Prayer - Seeing God's Heart

When it comes to the topic of prayer in my personal life and ministry I would call myself a legendary intercessor. The truth is I struggle and try to understand the importance of talking with God, listening to Him and aligning my heart to what He has for me. Not only is my understanding limited, so is my practice of prayer.

I still remember the first time I hear John Piper speak on prayer, "Prayer, The Work of Missions" and it rocked my understanding and importance of prayer. "We must talk first about war. Because life is war. And it is utterly impossible for people to know what prayer really is until they know that they are in a war, and until they know that the stakes of that war are infinitely higher than the stakes in the Persian Gulf or in the Reagan-Gorbachev consultations." He spoke with passion and with an urgency that lifted my desire to treat prayer like a war time tool.

As God has been working my heart and mind over these past few years in regards to my relationship with God, my leadership of ministry and my personal ministry with my family, friends and acquaintances I have been convicted of my lack of prayer understanding and practice. As I read, study, and observe the hand of God moving throughout history and right now all across the world it seems to me that the common thread of fruitfulness is prayer. So as a pragmatist and one who desires God's fruit in what I do I am again thrust to my knees to pray.

This past week we had 32 students arrive in Long Beach as part of our Campus Crusade Summer project. Our desires is to grow faith where life happens and to teach our students on how to plant church/spiritual movements all over Long Beach. One of the greatest encouragements in this challenge is that it isn't just a Campus Crusade thing. We, as a project, walked into a work of God much bigger than our own events, training and mission. About a year ago I was reconnected with Brad Fieldhouse of Kingdom Causes. Brad and I went to high school together. Brad is a gifted leader and wonderful networker. He is giving leadership to a house church network for the Reformed Church of American in Long Beach and leading Kingdom Causes. A ministry to help network, connect and lift up the church in Long Beach to bless the city.

A couple of months ago Brad asked our project if we wanted to take part of a 10-1-90 prayer movement. From what I know it started in Africa about 5 years ago. It is 10 days of prayer leading up to One Day of Pentecost (this year June 4- yesterday) gathering. Then it is followed 90 days of service and kingdom work in the city. Last night our students joined the Long Beach and Bellflower Pentecost prayer time. It was inspiring, encouraging and eye opening. It challenged me to trust God, pray more fervently and to believe. About an hour into the gathering a local pastor of 23 years in Long Beach confirmed why God led us to Long Beach. He thanked our group for coming to plant church/movements in Long Beach and that we are an answer to his and hundreds of others' prayers. He opened up the city to us and asked us to follow God and be a testimony. It brought tears to my eyes and broke my heart. I am so thankful for what God is doing through prayer and how that is helping us see His heart for the cities of the world and mostly for the people He loves.

Join with us in praying for Long Beach, praying for our leadership, praying that God will have all of us and that God will move supernaturally in and around our lives. Be praying for our transition to Mexico City in less than 2 months. Wow. We need prayer.

Categories: God, Prayer, LongBeach