A friend recently noticed a cane carved for me by my brother-in-law. And he wondered what kind of power tools he used. I told him I thought he didn’t use much more than a pocket knife and sandpaper. He said, "That would be a lot of work!" I too have hand carved several walking sticks, although not as beautiful as my brother-in-law’s. And I find that, though painstaking, the work can be very satisfying.

I feel the same about the process of editing something I have written. I used to fear editing because I am not especially good at it. But I am in the process of editing a novel after completing the rough draft. And I find honing and polishing rewarding. I have no doubt that I am improving my work. 

And while I try to saturate and punctuate all my writing with prayer, I actually pray more while editing. Especially with fiction, I try to get words down as rapidly as I can. At that point I do not pray or even think about how to say something. I admit that editing can be exhausting. But it is no less exciting or satisfying than writing a story in the first place.

In Letters and Life, on being a writer, on being a Christian, Brett Lott has a quote from John Berryman that I often put up where I can read it.

“You should always be trying to write a poem you are unable to write, a poem you lack the technique, the language, the courage to achieve.”

I like this quotation. I wish I had it on a coffee cup. But it does not depict the best way to improve my writing. In fact, I often find it intimidating. I improve by polishing what I write. When I write a poem, I put it with my daily prayer lists, and pray over it everyday. I change a word or a line every few days for several months. This method produces better poems than I thought I could write. My writing only becomes readable as I polish it day after day.

Of course, I do not ruminate for months on my blog posts. But I never post one without waiting until the next day after completing it. And I always find ways to make them better.

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Mostly because of medical treatments, I don’t preach much any more. But from time to time, God still encourages me with a sermon idea. And at least with this one, I decided to publish a brief of the sermon in this blog.

Glory In The Cross

(C.I.T.: Paul wanted to avoid glorying in anything but the cross of Jesus.

Focus: Glorying

PEOPLE:

PURPOSE: Consecrative; I want my hearers to desire to glory in the cross.

THRUST: We need to glory in the cross alone.

PICTURE: "Well done good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your master.")

Please look with me at Galatians 6:14

"But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world."

Many years ago I was pastor of a church that built a new worship center. And I got to pick the pulpit. I had seen one that was shaped like a cross. I told the builder what I wanted, and he found one for me. When it was installed, I went to a store that made plaques and got a small brass plaque and mounted it permanently to the pulpit where anyone who stood behind it could see. It read,  "God forbid that I should glory. . ."

The translation of Scripture that I read from used the word boast. But the word in the original language is, "glory." This is a problem because we never use the word glory as a verb in modern English. The Classic Amplified Bible expands this verse to express its meaning.

"But far be it from me to glory [in anything or anyone] except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) through Whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world!"

Let me connect this verse with its context by reading chapter 5, verse 26.

"Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another."

But just as the word boast gives evidence of a struggle to translate 6:14 from the original language to modern English, the word conceit does not quite get the meaning in 5:26. The Greek word here is a compound word made up of the word glory and the word for vanity. So the Classic Amplified Bible read,

"Let us not become vainglorious and self-conceited, competitive and challenging and provoking and irritating to one another, envying and being jealous of one another."

We are tempted to come at one another in competition, seeking our glory from or instead of them. My wife recently gave me a copy of C.S. Lewis's book, The Weight of Glory. In the introduction, Lewis' secretary, Walter Hooper, said he and Lewis once discussed Mallory's Morte d' Arthur. At one point Lancelot said with his selfless acts, he was "winning worship," that is increase his reputation. They agreed that statement was inherited from paganism. But Hooper asked if Lewis was aware that, however unintentionally, he was "winning worship" through his marvellous books.

Lewis responded in a low still voice, and with the deepest and most complete humility Hooper had ever seen in anyone, "One cannot be too careful not to think of it." But you cannot simply avoid vainglory. You must focus on higher glory.

