This Saturday, the Southern Nevada Southern Baptist Association is having a "CrossWalk". Southern Baptist Churches from all over Las Vegas have been assigned a stretch of either Charleston or Decatur and will prayer-walk from 9:30-11:00AM.
Now, many of you have heard of prayer-walking, I'm sure, but you may not be fully aware of what it is or how to go about doing it...
The goal of Saturday is to train people to see the world as God sees it, feel the burdens He feels, love as He loves.
As we are walking our part of Decatur, we are to be consciously looking around us, seeing things for which we can pray. An example was given at the training Jake, Pastor Mike and Jeremy, our youth pastor, went to. The man said that as they were prayer walking he saw a satellite dish on a house, so he prayed that it would bring only good into the house, that no garbage would come through it.
Prayer in Motion can be done everyday, where ever you happen to be. It doesn't have to be a planned event, it should be a daily part of a Christ-follower's life.
As you go about your day-to-day life, make a conscious effort to pray for the people and things you pass along the way. Take time to look at the world the way God does.
The Bible says "pray without ceasing". This can be as simple as a one-line prayer lifted up as you drive past a school, "Father, bless the children and staff there, help no harm come to them today." It doesn't have to be complicated or intrinsic. You don't have to stop what you're doing...you don't have to close your eyes (especially if you're driving!), just be in the moment, focus on something/someone other than yourself and see the needs around you.
I think so often people feel too intimidated to pray. They feel like they don't have a good enough reason, or they'll sound stupid...but God wants us to come to Him. He desires a relationship with us!
If you never talk to your best friend, never spend time with him/her, don't listen when s/he speaks to you, is that really your best friend? Do you really have a relationship with that person? Well, it's the same way with God. People claim to love God, to desire to be close to Him, yet are too busy to spend time with Him. That relationship will go no where.
Jesus died on the cross for your sins, He gave up everything for you, the very least we should do is spend time with Him in the quiet of our hearts. But don't do all the talking, take time to listen as well...you'd be surprised!
One last thought for today:
When you are praying for people, BLESS them:
B-Body, pray for physical needs
L-Labor, pray for job/career
E-Emotion, pray for his/her emotional needs
S-Social, pray for his/her social life and friends
S-Spiritual, pray that spiritual needs are met and that s/he has a personal relationship with Jesus
Start today! Pray in Motion!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Leaving for Home
So it's 9:40 PM, CST, and we're sitting in the airport in Springfield, MO. Our plane should be taking off right about now, but we were delayed an hour or so. I thought I would take this time to send a quick blog.
Once we get home and settled I promise to upload some pictures from our week at GIC. What an amazing week! It was such a blessing to us. As we drove through Rogers this past week it was a rather surreal experience. Though we have only been gone a little over a year, Rogers didn't feel like home anymore. However, Wednesday night as we sat in the sanctuary of FBC and listened to the choir and orchestra and worshiped with 100's of other people...we were home. First Baptist has been my home church since 1983, and Jake's since 1993, so being back there was such a blessing to us both. Being members there for so many years we took for granted the 100+ choir, a church building that is permanently there and doesn't have to be set up and torn down each week before and after worship service, a worship leader like Mark Maier, who radiates Jesus in all he does.
Please don't get me wrong, we are so blessed to be serving at NorthStar. It is definitely our home now, but being at FBC just helped us appreciate the foundation that was laid in our lives there.
Okay...so it's now Wednesday, our plane was called as I was finishing that last sentence so I never had a chance to post. Rather than posting 2ce in one day, I'll just continue with this one.
JD and Cora were so excited to see their friends. They each got to stay the night with a friend while there, and it was so uplifting to their demeanor. It was so great seeing them run around the gym with life-long friends.
We want to make sure and thank the Milner ABF class for hosting our family this week. It was such an honor to get to know you and share with you our ministry. Thank you for your prayers and support!
There is so much that went on during GIC, I'm afraid I will miss telling you about so much of it. Thank you to the senior adults and Saints Alive Choir for the great luncheon! Also, a huge thanks to the staff and men's and women's ministries, so much effort was put into this week and it was definitely felt.
One of the hi-lights of the week was watching Children of the World perform. We have had the privilege of seeing them in the past and enjoyed them equally as much this time. I wanted to take several of them home with me.
One thing that really spoke to Jake and I this past week was something the guest speaker, Walker Moore said. "If you are a willing witness, your next heart beat is one of obedience." We need to say yes to God anytime, anyplace, anywhere, anyway under any circumstance. We want to be willing witnesses. It was a definite challenge to our daily lives.
Something people ask me frequently is, "How long will you be in Vegas?" My response is always the same, "Until God tells us to go somewhere else." Walker Moore really spoke to what Jake and I want our family legacy to be; that we will be ready and willing to go where ever God tells us to go, anytime, anyplace, anywhere, under any circumstances. We want our children to know that above all else, we are joyfully obedient to God's will for our lives.
Continuing to serve....
Once we get home and settled I promise to upload some pictures from our week at GIC. What an amazing week! It was such a blessing to us. As we drove through Rogers this past week it was a rather surreal experience. Though we have only been gone a little over a year, Rogers didn't feel like home anymore. However, Wednesday night as we sat in the sanctuary of FBC and listened to the choir and orchestra and worshiped with 100's of other people...we were home. First Baptist has been my home church since 1983, and Jake's since 1993, so being back there was such a blessing to us both. Being members there for so many years we took for granted the 100+ choir, a church building that is permanently there and doesn't have to be set up and torn down each week before and after worship service, a worship leader like Mark Maier, who radiates Jesus in all he does.
Please don't get me wrong, we are so blessed to be serving at NorthStar. It is definitely our home now, but being at FBC just helped us appreciate the foundation that was laid in our lives there.
Okay...so it's now Wednesday, our plane was called as I was finishing that last sentence so I never had a chance to post. Rather than posting 2ce in one day, I'll just continue with this one.
JD and Cora were so excited to see their friends. They each got to stay the night with a friend while there, and it was so uplifting to their demeanor. It was so great seeing them run around the gym with life-long friends.
JD with Best-Bud, Wade
Cora with BFF, Brynn
Jake and I enjoyed seeing our friends and family as well, though the time passed way too quickly, and we don't feel like we had nearly enough time with any of you. Thank you for spending time with us while we were there, it blessed us greatly to be with you.
Jake with good friend, FBC Media Director, Brian Dunaway
We want to make sure and thank the Milner ABF class for hosting our family this week. It was such an honor to get to know you and share with you our ministry. Thank you for your prayers and support!
There is so much that went on during GIC, I'm afraid I will miss telling you about so much of it. Thank you to the senior adults and Saints Alive Choir for the great luncheon! Also, a huge thanks to the staff and men's and women's ministries, so much effort was put into this week and it was definitely felt.
One of the hi-lights of the week was watching Children of the World perform. We have had the privilege of seeing them in the past and enjoyed them equally as much this time. I wanted to take several of them home with me.
One thing that really spoke to Jake and I this past week was something the guest speaker, Walker Moore said. "If you are a willing witness, your next heart beat is one of obedience." We need to say yes to God anytime, anyplace, anywhere, anyway under any circumstance. We want to be willing witnesses. It was a definite challenge to our daily lives.
Something people ask me frequently is, "How long will you be in Vegas?" My response is always the same, "Until God tells us to go somewhere else." Walker Moore really spoke to what Jake and I want our family legacy to be; that we will be ready and willing to go where ever God tells us to go, anytime, anyplace, anywhere, under any circumstances. We want our children to know that above all else, we are joyfully obedient to God's will for our lives.
Continuing to serve....
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