P is for Prayer

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Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and mutual edification. Romans 14:19

Contributing Writers

Zandria Chatman Kendrick WilliamsFreddie NelsonKelli Williams Michael A. Guido, D.D.

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MissionThe Lion & The Lamb’s mission is to edify, unify, and uplift the body of Christ through multimedia that will promote the Gospel to serve Christians and non-believers. The Lion & The Lamb will bring the Bible into everyday standards of life addressing the issues people face in their emotional, financial, spiritual, and natural aspects. VisionThe vision of The Lion & The Lamb is to exist as a multi-faceted medium reporting on pertinent issues of the body of Christ through monthly print publications, web media, and broadcast productions. We believe that as every person was fashioned by God before the foundation of this world (Psalm 138:13-16), there is not any person who cannot be served by this organization. The Lion & The Lamb will edify, uplift, and promote the Gospel of Christ by way of journalistic standards. Therefore, we will report from an objective viewpoint, provide facts, and reference the Word of God in every article, podcast, and communication.

july/august 2012

A Word from Zandria 5

P is for Prayer 6-9

Prayer 10,11

The struggle with prayer 12

Trying of your faith 13

Church events 14

Positive thinking 15

The Lion & The Lamb is a Christian publication representing all denominations and has no affiliation with any specific ministry, church, movement or cause. The Lion & The Lamb is not responsible for any discrepancies or changes that may have occurred since the publishing of this issue. Every effort has been made to ensure accurate information at the time of publication, this cannot be guaranteed. The views of the authors are not the views of the publication.

contents

from the cover

6-9

13The debate over school prayer has been an ongo-

ing one. Even though it has been outlawed, there are still Christians going to bat for our youth. Read one student’s story of how a caring teacher and the power of prayer has changed her life.

Read the full story on pages 6-9.

W e at The Lion & The Lamb believe in provid-ing spiritual and natural solutions to people’s problems. God commands us as His children to take on his character, therefore when our behavior is observed we reflect the word of God. As such, we have committed to meeting

the monetary needs of those who are homeless, and indigent. Meet The Needs Wednesdays was inspired through ministry. As my husband and I serve the people, many have shared the basic needs they have to maintain their health and personal appearance, we believe there is a simple solution. Thanks to your subscriptions and donations we were able to pass out care packages to people who need our help. Thanks again for your support on this and future Meet the Needs Wednesdays!

Sincerely,

For more information or to donate please contact Zandria Chatman via email at zandriachatman@yahoo.com or

subscribe to The Lion & The Lamb at www.lionlambmagazine.com

“For I was an hungered , and ye gave Me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink:

I was a stranger and ye took Me in...” Matthew 25:35-40

Event a huge success thanks to the generous support of the community

Brother Craig and Sister Jane from Beaumont, Texas. Brother Craig just lost his home due to financial stress and is now homeless, please keep him and Sister Jane in your prayers.

This is another Brother in Christ who survives on the street. He shared with The Lion & The Lamb he had only the clothes on his back and the contents of his care package thanks to your support.

Sister Kathy sends her sincere thanks to all of the supporters of Meet The Needs Wednesdays, and asks for your continued prayer.

Sister Edna has battled with drug addiction for years, but with continued prayer and support she believes she will be set free from addiction.

Meet the Needs WedNesdays

While the dew is still heavy on blades of grass and the sun slow-ly peaks across the horizon, my husband and I have fallen to our knees, seeking the Lord’s counsel before we begin our day. I have grown to appreciate prayer. When I was a babe in Christ I felt burdened by prayer and I thought of prayer more as a task than a privilege. Sometimes I would grudgingly spit

out my thanks to God and rush through the time spent praying so I could complete other tasks. Now, as I have been taught what prayer is, how it helps me, and the effect prayer has on my life, I am grateful for the privilege to speak to my creator. For me, prayer is ceremonious. I take time to still my mind, quiet my surroundings and open my heart to the only One who could care most for me. I tell God all of my cares and as His daughter I am blessed to watch Him work it out. I have learned He has a desire to hear from me, to be involved intimately in my life, care for me and bless me, that’s what prayer is. Prayer is communication with our Father, His ears are open and He is waiting to act on our behalf. Talk to Him.

a word from Zandriajuly/august 2012

w w w . l i o n l a m b m a g a z i n e . c o m

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6 juLy/AuGuST 2012

P is for Prayer

7juLy/AuGuST 2012

The year was 1963, America was plagued with racial ten-sion and seg-regation was palpable. Our

nation was raptured with civil un-rest due to inequality and racecism towards African Americans. America was enthralled by marches and in-famous speeches, and meanwhile tucked in a quiet courtroom, Mada-lyn Murray O’Hair was the victor of a lawsuit against the Baltimore school system. That case deemed prayer un-constitutional and removed the act from all public schools. Though this did not take effect nation wide im-mediately, the verdict has had a tre-mendous rippling effect.