This relates to a deep need in our lives. Jesus painted a picture of the ultimate fulfillment of this truth. In the Parable of The Talents in Matthew 25 He said the master would say to those who invested and increased what had been entrusted to them, "Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master." We all desperately need to hear God's words, "Well done." That is our glory. No other glory will satisfy our need.

Our true glory comes to us through the gospel. Our glory is the cross. It begins by calling us to admit we are nothing. Galatians 6:3 keys on this in the fellowship as Paul seeks to bind the church family together. 

"For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself."

But Jesus died for us to give us His glory. That is the glory of the cross. Let me give you six applications of the glory of the cross in our lives. I promise I will not preach to you for an hour on each of these points. But I earnestly desire for you to grasp each of these applications of your glory of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

• Recognizing The Glory of The Cross

As long as the cross is merely the beginning point of your faith, you have not grasped much of its meaning.

• Receiving The Glory of The Cross

John 1:12 says,

"But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."

To receive Christ is to put your faith in Him and in what He did for you on the cross.

• Reveling In The Glory of The Cross

To grasp the depth of what Jesus did for you at the cross, you must meditate on it. Think about it and soak up its reality in your life.

• Rejoicing In The Glory of The Cross

And meditating on the wonder of it, should cause you to rejoice in all that God has done for you. If you cannot rejoice over what God has done for you, you have an intellectual disconnect. You just don’t get it.

• Boasting About The Glory of The Cross

We ought to desire that God be glorified because of the cross. It is certainly worth telling others about.

• Sharing The Glory of The Cross

And we should be prepared to help people come to know the glory of the cross for themselves.

I confess that I opted to watch baseball on TV last week vs. watching twenty Democratic want-a-be Presidential candidates debate the issues. I did surf the networks back and forth just to see what was going on among the hopefuls, and I did read the next-morning reviews. I start with my confession only to say I may have missed something in the four hours of debate, but I never once heard a candidate begin an answer with something like, “I would seek God’s will in the matter” or “I would talk with God about this and then make a decision” or “I think God would want me to . . .” To each question, the candidates had their own answers, and their own solutions. No one, at least to my awareness, even acknowledged God as a part of their decision making. I’m not talking about church-state issues, or religious freedom issues, or even one’s spiritual preferences, I’m talking about a candidate acknowledging the importance of communicating with God in decision making. I realize this was not a religious debate, and the questions were not spiritually oriented, but I sure wish someone on the stage would have at least referenced communication with God. This reminds me of Jesus’ words in John 16:24, “Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive,” and James 1:5, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” This is not about Democrats or Republicans or any other group. It is about the absence of communication with God in the discussion of the current issues that concern our society.

Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

Exodus 33:14

And He said, "My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest."

Adam Clarke Commentary

My presence shall go with thee - ילכו פני panai yelechu, my faces shall go. I shall give thee manifestations of my grace and goodness through the whole of thy journey. I shall vary my appearances for thee, as thy necessities shall require.

Copyright Statement
These files are public domain.

Bibliography
Clarke, Adam. "Commentary on Exodus 33:14". "The Adam Clarke Commentary". 

In Matthew 28:8, we read,

"So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy."

Fear and joy do not always go together. And many translations emphasize the difference with something like “They departed with great joy, even though they were afraid.” However, this differentiation does not reflect the wording of this passage in the original language of  The New Testament. In this verse it simply lays them out together. And when we come into the presence of the Son of God, fear and great joy can become corresponding emotions. 

I am reminded of the woman who was healed of her issue of blood as she snuck up behind Jesus and touched the hem of His robe. When Jesus looked around asking, "Who touched me", she knew she was discovered. And she came forward with "fear and trembling." I also think of the disciples being terrified because Jesus calmed the storm on the sea.

One thing joy and fear have in common is their intensity of emotion. There is nothing casual about drawing near the Creator of the universe.

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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.
 

As we consider the power of stories as we have gospel conversations with those who are not yet believers, we must not discount the importance of the person’s story with whom we are engaged in conversation.  For far too long, we have made sharing the Gospel a monologue in which we do all the talking with very little input from the one who is listening. 

