The Truth will set You Free

January can be a busy time for CAP as people realise how much of a struggle it is to pay the Christmas bills and heat the house. Our first appointment slots are filled for January and are now booking into February.

It is great that these five people have recognised to themselves that they need help, have heard about CAP (maybe through google, a GP or social prescriber, via the council or through a friend) and have made the call to ask for help.

But this can be a hard thing to do. It can be difficult to admit to others, and even to ourselves, when we have a problem, to keep trying to get along in our own strength and only perpetuating the problem. It is common to hide financial difficulties from loved ones and keep our worries to ourselves, causing sleeplessness, stress and fractured relationships.

It is a big step to recognise the truth that we may need help and to start looking where it may be available, to pick up the phone and make the call to the CAP helpline and to wait for the Ely and District CAP team to visit to see how they can help.

The Ely and District CAP debt coaches and visit team bring practical help with them to help with the Journey out of Debt, but they also bring love and care and the knowledge of the One who can be a help and support throughout all life's problems.

John 10:26-28 (NIV)

27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.

When we know Jesus, we can live in the knowledge that He knows our situation, our problems and fears, even those that we try to hide from ourselves. We can take these issues to Him in prayer and know that He will answer. He know us and we know His voice - because it is the voice that tells us the truth.

John 8:31-32 (NIV)

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Living in the Truth of Jesus is living in a world free from fear and supported in love. We may not recognise this all the time, but when we go to God in prayer, we can have access, freely given, to that world which is there for us whenever we are ready to acknowledge and accept it. If we put our Trust in Jesus, His Truth is with us however jumbled and muddled our lives may seem.

Money Coaching

As well as the free debt help of the CAP Journey out of Debt, Ely and District CAP wants to help tackle financial worry and poverty in our community through Money Coaching, a free course that helps provide the skills and knowledge to help anyone better manage their budget and improve their financial stability.

The next course will run for two weeks in February - either two Wednesday evenings from 7.30pm on 18th and 25th February or two Saturday mornings from 10am on 21st and 28th February.

Find out more about Money Coaching here

Prayer

Please pray for all our CAP clients, especially those waiting for their first appointments. Pray for those suffering with debt in our communities who do not know where to turn to for help, pray that they would hear about the help that CAP can offer and the strength to be able to reach out and ask for help.

Pray for events such as the Directory Day at Ely Collage on Saturday, that the Ely and District CAP stall would be a way to reach more people suffering with debt in our community and spread the news about the help that CAP can bring.

Please pray for our debt coaches, John and Pat and for all the team that support them, that they would be strengthened to be ready to meet people in whatever situation they are in and to be ready and equipped to share the message of God's love with them.

Pray for the new Money Coaching Course and all the ways that Ely and District CAP wants to support those suffering with debt and poverty in our communities in the year ahead, pray for guidance and support as these ideas are developed.