36 years later, America was shocked by the disastrous events of Columbine. Reports seized the air-ways of students raging against oth-ers, shooting and killing classmates. Many went into prayer then, but as a Christian I pondered the effect prayer would have had on the students pri-or to the event. I questioned if their hearts would have been so hardened if they were in the practice of pray-ing together. Unfortunately, school shootings have been a threat since.

However, this is not to point fin-gers or tell a precautionary tell, tis is a story of encouragement. Be reassured, there are Christians in classrooms praying, interceding, and travailing for your children, and the lives of students are changing each day. 17 year old Danielle Slaughter of Beau Port High school said that before God placed her in her teacher’s class, she had a bad attitude and poor work ethic.

“I was a follower,” Slaughter said. “My friends would refuse to do class work and I would follow suit.”

The names and places have been changed for the safety of all persons involved.

“I believe if prayer were back in schools we wouldn’t have so many teen pregnancies, fights, and bullying.”

Danielle Slaughter

continued on next page

By Zandria Chatman

Separation of churchand state... helping or hurting our students?

8 juLy/AuGuST 2012

Danielle’s future.I know God placed me in her class,” Slaughter said. “On the first day of

school, there was an error on my schedule, I went to the office and when they corrected it I entered into her classroom.”

The teacher asked Slaughter to sit and shared her testimony with the class. She told the students how she was hired due to God’s will and expressed her gratitude and joy for working with students.

While listening to her speak, I looked at the classroom; there were scrip-tures painted on the walls,” she said. Some students didn’t understand they were scriptures and mistaken them for motivational quotes, by the close of the school year they knew it was words from God on her walls.”

Though the atmosphere was peaceful, a change did not occur concerning Slaughter’s behavior and work ethic till her teacher began to minister to her.

“One day I didn’t finish my class work, which was becoming more and more routine. When the bell rang she kept me after class and told me that ‘there were many people who had nice things to say about me and that I should be a leader, not a follower.”

Her words had an impact that lasted past the school year. Even on summer vacation Slaughter and her teacher remain in close contact with one another. Slaughter says she saw all students who came into contact with this teacher changed in a positive way.

“I believe if prayer were back in schools we wouldn’t have so many teen preg-nancies, fights, and bullying,” she said.

When the school year began Slaughter was keeping bad company, was rude to teachers and was becoming lazed in her work. Her mother, a pastor, was concerned with her daughter’s new behavior and the effects it would have on

continued from previous page

Reports seize the airwaves of students raging against others, shooting and killing classmates. As a Christian, I ponder if their hearts would be so hardened if they were in the practice of praying together.

9juLy/AuGuST 2012

As Slaughter prepares for graduation she is grateful for the spiritual prepara-tion that was given within her class coupled with knowledge.

“This summer we lost a classmate, I remember he didn’t know a lot about Jesus and would ask our teacher about scripture and Christianity. He nor his family were saved, he was surrounded by negativity. Though I’m sad he lost his life, I was relieved to know before he died he was introduced to Jesus and saved when he died,” she said.

Though the names have been changed to convey this story, the events are real and true. Due to separation of church and state the sources were given anonymity so their ministry may continue in our public classrooms. I bless the Lord for a believing principal, teacher and staff who have accepted the calling of Christ. Please continue to pray for our children, teachers, and administrators.

10 juLy/AuGuST 2012

“Not by might, nor by pow-er, but by my spirit, saith

the LORD of hosts.”( Zec 4:6).

We Christians have come to define prayer in more simpler terms, talk-ing to God. Prayer may be offered to God in many different forms, such as songs, praise and worship, re-quests and even adoration. Prayer may seem foolish or just another exercise in futility to the unbeliev-er, but on the contrary, it is power to them that believe.

Bible study

prayerby Minister Kendrick Williams

of Cathedral of Faith Baptist Church

11juLy/AuGuST 2012

Prayer is a vital and precious tool to the faithful. Prayer exemplifies total dependency on God, and a denial of independence. Typically, those who lean to their own understanding, gifts ,talents, or finances have a hard time praying because there is more confidence in their own ability to get things done, than confidence in a deity.

