Regardless of how we look on the outside, the size and scope of our ministry or the crowds of people surrounding us, each of us may struggle at some point in life with damaged love receptors. Our archenemy Satan is keenly aware that if he can distance us from the love of God, we will be unsuccessful at loving ourselves or others, causing us to lose heart. No doubt, that's why Paul prayed for the Ephesian believers:

When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God (Eph. 3:14–19, NLT).

We have the potential to be dynamic and effective servants in the kingdom of God. He longs to move us from a place of isolation and loneliness to experience the fullness of life and power found only through being deeply rooted in His forever love.

God's love for us is not some fleeting infatuation that's here today and gone tomorrow. He allowed His Son to be mocked, ridiculed, slapped in the face, spit upon, cruelly beaten, stripped bare and crucified on a cross to purchase His treasured children. As Christ was preparing to wash the disciples' feet just before He went to the cross for them, the beloved disciple John recorded for us, "Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love" (John 13:1, NIV). God Incarnate, Immanuel—God with us—not only stooped to wash our feet but died to atone for our sins.

It all sounds too arrogant and amazing to believe that Abba Father would surrender heaven's best for earth's worst, but what is the alternative. We certainly couldn't imagine that it was our goodness rather than His grace or our merit rather than His mercy! Believing in His great love for us is not nearly as arrogant as believing anything else.

In The Message, Eugene Petersen paraphrases the last half of 2 Timothy 1:9 in this way: "We had nothing to do with it. It was all his idea, a gift prepared for us in Jesus long before we knew anything about it."

What transformational power we will experience if we not only embrace but daily become more deeply rooted in and captivated by this multi-dimensional love!

The secret to fulfilling our destiny and growing to spiritual maturity is to be more deeply rooted in the soil of the unknowable, unsearchable love of God. Comprehending Christ's love does not come naturally but supernaturally. It is an unending process because it is unknowable. As our capacity to receive and share His love grows, He keeps filling us again and again.

One of our greatest hindrances is defective receiving mechanisms that have become damaged or totally dysfunctional.

• You may have grown up in a home where love was nonexistent or rarely if ever expressed.
• You may have known only anger and abuse before coming to Christ.
• Your love receptors may have been damaged by bias and prejudice, or cruelty and isolation.
• Perhaps you struggle with the pain of loss, bitter disappointment and broken relationships, resulting in battered hearts.
• Many may bear biological father/mother wounds or suffer from spiritual lesions of the heart that were caused by religious/church leaders.
• Or you may have simply found yourself in a dry, barren place for so long; you wouldn't recognize a God embrace if it knocked you off your feet.

The extravagant, demonstrative love of God defies description and has the power to expand wide enough to draw you into His embrace. It is long enough to reach you no matter how far you may run and try to hide. Christ came down from the highest heavens to reach into the depths of your soul and repair every damaged receptor cell of your heart.

God's love is not linear or limited but voluminous and overflowing. Holy Spirit does not want you to experience a temporary emotional touch, but He desires for you to develop a deep root system that goes down into the soil of God's Word and allows you to be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God!

How full is that? It's incomprehensible! His love is not a stagnant pond or even a flowing river. Christ's love is a limitless spring of living water that flows from the throne of God. Throughout eternity, we'll never fully know, nor will we ever exhaust the immensity of His love.

The prophet Isaiah, prophesying of Christ, said He would heal, liberate, comfort, beautify, bring joy and clothe us in praise, so we "might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified" (see Isa. 61:1–4 and Luke 4:18–19).

The world's tallest tree is the California redwood, which can easily grow to a height of 300 feet. Redwood tree roots are very shallow, often only five or six feet deep. Yet they compensate for it in width, sometimes extending up to 100 feet from the trunk. They thrive in thick groves, where the roots can intertwine and even fuse together. That is part of our strength in the kingdom of God as we love and support one another, but we can't survive on this love alone. In fact, our greatest strength is born in God's deeper love for us and our reciprocal love for Him.

There is another tree that grows in South Africa's dry, desert environment which stands 20 to 30 feet tall, but its root system is at least six times that long. The roots can reach as far down as 223 feet, making them the deepest known roots in the world. They are powerhouses at sucking up water and nutrients. It is also nicknamed the "tree of life" because nearly every part of it is useful to humans and animals. The name of this impressive tree is the shepherd's tree!

