The majority of the world lives without the hope offered by Christ. The open door to God’s throne is a unique post-resurrection-ascension-enthronement Christian notion and unique privilege. That we can pray, pour out our souls to a God who cares, is an incredible privilege. That we get answers from God is beyond incredible. Sadly, prayer is now seen as passé. It is the most under-utilized privilege afforded believers. The average American Christian prays only four minutes a day. God leaves his door open and invites us to visit and bring our troubles, doing so with gratitude in view of his previous grants. When heaven answers our prayer, we should not be silent about such a benevolent God.

Calling God

In the movie Bruce Almighty, a seven-digit number that flashed on Jim Carrey’s display was purportedly God calling. Usually, carefully chosen non-functioning numbers are used in movies. In that movie, the number displayed was a functioning number, at least, when paired with some area codes. A phenomenon followed the airing of the movie across the nation. People added an area code and started calling the number – presumably calling “God!” Those who received the calls “to God” quickly caught on. Many played along. Some found desperate callers on the other end of the line.

A call to a Colorado Network was from a woman behind bars. Only reaching an answering machine did not deter her from leaving a poignant message, “I’m in jail right now. Like I said to you last night, ‘I love you.’” She assured God she was going to change the way she was living and requested His help to return to her family. One person called the number and admitted that they knew this wasn’t the number for God, but wondered if there was another! One medical supervisor, whose seven-digit number matched that shown on the screen was getting as many as 40-50 calls a day shortly after the movie aired. People want to talk to God.[1]

God’s Invitation – “Call Me!”

Jeremiah, the weeping prophet who witnessed the demise of Judah, the destruction of the Temple, and the exile of his Jewish brothers, never lost faith in the power of prayer. “Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know” (Jeremiah 33:3, NIV). An unknown poet wrote, “When God inclines the heart to pray, He hath an ear to hear; To Him there’s music in a groan, and beauty in a tear.”[2] The desire to pray itself is evidence of God’s work in the heart. It is by grace that we pray.

A Gallup poll some years ago revealed surprising facts about prayer. Some 88 percent of Americans pray to God in one way or another, but only 42 percent dared ask God for material or tangible things – a surprisingly low number. And only 15 percent said they regularly experienced answers to specific requests.[3] God says, “Call me sometime!”

God’s Compassionate Nature

“In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction” Isaiah declared (Isaiah 38:17). The psalmist recalled, “O LORD, You brought me up from the grave. You called me back to life from among those who had gone into the pit” (Psalm 30:3, GWT).We rejoice first that there is a God. Then we are grateful He hears us when we pray, and He cares about us as a loving Father. Prayer is about the relationship, before it is about the benefits.

Just the privilege of prayer is worthy of joy and gratefulness. We rejoice, confident that there is someone on the other end of the line. To withhold our gratitude unless God performs to our expectations indicates the degree to which pride controls our lives. He is God, we are the servants. Prayer is no magic lantern to be rubbed and God is no genie who is there to blindly grant our wishes. That is a pagan idea of prayer! The idea of a compassionate God who hears us weeping in the night and cares is matchless among the religions of the world. And it is distinctively a Christian-Jewish notion.

THIS BLOG IS AN EXCERPT FROM The Great Exchange – Why Your Prayer Requests May Not Be Getting Answers, a new book by P. Douglas Small to be released soon.

P. Douglas Small is founder and president of Alive Ministries: PROJECT PRAY and he serves in conjunction with a number of other organizations. He is also the creator of the Praying Church Movement and the Prayer Trainer’s Network. However, all views expressed are his own and not the official position of any organization.

[1] Mike MacIntosh. Falling in Love with Prayer (Colorado Springs, CO: Victor Books, 2004), 27.

[2] John Julian, editor; A Dictionary of Hymnology: Setting Forth the Origin and History of Christian Hymns; “When God Inclines the Heart to Pray,” (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1892), 907; From Spurgeon’s O. O. H. Bk, 1866.

[3] Margaret Poloma and George Gallup, Jr., Varieties of Prayer (Philadelphia, PA: Trinity Press International, 1991), 26-52.

The Testimony of Thanks

1 Chronicles 16:8-13, “Oh give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples. Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; Speak of all His wonders. Glory in His holy name; Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad. Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face continually. Remember His wonderful deeds which He has done, His marvels and the judgments from His mouth, O seed of Israel His servant, Sons of Jacob, His chosen ones!”  NAS

Happy Thanksgiving Neighbors,

   Giving thanks is a vital part of a Christian’s life. Thankfulness keeps us humble and happy. Giving thanks reminds us of our dependency on God and His generosity towards us. Giving thanks reminds us that we are blessed, no matter what your circumstances, as a child of God you are blessed. Psychologists and other scientists continue to prove what the Psalmist said thousands of years ago; a person with a grateful heart is happier and lives longer. Thankfulness turns your focus towards all the ways you are blessed and lowers your stress. Thanksgiving is our reminder of God’s faithfulness, His daily faithfulness to sustain and even surpass all that you need.

   Thanksgiving provides the perfect opportunity to pray with others, care for others by providing a meal or donating to Thanksgiving food projects and it is certainly a great time to share the love and message of Jesus. I want to encourage you to practice what these verses in 1 Chronicles 16 teach us; this exercise will help form a much needed habit of giving thanks that will help us to focus on the blessing instead of the busyness of this season and life. Thanksgiving will train your heart and mind to seek the Lord and be glad on all days because you will constantly be remembering what God has done, and live in eager expectation of what He will do today.

   Giving thanks sings His praises and speaks of His wonders. Many people are afraid to “witness” to a friend or family member because they do not feel that they have enough knowledge of the Bible to defend their faith or might not have the answers to all of their questions. Thanksgiving makes it easy to share Jesus with other people by sharing our personal testimony of His wonderful deeds. No one can deny His blessings in your life, and many of us have been a part of ministry or even miracles. Many of you are here today because you were restored from a disease, depression or an addiction. Some of you sit here today as a testimony of just being able to get out of bed and fight disease, depression or addiction for another day in His strength, one minute at a time. Some can share the great restoration of a relationship, some can share the great hope they have that one day a prodigal will come home, unfaithfulness will be healed, or communication will be restored. We all have something to be thankful for; don’t be afraid to share your story and give Jesus thanks.

