Isaiah 58:13-14 – "If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord's holy day honourable, and if you honour it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob." The mouth of the Lord has spoken. (NIV)

Just the other day the Holy Spirit guided my wife and me to these passages. For anyone who praises the Lord on a regular basis and listens to His word on the Sabbath has a hard time understanding those who cannot dedicate some time with God. I am not saying that we are any better as to our character, but we are enriched in the Holy Spirit and are guided to carry out the work He desires us to do. This may be a small ministry or a job in the church folding the Sunday calendar. Nevertheless we are called to His service. We must also remember that a very important time in our churches on Sunday is the fellowship we have with God's people. Hebrews 3:13 tells us to "encourage one another daily … that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness." Hebrews 10:25 tells us, "Let us not give up meeting together … but let us encourage one another." Most important of all is that, when Jesus ran the moneychangers out of the temple, he said, "My house is a house of prayer".

We must continually be reminded that we cannot grow unless we have a spiritual prayer ministry in our church and in our own life.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the many blessings you have given your church. We ask that you fill your ministers each Sabbath with the fruit of the Holy Spirit and direct their messages to the needs of your people. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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