Allow the Holy Spirit to deeply root you in the Shepherd's love so that you might extend His love and support to others all around you—inside and outside the church walls!

This is the third in a series of blogs on developing faith by listening to God, adapted from my upcoming book, Faith, The Infinite, Ultimate Love of God.

We sometimes think of prayer as a monologue where we tell God what is on our hearts. But prayer is far more than that. Prayer is crucial among the ways that we hear the voice of God.

We listen to God by PRAYING THE WORD.

Listening to God in Scripture cannot be severed from listening in prayer. If you wish to hear God's voice in Scripture, you need to read prayerfully. We need to understand that God is present with us. He personally speaks to us through His word and prayer.

We listen to God by PRAYING TOGETHER.

Much prayer in the New Testament is corporate. Wouldn't it have been wonderful to join one of those power-filled prayer meetings in the Book of Acts? I sometimes call praying together, "Fellowship on Fire," or simply the fellowship of the Spirit. Everything we do as the church gathers should be the fellowship of the Spirit. Our services should be bathed in continual prayer. You will discover that God speaks to and through His children when we pray together. I often have the sense of God speaking to me as others around me pray. That is especially true in small group prayer meetings.

We listen to God by spending TIME IN PRAYER.

The lack of time can be a major barrier to prayer. In the garden before the cross Jesus asked His disciples if they couldn't even pray for an hour. Some of the power and blessing of prayer needs time. We are only given so much time. And other things swallow up time we could spend in the presence of God. How much time do you spend watching television, checking your email, playing video games, or in some other recreational activity? If you are serious about developing faith that will move mountains, you will have to replace the time invested in other things by spending more time with God. 

http://thinkinginthespirit.blogspot.com/

http://theanchorofthesoul.blogspot.com/

http://watchinginprayer.blogspot.com/

http://writingprayerfully.blogspot.com/

Website

http://daveswatch.com/

YouTube

https://goo.gl/PyzU

It had been awhile since I had counted, but the recent purchase of more books from a used book dealer, sent me back to the shelves to count how many books I possess on the subject of prayer. The new count is 481. A bit excessive for the normal minister/seminary professor, but not for one who for many years occupied one of only two fully endowed chairs of prayer in theological education in the world. Do I agree with everything in these books? Absolutely, not. Am I a better professor/person because of their contents? Absolutely, yes. They remind me of my opening words in the introduction of the book that I compiled for America's National Prayer Committee, entitled "Giving Ourselves to Prayer: An Acts 6:4 Primer for Ministry" (“we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”) which included the works of eighty authors from across the theological spectrum. I began with the words, "If I agreed with every paragraph in this book, I could have written it myself." Not meaning to sound arrogant, I was simply paying tribute to the diversity found in the subject of prayer – that same diversity found on my bookshelves in the section devoted to prayer. The fact that I own so many books on prayer reminds of a long-ago published book, entitled “Bull at a New Gate (1965). The chapter on prayer consists of 14 words. It reads, “Go pray! It will do you more good than reading another chapter on prayer.” So, pray or collect books on prayer – either way, you will be blessed.

To reimagine is not to change what we believe but how we think.

If we are unable to differentiate between our beliefs (theology, doctrines) and thoughts (ideas, applications, systems, best practices), then we will ultimately be unable to defend our values and discern the foundations of social change and political preferences.

To reimagine, is to rethink, review and revise, prompted by a Holy Spirit revealed fresh-for-our-times application of the unchanging truth of Scripture. We  are blessed by and greatly benefit from but are not bound by tradition. 

To reimagine is not to rely on human imaginations; just the opposite, it is a yielding to the revelation of the Holy Spirit that infuses human thinking with the mind of Christ which allows us to know the will of our Holy God. A  unique application to our times and our trials. 

To reimagine, individuals – cohort groups - congregations – collaborations, must employ the gifts of the Holy Spirit (especially prayer) and the resource of scripture.

To refuse to reimagine, is actually an act of disobedience, because we are commanded to be transformed by the renewing of our minds so that we ( individually and corporately) demonstrate God's will is good for all. So that means  our leadership and ministries,  not just our personal moral life  must be transformed: our disciple making, prayer, evangelism, church itself…

We should expect the renewing of our mind, a reimagination led by the Spirit, to result in great works for a great God.