   I am so thankful for all of you who are devoted to a prayer-care-share lifestyle. I am thankful for our Mission America Coalition and LOVE2020 members and partners. I am thankful for the opportunities that Jesus gives us to minister to others and for allowing us to be servants for His Kingdom. Share your testimony of His wonderful deeds in your life with a neighbor, friend, coworker or even a complete stranger. I challenge you to share the love and message of Jesus with all of your “neighbors” by the end of the year 2020.

Love is a verb…let’s get moving!

    Kathy B.

Father, we acknowledge that the hearts of presidents, kings, and all leaders are in your hands.  You are the one who brings people into positions of leadership and you are the one who moves them out of these positions.  The times of nations are in your hands also.  You are sovereign over all.

Lord, what we see in our country disturbs us - the division, the self-centeredness, the moral drift, the challenges to the very foundations on which this country was built.  We see the ingratitude of those who take freedom for granted.  We see the selfishness and immaturity of those who protest an election outcome because they don't like the results.  We see leadership in turmoil.  We see our freedoms - religious and otherwise - being eroded, sometimes slowly and sometimes more quickly.

But Father, we often do not see the spiritual battles that underlie all this.  Please give us eyes to see our country as you see it - beyond the surface, beyond what we hear in the media - to see the spiritual realities.  And give us the will and the commitment to face those realities the only way they can be faced - in prayer.

Awaken your church to the need for prayer for America.  Jesus, teach us how to pray as you prayed, "not my will, but yours be done".  Forgive us when we have prayed our own agendas, bringing you the answers borne out of our own "wisdom" rather than seeking the wisdom of your answers. Cleanse us from the need to be right. Fix our eyes, our minds, our hearts on things above as we pray, so that the ultimate aim of our praying will be your honor and glory in our country and around the world.

Please give our leaders - the current leadership, the incoming leadership, and the outgoing leadership - wisdom in all the decisions they need to make. Reconcile them one to another and enable them to work together for a smooth transition. Give wisdom to Mr. Trump and his team in selecting advisors and people for positions of leadership. We trusted you to raise up the right leadership through the elections; now we trust you in the same way to raise up the right leadership through the appointment process.

Grant Mr. Trump and his team favor in the eyes of the world - not for their own sake, but for your sake - so that you may once again use this country to further your purposes in the world. Build positive relationships with other world leaders.  Build understanding and a spirit of cooperation.

Heal the divisions in our land, Father.  Call your people to humble prayer and to seek your face so that you bring this kind of healing.  Thwart the enemy's attempts to bring division and to increase hatred and strife.  Discredit those who have made it their aim to promote this division and instead raise up others who can bring reconciliation, understanding, and healing.

Father, there is much that we don't know about how our government works behind the scenes - much that is hidden from us, both intentionally and unintentionally.  But nothing is hidden from your sight.  Cleanse our government, Lord God - purify motives, bring repentance for sin, humble those who have raised themselves up in pride and power.  Bring to light the deeds done in darkness so that your truth may be known.

Please restore our country, Lord - bless this nation so that we in turn may be a blessing to the world. Cause us to take seriously the accountability we have for all of the ways in which you have already blessed us.  May your name be honored both in this time of transition and going forward.

Amen.

From Voting to Veterans: Thanking Those Who Fight for Our Freedom

Psalm 18:1-6, "I love You, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, And I am saved from my enemies. The cords of death encompassed me, And the torrents of ungodliness terrified me. The cords of Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God for help; He heard my voice out of His temple, and my cry for help before Him came into His ears…”

:13-18, “The LORD also thundered in the heavens, And the Most High uttered His voice, Hailstones and coals of fire. He sent out His arrows, and scattered them, and lightning flashes in abundance, and routed them. Then the channels of water appeared, and the foundations of the world were laid bare at Your rebuke, O LORD, At the blast of the breath of Your nostrils. He sent from on high, He took me; He drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity, But the LORD was my stay.”  NAS

Greetings Neighbors,

   The election may be over but our need for prayer, care and sharing the gospel continues, as a world full of people look to new policies, promises and people to bring positive change to America. We as Christ-followers continue to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and to share the love and message of Jesus to bring about real hope and change to a hurting world hunting for help. We must commit to praying for the politicians who are working out their final days in office and for those who are preparing to begin their time of service to their city, state and nation. I want to suggest that you send the newly elected people an email letting them know that you are praying for them and begin to build a relationship with them for continued times of prayer, support and service. Let them know that they can count on you in prayer, care, share opportunities within your community or ministry reach. They need to know that they can count on you to show up with support and prayer for them when there are controversial votes, meetings, or when protestors are present. They need to know that they can count on your voice and values as much as we expect them to stand up for ours. They need to know that we will serve in places and projects of need and work with them to make our communities and county a place where the love and message of Jesus is lived out every day.

   Voting is just one of many rights afforded to us by those who founded our nation and those who continue to fight for freedom every day. Our United States Military and Border Patrol put their lives on the line every day so that we can wake, work, and walk through our day with freedom and peace. The members of our military and their families make enormous sacrifices, too many to count, so that freedom can reign across America and around the world. Do you have a military family in your neighborhood? Do you live near a military base, fort or camp? Do you have military members/families who attend your church? If you have military members/families near you I beg you to get to know them and find out how you could serve them as they serve our country. Get to know them; does the spouse work, do they have children, is the military member deployed? How can you help them? Does their lawn need raking, their driveway need shoveling in the winter, do they need help with the children once in a while, a friend to talk to or go have coffee with, someone who will climb the ladder when the batteries need changing in their smoke detectors? Let them know that you are praying for their whole family and invite them to your church services and activities. It is difficult for a military spouse to get a family ready for church on Sunday and then sit by themselves through a service filled with couples worshipping together. Be there for them; give them the prayer, give them care they need and as always be prepared to share the message of salvation through Jesus with those who do not know Him as Lord and Savior. Give them the greatest gift of abundant life and eternal hope throughout their days as they defend lives and freedom around the world. Don’t be afraid that you will say the wrong thing; we need to support our military and their families with our friendship and love. Knowing that their family is being cared for helps those who are serving far from home to focus on their mission and to perform their duties with renewed concentration and motivation. We thank God for our Veterans and we want to express our deep appreciation to them this weekend and always. I want to say a special thank you to my husband, dad, brother-in-law and father-in-law for their many years of military service.