This style of Gospel-sharing was reinforced in the 1970s and 80’s with a variety of Gospel training methods in which you learned how to present the Gospel with a set script filled with memorized Bible verses, illustrations, and transitions.  And though I found many of them quite helpful, I fear that we turned sharing the Gospel into a “sales pitch” where we would sit down with someone, unload the Gospel on them, and then awkwardly ask them for a decision.

The sharing of the Gospel should be a conversation interweaving our story, God’s story, and the story of the one with whom we are sharing.  And listening to their story is vital in connecting with them.  When we listen, we communicate to them that we care; that we want to know them and build a relationship with them.

It is as we listen to their story and ask questions to find out about their family, their life experiences, and why they believe what they believe that we discover ways to speak the Gospel into their lives.  We must never forget that the essence of discipleship is moving people from unbelief to belief.  In the case of the not-yet believer, it is moving them from all the things they believe about God, life, and themselves that are not true to the truth that is revealed to us in Scripture.

And that takes time.  It doesn’t happen over a cup of coffee in one conversation.  It involves listening…listening to them and listening to the promptings of the Spirit as He guides you in how to speak the Gospel into their lives.

So...who will you listen to this week?
 

 
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.
 

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

Most teaching positions in schools across the Arabian Peninsula are filled with expats from all over the world.  As head counts are being considered and new hires are being made for the 2019-2020 school year, pray that God would bring in a wave of believers to work as teachers and administrators of schools in the Arabian Peninsula.  Pray that the Father would use this sphere of influence to have profound Kingdom impact in this region.

When I first thought about writing this series, I was primarily thinking of positive things God shows us through quiet things in the Gospel accounts. But the implications of some of them are negative. One of them accompanies the Great Commission.

Look with me at Matthew 28:16-17.

"Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him, they worshiped him, but some doubted."

How do you explain doubt in those who met and even embraced the risen Christ? Humans seem to have an infinite capacity to doubt. There is no situation where you could not be tempted to doubt what God is up to. They were experiencing living evidence of the ultimate miracle, the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. But some of them still doubted.

The word translated "doubted" is, "distazo." Which means wavering between two stances. But how could any of those who met him in Galilee have questioned who he was or whom they would follow?

These doubters were all believers. This passage only mentions the eleven. But just a few verses earlier Jesus charged the women leaving the tomb to go tell His brothers. We have evidence that they came to believe after His resurrection. I suspect disciples like Cleopas and his wife were also there. And what about Mary Magdalene, His mother, and the other women who followed Him? In 1 Corinthians 15 Paul mentions over 500 people who saw Him at one time after His resurrection. Could these have been there? I think they must have been.

Jesus specifically chose these people to be witnesses of His resurrection, and to take the gospel to the rest of the world. And the enemy will tempt you to doubt when God gives you a crucial task.

Jesus scolded His disciples for not believing when the women told them they had seen Him alive. But here, we are at least not told that He castigated them. As far as we know, His only remedy for their doubts was fellowship with Him.

Are you being tempted to doubt what God has said, or what God is doing? If you are not, you will yet be so tempted. And one of the most effective cures for doubt is spending time in His presence.

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It was only in 1998, when I started studying the Bible, that I realized God had found me in 1968.

A fellow college student told me there was room for only 144,000 people in Heaven. He then asked if I had accepted Christ as my savior.

At age 20, without ever having studied the Bible, I replied with a question. “So, with all the lives that have been lived, over the past thousands of years, do you think that there is still room for you?”

The student hung his head and walked away. I did the 1968 version of what today is called a “fist pump.”

In 1998, John 14:2 was revealed to me. And my eyes bugged open! Thirty years ago, I had been an instrument of discipleship.

In 1976, I joined a local church. Very shortly thereafter, the position of treasurer became my task. In serving in that position, many improvements became evident to clearly communicate to the members the finances of the church.

