WORD OF THE DAY - Monday 09 August 2010 from Mykolayiv, Ukraine

In answer to prayers, I got some help yesterday and the congregation some relief in the worship service! Our dear brother Nikolai Gagarkin, who last year met with us in Kiev and brought us in his car to this city, walked in the door about the time for our worship to begin. I was prepared to read the sermon that Galina, from several hundred miles away, had helped me translate into Russian. Nikolai agreed to read it with native Russian speaking and then he added some appropriate comments of his own. He also led the church during the Lord's Supper. We only had four and no more, but we had an uplifting worship service and in a meeting afterward, we discussed ways for everyone to get involved in building up the church by inviting more people to our assemblies where the gospel is always preached. It is a pity that his work with the country's penal system requires him to be gone much of the time. When I arrived in the morning, someone had once again felt an urge to write something on our sign on the door. The last time they wrote, "This is a sect"; this time they wrote "Mormons". Since I didn't have an opportunity to print up a new sign at the time, I simply struck through the word Mormon and wrote "Christians". Hopefully, this person will keep coming back and perhaps someday have the courage to come in and have a talk. I suspect it is someone who works in the building. I am praying for him or her and hope to have a Bible study with this person. Later today, I plan to take the overnight bus ride to Slavyansk and help Galina in her arduous work of caring for her mama. It is my plan to be back in Nikolaev next Sunday. As I have time, I am working on a web page for the church here so that more people can learn about the church and where we meet. Thank you for the prayers.

And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. (Acts 20:36)

Сказав это, он преклонил колени свои и со всеми ими помолился. (Деяния 20:36 Russian)

Проказавши ж оце, він навколішки впав, та й із ними всіма помолився. (Деяния 20:36 Ukrainian)

Our Most Wise and Merciful God, our Dear Father in Heaven ~ We humbly kneel in your majestic presence as we think about all the wonderful blessings that greet us on this new day. Give us wisdom so that we will be constantly in prayer at all times and places. According to your eternal will, help us to cover the earth with more houses of prayer where sincere believers may come and find solace in worship. Father, help us to make time for prayer each day in our homes and the workplace and when necessary in secret. In the blessed name of Jesus we pray, Amen.