There are many ministries including the American Bible Society, The National Day of Prayer, CRU and others who send Bibles and minister to military members and families. For more information please visit www.militarymissionsnetwork.com

   I challenge you to commit to supporting those who protect us through consistent prayer, care and sharing the Word and love of Jesus so that every military member and family experiences the love and message of Jesus by the end of the year 2020.

Love is a verb…let’s get moving!

    Kathy B.

“God’s purpose may be thwarted or it may be accomplished depending, to one degree or another, on the obedience of His people and their willingness to use the weapons of spiritual warfare that He has provided. God is powerful enough to win any battle, but He has designed things so that the release of His power at a given moment of time often is contingent upon the decisions and the actions of His people. A principle weapon of spiritual warfare is prayer. Not just routine or mediocre prayer, but prayer powerful enough to move God’s hand in order to determine the destiny of a whole nation.” C. Peter Wagner

Do we realize the power we have available to us when we take our authority in prayer? Most of us don’t realize our authority because if we did, we would be praying far more. We would be sacrificing everything else in order to pray. Instead of worrying about the increase in evil in our land, we would be on our faces before God crying out for His intervention. Unfortunately in many churches prayer is the weakest link. It should be the strongest one because it is the key to God’s blessing in the spirit realm.

America is a nation in crisis. Division, strife, and violence are increasing at an alarming rate. We must encourage the body of Christ everywhere to pray for the future of this nation and for this upcoming election. Several Christian leaders have indicated that this is a one-issue election" - the supreme court judges. The most serious threat over America is the 55 million abortions (since Roe vs. Wade in 1973). More abortions will lead to a greater judgment. There is more at stake in this election than most of us realize. We are battling for the soul of this nation.

How should a nation in crisis respond at a time like this? We need to gather in prayer with fasting to cry out for mercy, deliverance, and revival. God wants our hearts. We must take action and fervently pray for this election and vote for Godly values. It is our God-given responsibility to vote. See the values of each candidate here. Join us at the International House of Prayer for a Solemn Assembly for America from October 31 - Nov. 2, 2016. See Joel 2:12-17. I ask those in other nations to join us in prayer for America at this critical hour.

We work together with God when we exercise our authority in prayer. Authoritative intercession and heartfelt repentance is key to breakthrough in America. By exercising our authority in prayer and standing strong in God’s truth, we are working together with Him to determine the future of our nation. We have authority in prayer to actually see our personal lives and the lives of others change. We can pray authoritative prayers for our neighborhoods and cities. Certain things in history will happen through our intercession if we pray the way God wants us to pray. We can change nations through prayer if we choose to use this mighty weapon.

Prayer is like being at a tasty buffet banquet. Imagine being at a dinner buffet where there are many tables loaded with different foods. The foods are the best. They are mouth-watering and absolutely delicious. Guests help themselves to the different kinds of food, as they desire. The host walks around among his friends to see if everyone has enough to eat, while the servers keep loading the table with fresh food. You can take as many trips as you like to the tables as long as you have enough to eat. The host doesn’t care as long as you are full.

In a similar way, God has provided everything for us if we pray. We can have all we need. Most of us have not realized the power there is in prayer. We are not asking. All we have to do is reach out by faith and ask Him to touch our lives, our cities, and our nations. When we tap into his resources by faith and pray, miracles happen. When we exercise our authority in prayer, God answers in a powerful way. There is a strength and power in prayer that the Church has not yet known or realized.

My husband is a very practical man. He can fix almost anything. In our garage he has all kinds of tools. Once he decided to remodel our bathroom and tile the floor. To do an excellent job, he needed a good tile cutter. Whenever he fixes something in our home, he needs the right tools. Lately he has been working on our car. He needed a jack to lift the car up in order to work underneath. He couldn’t fix a problem underneath the car without that tool. It would be impossible.

The body of Christ also has a task. We want to change the world for Christ. It’s a huge task for all of us, but we do it one life at a time. Some are reaching people in their workplace or in another country. Some are reaching people in the hospitals or in the schools. We are all in this together. We want to see people’s lives changed all over the world before Jesus’ return to earth but the task is huge, and we need the right tools to do it. The most essential tool is prayer. Only through prayer can we get the job done. There is strength and power in prayer that can change the world.

When we pray with authority, things happen in the spirit realm. God remembers every prayer we pray, and every one of them prayed through the power of the Holy Spirit has effect on earth. Not one prayer is forgotten. When I was in a particular city in the country of Turkey, I remembered a prayer I had prayed in that very same city several years before. It was as if at that moment God showed me that He had remembered my prayers from several years before, and that it was extremely important and would have a powerful effect in that city one day. My prayer influenced God. When we realize the authority we have in prayer, mighty things will happen all over the earth that brings victory to the powerful name of Jesus. Well-known prayer author and intercessor, E. M. Bounds, wrote about the power of prayer:

“Prayer is power and strength, a power and strength that influences God, and is most salutary, widespread, and marvelous in its gracious benefits to man. Prayer influences God. The ability of God to do for man is the measure of the possibility of prayer.”

The prayers you pray influence God. He remembers every single one of them. You may be thinking, “You don’t know me - My prayers seem so feeble and weak - God doesn’t seem to answer me.” Do not ever think that God hasn’t heard you or that your prayers do not matter. The enemy is trying very hard to discourage people in prayer in these days because he is afraid of prayer. He knows it’s strength and potential, and he is trying to keep this hidden from the Church.

Prayer takes time. We have to learn to wait and believe. One day you will see that your prayers have had a mighty effect in the spiritual realm. Do not give up or ever think it is not important to pray today. If ever there was a need for intercession for America, it is now.  We are in a key (kairos) time in all of history. The Greek word “kairos” in the New Testament means the appointed or opportune time that God has set for something to occur. During a kairos time, we must respond in prayer and press through in intercession in order to see God’s plan fulfilled. We are in a time of urgency, and we must seize it in prayer. This is the appointed season for change and for intercession to increase.

We must not fear the future or believe the lies of the enemy, but we must stand strong in authoritative prayer. 

Fear weakens us and gives us an unsound mind. Instead, we must know our authority in prayer to see mighty changes on earth, in our own personal lives, and in our nation. We can pray God’s future plan into being through our intercession. If we pray strategic, authoritative, and prophetic prayers then we will be praying the future into being. Authority is the key to strength and power. We have awesome responsibility.