In implementing these improvements as a neophyte Christian, I naïvely stepped into the bad graces of one particular church group. Despite this, the changes were implemented after asking an “out of the blue” question that "came to my mind" that cause this group to acquiesce.

Upon further Bible study, He Showed me John 15:16 and Romans 8:31.

Throughout this local church experience, I have heard many prayer requests for specific outcomes. Thanksgiving is offered when the outcome matched the prayer. Many times, additional suffering occurred when prayers and outcomes did not match: doubt; fear; anger.

Through faith, it is clear that God is the Only Sovereign Being in all of Creation.

I stopped praying to change God’s Mind.

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

I write as a ministry. And I pray that people will come face to face with the Living God in my writings.

One of my books was just released, AGAPE, The Infinite, Ultimate Love of God. I pray that God will touch the lives of people through this book. I do pray that it will sell well. I pray, and I ask you to pray with me, that God will use it to touch the lives of people around the world.

I pray that God will allow me to write more books. And I pray that He will do more in the lives of more and more people with each book that He allows me to write.

AGAPE: The Infinite, Ultimate Love of God (FAITH, HOPE, & LOVE Book 1)

by David Young (FAITH, HOPE, & LOVE Book 1)

https://www.amazon.com/AGAPE-Infinite-Ultimate-Love-FAITH-ebook/dp/B07SHYCLSK/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=AGAPE%2C+The+Infinite%2C+Ultimate+Love+of+God&qid=1560098328&s=gateway&sr=8-1

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Presidential Prayer Team Announces Massive Intercessory Movement Ahead of Trump's Birthday + Summer season of prayer for country's leadership:

https://www.charismanews.com/us/76647-presidential-prayer-team-announces-massive-intercessory-movement-ahead-of-trump-s-birthday?utm_source=Charisma%20News%20Daily&utm_medium=email&utm_content=subscriber_id:4777542&utm_campaign=CNO%20daily%20-%202019-06-06

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

In John 15:15 Jesus said something I don't think I have ever heard emphasized.

"No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends."

The Great Commission actually begins with Jesus saying, “All Authority in Heaven and Earth has been given to me.” In a sense He is saying, “Listen, I'm in charge." We speak of the laws of nature reflecting God's Authority. And we understand that these laws are absolute. For instance, we know that the law of gravity cannot be broken. If you were to jump from the top of the Empire State Building, you would not break the law of gravity. You would prove it. And about the authority of Christ, Luke 20:17-18 refers to the words of the psalmist.

"He is the stone that the builders rejected. Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”

But if we think of authority like that of a dictator or a Drill Sergeant, we do not fully understand His authority. Look with me at the passage I referred to about friendship, John 15:12-15.

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.”

Jesus is saying that we serve Him and one another as friends. In this passage Jesus links two of the words for love in the original language of the New Testament, agape and philos. Of course He had to accurately define agape love for us. He told us to love one another as He loves us. That stretches love to the ultimate sacrifice of the cross.

And He uses Philos, calling us His friends. Here Jesus stretches friendship beyond anything we can imagine. We are His friends because Jesus gave His life for us. We show that we are His friends when we do what He commands. In His grace, Jesus shows us the authority of divine friendship.

First, we see The Authority of Devotion.

We are to obey Him because we love Him. And we love Him and one another because He loves us. When you come to realize the magnitude of the love of God who gave His only Son for you, your heart will overflow with love that will do anything for Him.

And in this passage Jesus brings out The Authority of Purpose.

He said He no longer calls us servants, because a servant does not know what His master is doing. We know what Paul declared in 2 Corinthians 5:19, that in Christ God is reconciling the world to Himself. In verse 18 he says God has given us the ministry of reconciliation.

Most of you are familiar with Rick Warren's book The Purpose Driven Life. In that study Rick points out that our lives need to be driven by the purposes of God.

Finally, in speaking of His friendship, Jesus points out The Authority of Understanding.

