Pray Network Forum

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.

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.

Matthew 22:37-39 - Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” NIV  

From the time that Jesus expanded His audience’s definition of their “Neighbor,” millions of people have traveled across town or across the globe to administer care and share the Gospel. It is a vital part of obeying the Great Commission to “go into all the world” to make disciples; the problem is that sometimes we pass by those in greatest need as we drive out of our neighborhood and head to the airport to fly to our “mission field.” Neil Cox, the coordinator for our LOVE2020 Community Development and Justice sphere, often reminds me that everyone begins and ends their day at home; and the homes you pass on your way to and from work, school and church are filled with our neighbors who need prayer, care and to have the Gospel shared with them also. Jesus never intended for us to exclude our next door neighbor, just expand our hearts and reach to love more “neighbors.”

One of the greatest tools for praying for my neighbors was introduced to me by Chris Cooper. The Pray4EveryHome.com website prompts people to sign up with their zip code and then sends the names and address of your neighbors each day with a specific prayer prompt to get you started. It is an effective way to BEGIN praying for your neighbors by name. I encourage you to prayer walk your street, possibly your whole subdivision each day or a few days a week, but instead of being focused on getting exercise, go for a walk with the purpose of meeting a new neighbor or striking up a conversation with a neighbor you met recently to have a deeper conversation. Go visit the 5-10 houses to the left and right of your home; get to know them, their needs, where they go to church and through these conversations you will learn how to pray for them, what care you could give and based on your conversations, when to share the gospel with them. Think of it as raising your "heart-rate" by exercising Christ's love in your neighborhood.

I will introduce and explain the actions steps of LOVE2020 in each blog; slowly expanding your mission field with a variety of possibilities and resources that will help enable you to live a prayer, care, share lifestyle. I have been reading through the four gospels and I noticed that each story, lesson, conversation and miracle happened while Jesus was walking, traveling, sitting by the shore, going from one place to another. In other words, Jesus ministered every day, along the way. Jesus got up early while it was still dark to pray, He conversed with His Father and then set out to minister to those who crossed His path that day as He was on His way somewhere. That is exactly how a prayer, care, share lifestyle happens! Love begins at home; with your family and your neighbors…your next door neighbors. I challenge you to touch every “neighbor” with the love of Jesus by the end of the year 2020.

Love is a verb…let’s get moving!

    Kathy B.

For more ideas, check out the prayer, care, share strategy for the Community Development/Justice, and the Neighboring spheres in the “Strength Conditioning” section of LOVE2020.com.

Gathering With Your Neighbors

2 Chronicles 7:14, “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” ESV

Greetings Neighbors! I have been praying for you as you have been praying up and down your streets and throughout your zip codes. I pray that you have met some new neighbors and have had the opportunity to show and share your love and faith in Jesus. I also pray that you have met some neighbors who are church-attending Christ-followers and have begun building a friendship and fellowship with them that includes sharing some ideas of how to build a prayer-care-share HUB in your neighborhood for celebrations as well as catastrophes.

Your neighborhood is a great place to build unity in the body of Christ. Jesus prayed that we would be one; gathered under the wings of His affection and authority, that we would glorify Him as He sanctifies us in the truth of His Word. I pray that your neighborhood is filled with people who attend many different churches and your relationships bring those churches together to worship and serve throughout the year.

One significant way that you can gather churches together to pray and worship is through a simulcast.  These events are usually hosted by a well-known Christian Pastor or leader and enable you to pray, worship and hear the message God has given to them without you having to travel to another city. The simulcast removes the speculation that you might be trying to promote your church or Pastor and brings a neutral but trusted and beloved speaker or speakers to share information and inspiration. Your neighbors can discuss and unite around the application of the message and pray for transformation throughout your community.

 I am very excited about the upcoming simulcast called, The Gathering 2016, that will be held on September 21.  The Gathering is the Body of Christ coming together 1 day to unite across racial, denominational and generational lines, lifting up the name of Jesus and taking responsibility for the condition of our nation. No personality, denomination or organization will be promoted. The Gathering has one purpose: to unite the Body of Christ in America – all believers, regardless of race, age, or denomination – in prayer for forgiveness, wisdom, and provision for our nation.