We need God’s revelation of our spiritual authority. We rarely grasp the full potential of the strength and power of prayer that is available to us. We often go about our daily activities and forget that we are united with Christ. We are connected with Him as our head, and we are His Church designed to express the fullness of His power on earth. Carefully meditate on the Apostle Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1:18-23 to get the full picture. God has incomparably great power, Christ is seated at God’s right hand, Jesus defeated Satan at the cross, and we are called to enforce Jesus authority on earth through prayer.

I remember when I was on my way to a prayer meeting in a nearby church on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. I was not very familiar with that church even though it was not far from my house. Therefore I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going. Having thought I passed it, I turned around and drove into the parking lot of a building. Going up to the door and finding it was locked, I knocked and asked a gentleman if this was the church. The man turned to me and said with a tiny laugh, “No, this is the fire department.” I realized suddenly what an incredible mistake I had made. I was at the fire department!

God spoke to my heart through that experience. We are in an emergency situation. The house is on fire! Cities are on fire! There is an emergency in the nations. Right now we are in a  battle for America. The harvest is ripe, and Satan knows that his time is short. He is doing everything he can to steal, kill and destroy. We must pray - We must encourage everyone around us to pray - We must shake awake those who are asleep - We must become radical and passionate in prayer. The cities and nation are on fire! Prayer is the answer. When we pray, we are empowered to reach the lost. Then we take action with the power of God. God rules through His body, the praying Church!

The hope for the nations is an anointed prayer movement. It is God’s people knowing the strength and the power of prayer and enforcing God’s will on earth through it. God has given us breakthrough authority to change nations. Authority is delegated power similar to a police officer when he enforces the law. Through our prayers we can change the atmosphere over cities. Through our prayers we can bring into subjection demonic powers and principalities, and disciple the nations. Through our prayers God releases deliverance and transforms society. God is calling us to use our authority in prayer to bind the enemy’s work and to loose His Kingdom on earth. Let’s learn to take hold of the strength and power of prayer and pray down God’s blessings on our nation.

“Of what infinite importance is the place the intercessor holds in the Kingdom of God! Is it not indeed a matter of wonder that God should give men such power? Yet there are so few who know what it is to take hold of His strength and pray down His blessing on the world.”  E. M. Bounds

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
International House of Prayer (IHOPKC)
deb@intercessorsarise.org
www.intercessorsarise.org

This edition of Spotlight covers the Midwest Prayer Conference held at Worthington Christian Church in Columbus Ohio on October 21-22.  For coverage of the pre-conference held on October 21, see the previous Spotlight.

After a time of extended worship, Dave Butts kicked off the 2016 edition of the Midwest Prayer Conference with a session on revival.  He asked a difficult question that I've wondered about but never heard anyone else voice publicly:  "Given that we've had a movement of prayer for revival for several years now, why are we not actually seeing revival in our churches?"  His answer - we're not prepared for revival, and revival won't come until we're ready for it.

Butts outlined a three-step process to prepare the church (individually and corporately) for revival:

1. Consecration.  Just as the Israelites had to consecrate themselves prior to entering the Promised Land (Joshua 3:5), so believers (and the church) must set themselves apart to God's purposes.  Butts made the point that once something is set apart for God, it can no longer be used for ordinary purposes.
2. Obedience.  The priests had to step into the water with the ark while the river was still flowing, before God would stop the river (Joshua 3:3).  Many in the church have settled for being hearers only of the word, and not doers (James 1:22), and revival will not come to a Church not focused on obeying the word.
3. Dependence.  The American church has settled for what we can accomplish in God's name (but in our own strength).  Reflective of our culture, we have become independent.  Revival will not come until the Church learns to depend fully on God.

Jon Graf began the day Saturday with a session on "Proactive vs. Reactive Praying".  He listed the following characteristics of proactive praying:

1. Proactive prayer demonstrates a solid trust in God, both in his power to do and in his will.
2. Proactive prayer often focuses more on the process than on specific results.
3. Proactive prayer has the foundational belief that fruit and Kingdom growth should be the primary purpose.
4. Prayer can be proactive even in the midst of reaction…when it truly seeks God's glory over circumstances.

Drawing on several of Paul's prayers for the church, Jon showed the importance of praying for the process of spiritual maturity in believers.  He re-emphasized a point he had made the previous day about the purposes of prayer: (1) to grow a personal relationship with God; and (2) to advance God's will and purposes on earth.  He concluded with an example from Acts 4 of praying kingdom focused prayers in the midst of crisis situations (in this case, persecution).

Dave Butts followed with a session on our need for God's peace.  Peace, he explained, is not just the absence of hostility or crisis - it's a positive commodity that can be given and returned (Matthew 10:13).  Jesus left his peace with us (John 14:27; 16:33; 20:21).  Paul speaks of peace in the context of reconciliation with God and with others (Ephesians 2:14-17) - a peace accomplished only through Christ.  This peace comes through ongoing prayer (Philippians 4:6-7) and through people of prayer.

The next slot featured several breakout sessions.  I took the one on Spiritual Warfare 101 by Mike Jebb.  Mike opened the class with references to several helpful resources on Spiritual Warfare and then spent the majority of the time covering tools developed by the Strategic Prayer Initiative (a ministry of Harvest Prayer Ministries) related to growing people in prayer.  We took a basic survey regarding our self-perception of our prayer lives - a survey that has been through several revisions over the course of many years of usage in churches.  I couldn't possibly do justice to all the tools that Mike presented, but this session was in many ways a highlight for me.  The overall theme was that it's possible, through proven tools, to incrementally improve the prayer lives of the average congregation (most of whom, statistically, would say that their prayer lives need improving) by making these improvements easy to manage.  Check out the Strategic Prayer Initiative website for more details (I'll focus more extensively on SPI during a future Spotlight.)

Another slate of workshops followed lunch, and I took Kim Butts' class on Missional praying.  One of the themes of this conference (as has been the case for several years) was the need for strategic, kingdom-focused prayer.  Kim's class brought this theme down to specifics, touching on several areas of kingdom-focused prayer, including prayer evangelism, praying for unsaved family and friends, and praying kingdom prayers for people we know well.  Her thoughts dovetailed well with Jon Graf's topic of "proactive prayer" from earlier in the day.  A couple of acrostics she used to help guide prayer for kingdom workers were:

• B-L-E-S-S: Body (physical needs); Labor (work/school, etc.); Emotional needs; Social needs (relationships); Spiritual needs.
• A-B-C-D-E-F: Acceptance (from co-workers and people groups); Boldness and Clarity (in sharing the Gospel); Deliverance (spiritual warfare); Extension (of ministry); Fruitfulness.

