Vision...

On Sunday Perry preached a bold and powerful message about having an effective prayer life and being an effective Christian. He challenged us to pray and ask God to show us why we were created, to ask God to allow us to see as he sees, and to ask him what our next step is to walk in His will. I've been praying those three things since Sunday and God is already rocking my world.
Honestly, since I've been interning at NewSpring this summer I've been really questioning my call to teach middle school. After working for such an amazing church, with constant vision and constant encouragement, it is hard imagine going back to work in a place that drains life. Not to say that the school I will be teaching at is bad, it is an awesome school, but the demands that are put on teachers in general are stretching...and every teacher is stretched--hoping for survival, no time to pour out encouragement to others.
But, God is stirring some awesome vision in me. I realize now that I am questioning my calling because I am comfortable. My needs are being met, and my cup is overflowing without much effort. It's time that I step outside of this comfort zone and listen to what God has for me...rather than resting on my assets.
I can't help but notice the pain and emptiness in the middle school age children today. Among young people aged 10-14 years, the suicide rate has doubled in the last two decades. I cannot get this fact out of my mind. They are hurting. What is it that they need?
Around 70% of these children are growing up in broken homes. What does this mean? What does filling this need look like? What is it that I need to do to love these kids. I have to do more than teach 7th grade English. Yes, I will encounter around 110 kids a day, ages 12-14...yes, I can give them my love and support. But what more can I do. I feel like I can do more. But what does that look like? I want to fill this need in the name of Jesus. But how do I do it?
It's easy to feed the hungry and clothe the naked...but how do you love a teenager?

In Jesus Name

"And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."--John 14:13-14

How many times have I ended my prayers with this, nonchalantly. Honestly, before today, I didn't realize the power and the seriousness of this statement at the end of my prayers. In search of the answer, I found this brief snippet on a website that hit what God spoke to my heart as I prayed through these verses this morning.

Some mistakenly apply this verse [John 14:14]believing that saying “In Jesus’ name” at the end of a prayer results in God always granting what is asked for. This is essentially treating the words “in Jesus’ name” as a magic formula. This is absolutely unbiblical!

Praying in Jesus’ name means praying with His authority and asking God the Father to act upon our prayers because we come in the name of His Son, Jesus.

Praying in Jesus' name means the same thing as praying according to the will of God, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us-whatever we ask-we know that we have what we asked of him" (1 John 5:14-15). Praying in Jesus’ name is praying for things that will honor and glorify Jesus.

Maybe this is an elementary truth that I just caught on to, but man...it radically changed the way that I looked at my prayers this morning, before I stamped Jesus' name to it. Before I said amen, I thought back through what I had said to God. Did I feel comfortable attaching Jesus' name to it? Did I feel comfortable going to the creator of the universe with te authority of the son he sent to die on the cross for the salvation of the world? Mmmm...a little heavy for 8:30 am...but I love it when God speaks.

...more later--gotta go to work.

STOKED...

OUT OF MY MIND. Just got out of my first staff meeting as a NewSpring intern and I am completely excited about what God is about to do in HIS church. Get ready for some of God's bigness! It's coming in waves! Perry's gonna be back on stage, live this Sunday. My prayer is that God prepares our hearts like crazy!

WOW

Just Ask

God is teaching me to see him in everything. I pray that he opens my eyes so that I can clearly see what he is trying to teach me in every situation. This morning I was super sick to my stomach because of some medicine I am taking and I hated to wake him up but I asked him if he would please go and get me some water and a cold wash cloth. He hopped up in a snap and was back before I knew it. Just what I needed. About an hour later I woke up again, still in pain--about to barf--and hated to wake him up AGAIN...but I did because I was SO sick and asked him to bring me some crackers. Again, he got up and immediately went to help me. When I woke up feeling much better at about 7:30 he kissed me on the forhead and went off to work. Later, he sent me an email saying how much he loved the fact that I let him help me.

My husband is human, and I know that he loves me so very much...but if he is willing to help me that way...how much more is my father in heaven willing to help if I will just ask.

Don't try to take it all on yourself. God is ready to help...if you will only ask.

John 17:20-24

What if...what if all of the Christians in the world actually joined together to fufill Christ's prayer in John 17:20-24

"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

What if the Church, became ONE?! Today in this week's sermon from our series One Prayer (to learn more, go here ). Craig Groeshel spoke a message to HUNDREDS of churches around the world via video about the possibilities if he could have one prayer...for the church to become one--to actually become the body of Christ.

World hunger would end this week, poverty could be a thing of the past, and he went on to say some amazing things could happen...but if you think about it...if EACH Christian did as Christ commanded us to do, if we joined together as ONE body (FORGET DENOMINATIONS FORGET DIFFERENCES) and did as Christ called us to do...we could show the rest of the world just how BIG our God is! Not that he needs us for that...BUT STILL!

My prayer is that God will show me what my part looks like in this. What can I do to make this happen? How do you feel about it? Do you think that it is possible for the church to become one?