Those who do seek heavenly intervention through prayer do bare record by doing so, that they believe and rely on a power greater than their own. The Bible in-structs followers of Christ to always pray without ceasing, 1Th 5:17, recogniz-ing that as Jesus said, “without me you can do nothing.” John 13:5

As Christians, we are instructed by the one and only true God that there is a proper and improper way of invoking HIM. Jesus, who stated that he and father God were one Jhn 10:30, said, “that he is the way, the truth, and the life, no one can come unto the father except through him.” John 14:6 In Luke’s Gospel, the 11th chapter Jesus teaches His disciples how to pray. There is a true and a false way of praying to God. God is a spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth John 4:24.

God wants us to ask Him for whatever we may feel we need. He says, “ Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give [it] you.” John 16:23 God in His infinite power is able to do exceedingly, abun-dantly, above all that we could ask or think Eph 3:20. In His infinite wisdom, He knows what we need before we ask Him Mat 6:32. The Holy Spirit through the apostle James stated, “yet ye have not, because ye ask not Jam 4:2. He also states the reason why God may say no to a prayer request: “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume [it] upon your lusts Jam 4:3.”

A prayer of faith, that is in accordance with God’s good pleasure, will always be answered with a big “Yes”!

God wants us to talk to him. Can you imagine a child never talking to their father? Can you imagine a wife never talking to her husband? Or a student who never talks to the teacher? When we don’t pray to God, we make these inconceivable examples of reality. Just as communication is vital for these relationships to work, so it is in our relation to God. The Bible states, “that the fool has said in his heart that there is no God Psa 14:1 ”, and therefore will not feel the need to pray. Perhaps you found yourself doubting and even mocking those who do pray, and believe strongly in doing so. Maybe you believe in prayer, and you realize your prayer life is not where it should be, I must ad-mit, I have been there. If that’s you, I want to pray for you right now. Father God in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth we come boldly before your throne of grace making our petition known that we desire a more intimate relationship with you. We pray oh God that you will strengthen our faith and take away all unbelief. Help us not to lean on our own understanding, but it all our ways to acknowledge you. Make us to trust you wholeheartedly, with no reservation, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, amen.

prayer: derived from the Latin

word precarious, meaning ‘obtained by entreaty.’

12 juLy/AuGuST 2012

The apostle Paul talks about the struggle with sin in Romans chapter seven starting at verse 14. However, I want to talk about the struggle with prayer because the truth of the matter is some people that are saved and especially those

that are not saved struggle with prayer. Does prayer seem like an exercise of speeches? Is

prayer a mysterious practice only for Pastors, Sun-day school teachers and Preachers? Absolutely not! Prayer is for everybody because prayer is simply communicating with God by listening to Him and talking to Him.

The first struggle of prayer is when we become discouraged or frustrated in prayer. The most popu-lar frustrations are when you think God has said no or He has said nothing at all. My brother or sister in Christ, one thing I realized about prayer is that you have to “wait.” Waiting in itself is an answer from God because being delayed is not a denial. God often delays His answer to prepare patience and persis-tence in us and to build our faith.

Secondly, What if God says “NO?” God’s “no” is not a rejection but a redirection. For instance in

2Samuel chapter seven God said “no” to King Da-vid’s desire to build a temple because he had anoth-er direction for David’s life. This example applies to

us, His children, as well. In other words, God’s “no” to one request is simply a yes to another.

To conclude, do you realize that God not answer-ing your prayer right away is not a punishment but a preparation? God says in Romans 5:3-4 “we can rejoice, too, when we run into problems, and trials for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character and character strengthens our hope of salvation.” In other words, prayer is telling God what we’re going through in our personal lives and displaying faith in God. Having faith in God brings joy to Him. Prayer develops a personal relationship with God. Do you have a personal relationship with God?