He says, "All that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you." Our serving God depends upon our understanding the things of God. And the more we grow in our understanding, the more faithful we will be to Him.

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1 Tim 2:1-2 NIV  I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 

Prayer written by Wanda Alger: 

Heavenly Father,

We come today as the body of Christ in this nation, to lift up our president, Donald J. Trump. As many voices rise up against this one You have set into office, we lift up our voices, with one heart and mind, to stand in agreement with heaven's purposes concerning our nation (Ps. 133). We stand by this president who has declared this nation to be under God's rule and authority and acknowledge righteousness and justice to be the foundations of Your throne (Ps. 89:14).

We welcome and embrace the fear of the Lord as the standard for all righteous rule and repent for the ways in which we have bowed to the fear of man (Prov. 29:25). Cleanse our hearts and renew our minds that we may walk in the light of Your truth (Ps. 43:3). We ask that President Trump would delight in the fear of the Lord in order to walk in the power of Your might and the wisdom of Your ways. May righteousness and faithfulness be his portion so that he may render righteous judgments according to Your Word (Mic. 3:8).

We ask that President Trump would show no fear toward the evil that assails him (Isa. 8:12), but rather overcome it with a zeal and passion for Your laws which bring life and liberty to all (Prov. 10:29-32). May he love Your Word and seek your wisdom diligently (Prov. 8:17), remaining open and teachable to godly counsel and heaven's wisdom (Prov. 1:7, 10). We thank You that his heart is in Your hands and that You will direct it according to Your will and purpose. Grant him increased grace and blessing as he heeds your voice and obeys Your word (Prov. 21:1, 11).

We declare over President Trump that he will have true judgments by the Spirit and not according to man (Isa. 11:3-4, 12). We declare that he will possess heaven's knowledge with shrewdness of mind in making right decisions for the good of the people (Prov. 8:12, 13). Fill his mouth with good things (Prov. 16:9-13) that he may speak what is true and right (Prov. 8:6, 15). We pray that he will use his God-given authority to execute justice and establish righteousness in this land for the sake of Your glory and kingdom (Gen. 49:10, Ps. 60:7). We declare that he will rule in this midst of his enemies, not backing down or wavering due to threats or intimidation (Ps. 110:1-2). May his ears become deaf to the assaults from his enemies and may those who seek his life answer to You for their wicked ways. May he know that it is Your hand and Your sovereign purpose that is keeping him and sustaining him in his divine commission (Ps. 38:12-15, 18).

Keep President Trump and those who serve him, safe from the enemy's snares and free from the accuser's traps (Ps. 141:9-10). By Your great hand, Lord, deal with those who oppose righteousness and justice so that all men will know it is You alone who is sovereign and true (Ps. 64:6-9). May the fire of Your presence burn up all Your enemies and consume all those who stand against You concerning our destiny and inheritance as one nation under God (Ps. 97:1-6).

Thank you, Father, for hearing our prayers and empowering us as kingdom ambassadors on the earth. From the highest office in the land to the least known among men, may we all seek to know You more intimately, serve You more passionately and praise You more fully so that all men will know, You alone are God. Through the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen. 

Wanda Alger is a field correspondent with Intercessors for America. She ministers with her husband in Winchester, Virginia. Follow her blog at wandaalger.me.

https://www.charismanews.com/opinion/76580-join-major-christian-leaders-across-the-us-in-praying-this-powerful-word-over-trump?utm_source=Charisma%20News%20Daily&utm_medium=email&utm_content=subscriber_id:4777542&utm_campaign=CNO%20daily%20-%202019-05-31 

Beyond the Walls is a weekly blog 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.

If we are to effectively live “beyond the walls” engaging people with the Gospel where we live, work and play, it is critical that we see them as God sees them.  It is critical that we are sensitive to the whispers of the Holy Spirit as He prompts us in who to engage and what to say.  It is critical that we “keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25).

