*Bookmark this page!

Praise & Prayer Weekly Update - 4/21/2026

Prayer at MBC

It is our desire to be available to support you every day of the week, not just Sunday mornings. If you are in need of prayer or would like to share a praise, please fill out the email request below.

Submit Prayer Requests Here

“I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer.” ~Psalm 17:6​

Praise God:  

  • Praise God for the 64 women participants on the women’s retreat this past weekend. 
  • Praise God for Bernards Township’s recognition of our 175th anniversary, marked by the reading of a resolution on April 28 at 7:00 PM at Town Hall. Public is welcome for the reading. 
  • Praise God Rachel Rickershauser’s sister, Stephanie, has a knee plate did not move. She was approved to start weight-bearing physical therapy. 
  • Praise God for our MBC Band of Brother’s group had a good turnout of 8 guys for guys’ Senior weekend. 
  • Praise God for a good turnout for the campus workday this past Saturday. Thankful for everything that was accomplished. 

For our MBC Family & Friends, please pray for:

  • Phil Casciano has been diagnosed with kidney cancer and will schedule surgery for removal soon.   
  • Betty Wagner’s father passed away. She praises God for the ability to have nice visit with him and say her goodbyes and have some closure. He was a godly man. 94 years old. Please pray for her as she grieves this loss. 
  • Sue Philhower was admitted to the hospital during the women’s retreat due to leg pain.  Please pray for Sue and Don as they navigate this health issue far from home.   
  • Please continue to pray for Marian Miller as she recovers from post-concussion syndrome. She’s now having vestibular therapy.  She feels it’s helping & is looking forward to a full recovery.  She & Bill thank you so much for all your prayers, cards, emails, calls & gifts.  They feel they are truly blessed to be in such a loving community of believers! 
  • Steve Gundersen is now home after spending four nights at Memorial Sloan Kettering.  Fortunately, he didn’t have very bad side effects from the clinical trial injections he received to treat his multiple myeloma. Please pray that the treatments help slow the progression of his illness.  
  • Please pray for Marie Lindgren’s lymphedema therapy and for the swelling and pain to subside.  Marie is praising God for continued healing.  
  • Pray for Marianne Iandiorio. The doctor suggested physical therapy for her neck before trying surgery. He feels it is too dangerous to do surgery at this time. She will be having another MRI for her lower back to see if there is a problem there. Please continue to keep Marianne in your prayers.   
  • Laurie Steen had been scheduled to have hip surgery in late March; however, the surgery was postponed because her immunoglobulin is low.  She needs a transfusion before they can do surgery, but she is battling the insurance company to have that paid for.  She asks for prayer that she can find a way to get it approved.   
  • Pray for MBC young adults Emma Garcell and Kayley Garcell as they look for jobs to start their careers.     
  • Mike Alessi (99 years old) gave his testimony at the VA outreach this past week. Mike was in the Navy in World War II. Please pray for God’s blessing on the ministry to the veterans.  
  • Please pray for Peggy Drake as she navigates many health issues.  She is very overwhelmed. Pray for answers, healing, and that God would give her peace.  
  • Pray for Chris Dowden, who had surgery on his left arm to repair the detached muscle.   
  • Pray for Pete Lima, who is seeing his cardiologist to consider when to have heart surgery.       
  • Clint Pompey recently had his position eliminated at work and will be actively looking for a new job. He is a network engineer.      
  • Please pray for Michelle Bachman for God’s strength and healing as she continues in cancer treatments.     
  • Please continue to pray for our expectant mothers. Clint and Emily Pompey are expecting their second child in June. Caleb and Liana Moore are expecting their second in May. 

Our Church:

  • Please pray for Pastor Dave Hentschel as he prepares the sermon on 2 Timothy 2:22.  
  • Pray for MBC special business meeting this Tuesday. Pray that God’s will be done. 
  • Pray for the upcoming dedication of our new prayer garden on May 2 @ 11am. 

 

Our nation & those in authority.

1 Timothy 2: 1-2 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

  • Please pray for the War in Iran, for God to protect the church and innocent lives in Iran and across the region, to comfort those who are grieving, and to restrain the spread of violence. Pray for wisdom and humility for world leaders, and for turning hearts from retaliation toward justice, mercy, and lasting peace.
  • Praise and continued prayer for the First Choice Supreme Court Hearing which seems to have gone very well. The decision will likely be rendered for some time between April and June. Pray for favor with the Supreme Court Justices and for an overwhelming victory for First Choice. 