About the Author:Freddie Nelson Sr., is the founder of Lost and Found

Ministries a non profit outreach ministry. Rev. Nelson is a proud member of the Cathedral of Faith Baptist Church where he serves as an Associate Minister and as a young adult Bible study Teacher. Rev. Nelsons has a passion for lost souls becoming saved. Nelson is the hus-band of Alyncia Nelson, father of son Freddie Nelson Jr., and is expecting a daughter, Farah Nelson. If you seek Rev. Nelson’s counsel he may be contacted via email at revfnelson@yahoo.com

rightly divided

The

withStruggle

PrayerBy Rev. Freddie Nelson

13juLy/AuGuST 2012

I have often been asked, “how did you do it?” Or I have been told, “I don’t see how you did it. I wouldn’t have put up with all of that.” I was often looked upon as being weak, or having low self-esteem

because I made an effort to fight for my marriage. My weapons were not fists, guns, or knives, but the Word of God. My testimony is not any dif-ferent than the next person’s, nor is it any more spectacular. However, I can attest to the fact that the Lord has truly blessed my marriage. Mar-riage has not always been easy, but our Lord and Master had a plan for my marriage that was sure to draw us closer to Him. How did He do it? By faith, prayer and consecrating, the Lord blessed, and I truly thank Him.

God uses situations in our lives to draw us closer to Him. The Word of the Lord says “ that the trying of your faith worketh patience.” (James 1:3) My faith was tried when I watched my husband and I go through one of the most difficult points in our marriage. We were much younger, and our mar-

riage was still new to us. Although we were professing to be Christians we hadn’t matured to a level of total sur-render and faithfulness to the Lord. My husband had begun to succumb to the streets, a place he was familiar with, having a reputation and a his-tory. I, on the other hand, was a new college graduate, trying to find my place in this world.

We quickly learned that moving in two different directions while being married would not prove wise nor feasible. The Lord had me fall on my face and ask for His help. I could not do it any longer on my own. I per-sonally witnessed how the enemy had a stronghold on my husband, and also on myself. We had become comfortable with the way things were going, and allowed the enemy to have his way. We were on our way to having our marriage destroyed by the enemy. Jesus says the “thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have [it] more abundantly.” (John 10:10) However, I could not let the enemy win. Jesus defeated him on the cross,

and He promised an abundant life for my husband and I.

After I cried out to the Lord, He be-gan to place me around other faithful people that would encourage me. I learned the importance of prayer. I had to humble myself before the Lord and talk to Him. I learned that it was not about the eloquence of words, nor the (King James’) “thee’s” and “thou’s” when I prayed. Prayer was about talking to our Heavenly Father as if He was sitting right next to me, communing with Him and believing that He was hearing every word I said. There were times that it hadn’t seemed like anything was breaking through. I wanted to give up. I won-dered if my husband had any chance of recommitting his life to Christ. I often wondered if my husband really believed in the God that he once did. It seemed like my prayers were fall-ing on deaf ears. My faith wavered at times. I had to encourage myself with the word of God .

The scripture that I held on to, which grew near and dear to my heart, was when Jesus said, “whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he

will give it to you…ask, and ye shall re-ceive that your joy may be full.” (John 16:23-24) Prayer, I tell you, became a tremendous feat that I had to press on with because Jesus would reward. “…Press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14)

Three years had passed, and it seemed like an eternity to me. We’d just had our first child, in 2003, and I knew that she would be such a blessing to our hearts. Perhaps, our daughter’s birth would make a differ-ence. Maybe the countless days and nights away from her, would make him miss her and bring him home? My flesh wanted the Lord to whip him into total submission for doing things that he had no business. I had not a clue how the Lord would allow my husband to surrender to Him, but I had to persevere in prayer.

In the summer of 2005, the Lord finally drew my husband back into His fold. All I could say was “Wow!” I had not a clue that it would end as smoothly as it did. I’d truly feared that incarceration for my husband was nearer. Things were going downhill; we were going through even more horrors that came with its set of issues. But I continued to pray. Then the Lord stepped in with His mercy and His grace. Some stories do not end so blessed. I have seen much tragedy occur to people who live out-side of the will of God. But I tell you, the God that I serve showed so much mercy, and I am truly grateful to Him for it. Now my husband is a full-time minister and gospel artist who loves the Lord and have such a passion for God’s kingdom.