I want to encourage you to “gather” your neighbors together often; build your friendships with bar-b-ques and other activities and be sure to invite your neighbors who are not Christ-followers. This solemn assembly simulcast is a great, non-threating way to gather your neighbors to pray, as we are Kingdom citizens first and foremost; we are living in America, in whichever state you are in, in a certain city and finally your particular zip code or subdivision – all of which are in need of prayer and God’s forgiveness, wisdom, and provision. Gathering people of various churches builds a community in unity and delights our Lord. I want to encourage you to find out more about this significant simulcast opportunity at thegathering2016.com.

I challenge you to gather every “neighbor” in your zip code in the love of Jesus by the end of the year 2020.

Love is a verb…let’s get moving!

    Kathy B.

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

                                                                                                                                                        Sept. 1 2016

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.

2 Corinthians 9:10-15 Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God. Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all, while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! NAS

I am so moved and motivated by these words of Paul to the Christ-followers in Corinth, as he assures them that God will guide, provide and be glorified in the Kingdom work He calls them (and us) to do. He supplies all that is needed; His Word, His Son, His Spirit, His wisdom, and He gives each of us the experience and education we need to do exactly what He designed us to do. Even more amazing is the multiplication factor; He did all of this to bless you AND so that you could meet the needs of other people. Loving neighbors cause others to give Jesus the thanks and glory; and when you do this, your blessings are not depleted but rather completed as you sow what God has supplied. Through us, Jesus produces thanks to the Father and increases the harvest.

In my last blog I gave you a first step resource, Pray4EveryHome.com and challenged you to start raising your “heart-rate” by prayer walking your neighborhood and pausing to talk with your neighbors along the way. These talks are a great way to learn how to pray for people and find out what their needs are. If your neighborhood is more than a street long, you may have already figured out that it would be helpful to have several people covering your neighborhood or even zip code in prayer. You can either recruit other Christian neighbors to pray up and down their street, or you can recruit people at your church to prayer walk their neighborhoods. Of course the best answer is to implement BOTH options. The Pray4EveryHome.com website can be used to adopt an entire area around a church and keep track of every neighbor being prayed over.

In addition to prayer, there is also the opportunity to provide care by meeting needs when illness, hardships or tragedy strikes. As you develop an adoption plan for your neighborhood or zip code, begin to develop a communication strategy. It may be as simple as a social media page or as well planned out as a prayer-care-share hub that plans and prepares for opportunities and tragedies. Opportunities may be a Fall Festival, concert, fair, Christmas caroling/party, or any event that draws a crowd together. Tragedies may touch one home or an entire community, and the relationships that you have built as loving Christian neighbors will open doors of trust in good times and bad. We have seen time and time again on the news, where church buildings become a command center for first responders, collection spots for donations, distribution hubs for care and resources or even shelters for both the rescued and the rescuer.

Love covers a multitude of wounds; in communities where people are living a prayer-care-share lifestyle there are stronger racial relations, lower crime, increased academic success, businesses flourish and the community attends and protects the church that has lovingly served and stood by them. Church buildings that once stood blocks apart are connected by hearts and homes impacted by members of multiple churches in the name and for the glory of Jesus. In his book, “Neighborhood Initiative and the Love of God” Lynn Cory explains how the Kingdom work that God does in us and through us in our neighborhoods will help cultivate unity between churches within that community. Jesus is glorified when we ARE the Church; when His love flows out of the church building and floods the streets of our neighborhoods. We will discuss many ways to bring the Church together in future blogs. Remember, we are creating a model of love that can be carried out every day along the way; and expanding your mission field one step at a time. This step is to adopt your neighborhood/zip code and cultivate prayer on every street.

I challenge you to touch every “neighbor” in your zip code with the love of Jesus by the end of the year 2020.

Love is a verb…let’s get moving!

    Kathy B.

For more ideas, check out the Love2020.com interview with the writers of “Next Door As It Is In Heaven: Living out God’s Kingdom In Your Neighborhood.”

8/25/16

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.