Jon Graf concluded the conference with a session entitled "Get Into the Battle".  He pointed out that in the famous "armor of God" passage (Ephesians 6), prayer is the means by which we "storm the gates" of hell.  And prayer is the weapon that the gates of hell cannot stand against, because it's the weapon that brings God's power into the battle.  Graf noted that Paul's spiritual battles - manifested physically in his imprisonment - caused Paul to rely on the prayers of the churches for his deliverance (2 Corinthians 1:8-11; see also Philippians 1:18-19). 

Joshua benefitted from God's intervention through prayer in the initial battle with the Amalekites (Exodus 17:8ff).  In Exodus 17:14, God tells Moses to write about the effect of intercession on the battle so that Joshua will know about it.  The lesson was not lost on Joshua, who later boldly prayed to God to halt the setting of the sun in order for Israel to complete a victory over its enemies (Joshua 10).

Graf concluded with four exhortations:

1. Get away from "fix it" prayers that seek the status quo.
2. Pray warring prayers that seek God's glory, that expand the Kingdom of God.
3. Pray prayers that look at every circumstance as a chance to grow the Kingdom, a chance for Jesus to receive glory.
4. Get off the bench and get into the battle!

Throughout the conference, a consistent theme resurfaced: the need to be in battle through prayer for the future of the United States.  While recognizing the many crises that the country currently faces, Jon and Dave both recounted instances of revival spurred on by prayer at different times in the past in which our country was in desperate straits.  The conference as a whole was a great motivator and equipper for believers to join the battle, fighting with the spiritual weapon of prayer.

(See my blog post, "Indignation or Intercession" for a reflection on Dave Butts' follow-up message the next day at Worthington.)

#Cast an Eternal Vote

Luke 1:32-33, "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end." NAS

   I have received several emails asking when I planned to blog about the election. Since LOVE2020 is a prayer and evangelism ministry, not a politically focused organization, I had not planned on a blog to talk about the election except to urge people to pray and vote. There are many great ministry partners who can help you with where candidates stand on the issues, fact checking, and issue explanations including www.ifapray.org and the Family Research Council at http://downloads.frc.org/EF/EF10H62.pdf.

   Our good friends and partners at Meet the Need have come up with a great “Ice bucket challenge” type twist during this election season that I am particularly excited about; it is called Vote for Eternity (#CastAnEternalVote.) The focus of Vote for Eternity is not just the next four years but Forever! This challenge goal is to encourage 1 million Christians to commit to service and sharing the love and message of Jesus with at least one person by Election Day. They are not taking the focus off the importance of this election and the need to vote; it is just a great opportunity to bring a million more people into the family of God before November 8^th. Jesus’ heart is dedicated to His house, no matter who is in the White House. Presidents come and go but being a part of His family is forever.

   Each participant is asked to take pictures wherever they serve or share the gospel and then to share their stories on Facebook or Twitter using the hashtag #CastAnEternalVote and challenge three friends to "pay it forward." Do not stop short at just doing something good for people, let them know that you are motivated by the love of Jesus and His heart for everyone to know Him as their Lord and Savior. Let your light shine so that people will ask what the reason is for your hope in such a turbulent election season and be prepared to give an answer about the faith you have in Jesus.

   We all need to be praying for our nation and for this election. America’s Presidential position is considered to be one of the most, if not the most, powerful position in the world. The person we put in the White House will not only affect us, but the whole world and how other nations view us. We cannot be vulnerable nor can we be vicious. Pray for honesty and transparency for all candidates running for all positions from local to national. It is vital that we have people of strong moral and ethical values and character in local positions taking care of our schools, cities, counties, and states in all types of boards, commissions, councils, cabinets and more. Pray fervently over every decision that will be cast in these final days of this election season and enjoy these days by taking the Vote for Eternity challenge.

I challenge you to go out and share the love and message of Jesus with as many people as you can over the next two weeks and post your stories and pictures using #CastAnEternalVote, let’s welcome a million new members into the family of God by Nov. 8^th and continue to encourage all of us to live a prayer-care-share lifestyle.

Love is a verb…let’s get moving!

    Kathy B.

For more information, check out the past few weeks of our Coaching Corner at LOVE2020.com and visit Meet the Need at https://meettheneed.org/

Worthington Christian Church on the north end of Columbus, Ohio was the setting for this year's Midwest Prayer Conference sponsored by Harvest Prayer Ministries and the Church Prayer Leaders Network.  This year's edition included a "pre-conference" on Friday focused on transforming churches into Houses of Prayer.  Participants were treated to great times of worship, multiple learning opportunities, and several times of praying together.  In this edition of Spotlight, we'll summarize the sessions of the pre-conference; in the next edition, we'll review the Saturday conference.

Dave Butts opened the pre-conference with a message based on one of his recent books, Forgotten Power.  The thesis was that transforming churches into houses of prayer isn't as much a matter of tools and programs as it is of helping pastors and church leaders understand the theology behind the importance of houses of prayer.  God named his temple a house of prayer for all nations in Isaiah 56:7, a verse Jesus quoted when cleansing the temple.  Butts pointed out that in the Mark account (Mark 11:11-17), Jesus actually went to the temple first in the evening, looked around and saw what was going on, then went to Bethany for the night.  The cleansing occurred the next day - not at all an impulsive "righteous anger" act like we normally think of, but rather a well thought-out response to the derailing of the Temple from God's purpose for it.  In all likelihood, Butts speculated, this was done after a night of prayer spent with the Father.

God's purposes for his church - being a house of prayer for all nations - formed the theological underpinnings of the pre-conference.  Butts pointed out that it's not about a program but rather about the hearts of God's people:  if people individually are houses of prayer, then when they come together, the church will be a house of prayer.  Thus, a church becoming a house of prayer for all nations is first and foremost about its people developing hearts for kingdom prayer.

