Remember.

Remembering is one of the central themes in Scripture. God knows that left to itself, the human heart all too quickly forgets him. When this happens, our hearts grow hard. Hard hearts cannot hear God’s voice or respond to him. To prevent us as the Emmaus Church Family from forgetting who we are and whose we are, here are 10 practical “Remembers” for the week ahead. Perhaps you could use them to shape your prayers or to reflect on in your family or Collective?

1. Remember that you may be self-isolating, but you don’t have to be isolated – Let’s thank God for the Emmaus Team who has worked tirelessly all week to get our service online. Thank you for serving us so well. Thank God for the gift of his Spirit who binds us together as a family. 

2. Remember to listen to God’s voice – It is tempting to have the news constantly rolling on TV screens and phone feeds. But if we are not careful, we can spend hours a day listening to the bad news, and forget to hear God speak good news to our hearts. Why not resolve to only tune into the news once each day and spend more time hearing from our Heavenly Father instead?  

3. Remember to pray – Most of us find prayer a challenge. Why not think about redeeming the time you may normally spend commuting and commit to one of the daily prayer meetings at Emmaus? You can join at 8am or 9pm each day, via Zoom (details on the website). It is such a great way to connect with others and be encouraged in your prayer life.    

4. Remember our enemy – The Bible speaks of the devil as “the father of lies”, who came to “steal, kill and destroy”. He wants to use the challenges of this season to bring out the worst in us. Pray that the devil would get no foothold in the Emmaus Family during this time. Our enemy is real, but our Saviour is greater.   

5. Remember the power of the tongue – It is easy to get swept along with the negativity and despair of our culture. Yet in Jesus, we have hope, joy and peace. Think about how you can use the power of your words this week to speak life into a world focussing on death.   ​

6. Remember the hungry – It is frustrating not being able to buy the food we might like at this time. Rather than grumbling, use the frustrations to remind yourself of the millions around the world who face hunger every day. Pray that God would sustain them and that food aid would get to the places of greatest need.   

7. Remember the NHS – Give thanks for the healthcare system and all those on the front line, working tirelessly to save lives and keep us all safe.   

8. Remember the lonely – Loneliness is not just a hardship for many, it is a silent killer. We were made for relationships with the need for connection. Why not resolve to pick up the phone each day and speak to someone who might otherwise not hear a voice that day?   

9. Remember the underground church – Millions of Christians across the world meet remotely each week, denied the freedoms we normally enjoy to meet together. Christian persecution is on the increase. During this time when we can’t physically meet either, remember to thank God for the way he sustains his Church.   

10. Remember to rejoice – Social distancing has forced us all to slow down. Maybe you have more time now to enjoy a gentle walk, sit in the sunshine in the garden or take longer cooking a meal. Is there something you can now see, smell, experience, which you would normally take for granted or rush past? Try and foster an attitude of gratitude. 
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“Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart.” 

Deuteronomy 8:2

Mark Herbert