I’ve always remembered a line from a Sherlock Holmes movie. Holmes and Watson arrived at a crime scene to discover the police officers who arrived before them had played soccer at the scene, wiping out any evidence of footprints. Sherlock Holmes then said, “they never miss an opportunity, to miss an opportunity”. Such a great line!

I don’t think that’s what any of us would like to be written about our lives in the end. To look back on a graveyard of missed opportunities God gave us. Jesus constantly presents us with opportunities to respond to him. It might be about some change to make, direction to take, or calling to step out in faith and share his love. Have you noticed, whenever we are presented with an opportunity there are suddenly many other options to take instead, and reasons to put it off for another day…week…year?  

They say the difference between optimists and pessimists is how optimists find the opportunity in the problem, and pessimists find the problem in the opportunity. But rather than respond purely from personality, it’s better to respond to problems with faith and wisdom. When problems come, to seek God for the opportunities in the problem, and his wisdom to explore their potential and pitfalls. 

God has led us as a church to respond to problems with faith on many occasions. When the pandemic broke, we joined most churches in live streaming services. This opportunity has been a great blessing to many, and we have seen people come to Jesus through our online service. I can also think of many times we have been faced with a problem and responded with a time of prayer. Again and again in those seasons, God gave us direction and opened new doors for the gospel. In fact, The Grove’s story is a prayer story. The most significant things that have happened have come out of a season of prayer. 

Once again, we are in a prayer season which came out of a significant trial for our church. God clearly led us to set aside 30 days to pray and worship, and already we have seen God working and speaking. Jeremiah 33:3 is one of the many verses God impressed on my heart. Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.

At last Wednesday’s prayer and worship night, the vision of the valley of dry bones gave us our theme (Ezekiel 37). God showed Ezekiel how dead the nation of Israel had become through a vision of widespread hopelessness and lifeless ruins. But then the Lord gave Ezekiel an opportunity to pray for the Spirit to breathe life into the dry bones, and God would revive them into a mighty army. This is the God we trust in and believe can bring beauty out of ashes, and life out of death. 

The Lord has given us an opportunity to pray and worship for 30 days. Let’s not miss this opportunity as we come to our final ten days. Join us at a prayer meeting, on Wednesday night, and take the opportunity to come and sit quietly in the prayer chapel open from Tuesday to Thursday. In the face of 

many problems, we take the opportunity to seek the Lord our God knowing he will 

meet us, revive our hearts and reveal his wisdom and glory.   

Marty