Kim Butts followed this session with an outline for a roadmap process to lead a church to the house of prayer destination.  The roadmap would really work for any strategic planning type process, and featured 7 prayers to surround the process:

1. The prayer of intercession - asking God to teach us to pray
2. The prayer of intimacy - asking God to make us a people of prayer
3. The prayer of listening - discerning God's voice and direction
4. The prayer of thanksgiving - starting with gratitude for where the church already is in prayer
5. The prayer of submission or humility - submitting our will to God's, individual agendas to God's plans
6. The prayer of wisdom - as in James 1:5-8
7. The prayer of unity - based on John 17, a prayer that God will unify the team in direction and goals.

Harvest Prayer Ministries has developed a roadmap process to help churches on the journey to becoming houses of prayer for all nations.

One of many important points Kim made was the emphasis on training children to pray.  "You can train children; you have to re-train adults," she said, pointing out that children have no bad habits of prayer to overcome.  Jon Graf would later make the point that the current "older generation (50+)" in the church has not done a good job of training the next generation in prayer, with the result that the practice of prayer is not an integral part of many young adult believers' lives.

Jon Graf concluded the pre-conference with a session on "Growing a Praying Church".  He noted several obstacles in the path of growing a praying church.  Many pastors consider their churches to be praying churches already, though statistics indicate that 75-80% of their congregation would say that they have "poor" to "no" prayer life.  A second obstacle is the "rugged individualism" so ingrained in American culture.  This produces an independent attitude that tends to rely on human wisdom and resources rather than on God.   And where prayer is a part of the environment, it tends to be individual prayer rather that community prayer.  Graf quoted David Bryant's statement that 90% of the references in Scripture to prayer are references to praying together, rather than individually.

These and other obstacles make creating a praying church a difficult task.  But the results, Graf said, are worth it.  Individually, 50% of people in evangelical churches say that they would make developing a better prayer life a priority if their church could make it manageable.  (Teaser:  I'll cover this in greater depth in part 2 of this Spotlight, focusing on the Strategic Prayer Initiative, which was the subject of one of Saturday's breakouts.)  Corporately, as churches move toward becoming praying churches, an atmosphere of excitement tends to develop because the church's ministries become more fruitful.

Another great benefit when churches move toward becoming praying churches is the transformation that takes place in people's lives as intercession becomes more common.  Graf warned that this can get messy, as this sort of transformation is often accompanied by the light shining on some previously dark areas in the lives of individuals and/or of the church.  Satan will do anything to drain the energy of a church that is experiencing real transformation, and trials and temptations may increase during these times. 

Graf noted that as we train our congregations in prayer, we need to emphasize two primary purposes of prayer:

1. To grow people's relationships with God
2. To release God's will on earth.

Graf noted a point that was often repeated throughout the day - that God could accomplish his purposes in any way he chooses.  He simply chooses to accomplish them through the prayers of his people.  This brings a great challenge, responsibility, and opportunity to the people of God to accomplish the purposes of God through prayer.

The next edition of Spotlight will continue coverage of the Midwest Prayer Conference, beginning with the worship and keynote opening on Friday night.

Prepare to Share

1 Peter 3:15, “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,” NAS

Greetings Neighbors,

   I continue to thank Jesus for you and all that you are doing to show your love for Him and your “neighbors.” I had the joy of attending the Imagine conference last week. Imagine was a Pastors and leaders conference in Akron, Ohio where the hosts and speakers talked about teaching and living a prayer-care-share lifestyle in and through the Church. I was so grateful to hear these three words taught not just as information and inspiration but with application points for the mobilization of every Christ-follower so that we see transformation occur in every city in America.

   The past two weeks I have focused on prayer and care in the workplace; this week we turn to sharing the love and message of Jesus with your workplace. I know it can seem to be a risk – if not downright dangerous – to talk about Jesus at work, but I heard Dr. David Jeremiah give a very sensible answer in a recent interview about this very concern. Dr. Jeremiah was asked, “How can I share my faith at work without worrying about getting fired?” His wise answer came straight out of Scripture; 1 Peter 3:15 to be exact; “… Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…”

   If you have been in prayer for your workplace, and if you have shown care in and for your workplace; then you can bet that people are going to start asking you about your lifestyle of love and hope. Living out the love and message of Jesus does not go unnoticed in a world and workplace that is centered on self and success. Your gentleness, humility, and “calm through the storms” kind of hope will shine like a lighthouse for those sinking in a sea of personalities, projects, profit-focus, and professional as well as personal problems. Your steady emotions and encouraging words, along with your uncompromising integrity and reputation for dependability, will draw people to come and ask you, “How do you do it?” or “What’s your secret?” It is at that moment a door is flung open and you can share that Jesus is your hope and help.

   So many people worry that they are not prepared to share the message of Jesus, but Peter makes it clear that we should be prepared; just as prepared as you are for meetings, a project pitch, a presentation, an evaluation, etc. You do not have to memorize a sermon – in fact, please do not preach, but share what Jesus means to you, what He has done in you, how He works through you and what Scripture says about Him based on the needs and direction of your conversation. You do not have to have a seminary degree, but a simple knowledge of what Scripture says about our Savior and salvation. Offer to talk more over lunch, after work hours, or invite them to your home for dinner. If they share a personal or professional struggle, let them know you will pray for them and then check on them in a few days to see if anything has changed or they need to talk. Of course, confidentially is crucial; but if they come to you – they must trust you. Share your personal relationship and a Scripture or two to encourage them, and over time, invite them to church. We were reminded on several occasions at the Imagine conference; “People don’t come to church looking for God, they come looking for answers.” Be prepared to tell people how relevant Jesus is and that He is the answer they are looking for.

I challenge you to share the love and message of Jesus with every person connected to your workplace and to prompt other neighbors to share in their workplace, so that every American has seen and heard the message of Jesus by the end of the year 2020.

Love is a verb…let’s get moving!

    Kathy B.

We have several books available on our LOVE2020.com bookstore to help you live and share the message of Jesus at work. For more ideas on prayer-care-share for the Workplace, visit our Workplace action plan under the Strength Conditioning page at www.LOVE2020.com. Check out www.Iwork4Him.com and tune in to their radio show Monday through Friday to learn more about connecting with Christ in your workplace.

In a prayer time that I was leading shortly after September 11, 2001 a six-year-old boy spoke up. “We need to pray for the terrorists!” I answered without thinking. “Pray that they will be caught and killed.”

That incident and the real danger of enemies on our door step plunged me into a serious quandary of how to love them. In Luke chapter 6 Jesus gave us a list of specific applications. And while I need to say these directives are personal rather than political, they should affect every area of a Believer's thinking.

