Pastor Hougard's January 2023 Newsletter Article:

“The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” (James 5:1)

 How often haven't we heard the phrase, “Trust the science” in the last few years? Seldom are we encouraged to pray. There are even times when prayer is mocked when we say that someone is “in our thoughts and prayers”.

 Ever since the Enlightenment 300 years ago our western civilization has increasingly neglected the spiritual. To some degree we are all rationalists. How often do we fall on our knees in prayer or really believe that our prayers are effective? We are tempted to trust ourselves and our ingenuity more than God.

 That isn’t to say that science isn’t a great gift of God. We have had many new inventions that have lengthened life expectancy, alleviated pain, and brought many new marvels that make life more comfortable. On the other hand, these same marvels have also brought pollution, made us unhealthy in some ways, and increased the destructiveness of war.

 Throughout the Bible God commands us to pray, and He promises to hear us. The Lord says, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble. I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.” (Ps 50:15) Psalm 117 says, “Praise the Lord all you nations; extol Him all you peoples, for great is His love for us.”  Jesus Himself teaches us to pray in the words of the Lord’s Prayer. He encourages us to pray in the Sermon on the Mount and gives us many great examples of how He prayed in the Gospel of Luke.

 The Bible is full of the examples of the prayers of God’s people. One of my favorites is how Hannah prayed for a son (1 Sa 1). Abraham pleaded for Sodom (Gen 18:16ff). Abraham’s servant prayed when he sought a wife for Isaac (Gen 24). The Israelites cried out to God during their slavery in Egypt (Ex 2:23ff). David confessed his sin to God (Ps 32,51). Hezekiah prayed that God would deliver Jerusalem from the Assyrians (Is 37:14ff). Daniel prayed, even when it was forbidden (Dan 6). Mary praised the Lord when she was told that she would be the mother of the Savior. The church prayed for boldness after the apostles were told not to preach in Jesus’ name anymore (Ac 4:23ff). The church in Antioch prayed when they sent Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey (Ac 13:3). Paul prayed for relief from his thorn in the flesh (2 Cor 12). The Bible is full of the prayers of God’s people. Our gracious Lord heard and answered every one of them in the best way for His people.

 How do we pray? Prayer begins by listening to God and His Word, and then speaking to Him in the language that He has taught us. Prayer takes faith – faith that in Jesus’ name we have access to our Heavenly Father, and faith that God will answer all of our prayers in a way that is best for us. It has been said, “Prayer is to the soul what breathing is to the body. When breathing become heavy and clogged, the body is sick. When praying becomes unpleasant or irksome, the soul is sick. When the Christian stops conversing with Heaven, then hell begins to speak.” Listen to God’s Word, and you will learn how to pray. Our prayers are just as powerful and effective as any prayer in the Bible. May we all use that great gift that God has given to us, as we pray for ourselves, those whom we love, and this entire world.

 Yours in Christ,

Pastor Don Hougard

All of our services are also live-streamed on our Youtube Channel. It will also be available later to watch. https://www.youtube.com/user/BenedictionLCMS

There are also several radio services that you can listen to each weekend. They are:

Saturday
Evangelische Andacht, Saturday at 4:30pm on WJYI 1340 AM or listen live on the website evangelischeandacht.org or use the tune-in app on your smart phone. (My German radio program with an English summary of my sermon.)

Sunday
The Lutheran Hour on WTMJ 620 AM at 6:30.
These programs are on Sunday on WJYI 1340 AM or listen live on the the tune-in app on your smartphone:
Lutheran Radio Church Service at 7:00
The Word Today at 7:45
St. Paul’s, West Allis at 8:00

Here are our worship guidelines at the present time:

Seating – There are no longer any restrictions on where worshippers can sit. (Accommodations can be made for those who require more distancing.)

Hand sanitizer will continue to be available, but masks are not longer provided.

Hymnals are in the pews again. The entire service, except for the hymns is conveniently printed. (Large Print copies, which include the hymns are available.)

Attendance is taken as you enter. Friendship books are no longer passed through the pews.

Communion distribution is at the altar. We again serve both the individual and common cups..

Please be respectful of the comfort level of other people if you choose to shake hands, hug, and visit. The pastor will be glad to shake hands, but only if you initiate it. Even though people have different opinions on masking and such, please be considerate and understanding of each other.

If you are experiencing Covid symptoms or those of any other contagious illness, please consider worshipping online. There are just some things that are best not to share.

A Fellowship of Christians, Grounded in the Scriptures
and Centered on the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Pastor: pastor@benediction-lcms.org
Office: office@benediction-lcms.org

Check out Pastor Hougard's sermons for the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation on the Pastor's tab,

Reformation 500 Themes

Aug 27, 2017 The Reformation Comes to Denmark
Sept 3, 2017 The Freedom of the Christian
Sept 10, 2017 Adiaphora - Matter on which the Bible Is Silent
Sept 17, 2017 the Two Kingdoms - Church and State
Sept 24, 2017 Vocation - The Priesthood of All Believers
Oct 1, 2017 Repentance - The Heartbeat of the Christian
Oct 8, 2017 God's Gift of Marriage
Oct 15, 2017 Anfechtung - Tribulation
Oct 22, 2017 The Power of God's Word
Oct 29, 2017 The Centrality of the Gospel