities.
· Pray for those that are experiencing health concerns whether COVID or the flu. May God’s intervention help those that are sick to recover and feel better.
· Pray for the election process and that the leaders of our country, cities, counties, and towns discern God’s presence in their paths as they lead.
· Pray for all those experiencing changes in their life whether it is their place of employment or family challenges. Pray for faith and understanding and forgiveness.
· Continue to pray for the victim’s families of the senseless gun violence and mass shooting in Maine. Pray for God’s intervention into our world to end the violence.
· Continue to pray for peace and an end to war in Israel and Gaza. Pray for God’s intervention into that part of the world and may love and forgiveness overcome the hatred, anger and violence.
· Continue to pray for Dr. Sheryl Neverson as she mourns the passing of her Mother-In-Law, Ida Robertson, who transitioned last week. Also pray for the family as they continue to mourn her first cousin who recently transitioned.
· Continue to pray for Paul Soczynski’s (VOANS) wife, who is struggling with health concerns. Pray for peace and God’s healing touch in their lives.
· Continue to pray for Linda Kane, whose father was recently diagnosed with cancer. Pray for Linda and her father and the family that God’s greatest good is manifested in their lives.
· Continue to pray for Angelica Williams as her daughter and husband were injured and recovering from their injuries at home. Pray for God’s favor and quick recoveries for their injuries.
· Continue to pray for David Greever, as he continues to have back pain from a pinched nerve. Pray for relieve and healing for David.
· Continue to pray for Denora Mendoza, as she was injured and is scheduling knee surgery in the next week or two. Pray for the medical team taking care of Denora and also for a successful surgery and quick recovery.
· Praise God for answering our prayers about Rachel Basdeo and her mom. Her mom has left the hospital and is back home after her health concerns last week.
· Praying the individuals and support teams for our Intermediate Care Facility (ICF) Program in DC. Praying for mercy and grace during this difficult time.
· Praise God for enabling our Congress to find a compromise that helped us overcome the potential Government Shutdown.
· Thanks be to God for the grace He has placed on our affiliate as we were recently awarded a new contract to provide a Certified Community Behavioral Health Center in Maryland.
· Continue to pray for Dr. Sheryl Neverson and her family, as her mother-in-law (and Sunees Nana) Ida Robertson is on hospice and not expected to make it through the weekend. She had an aneurysm last week.
· Pray for continued mercies on our clients, consumers, residents, and program participants. Pray for God’s love to be manifested in their lives while in our care. We pray for independence and self-reliance once again.
· Praise God for never giving up on each of us in life and forgiving us for all our sins and giving us the choice to make him our lamp and our light.
· Pray for Mark Williams who is going through cancer treatments and recently had surgery to remove a malignant tumor. Pray for healing and God’s greatest good be manifested in his life. Pray for strength and support for his wife Jennifer.
· Pray for our minister candidates (eleven of them) who begin their study this month and spiritual development projects.
· Pray for a successful no cost extension of our contract with the federal government for providing behavioral health services.
· Praise God for his grace in having the federal government award us with a new contract in the State of Maryland for our behavioral health services.
· Pray for all those struggling with health challenges. Pray for God’s greatest good be manifested in their lives and peace for their family members and friends.
· Pray for the Residential Reentry Center team and for our new Senior Program Director – Asia Gibbs. Pray for peace, alignment, and the ability to work together for the greater good of helping God’s children returning from incarceration.
· Pray for the leadership of Prince Georges County Behavioral Health and the Residential Reentry Center Teams who are challenged at this time.
· Praise God for the praise report that Barry Hubscher (Russ Snyder’s childhood friend) has been listed as cancer free following his 6 months of cancer treatment for lymphoma.
· Pray for the greatest good for the City of Alexandria to find favor in the VOA Chesapeake & Carolinas application to operate the homeless shelter for singles and families.
· Pray for contentment and our faith journey be stronger than ever before.
· Praise God for our mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers in our lives. We love them and honor them.
· Continue to praise God and be thankful for all our circumstances in today’s world. Pray for peace, an end to violence and most of all the fruit of the spirit be revealed in each of us.
· Continue to pray for Cheri Smuck, who has cancer. Pray for Cheri’s complete healing and that God’s greatest good be manifested in her and her husband Charley’s life. Pray for peace and good health.