Luke 6:27

“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.”

You have to begin by listening. Are you willing to listen to things Jesus says that go against what you consider common sense? Have you considered what good thing God has arranged for you to do for the person who lies about you or opposes something important that you need to accomplish?

Luke 6:28

“Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”

Desiring God's blessing on someone is a foundation of intercessory prayer. I have several lists of people that I pray for every day as a personal spiritual discipline. And from time to time God impresses me to add someone to one of those lists that I just don't like. I have to pray for God to develop His love in my heart for them as I try to ask Him to bless them.

Luke 6:29

“If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them.”

This  may be the most practical and difficult application of loving our enemies. And while the command to turn the other cheek, not to mention the ensuing commands Jesus gives us here, leaves us terribly vulnerable, it meant much more than that to the people who first heard it.

Some years ago I went on a mission trip to what you might call a “kiss culture.” Especially in the churches there, men greeted one another with a kiss on the cheek, often on both cheeks.  It did not take us very long to discover that the one receiving the kiss has to turn his cheek. If you did not turn your cheek, you got kissed on the mouth.

We were never comfortable with this custom, but we quickly came to understand the depth of relationship they were expressing. In such a culture turing the other cheek was an offer of relationship. In the case of an enemy, it was a vulnerable offer of reconciliation.

Let me skip down to Luke 6:35,36, a good conclusion to this passage.

“But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

Genuinely loving your enemies requires a work of God in your life. We grow in this complicated and humanly impossible discipline as we spend time in His presence. To love like this you must be a child of the Most High. God must plant His spiritual DNA into your heart.

Labor of Love

1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 “We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” NIV

Greetings Neighbor!

   Although the verses above were the greeting from Paul, Silas and Timothy to the church in Thessalonica; I do thank God for all of you and I pray for you as you continue to live out the love and message of Jesus in your Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and ends of the earth.  This week we continue to expand our mission field map in your workplace.

   Last week I shared ways you could engage in prayer as you prepared to go to work, on your way and throughout the day. This week I want to add the “care” element of your workplace. It is such a misnomer to think that your work is only useful to Jesus when you write a church tithe or ministry donation out of your paycheck. While faithful tithing and cheerful giving is a crucial part of our worship and relationship with Jesus; all of our time, talent and treasure belongs to Him and you are a disciple-maker 24/7. Your workplace is part of your mission field; in fact it may be where you spend most of your time and have your closest or most consistent relationships outside of your family. In addition to the time and space you share, you also have common goals. In many ways your success depends on one another; one team member’s bad/good day or bad/good choice can affect the entire office, division or company.

   It is vital to have strong relationships, good communication and a sense of a supportive caring team. How are these kinds of relationships built? They are built with the character of Christ being lived out in you at work. Humility, kindness and authentically caring about the people you work with will not only raise the success of your business, it will increase opportunities for you to invite co-workers to church and to share your faith. Research shows that co-workers who take breaks together, eat, socialize, engage in a project to help others and even travel together, are more successful than those who “keep work separate” from the rest of their life. Getting to know your co-workers; about their families, hobbies, and backgrounds can lead to stronger relationships that share their needs, struggles, celebrations and other areas you can pray about and show care. Your co-workers may have a sick family member, an elderly parent or child who needs extra care, they may have a heart for caring for the hungry, or your kids may attend the same school. All of these circumstances are opportunities for you to show the love of Jesus to them and their families.

   There are many ways you can show care in the office; bring someone lunch or dinner when they are working to finish a project, offer to get them something when you go on a coffee or smoothie run, offer to brainstorm with them, smile, be polite and cheerful, be affirming and congratulate them when they are recognized or rewarded. There are also things you should avoid; avoid gossip or saying negative things about anyone at work, and avoid doing anything that undermines others’ success. Be the same person at work on Monday that you are at church on Sunday. Loving your neighbor as Jesus loved you is especially important to your witness as a Christian in the workplace. Go out of your way to be humble, kind and genuine. Your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus will catch the attention of others and give glory to Jesus in your workplace. Your labor of love is a lifestyle Jesus will bless.

I challenge you to care for every person connected with your workplace and to prompt other neighbors to show Christ’s care in their workplace, so that every American is consistently cared for by the end of the year 2020.

Love is a verb…let’s get moving!

    Kathy B.

Send us your testimonies and ideas of sharing Christ’s love and message in the workplace with us at love2020stories@gmail.com. For more ideas on prayer-care-share for the Workplace, visit our Workplace action plan under the Strength Conditioning page at www.LOVE2020.com. Check out www.Iwork4Him.com and tune in to their radio show Monday through Friday at 3 PM ET to learn more about connecting with Christ in your workplace.

Oct 11, 2016  Approximately 3600 people gathered in Annapolis MD to pray together and be challenged by Franklin Graham.  This is the 48th stop on his Decision America Tour of the State Capitols.  It was a blessing to be able to be a part of this event, which is so important in our state and our country.

Lewis Turner 

Worship While You Work

Colossians 3:17, “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” NASB

Greetings Neighbor,  

  I want to tell you how much I appreciate you reading and sharing my blog each week; I pray for you and ask Jesus to guard and guide you as you continue to share His love and message in your neighborhood, on campuses, and everywhere the Lord takes you in this mission field of life.

   For the next few weeks we turn our attention to the workplace. I appreciate that our LOVE2020 Workplace affinity sphere leaders insisted on calling their sphere “workplace” instead of “marketplace” or “business” because they wanted to make sure the message was received that people “work” in all sorts of fields, not just in an office or store. Your workplace may be a classroom, a barn or tractor, a military submarine or plane, in a home raising children and running a household, behind a camera or on a stage, and of course it might be behind a desk or a cash register.

   Work is a part of life, but do you realize it is also a part of how we worship? It is a myth to think that we separate our lives into slivers of time and who owns it; it all belongs to God. There is no secular time, me time, and God time; it is LIFE, a gift we have been given to steward with love in a thankful response to Jesus for the time and opportunities we have been given. Life – from your first breath to your last – is an opportunity to worship, and that includes the hours you work.

    What do you do on your way to work or as you prepare for work? I would like to suggest that you pray; pray over your day, your boss, your co-workers. If you own or manage a business, pray for your customers, employees and suppliers. Take a prayer-walk through your workplace from the parking lot to your office; pray for each person, floor or department you encounter along the way. If you have no idea how to pray for a person you work with, get to know them, stop and have a short conversation with them. If someone shares a personal struggle, tell them you will pray for them. Make sure that your reputation and conversations in the workplace (and out) do not conflict with your profession to be a Christian and your offer to pray.

