A prayer - March 29, 2007

Father in Heaven: help us to just stop for a moment. And in that moment, ask us the hardest questions. Search our hearts. Make us excuseless. Help us to avoid hamster-wheel lives where we run and run, and we feel alright with close-to-nothingness, and the years slip away. Instead, give us realism and vision, brokenness, repentance, vibrant and desperate times in your Word, and prayer; and may we reclaim lives that are world-interfacing, evangelistic, people-caring, Spirit-empowered, filled with Divine appointments, slum-remembering, Hell-aware, Heavenly-joy-filled and characterized by *time* that is wonderfully eternalized rather than unknowingly lost. In Jesus' name. Amen.
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Sent from my mobile phone.

March 13 Popcorn: HIV testimony, Africa, American missionaries, BAM, advice, Just do it

It's been ages since I've done a "popcorn" post, but it's time for another. Enjoy!

Christopher Yuan: One of the most significant people I have met this year. Dentistry, narcotics, HIV, homosexuality, expulsion, prison, salvation, now on fire for Christ. Check out ChristopherYuan.com.

Probably the best collection of African Animal photographs I have seen.

George Verwer on sending out American missionaries: "Some people are saying we can’t send American missionaries because they are too expensive. This is ridiculous. The need for workers is so huge and the global task cannot be done by nationals, especially in countries where there are hardly any believers. Most pastors in America get good salaries – so why begrudge missionaries getting what they need to do the work?"

Business as Mission: businessasmission.blogspot.com

Let's-be-realistic-advice: If you don't feel like reading that missionary prayer letter in your inbox, skim it for a few seconds, say a quick prayer, and file it. Don't wait to read it later, because you never will.

RightNow.org: don't know much about this, but I like the concept: find it, and then do it.

Finally, I have updated the map at the bottom of this blog. Scroll down once in a while, learn, and pray.

It's the One Year Anniversary of this Blog

I just realized that yesterday was the one-year anniversary of this blog. (Isn't this the perfect picture?) :) Hopes for an eternal blog posted on March 6, 2006 was the first-ever blog entry. Perhaps you remember it. It reads:

The primary purpose of this blog is to help people--including myself--to pray. Because it is personal, it will reflect my own experiences, burdens, encounters and even weaknesses; and it will mean more to those who know me. May God eternalize this small-scale effort for His glory!

I want to renew this commitment now. In fact, I would like to do so with a prayer.

Lord, we need you. We need the spirit-healing, life-directing, character-forming, love-giving, Holy-Spirit-filling that comes with communion with you. There is a world of need out there, and we need you to not only bless but direct our feeble efforts. Renew our discipline for prayer, Lord. May we walk in step with you throughout the day, consulting you all the time, and listening to your voice; may we take time out to, on our own, spend times of dedicated prayer with you; and may we initiate, participate in, and enliven through faith times of prayer with others.

Even now, Lord, we don't just want to talk about prayer; we want to intercede. I want to pray for D.R. Congo, for the war that is going on there - that you would embolden our church in this great nation to rise up for justice, peace and loving action. I pray for Muslim-Christian relations around the world, that we Christians would become more characterized by wisdom and sacrificial love, and less by ignorance and disdain (have mercy). Finally, I pray for greater vision. I pray that you will give us the courage and faith in you to say, "We can do that"; and then the reality and action to see it happen. Oh Lord, give us yourself. In Jesus' name. Amen.