Our Extended Family & Friends:

  • Marianne Iandiorio gives praise and thanksgiving that Christopher, her 3-year-old great-great son, surgery went well. Christopher is recovering and on the mend. 
  • Please pray for Russell Luedecker. Jim and Deb’s oldest son has been diagnosed with cancer. Please Pray he can be accepted into a drug trial program asap. Please pray for his wife Kirsten and their three children – James Avalon and Everett. Russ is a Cranford police officer. 
  • Please pray for Jim Walsh and his family as they grieve the loss of Jim’s brother. Jim brothers passed away suddenly at the age of 39. 
  • Please pray for sister in Christ, Carla Varner, who has been on hospice care for almost a week now. Her 15 month battle with cancer has been extremely painful and difficult, yet her trust in the Lord is unwavering. Her steadfast and loving husband Carl has been on her side always. Please pray the Varner family would feel the perfect comfort and peace of Jesus, even encouragement and hope for we believe nothing is impossible. May the Lord give them rest in this most difficult time. 
  • Please pray for Bill Miller’s brother, Paul. He will be having a biopsy this week for the spot on his lung which has changed since the last MRI.   Please pray that the cancer has not returned!  Also, pray for Paul and Nancy’s salvation. 
  • Please pray for Bill Miller‘s sister, Ellen, who is struggling with pulmonary fibrosis. Please also pray for wisdom and grace for her daughter and husband who she’s living with. 
  • Christina Patskin requests prayer for her cousin, Daniel, who is 33 years old. He has a drug addiction and had to be taken to the emergency room for a drug overdose. Christina’s specific request is for Daniel’s life to be spared, for Daniel’s willingness to enter into a rehab program, and for his aunt to have power of attorney because Daniel is badly in debt and is about to lose his house.    
  • Thank you for continued prayers for Sue Turner’s cousin, Becky, as she fights valiantly against cancer throughout her body. There has been significant improvement with the brain tumors, but she is still battling lesions on her liver and new tumors found in her breast. Please pray for insurance to cover the costs of treatments that will help her most.         
  • Hector Garcell’s mom, Elsie, will be having pacemaker surgery on 4/24. Please pray for her and that Laura and Hector will be able to witness to her.    
  • Todd & Margaret Fontana request prayer for their sister-in-law. She was recently diagnosed with ovarian cancer and will begin chemotherapy.        

Missionary Partner for the week: Jayson and Julie Casper RECLAIM – Middle East 

Pray for the safety of the Casper family during the Middle East war.  Also, pray for them as their local church navigates a difficult transaction.  

Town Rebuilding After Attacks

The Congolese town of Tchabi is rebuilding after suffering a series of attacks from an Islamist group beginning in 2019. Over the course of two years, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) murdered dozens of residents and took many hostages. By Sept. 2023, government troops had brought some peace to the region, and residents who had fled began returning. Though the ADF was never fully eradicated and continues to operate in the eastern DRC, the town has begun to rebuild, and VOM has been active in providing spiritual care, distributing Bibles and helping residents plant community gardens. “This project is bringing the [Christian] believers and non-believers together,” a front-line worker said, “because those who are not believers are also joining the morning prayers and [devotions] before gardening.” He added that a Muslim man become a follower of Christ through the gardening project.

Would you like your prayer request to remain active longer?

Prayer requests will remain active for two weeks. If you would like your request to continue please update by contacting us here or via a connection card on Sunday. All long-term prayer requests (chronic illnesses) will remain active for one month. If you would like your request to continue, please update by contacting us here or via a connection card on Sunday.

 

Dear MBC community, Ensuring excellence in our communication is vital for a cohesive and impactful church identity. To uphold this standard, all public church communications will undergo a thoughtful review by our Communications department. This encompasses various platforms such as Enews, Website, social media, Praise and Prayer, and more. We appreciate your creativity and individuality in personal communications, yet on public platforms, we seek to maintain a consistent tone and quality. This oversight is a collective effort to present the best of MBC, supported by the insights of our dedicated Communications team and church leaders. Thank you for your understanding and collaboration in this endeavor.

Our Sunday service LiveStream is exclusively on our Channel.