Shrewd as Snakes, Innocent as Doves
- (Matthew 10:16) “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.”
- (Ephesians 5:16) making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
- (Joel 2:28) “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.”
I love to pray, then to listen and obey. When I was invited to write for Thriving Together, I started praying, asking the Lord, “What do You want me to know? And what do You want me to write?”* Everything you read here, from the title, to the Scriptures, to the example given, and the prayer is the Lord’s precious answer to my prayer. Thank you, thank you, Lord!
As the world is getting more and more chaotic, being shrewd as a snake, innocent as doves, and making the most of all opportunities at all times is a MUST for all Christ followers regardless of ethnicity, age, socio-economic status, gender, lay or clergy; in order to draw more people to the Lord before His second coming!
We need to be attentive to him at all times – whether in good times or bad, times when we are expectant, but especially during unexpected times. It is during those unexpected times that He stretches us the most to strengthen our spiritual muscles, all for His Glory!
Here is a recent example:
This Pentecost Sunday, the Lord ordained our church to bless our community through different service projects after the morning service. I was on the prayer walking team to pray over a high school in our neighborhood. In advance, we “prayed on offense” and asked for divine appointments. On-site, we followed the “Prayer Walking Guidelines” from TWC Follow Youth Conference in December 2023. Everything went so smoothly as expected – we were seen by many parents and students on the athletic field and the Lord revealed a lot out of the prayers. But just at the moment when we were ready to leave, there came the unexpected! Suddenly, a sister on the prayer team almost fainted! A big stone with the school logo that we had just prayed over became the stool for our dear sister to sit on while a couple of teammates prayed non-stop for healing and protection. Others ran to get water, a teammate who happened to be a medical doctor assessed the physical/medical situation, a high-school-aged teammate pulled the car over so our sister could be driven back to church, and a school staff member came out to help. This gave our team leader, once things got settled, the opportunity to pray with the school leader. Our dear sister turned out to be fine afterward, but who would have imagined that what began as a physical episode, which could have resulted in panic, resulted in the body of Christ working together for a peaceful, positive resolution, leading to a God-given opportunity to pray with a school leader. We were grateful! Thank you, Lord, for this team that is multi-ethnic, multi-generational, men and women, lay and clergy!
Thank you, Lord, for making it crystal clear to us that the entire scenario was totally Spirit-led, and as we listened, we knew when to be shrewd and/or innocent, filled with praise and peace. Thank you for this Divine Appointment. May your name be Glorified, Lord. Praise you for all, Lord!
PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father Almighty God, we ask that you please empower every man, woman, teen, and child to share your Good News with courage and clarity. Break down barriers of age, gender, and social status as they carry your Word, Lord. As Joel 2:28 promised, and Peter declared, pour out your Spirit on all flesh, enabling your servants (men and women, lay and clergy) to speak your truth and live out your truth boldly and lovingly. May their testimony inspire and draw many to you Lord. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!**
* A practical application of “Praying on Offense,” Dr. Jeff Clark, https://prayingonoffense.com/
** India Gospel League 31 Days of Prayer, Day 3
Rev. Suk May Yei is a Bi-Cultural Assistant Pastor at Eastern Hills Church with a ministry focus on prayer, one-on-one discipleship, and connection. She is so amazed by the Lord’s bringing her from Asia to America, transforming her from banker to pastor!
The Board of Wesleyan Holiness Women Clergy is seeking qualified candidates to apply for the role of Conference Director for the 2024-2026 conference cycle. Those interested should read through the role requirements to determine if they are qualified. If qualified, please submit a cover letter detailing why you believe you are a good fit for our organization and this role. Include your previous engagement with WHWC, if any. The applicant should provide a resume or CV along with two letters of recommendation. These letters must come from pastoral supervisors, denominational leaders, or other similar individuals the applicant has worked under. Questions about this process should be directed to info@whwomenclergy.org.
The application period opens immediately and will close on June 30, 2024. Interviews will begin soon after the close date and we will attempt to offer the role by July 31, 2024.
The job description can be found at: https://bit.ly/ConferenceDirectorWHWC
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Summer is here – start the warm weather season with a new t-shirt! Two different styles, multiple colors, and multiple sizes are available. Check out our merch HERE
All proceeds help provide ministry training scholarships for students and women.
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PreacHer Sunday celebrates your call to preach the Good News!
The PreacHer Sunday initiative seeks to encourage Wesleyan churches to invite a gifted and called woman to preach in local churches that do not already have a regular rotation of women in the pulpit.
It is also a time to celebrate the many churches that recognize the gifts of women and men, have a regular rotation of women bringing the Word, or have a female lead pastor during regular worship services. Learn more about this here.
Now available–PreacHer gear, including tshirts, sweatshirts, bags, mugs, and water bottles…
Get your PreacHer gear here: https://preacher-sunday.myspreadshop.com/all