Take faith! #Reimagine

Last week I shared a prayer that I invited people to pray every Sunday when we come together. "Lord, let me hear your voice." I actually began that by suggesting that people pray, "God, speak to me." Then I realized that God always speaks when His word is read and preached. That would be like asking Jesus to be present in a worship service. He told us in Matthew 18:20, that He is aready there.

"Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

But many things can keep us from experiencing Him. And we may be prevented from hearing His voice. So I encouraged people to pray for their hearts to be opened.

I also urged people to pray the same prayer for persons on either side of them. I would sometimes say, "You may know that person so well that you don't know where to start. But God knows. You may even be seated near someone you don't know at all. Begin by asking God to speak to them. He knows just what they need. 

I challenged people make sure we had prayed for everyone in the building. I think this was our best way of welcoming others. People sensed the love of God as those around them prayed for them.

I also tried to teach people that we need to pray throughout a worship service. In Isaiah 56:7 God said, 

"My house shall be called a house of prayer."

Jesus re-emphasized this in the New Testament. And the Holy Spirit recorded those words in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. I believe He was applying this to the gathering of the church every bit as much as He was the Temple.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:17 we are commanded to pray without ceasing. I do not come close to doing that. But praying throughout a worship service stretches me closer to that kind of prayerfulness.

Let me suggest two facets of prayer that will bless a worship service.

THE WORSHIP OF PRAYER

Praise is an important facet of prayer. We are so blessed to sing worship songs that praise and glorify God. Ephesians 5:18 calls us to be filled with the Spirit. Ephesians 5:19 gives us one application of that by saying we are to "make melody in our hearts to the Lord."

THE WITNESS OF PRAISE

Worship is also a means of bearing witness to those around us. The first part of Ephesians 5:19 continues the command to be filled with the Spirit,

"Addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs."

When you worship, especially with music, you encourage everyone around you to glorify God. Some of them may never have sensed His presence.

Next week I want to give you a practical guide for listening to the voice of God in a sermon. I have not written it out yet, but I intend for it to be brief and easy to share and teach people in your church.

http://watchinginprayer.blogspot.com/

http://thinkinginthespirit.blogspot.com/

http://writingprayerfully.blogspot.com/

http://theanchorofthesoul.blogspot.com/ 

Website

http://daveswatch.com/

YouTube

https://goo.gl/PyzU

I sat around a rectangular table with seven other men, all focused on an eighth man at the head of the table. That eighth man had been named to a prominent and powerful position. The seven were there to pray for the eighth. How many intercessors does it take to reach maximum effectiveness in prayer? Could one intercessor have been just as effective as seven? Would ten or twenty or a hundred intercessors been more effective than the seven present at the table? Jesus took three disciples with him up Gethsemane to intercede for him (Matthew 26:36-38). The Apostle Paul clearly requested prayer from entire groups in each of his New Testament letters to the churches. In Ecclesiastes 4:12, Solomon implies that three is better than two. So how many intercessors does it take to assure God’s response? Surely God can respond to one as easily as God can respond to a hundred. But if only one prays, many are left out of the privilege of intercession and the blessing of observing God’s response. Plus, if I have only one, two or three praying, they may all forget. Sometimes I ask people to pray for me with some concern that they will never remember, much less actually pray effectively. On the other hand, the more intercessors I have, the more likely some will remember and pray effectively. My mother was the greatest, and most effective prayer partner that I ever knew. When she died, I felt I needed to recruit multiple intercessors to replace her. With her, a phone call resulted in one praying saint. Today, a post on social media generates hundreds of potential prayer partners. So, what to do? There is no easy answer, but I would suggest that you err on the side of numbers. While only one may be needed, many could be blessed.

(BTW, I do have an internet-driven prayer support team. If you are not on it and would like to join, e-mail me at drc1241@yahoo.com, or text me at 817-637-4967, your name and e-mail address, and I will add you. You will receive a prayer request/report on the first of each month, and additional requests as circumstances require. Plus, it is easy to unsubscribe if you decide to do so.)

The Gospels were written in Greek. But in all of them certain Aramaic or Hebrew words are included and are usually translated. 