   Pray over decisions and deals that need to be made. Pray about partnerships and competitors; pray for transparency and honesty in the workplace and for any wrongdoing to be brought to light. Thank God for your job, thank Him for your paycheck and for the wisdom, knowledge and understanding the Spirit gives you to do your job well. Give God praise and thank Him for every opportunity and for the people who come alongside you to help make your workplace successful. Thank God throughout the day for His protection and provision; picture Him walking with you throughout the day and pray as if you are having a conversation with your most trusted friend. Whether you are in the boardroom or cleaning the bathroom, let all you do and say give glory to Jesus and add value to the people who work with you.

   I challenge you to pray for every person connected with your workplace and to prompt other neighbors to pray for their workplace, so that every American is consistently prayed for by the end of the year 2020.

Love is a verb…let’s get moving!

    Kathy B.

For more ideas on prayer-care-share for the Workplace, visit our Workplace action plan under the Strength Conditioning page at www.LOVE2020.com. Check out www.Iwork4Him.com and tune in to their radio show Monday through Friday to learn more about connecting with Christ in your workplace.

More Blessed: Giving to Neighbors in Need

Acts 20:35, "In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" NASB

Greetings Neighbors!

   Late one evening two weeks ago, a family in my subdivision awoke to flames engulfing their home. The fire had begun outside and taken over the house so there were only flames by the time it reached their rooms, no smoke to set off the alarms. The family made it out of the house but the entire house was lost. Thankfully, the neighbors’ houses were saved by firefighters, but one family lost everything. Before the sun came up, our neighborhood had sprung into action; our neighborhood Facebook page was loaded with offers to help: “I have a fenced-in yard for your dog.” “What size clothes do your boys wear?” “I can clear out my garage for any belongings that you find and need to store.” “I have two guest rooms; you can stay with us as long as you need.” The offers flooded in, a go-fund-me page was set up and donations flowed in, boxes were set on their neighbor’s front porch across the street for donations; gift cards, clothes, toys, school supplies, and other gifts overflowed the porch. I wept; overwhelmed by the generosity of our neighborhood and the speed of their response to the family in need. Knowing it is more blessed to give than to receive… my neighborhood is blessed.

   Concern carried over through the week and generous people are still giving. I thank Jesus for these neighbors and asked Him to bless their giving. Despite some of the nonsense that circulates on our Facebook page; when tragedy strikes we love our neighbors. I have seen it on a smaller scale; lost pets found, warning of dangerous items found in our park, traffic alerts, and lemonade stand sightings that send thirsty neighbors out in droves to get a cup from a smiling group of kids.

   As we continue to move in the love of Jesus and expand our mission field; I will occasionally return to the roots of our neighborhood. Your neighborhood is where your family lives, plays, sleeps, and makes friends; it is the center of your mission field map. You are surrounded by people who do not know Jesus, by people who are experiencing trials and pain, people who have like interests such as your neighborhood schools and hopefully you are surrounded by lots of neighbors who worship at many different churches in your community. God has placed you in a community; love your neighbors, serve Him and help bring unity to the body of Christ. Neighbors who care about their community can prompt their churches to work in unity to pray, meet needs and share the gospel together. Churches should not be competing for members; their members should be completing the great commission with members of other churches. We are one body scattered in all different zip codes to get the job done.

   Have you been prayer walking your community with your pray4everyhome app? Have you met new neighbors, invited them over, or chatted with other parents at the bus stop? Do you have a way to communicate as a neighborhood? Do you have a community Facebook page or email group? If there was a tragedy in your neighborhood how would you know? How would you react? Have you connected with your neighborhood schools or talked with some other parents about caring for a campus? Share your stories or ideas with us at love2020stories@gmail.com.

I challenge you to be blessed; to give to a “neighbor” in need and bless your zip code with your prayer-care-share lifestyle by the end of the year 2020.

Love is a verb…let’s get moving!

    Kathy B.          

For more ideas on loving your neighbors, visit our Coaching Corner at LOVE2020.com.

Are you looking for purpose in your life? If you are a grandparent you have a purpose, a mission field, a responsibility according to God’s Word. Moses told the Israelites, “Be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to you children and to their children after them.” (Deut. 4:9)  I believe God wants us to with our children and grandchildren just a Moses told the Israelites how God has been there for us on our life journey.  

I want to share with you five benefits I found in the book I authored titled, Grandparenting with a Purpose: Effective Ways to Pray for your Grandchildren.

1. Suggestions to imprint another generation with the message of God’s faithfulness.
2. Bridge the distance between me and my grandchildren with prayer
3. Creative resources to grandparent with a purpose
4. Examples of Scriptures to pray
5. How to develop a Photo Prayer Journal

Nancy Ann Yeager, author of A Grandmother’s Guide to Praying for Her Family writes, “Grandparenting with a Purpose will provide you with specific examples of how to pray Scriptures for your grandchildren.”

This book won’t make you the perfect grandparent, however, it will give you suggestions for prayer and communication to grandparent with a purpose. As a result of writing this book I was made more aware of grandparenting with a purpose by the way I live my life and intentionally praying for my nine grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and their parents. I am the National Prayer Coordinator of Christian Grandparenting Network and eager to share these resources with you.

Now you are at the point of making a decision: Are you going to learn how you can Grandparent with a Purpose as many have already?

The soft cover book, Grandparenting with Purpose retails for $11.99 plus shipping. At this time I have a special offer of $10.50 including shipping in the U.S. I will include a bonus of 2 prayer cards of “Suggestions to Pray for Children in School: Preschool, Elementary, High School and College” and “Scriptures to Pray for your Grandchildren.”

The eBook is available for $3.99 on Amazon.

To buy at the discount price now: Go to http://www.grandparentingwithapurpose.com click on the Purchase button, complete order form, and the book and bonus will be shipped immediately for orders in the U.S.

This book will make an excellent Christmas gift for a grandparent, especially a long distance grandparent.

For foreign orders I would suggest that you purchase the book in eBook form from Amazon.

By Lillian Penner, National Prayer Coordinator for Christian Grandparenting Network, lpenner@christiangrandparenting.net