Shuttering the Past and Moving Forward in Love: Part 2

WEEKLY UPDATE

Shuttering the Past and Moving Forward in Love | Part 2

Dear Prayer Family,

Although we did not gather this past Saturday, the pause gave us a wonderful opportunity to return to our September 19th meeting and share more of what the Lord brought forth that day.

Our previous update highlighted the call to close the shutters on fruitless patterns and move forward in the Father's love. Because we were blessed to have Rabbi Bob Wolf as our special guest, we also wanted to honor him by sharing more fully from his testimony and the truths he brought to our gathering.

The complete teaching, Shuttering the Past and Moving Forward in Love | Part 2, is now available to read online.

A Life Prepared by God

Rabbi Bob shared how God used both his Jewish heritage and the faithful example of a Spirit-filled Christian nanny to prepare him for a personal encounter with Jesus. She spoke openly about the Lord and demonstrated a life of faith, yet trusted God to reveal Jesus to Bob in His own time.

Years later, during a business trip, Bob found himself in an unfamiliar motel, deeply aware that he needed help. After hearing an evangelist on television, he got down on his knees and reached out to Jesus. His testimony reminds us that God is often working long before we recognize it. A faithful life or a seed planted in love may become part of someone else's journey toward the Lord.

God's Presence in the Crucible of Loss

Bob also spoke openly about an extraordinarily difficult season that included the illness and passing of his wife, Wendy, followed only twelve days later by the death of a close friend.

Before Wendy passed, they had been evacuated from their Malibu home during the Palisades fire. Of the eight houses on their street, theirs was the only one left standing. A Psalm 91 placard Wendy had placed in the garden remained as a powerful testimony of God's protection.

In the months that followed, Psalm 23 became deeply personal to Bob. As he walked through grief and healing, he wrote his own response to each verse. His experience reminds us that the Word is not merely something we read; it is a place where God meets us, carries us, and restores our souls.

Living as One Body

The meeting also returned to the meaning of our union with Christ. Because we belong to one body, our choices affect more than our individual lives. We are called to move forward together in holiness, obedience, kindness, and love.

The question is often simpler than we make it: What is the Holy Spirit asking us to do? Whatever He asks, our response should be obedience. We leave behind patterns that have produced no fruit and choose to reflect the Father's love, even when kindness, forgiveness, or unity is difficult.

Speaking the Word in Prayer

Another strong emphasis was the authority believers carry through the name of Jesus, the blood of Jesus, and the Word of God. Our prayers are not intended to remain silent thoughts. We can speak God's Word over our families, communities, and nation, agreeing with His purposes and interceding for righteous leadership.

Carrying the Invitation Beyond Yom Kippur

At the time of our gathering, we were entering the Ten Days of Awe, a season traditionally set apart for repentance, fasting, prayer, and seeking God as we prepared for Yom Kippur.

Although Yom Kippur has now passed on the calendar, its invitation remains timely. We can still come before the Lord and ask:

Lord, is there anything You want to show me? Is there something I need to release, repent of, or address? How do You want me to pray for my family, our nation, and Israel?

We were also reminded to continue praying for the Jewish people, that as they search the Scriptures, their eyes will be opened to see Jesus, their Messiah.

Continue with the Full Teaching (this is a hyperlink)

There is much more from the September 19 gathering than we could include in one letter. We encourage you to read Shuttering the Past and Moving Forward in Love | Part 2 and allow the Holy Spirit to highlight what He wants to establish in your life.

As you read, consider where God may be asking you to leave the past behind, walk in greater obedience, speak His Word with renewed faith, or draw closer to Him in repentance and intimacy.

As we continue praying for Israel and the Jewish people, we close with this traditional prayer for peace:

עוֹשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם בִּמְרוֹמָיו, הוּא יַעֲשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם עָלֵינוּ, וְעַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן.

Oseh shalom bimromav, hu ya'aseh shalom aleinu, v'al kol Yisrael, v'imru: Amen.

May the One who makes peace in the heavens make peace for us and for all Israel. And let us say: Amen.

With love and blessings,

The Prayer Whiteboard