One of the reasons for this is that the writer was present when striking Hebrew words were spoken. They were so vivid in Mark's mind, that he quoted them. I believe that is true when Matthew and Mark quote Jesus on the cross saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani," "My God, my God, Why have you forsaken me!" Although this is also a quote from the 22nd Psalm.

One particular case of this is found in the raising of the daughter of Jairus. Jesus had entered the home of Jairus the Synagogue Ruler whose daughter had died. Jesus allowed no one to go with Him into the girl's room, but her mother and father, Peter, James, and John. There Jesus raised the child from the dead. Mark 5:41-42 reads,

"Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement."

But we know Mark was not there to hear those words spoken by Jesus. Jesus only allowed the child's parents, and three Disciples into that room. However, what is considered to be reliable tradition tells us that Mark was the protege of Simon Peter. I suspect Peter's description of this event was so vivid that Mark couldn't help repeating it. And we see several things from this.

First we have an eye witness reflection of the tenderness of Jesus. "Talitha" was an Aramaic endearment for a little girl. I cannot read this story from Mark without melting at our Master's tender voice. I would like my voice to reflect His love as I tell His story.

We have here an eye witness reflection of the authority of Jesus. The authority of Jesus is reflected in who people were saying He was. People were perplexed about who Jesus really was. He didn't just heal a person here and there. When He entered a town or region, hundreds of sick people were brought to Him and He healed them all. But this healing was different. The little girl was dead. And while Jesus charged them not to tell anyone, those in the room witnessed His authority over life and death. I want to know and share the One with that authority.

Finally, we have an eye witness reflection of the reality of the event. The use of the very words of Jesus brings us into that room as well. I think it is interesting that Mark tells us that she got up and walked because she was 12 years old. Have you ever addressed a 12 year old as a little child? If so, you did not please the child. Of course it was fitting for Jesus to call her talitha in the aftermath of the tragedy. But Mark explains that she was nearly grown. Luke also records this event. He tells us Jesus told the parents to give her something to eat. They were evidently too overcome with joy and amazement to think about what they needed to do for her. That would have been a detail too mundane for a myth. This is evidence of the reality of the event.

http://thinkinginthespirit.blogspot.com/

http://theanchorofthesoul.blogspot.com/

http://watchinginprayer.blogspot.com/

http://writingprayerfully.blogspot.com/

Website

http://daveswatch.com/

YouTube

https://goo.gl/PyzU

I pulled up to the drive-thru window at the burger restaurant with money in hand, only to be greeted by a smiling teenager saying, “Your meal has been paid for, sir.” When I asked for an explanation, I was told the person in line in front of me had paid for my meal and left a message to “Pay it forward!” I have no idea who was in front of me, or why they chose to pay for my meal, but I followed suit and asked how much the bill was for the person behind me in line, hoping they had not ordered double cheese burgers and giant sodas for their entire family. They had not, so I paid it forward and left them a message to do likewise. Interesting cultural practice. I have another idea. I have an e-mail based prayer team of several hundred people. (BTW, if you want to join that team, reply with your name and e-mail address and I will add you to the list.) I’m sure some, if not all, of them have prayed for me recently. So I’m going to PRAY it forward. I’m going to start through that list, praying for everyone listed there. Why not? First Samuel 12:23 indicates it is a sin to refrain from doing so – “Far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you” and that is just one verse instructing intercessory prayer. My friend and colleague, T.W. Hunt took the time to research, and discovered that 7/9 of the prayers in the Bible, where an answer was given, were intercessory prayers, that is, prayers prayed for someone other than self. Have you been prayed for this week? Surly there is someone who has remembered you in their intercessory prayer – a spouse, parent, grandparent, or friend? In response, you could pray for your family, your minister, your neighbor, or your friends. Why not PRAY it forward?

Guest Blog by Cavin Harper, Executive Director of Christian Grandparenting Network

Pray for Protection and Victory in the Battlefields of Life

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the whole armor of God so that you may take your stand against the devil’s schemes” (Ephesians 6:10, 11).

A grandfather understands the nature of warfare and that our grandchildren are prime targets for the enemy who is seeking to devour them (and us). Gentlemen, we are soldiers engaged in the battlefield of war for the hearts, minds, and souls of our grandchildren. If we fail to engage in battle, then we set the enemy loose to do whatever he wants with our children and grandchildren.