So I encourage each and everyone, try prayer; it does work. Saints, let us continue to encourage one another with the familiar adage, “ He may not come when you want, but He is always on time.” This is our hope; this is our faith and we believe. And He may not say “Yes” always, but please believe, that His words are true. “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask anything according to His will, he heareth us!” (John 5:14)

praise report

Trying of your

faithBy Kelli Williams

14 juLy/AuGuST 2012

August 1 - Wednesday9:00 AM Wesley UMC Art Camp “Art Around The World” Ages 3-6 yr. olds1:00 PM Wesley UMC Art Camp “Art Around The World” Ages 7-14 yr. olds6:00 PM Trinity UMC Kids Time6:30 PM Wesley UMC presents Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University Classes

August 2 - Thursday9:00 AM Wesley UMC Art Camp “Art Around The World” Ages 3-6 yr. olds9:30 AM Trinity UMC Ripples - Older Adults1:00 PM Wesley UMC Art Camp “Art Around The World” Ages 7-14 yr. olds

August 3 - Friday9:00 AM Wesley UMC Art Camp “Art Around The World” Ages 3-6 yr. olds1:00 PM Wesley UMC Art Camp “Art Around The World” Ages 7-14 yr. olds

August 5 - Sunday6:30 PM Trinity UMC Popsicles on the Playground7:00 PM Wesley UMC Services of Healing and Wholeness

August 6 - Monday6:00 PM Wesley UMC Friendly Beasts Romp in the Dog Park

August 8 - Wednesday9:00 AM Wesley UMC Wacky Wednesdays6:00 PM Trinity UMC Kids Time6:30 PM Wesley UMC presents Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University Classes

August 9 - Thursday9:30 AM Trinity UMC Ripples - Older Adults

August 13 - Monday11:30 AM Prime Timers at St. Mark’s6:00 PM Wesley UMC Friendly Beasts Romp in the Dog Park

August 15 - Wednesday9:00 AM Wesley UMC Wacky Wednesdays6:00 PM Trinity UMC Kids Time6:30 PM Wesley UMC presents Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University Classes

August 16 - Thursday9:30 AM Trinity UMC Ripples - Older Adults

August 20 - Monday6:00 PM Wesley UMC Friendly Beasts Romp in the Dog Park

August 22 - Wednesday3:00 PM Wesley UMC Palmer Library Book Club6:00 PM Trinity UMC Kids Time6:30 PM Wesley UMC presents Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University Classes

August 23 - Thursday9:30 AM Trinity UMC Ripples - Older Adults

August 27 - Monday6:00 PM Wesley UMC Friendly Beasts Romp in the Dog Park

August 29 - Wednesday6:00 PM Trinity UMC Kids Time6:30 PM Wesley UMC presents Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University Classes

August 30 - Thursday9:30 AM Trinity UMC Ripples - Older Adults

September 2 - Sunday7:00 PM Wesley UMC Services of Healing and Wholeness

September 5 - Wednesday6:00 PM Trinity UMC Kids Time6:30 PM Wesley UMC presents Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University Classes

September 6 - Thursday9:30 AM Trinity UMC Ripples - Older Adults

September 10 - Monday11:30 AM Prime Timers at St. Mark’s

September 12 - Wednesday6:00 PM Trinity UMC Kids Time6:30 PM Wesley UMC presents Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University Classes

September 13 - Thursday9:30 AM Trinity UMC Ripples - Older Adults

September 19 - Wednesday6:00 PM Trinity UMC Kids Time

September 20 - Thursday9:30 AM Trinity UMC Ripples - Older Adults

September 26 - Wednesday3:00 PM Wesley UMC Palmer Library Book Club6:00 PM Trinity UMC Kids Time

September 27 - Thursday9:30 AM Trinity UMC Ripples - Older Adults

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One warm summer day a snail began climbing an apple tree. As he moved upward he heard a voice calling, “There’s no reason for you to climb this tree. There are no apples up there.” Looking around he saw a worm basking in the warmth of the sun.

Returning his attention to the task before him, the snail shouted back, “There will be when I get up there.”

A great example of positive thinking was Noah. If you recall, “God warned him about something that had never happened before…and by faith…he built an ark to save his family.” Perhaps no one in history ex-perienced more ridicule and rejection for being differ-ent from his neighbors than Noah. God commanded him to build a huge boat in the middle of dry land. This certainly made no sense to him when he got his instructions from God. But it didn’t matter. He did what he was asked to do. And although his behavior seemed strange to his neighbors, it made no differ-ence to him. Being obedient to God did.

God often asks Christians to do things that seem

strange to those who do not know Him. Being obedi-ent to God often makes what we do look odd, per-haps even weird, to those who do not know the Lord.

Whenever God asks us to do something He also gives us the courage to overcome the skeptics and succeed.

Prayer: Help us, Lord, to keep our eyes

on You and on what You call us to do. Give us faith and persistence to do what You

call us to do and never waver. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

monthly devotional

Positive thinkingBy Michael A. Guido, D.D.

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