· Pray for a hedge of protection for our school children, the teachers and safety teams who are in our Nation’s school system. Our prayer is for God’s anointment of the schools and our children each and everyday that will protect them from harm.
· Continue to pray for our Carolinas Region who are experiencing some challenges. Pray for the leadership and their discernment to know your will in the decisions ahead. Our prayers are for you to reveal the next steps for the Carolinas Region.
· Continue to pray for our law enforcement professionals who continue to be scrutinized for their actions. Pray that peace is among the law enforcement agencies and allow them to follow the Holy Spirit as they rebuild the confidence in their services in our cities, states, towns and country.
· Pray for our country and the current economic pressure it is under. I pray for the President of the United States who continues to try and lead our country through such partisan politics..
· Praise God for never leaving us alone.
· Pray for Volunteers of America as a whole. Pray for the ability to serve more people with more resources to serve.
· Pray for our Nation’s leaders; our State Leaders; our local leaders; our first responders and our teachers as they start 2023.
· Pray for the individuals and families in our care who are struggling with their challenges and praise God for organizations like Volunteers of America who help find solutions and supports to bring hope and a future to others.
· Continue to pray for the VOACC Virginia and Carolinas teams who are experiencing transition. Please provide them with strength and understanding and perseverance through the challenges ahead.
· Praise God for His love and mercy in our lives. Be thankful for your spouse, partner, children, grandchildren, siblings, parents, friends and all the important relationships you have.
· Pray for an end to the violence in our world and that we replace the anger and hatred in the world with the light and love of Jesus.
· Continue to pray for the City of Baltimore as it continues to struggle to keep people safe, out of poverty and crime free. Pray for the leaders of the City to make a difference and to allow God to guide their ways.
· Continue to pray for all the children experiencing bullying or challenges in this troubled world. Pray for their strength and to overcome the darkness in their hearts and minds. Pray for perseverance rather than giving up.
· Pray for the end to war, violence, poverty, homelessness, and acts of evil. Praise God for His unconditional love.
· Continue to pray for God’s might presence to be in our Residential Reentry Center and allow our leaders to trust in the Lord with all their hearts and minds. Pray for change and favor on the many issues that need to be resolved.
· Continue to pray for Volunteers of America Chesapeake & Carolinas; pray for our work and impact; pray for our new Board of Directors members.
· Continue to pray for the parents and children who have returned to school. Pray for safety, peace and a joyful experience. Pray for the teachers and administrators as they transition into a new school year.
· Pray for those that are struggling in their homes, places of work, with their health or with their spiritual connection to our maker.
· Praise God for each morning we wake to his works and word of unfailing love.
· Pray for favor for Volunteers of America Chesapeake & Carolinas. Pray for the reorganization and for God’s mercy and grace as we move toward changes to prepare our affiliate for growth to serve more men, women and children.
· Praise God for our freedom and choices in our Nation.
· Thank God for our nation’s heroes who have sacrificed their lives for our freedoms and safety. Pray for their memories and for the families who have lost loved ones protecting our country.
· Pray for those in our hearts and minds this week. Uplift all people needing our prayers.
· Pray for God’s will to be done in the life of Volunteers of America Chesapeake & Carolinas.
· Continue to pray for an abrupt end to the war against the Ukraine. Pray for God’s intervention into this tragic world event and to bring peace to our world.
· Continue to pray for the act of peace by Russian leaders and God’s intervention in Ukraine to eliminate war and heal the Ukrainian people. Pray for action, not just words, for the people of God to defend peace.
· Continue to pray for peace between the Ukraine and Russia. Pray for love and a shift from anger to forgiveness and compromise.
· Continue to pray for all those struggling with COVID this week. Pray for their quick recovery and for the medical teams supporting those that have been stricken by the disease.
· Continue to pray for the health care professionals. Pray for their strength and perseverance during these very difficult times with the pandemic.
· Continue to pray for those that are shut in their homes due to the pandemic. Pray for their peace and joy.
· Thank God for the promise of helping us overcome the world. Pray for those fallen family members and those struggling with life’s circumstances.
· Pray for our direct support workers and persons that we serve this week. Pray for a hedge of protection and health.