Our grandchildren need grandfathers who are good soldiers—soldiers who understand they are not on vacation but at war. Men who grasp their calling committed to fulfilling it and pleasing our Commanding Officer (Christ). Men who have learned how to endure hardship with courage and faith, and clothed themselves with the full armor of God and are engaged in fervent prayer on their grandchildren’s behalf.

Such soldier grandfathers will pray that for their grandchildren to grow strong in their walk with the Lord. They will pray for and show them the importance of the armor of God to stand firm against schemes of the devil who will tempt them to lie, to cheat, to disobey their parents, and to follow all the ways of the world. The enemy is cunning, deceptive, and powerful. He will do everything he can to distract our grandchildren from walking with the Lord and seek, instead, to gratify the sinful desires of the flesh.

Grandfathers, pray that your grandchildren will:

1. Recognize the deception of the world and resist temptation.
2. Gird themselves with the belt of truth (God’s Word) and stand firm in the truth
3. Take up the shield of faith so that they may stand firm against and extinguish all the

      flaming arrows of the evil one.

4. Put on the helmet of salvation by the Holy Spirit will guard their hearts and minds,

      and fill them with hope and courage to live life to the fullest in Christ Jesus, their

      Lord and Savior.

5. Be alert, self-controlled, and firm in faith—faith in God and the work of Christ on

      the Cross-.

6. Persevere and endure hardship in the face of hostility and ignorance.

One final thought for grandfathers…

Men, soldiers are not supposed to fight the battle alone. They fight as a company or platoon, part of unit watching out for each other’s back. The Scriptures are clear as well that we are to fight this battle as a unit—we are the body of Christ. I urge you, therefore, to band with two, three, or more brothers who will stand shoulder to shoulder with you, and you with them, to do battle for the hearts and minds of our grandchildren (and children). A band of righteous men gathered to pray is a powerful force against our enemy.

Decide right now to ask other grandfathers to form a band of grandfathers who will pray together and develop a strategy for fighting in the power of God on the battlefield for life. Grandparent’s @ Prayer is a perfect staging area for this purpose. Talk to a few other men in your church, neighborhood or place of work, and ask them to join you to form a Grandfather’s G@P group—a band of brothers who will do battle for the souls of the next generations. Our Commander In Chief has issued the call. Will you respond?

I would also like to invite you to join a “Grandparents’@ Prayer” group. If you have any questions or would like additional information, go to

https://christiangrandparenting.net/grandparents-at-prayer/

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth” III John 1:4.

 Since you received my blog last week, I am praying you have been thinking about how God would have you to influence other grandparents to pray intentionally for their grandchildren in their sphere of influence? I hope you have checked out our website with guidelines, endorsements, and testimonies.  Printed Prayer cards are also available for a small charge at https://christiangrandparenting.net/grandparents-day-of-prayer/. It's only about 45 more days until September. 

U.S.–ONE OF THE WORST COUNTRIES FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING—

This is just one of many headlines I have read this week that makes me feel the Grandparents' Day of Prayer is an urgent need. Grandparents need to get on their knees, asking God to protect our dear grandchildren physically, emotionally, and spiritually, especially as they go back to school.

Because of the urgent need at this time, Christian Grandparenting Network (CGN) is partnering with the Legacy Coalition to invite you to be a part of this movement to intentionally pray for our grandchildren, our families, our nation, and our world making it a Grandparents' Month of Prayer.

Planning an event for grandparents during September is a great time to introduce a grandparenting prayer ministry into your church.  If it doesn't fit in the schedule at your church to plan an event for grandparents on September 8, you may do it any time in September.

A grandmother in Missouri shared about their Grandparents' Day of Prayer at her church last year. "We had a great time of prayer and reading the scriptures on Sunday. We had around 70 in attendance. We started with a box lunch then kind of followed the outline in the Resource booklet you provided. We had two testimonies of grandmas praying for their grands and how God answered prayer. Then we had the grandfathers read the prayers out of the book, and a grandfather prayed over them and did the same for the grandmothers. We had three different men who read scriptures. Then the pastor led us in a guided prayer time. We finished up by everyone reading the Grandparents Declaration than the Steve Green video of Find us Faithful. It was a good time of prayer and fellowship. I have heard great comments about it and people wanting to do it again next year. Thank you for providing all the great resources."

