List Not Handled Properly?

List Not Handled Properly? (12-18-06)

by Laura Lee (Bismarck, North Dakota)

(Response to a non Sabbath Keepers prayer request.)"Why do you post requests such as these?" Linda Moers

(I want to unsubscribe from your prayer list) "because your prayer list is not what I consider to be properly handled". Donald Moffett

We gave both Linda Moers and Donald Moffett plenty of opportunity to explain what they meant by the question/statement they have made, but to date neither one have wanted to explain their question/statement. If these are innocent comments on their part they should not be that hard to explain.

I believe that the exchange with Linda Moers has been covered, so I won't go into that again. Donald Moffett does not consider our prayer request list to be properly handled and we did ask him why he felt this way and to date he has not responded, so I will cover some things in the way of possibly building a bridge across the gap here.

In years past our prayer request list used to be totally controlled by us and we took all addresses off of prayer requests before they were sent out. We also sent the prayer requests to people without asking them if they even wanted them. Some people complained about receiving prayer requests, one guy, Robert Thiel even compared our prayer requests and outreach email to "porn spam" and some people complained about not having addresses posted to send cards to. So then we tried to rectify some of this problem by having people sign up. We started a list with "Cool Lists" and then people complained that they had to give their birth date to get on the list. Birthdates were not required by us, but they were required by "Cool Lists". Hardly no one signed up for this list. Not having learned our lesson we created a list through "Bravenet" for which even fewer people signed up. Still through it all we received many complaints not from the sick but from those who were praying as to why don't we send out addresses. After a short time we took our list back and handled it manually. At some point in all of this Rosemary Halley started sending her prayer requests to us. It took us hours to get these ready to send out as many times the list was so long. She sent them to us and then she complained that we were sending card packets to those on her list (18 months after the fact). What she didn't want us to send was our newsletter and Norman Edwards tract "When Will God Heal". These are people who want God to answer their prayers, but they don't want to hear about God or the Bible. What is wrong with this picture? Eventually Rosemary Halley parted ways with us of her own free will even though she certainly could have sent her prayer requests here without addresses then we wouldn't be able to send our card packets, which is something we have done for people on our prayer list ever since 2001 when we started which was long before Rosemary Halley started sending to us. So the point of all this is, is just what is the proper way to handle a prayer request list?

With a change to a new Web Site server in 2005/2006 came the ability for us to set up mailing lists. So we did. We explained the Prayer Requests & Updates one many times, telling everyone on that list that it was unmoderated so be careful what you say on it because it will go out to everyone. As usual, many people do not listen to what is said or pointed out to them. So then when something is sent that people don't like, then we receive more complaints. This complaint stuff is not new among the Israelites, Moses put up with it all the time he wandered in the wilderness and I would say he was a saint to put up with it. You show me an Israelite and I will show you a complainer. The bottom line here is I don't believe that we can handle a prayer request list that will meet the specifications for all people. People will always find something to complain about, just because they are people and they have different views.

With an unmoderated prayer request list comes the freedom for those on the list to decide whether they will include an address or not. Another advantage is that your prayer request goes out right away, you no longer have to wait a day or two or a week perhaps before we would have time to send it out. The disadvantage is that people such as Linda Moers can do a lot of damage before being stopped. Linda Moers is now moderated, meaning that all her prayer requests etc. will have to be approved by us before they go out. We don't like to moderate people, but for the good of all on our list and to stop the problem which arises we will moderate trouble makers on these lists. If you have questions such as the one that set off a tremendous amount of email we had to handle, then please be a Christian and ask us privately so you don't needlessly offend others on our list or cause people to unsubscribe.

Recently we were sent a Web Link to post on our site, which we will, but I found an interesting thing on their site which I will now complain about. Go to: http://www.afg-cog.org/ and click on "Prayer Requests" and the following will hit you right between the eyes: "Please only send cards or condolences not religious materials! They are asking for prayers and loving arms to hold them in their hour of need, not sermons. PLEASE DON'T ASK FOR PRAYER FOR THOSE OUTSIDE OF THE 7TH DAY KEEPING COMMUNITY." When I inquired about this message, I was told the message was at the request of Rosemary Halley.

In my opinion, those who might be dying or seriously ill are truly in need of God as well as prayer and loving arms. So if someone can send them something that helps them to see God in some way that will get them a miracle of healing I am all for it, it's too bad many believe this to be the wrong thing to do when a person most needs God.

The other part is totally unbiblical. We know we are to pray for our leaders, and they are many times very corrupt and in no way Sabbath Keepers. We also know we are to pray for our enemies. Are our enemies our brethren? Or are they people who are non Sabbath Keepers?

Next time you receive a prayer request from a non-Sabbath Keeper apply the following rules of love. For now skip the pagan parts of the prayer request and look only at the needs of the person. Pray first for those needs. Next pray that God might open up that persons mind to truly see what the word of God tells them to do. Next become a friend to that person so that when opportunities present themselves you can be a true Sabbath Keeping witness to that person.

I truly hope I do not see so much future outpouring of non love on our prayer line again in the future as I have seen in the last few weeks. Many of you were just like Lisa Burnett until someone took you in and showed you the true face of God. When you forget where you came from you no longer have the ability to witness for God.