· Thank God for His grace and mercy in our lives and for loving us unconditionally.
· Pray for all the men, women and children in our care every day. Pray for their health, safety, and healing.
· Pray for all of our friends, family and loved ones who are struggling with health concerns this week. Pray for a positive diagnosis and healing for each and every individual and family. May God’s presences be around each and every one who is challenged by sickness, injury and difficult circumstances.
· Praise God for allowing us to have freedoms and enjoy peace. Thanks be to God for loving us unconditionally.
· Pray for all those struggling with their path in life. Pray for God’s presence in their lives.
· Praise God for those children who have been confirmed or baptized and their parents and their commitment to enter into a relationship with our God.
· Pray for all those that have a disability that God may offer more dreams and hope to their lives.
· Pray for our stewardship ministry to thrive in our affiliate.
· Praise God for His strength and enabling us to find strength in Him.
· Continue to pray for our church without walls and those seeking to identify their spiritual gifts and contribute to our stewardship ministry. Pray for discernment and revealing each of our spiritual gifts.
· Continue to pray for our Country and our Nation’s leaders. Pray for peace and forgiveness and may God’s greatest good be all around our Nation in the days, weeks and months ahead.
· Continue to pray for peace and a growing relationship with our Lord during the New Year.
· Pray for peace and end to the divide in our country with this change of leadership.
· Pray for our divided Nation. Pray for our leaders and for God’s grace and mercy. Pray for peace and love throughout our communities.
· Thank God for meeting us and being with us in the “middle”.
· Continue to pray for our children who have adjusted to remote or virtual learning and will be struggling in the fall by having to continue this distance learning for the near future.
· Praise God for his promise of keeping us whole in Him.
· Praise God for the freedoms we have been given. Even though some of the freedoms have been restricted due to COVID-19, thank Him for his gifts of love, compassion, joy, patience, kindness and peace.
· Continue to pray for our country. Pray for the eradication of social injustice, systemic racism and a time of peace, love, equality and unity for all God’s beloved people. Pray for the families who have lost loved ones to violence – everyday. Pray for healing.
· Praying for our Nation, State, Counties and communities to be safe and have God’s healing touch in our lives.
· Praying for our employees, clients, volunteers and donors and may God’s love manifest in our affiliate all week.
· Praying for comfort, peace and joy for today.
· Pray for love and kindness in the world this year.
· Pray for those in our hearts and minds that are struggling with their lives. Pray for God’s presence to manifest in their circle and daily being. Pray for their strength to overcome their disease, injury or incredible pain.
· Pray for the blessing of additional resources to Volunteers of America Chesapeake & Carolinas
· Pray for the homeless who are unable to have a voice for themselves. Pray for shelter, food and hope in the week ahead.
· Prayers for those in our hearts and minds that are struggling with finances, lost a job, are sick or injured, or are stuck in their own exile due to addictions, anger or other difficulties on this earth.
· Praise God for new beginnings every day and especially as we enter a new year full of hope and dependence in Him.
· Praise God for the Incarnation. For joining us on this earth and giving us peace. Thanks be to God for His son Jesus Christ – the savior of the world.
· Praise and thank God for all the you have – your health, family, friends, food, a home, and for your employment.
· Praise God for our children and protect them from the effects of war, strife and poverty.
· Continue to pray for Volunteers of America. Pray for freedom through God’s grace and mercy in the lives of the people we serve and our employees.
· Pray for all those that have lost loved ones in the past year and for their peace and freedom from grief and loss.
· Pray for those that are struggling with health issues, personal stresses or concerns, and those that are hurting in our world. May the prayer of God’s love and light be present among those struggling this week.
· Thank God for Jesus’s life and the resurrection and renewal that came with His sacrifice.
· Thank God for our veterans who have protected our country. Praise God for their strength, gift of protection and service to our Nation.
· Praise God for our Volunteers of America Church without Walls and our ministers. Pray for their boldness in sharing God’s light and love with others.
· Praise God for shaping each of us as a unique person and part of the Body of Christ.
· For our ministry in Volunteers of America to grow.
Final Thought:
Rely on God – a merciful and good God and walk faithfully
Blessings,
Welcome to our Church Without Walls 