Check out the Free downloadable Resources available for you to copy at this website https://christiangrandparenting.net/product-category/free-resources/.

Will, you join many other grandparents in September planning to bring together grandparents in their sphere is influence to cover this next generation with prayer?

 Why a Grandparents’ Day of Prayer?

Where has time flown by? Many of our grandchildren will be heading off to school next month. Summer will be gone before we know it. We need to uphold them in prayer

as the church is becoming less significant today in our everyday lives, a moral influence becomes more important as they go back to school. Culture tends to shape our grandchildren by what it presents as normal, which is very different from the normal in which we grew up. Grandparents who love the Lord can help them and their parents navigate their worldly culture with prayer and godly counsel.

 I am going to share with you the story of Daniel because he was shaped by a godly example by his parents to obey God growing up in Judea.

Daniel’s story

Daniel was taken from his home country in Judea to captivity into Babylon, a very ungodly environment. Daniel was to be trained to serve in the king’s palace. However, he resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine. King Darius made a decree that no one could pray to anyone other than him for 30 days. Daniel went to his room and prayed three times a day facing Jerusalem, giving thanks and praying as he always did to his God. He did not allow the worldly king to transform him into the patterns of Babylon. As a result, Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den. God closed the mouths of the lions, and he was brought out unscathed because Daniel trusted God. King Darius acknowledged that the God of Daniel was a living God. Daniel was taught to trust and obey God while living in an ungodly culture.

I am sharing a brief summary of the culture our grandchildren, and their parents are navigating today.

Today’s cultural norm

Porn: Pray that God will protect the eyes of our dear grandchildren and give them the strength to flee from the temptation when they are enticed.

Alcohol and drug addictionis a result of the emptiness of the soul; it doesn’t take away the pain. Only their faith in Jesus Christ will give them fulfillment.

Entertainmentvies for the souls of our grandchildren in the movies, television, music, and video games.

Affluence & commercialism: Our grandchildren are exposed and influenced by a world of opulence, commercialism, and entitlement by our media today. Our goal should be to not shower them with material wealth but teach them to work and earn the things they want.

Sexual orientation: The Gay, Lesbian, Transgender Movement is an issue today. Our children are exposed to it at an early age in their families, in school, media, and peers. Homosexuality attempts to exchange their God-identity with self-identify.

Witchcraft:Wicca is among the fast-growing religions. Wicca has effectively repackaged witchcraft for millennial consumption. Wicca’s website is one of the most visited religious sites on the Internet.All forms of witchcraft are strictly forbidden in the Bible as being tied to the occult and the work and the world of the evil one.

Jesus prays for his disciples

Shortly before Jesus was arrested, He prays for his disciples asking God to protect them, and I believe it is for us, too. Jesus prayed, “I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one”.John 17:15 (NLT) 

Again, Christian Grandparenting Network (CGN) along with Legacy Coalition invites you to be a part of this movement to intentionally pray for our grandchildren, our families, our nation, and our world making September a Grandparents’ Month of Prayer.This year we see such an URGENT NEED in our culture and ungodly environment to declare the month of September as “Grandparents’ Month of Prayer”. We believe the battle for the hearts and mindsof our dear grandchildren and their parents can be won by praying grandparents who sense the urgency and unite to do battle in prayer and give Godly counsel.

In the past, united prayer has always bridged the gap between a great need and a great awakening!We are praying many churches and groups will participate in prayer around the world for this intentional day of prayer on behalf of the next generation.

This event could be in your church, in your home, in a retirement complex, or any meeting location you choose. CGN will provide step-by-step guidelines, resources, and online tools to help you create a successful event that will engage grandparents in prayer for your event. If it doesn't fit your schedule to meet with other grandparents or plan an event on September 8, due to the urgency do it any time in September.

You may want to host a prayer breakfast or a luncheon following your morning worship. Or you may want to offer an afternoon tea or evening dessert in your home. Perhaps your minister is willing to address the importance of praying grandparents and set aside a particular prayer time during the worship service. The possibilities are endless.It is imperative; however, grandparents gather to pray for their grandchildren.

To learn more or indicate participation in the movement and/or organize a time of prayer for grandparents go to the website www.grandparentsdayofprayer.com. You will learn more on our website with endorsements, testimonials and promotional materials and free downloads or email me.