And the only way that can happen is through prayer.  Not prayer on the run.  Not prayer in the car on the way to work or your next appointment.  Not prayer only when a crisis hits.  Not prayer only when we feel like praying. 

What I am talking about is daily setting aside time to press into the heart of God, seeking His face over an open Bible.  And then living each day in conversational intimacy with God out of the overflow of that daily one-on-one time with the Father.

The reality is that most Christ-followers never spend daily time with the Lord in prayer including pastors and ministry leaders.  Why?  While I could list several reasons as to why this is so, let’s focus on the primary reason.

The reason many of us struggle with prayer is that we misunderstand the very nature of prayer.  We see prayer primarily as coming to God with our list of needs and wants and the needs and wants of others. 

And while petition and intercession are vital aspects of prayer, this is not where prayer begins.  We have made prayer transactional.  God desires prayer to be relational.  The heart of prayer is communion with God.  The purpose of prayer is knowing God. 

In Ephesians 1:16ff, Paul shares with the church in Ephesus how he is praying for them.  As you read through those verses, it is obvious that the heart of his prayer is that the eyes of their hearts would be opened to how great and good and glorious God is; to know Him intimately.

And it is out of that worship-fueled communion with God that our petitions and intercessions flow as we pray with hearts tuned to His heart, His voice, His will.

So let me ask you – how is your prayer life?  Do you spend daily time with the Lord?  If not, I encourage to begin by spending 15 minutes every day with God.  Make it simple.  Sit down with an open Bible, read a devotional thought based on the Word of God (my favorite is My Utmost for His Highest), and spend time praising God for who He is, thanking Him for His love for you, declaring your love for Him, and sharing with Him the burdens of your heart. 

Develop the discipline of daily time with God.  And as you do, I promise that over time the discipline will become a delight. 

Today our nation is being attacked like never before educationally, socially, financially, and spiritually. Christianity itself is under assault, and parents and grandparents are involved in a tug of war for the hearts and minds of their children. Our grandchildren are finding it hard to navigate in a world hostile to truth. Satan has launched an aggressive attack on our families, schools, and our nation to desensitize our children to truth and righteousness.Perhaps at no other time in our history is a call to prayer more urgently required than it is today for our grandchildren.

Can grandparents make a difference?

Grandparents can help their grandchildren and their parents navigate the rapid culture shift we are experiencing. The enemy is undermining God’s design for our grandchildren by filling our headlines, and social media feeds with a worldview. However, God has begun a powerful movement to awaken Christian grandparents to make a spiritual impact on the next generation. 

God has given grandparents a sacred trust – an opportunity to imprint another generation with His love and faithfulness. Grandparents need to be intentional about the power of prayer to keep the hearts and minds of their grandchildren from falling captive to the enemy’s deception. We are engaged in a spiritual battle that requires prayer as the weapon.

Making September, “A Grandparents’ Month”

Over the last nine years, thousands of grandparents have united in prayer on the National Grandparents Day in September, making it a Day of Prayer for their grandchildren and their parents. Again, Christian Grandparenting Network (CGN) invites you to be a part of this movement to intentionally pray for our grandchildren, our families, and our world making it a Grandparents’ Day of Prayer (GDOP). This year we are declaring the Month of September as “Grandparents’ Month” If it doesn’t fit your schedule to meet with other grandparents or plan an event on September 8 do it any time in September.

We are looking for volunteers who will take the lead to organize an event, calling grandparents to join in prayer on September 8 or throughout September. 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.  We have received reports from grandparents organizing an event at their church for GDOP because last year's event was very well received.  

Join grandparents throughout the world uniting in prayer for their grandchildren and their parents during September,

“Grandparents’ Month”.

Check out this website for blogs, endorsements, testimonials, and promotional materials and free downloads. www.grandparentsdayofprayer.com

For additional information, contact Coordinators

Lillian Penner, lpenner@christiangrandparenting.net.

Deborah Haddix, deborah@deborahhaddix.com