Bower Life

Lonny (LRB), Sherry, Caleb and Linda. We are a United States Air Force family and full time servants of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We are currently stationed at Elmendorf Air Force Base Alaska and absolutely loving it! As you may know we spent the last 35 months on the tropical south Pacific island of Guam. What a difference in temperature! However it is great to be back in the North with all the wildlife and the glorious mountains! The kids are now in public school (first time ever) and seem to be doing fine!

Since we have been living overseas for over 17 years we have populated our site with a lot of our photos that our families have never seen. We have also included photos of the family we have gained while living overseas. May the Lord bless all who call upon Him and may He release from captivity all who are living under the bondage of man. May all be freed from tyranny of every sort so that they may have the opportunity to freely choose to serve the Lord and savior - Jesus Christ.

Lonny, a previous AMMO (Munitions) troop is a First Sergeant - check out the following page: First Sergeant. He also is a preacher of the gospel message and will not pass up the opportunity to share the gospel of freedom to any who will listen. Lonny and Sherry had the privilege of serving as pastors of the Andersen AFB Church of God while stationed in Guam. You can listen to many of Lonny's sermons and read some of his articles by clicking on the Full Message link. They now attend the Eagle River Church of God in Eagle River Alaska (about 12 miles from Elmendorf) and are looking forward to working in the northern harvest field.

I have found that God moves through my desire. That is, it has been my experience that the things I genuinely desire and seek the Lord for I receive. I have found this principle to be true in our daily lives too; usually people get what they desire, whether its godly or worldly desire. Now this is not to say that it's license to ask amiss, but on the contrary it is the privilege of knowing God's will and then pursuing it as for hidden treasure. We miss so much in life simply because we don't have godly desire. Did you know that it's God's desire to save the lost (2 Peter 3:9) - so have you been praying for them with genuine desire? Did you know that it's God's desire to baptize you in the Holy Spirit - do you desire Him? Did you know that it's God's desire to grant your desire which is really His desire, ah therein lies the key to a successful, meaningful prayer life - knowing God's will. Now to know God's will one has to spend time in His word and in his presence - often. Consider the below quote by Edward M. Bounds

"Desire is not merely a simple wish; it is a deep seated craving; an intense longing, for attainment. In the realm of spiritual affairs, it is an important adjunct to prayer. So important is it, that one might say, almost, that desire is an absolute essential of prayer. Desire precedes prayer, accompanies it, is followed by it. Desire goes before prayer, and by it, created and intensified. Prayer is the oral expression of desire. If prayer is asking God for something, then prayer must be expressed. Prayer comes out into the open. Desire is silent. Prayer is heard; desire, unheard. The deeper the desire, the stronger the prayer. Without desire, prayer is a meaningless mumble of words. Such perfunctory, formal praying, with no heart, no feeling, no real desire accompanying it, is to be shunned like a pestilence. Its exercise is a waste of precious time, and from it, no real blessing accrues."

The Necessity of Prayer - Public Domain

We Need to Pray!

It is certain that we need to be a praying people – if we are not we will be a powerless church relegated to the equivalency and affect of some country club! Jesus said in Matthew 6:6 when you pray…enter your closet and close the door. Public prayer is also necessary, as are prayers throughout the day, but let us not neglect to do as Jesus himself did and enter into our closet of prayer daily. This may mean (as it did for Jesus) that you have to rise early or go to bed late, but it is absolutely paramount to the furtherance of the Kingdom that we seek the Lord’s face and will from our closets. Hey, if Jesus needed to pray daily how much more do we need to?

By Lonny R. Bower (LRB) May, 2008 email comments or question about this article to lrb@bowerlife.com