We are looking for grandparents who believe in the power of prayer

to participate in this event.

Will you help us call grandparents to join us in prayer

on September 8 or another time in September? 

By Lillian Penner, lpenner@christiangrandparenting.com

Sherry Schumann  sherry@christiangrandparenting.com

Debrorah Haddix Deborah@deborahhaddix.com

Grandparents’ Day of Prayer Coordinators

As I sat down to write and pray this morning, the Spirit of God impressed upon my heart to turn the pages of Paul’s letter to the Colossians into a prayer. With several translations of Colossians in front of me, I began meditating on the powerful words about Christ’s preeminence, transforming them, paragraph by paragraph, into personal prayers. I realized then just how rich God’s Word is when we pray it as promises over ourselves!
 
Never are we closer to praying the will of God than when we are praying the Word of God! The Spirit and the Word work together as we pray, making our divine inheritance manifest as we speak God’s Word back into His heart.
 
To pray the Word of God is to agree with what God has already said He will do, setting in motion spiritual blessings that have been seen throughout history and can be activated once again by faith.
 
Space limits me to sharing just the first section of my prayers from Colossians with you today. If you would like to order the complete booklet of "Pray Colossians!" please click below to purchase in our store. 

May this heartfelt “prayer paraphrase” of Paul's first-century letter to the Colossians reveal more to you about your inheritance in Christ and build your confidence to begin praying the will of God over your life!  

Continue Reading

or 

Click Here to View/Order the Complete Prayer Booklet

© Deborah Perkins / www.HisInscriptions.com

Beyond the Walls is a weekly email to help Christ followers move beyond the walls of their church buildings, homes, comfort zones, and culture to engage those we live among with the Gospel.
 

For the Fame of His Name!
 
John Whaley
National Pioneer, The Rooftop US

Beyond the Walls is a weekly email to help Christ followers move beyond the walls of their church buildings, homes, comfort zones, and culture to engage those we live among with the Gospel.
 

 
Every follower of Christ has been called by God to be salt and light beyond the walls of their everyday lives.  We are called to live distinctive lives, lives that influence people to desire knowing the God whom we love and serve.  We are to be beacons of hope, shining the light of His grace and goodness into the darkness that many of those who live around us walk in daily.

And one of the best places to be that salt and light is in the very neighborhood where you live.  Whether you live in a subdivision or an apartment complex, God has placed you in an amazing mission field!  We are literally surrounded daily by individuals and families who need to be lifted up in prayer and cared for as we become an extension of God’s grace into their lives.  Some of them do not yet know Christ and need to hear the Gospel.  Others know Christ and need to be discipled.  And all of them need to be loved.

But in order for us to do that, we have to move beyond the walls of our homes.  Unfortunately, we have succumbed to the mindset of our culture, making our homes places we retreat to after a day of work instead of becoming a place into which we invite our neighbors and from which we engage our neighborhood.  And I am as guilty as anyone of giving into that silo mentality that is keeping us from joining Jesus in what He is doing in the lives of our neighbors.

I am working on changing that in my life and I challenge you to do so as well if you find yourself living in a silo in the midst of other silos.   But that leads to a critical question:  “Where do I begin?” 

Answer:  BlessEveryHome.com.  Bless Every Home is a powerful tool that will help you to know your neighbors by name and develop a missional strategy to pray for them, care for them, share the Gospel with them, and disciple them.  And it’s free!  All you have to do is go to their website and sign up.  Once you sign up, you will be able to choose how many of your neighbors you want to adopt to pray for and begin building relationships with. 

After signing up and choosing your “mission field”, you will see a Google map showing you where each neighbor lives in relation to your home.  You will also have access to a list you can print out and each day you will receive an email with the names of five neighbors to specifically pray for by name.

In addition, you will have access to a library of great resources to help you develop a strategy in connecting with your neighbors through their Train and Grow link.

So what are you waiting for?  It is time to move beyond the walls!  Sign up this week and begin praying for each of your neighbors by name.  And as you pray, begin asking God to show you ways to connect with them.

For the Fame of His Name!
 
John Whaley
National Pioneer, The Rooftop US

Bless Every Home Introduction:

https://vimeo.com/207298856