Sometimes I feel like I have a lot to share but don’t really know how to share it, or may be just don’t want to spend time processing out how to write it. However, I will do my best to spend time doing that, so you can see the pen strokes God is using as he write my part in his epic. Better yet as he works in me in his epic!
As you know two weeks ago was our prayer week at First Glance. I wholeheartedly believe in this, and have really been trying to make prayer more of a focus in my personal life. There were two things god really laid on my heart to be praying about during prayer week. One was unity among the different believers in Kenmore. In Romans 12:5 it says, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We are all part of the same body, so even bigger then Kenmore, i prayed for unity in the Body of Christ, that we would not compete with one another, but instead be the Church to one another as Christ intended. Another huge thing God laid on my heart to pray for revolves around Eph. 3: 20-21.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. I really just felt the need to pray that we would let God work through us, and he would do immeasurably more then all we ask or imagine, doing things that only he could do and get the glory for. I am tired of doing little things that I can get credit for, I want to do impossible things that only God can accomplish, and people will see them and give glory to God.
As I was going through prayer week it was actually a pretty difficult week. I was having a lot of problems with some of the students, and was just feeling very discouraged. My week could be summed up in this little story. As I was driving to the closing prayer service, and was almost to First Glance, something hit my car. As I looked to the right I saw a few kids running behind a building. After i parked my car and checked to see if there was any damage, I walked back to the area to see if i could talk with them about it. Unfortunately I actually knew one of the students who was with the group, but they were to far away at that time to ask them why they did it. Anyway this brief story sums up how my week went.
There were many positives from our week of prayer as well. Some students actually came to our opening prayer meeting, and we had plenty of prayer requests from our students as well. It is cool to actually specifically pray for students in their brokenness and needs. I will share one awesome story about how God has already responded to our prayers. We have a bible study that started last year among some of our teen and young moms. This actually started last year after our prayer week. They had recently decided to move their bible study to a Saturday. One of the moms who didn’t want to come to the bible study, showed up to babysit, but no one showed up for the bible study. The girl who showed up to babysit was pretty upsett, that people wouldn’t at least give advance notice that they wouldn’t be coming. One of our volunteers who leads the study was a little bothered the girls didn’t show up as well. However as she talked to the girl who was supposed to babysit to calm her down, doors began to open. She ended up sharing the gospel with her, and the girl ended up making Christ the Lord of her life!!! We are already seeing God move after listening to our prayers.
The next week, the staff at First Glance do what we call flex week. It is a week where we are free to go outside of our normal routines, and jut be open to do whatever God leads us to do. We do this after prayer week so we can act on the things God has revealed to us. This week ended up being really refreshing to me, and reminded me of why I do ministry, and how to best do it. I was really reminded that ministry is always about loving and caring for people, ahead of your own needs many times, in the context of relationships. I always need to put my students first, even if that means not getting all of my “tasks” accomplished in the office. I ended up having a lot of really good conversations with students during the week. I even got to walk one student through the Gospel message, from creation, to the new heaven and earth. I am excited to see how God works as I make it a priority to seek his spirit and listen throughout the day, then act on where, or what he leads me to do or go. I am sure this means I will be taken way out of my comfort zones, and I will fail if God is not in it. Isn’t this what we should really desire though, and is that not a greater adventure then taking on tasks that we plan out and can manage on our own? I was also encouraged this week that many people were praying for unity amongst believers because God had laid it on their hearts as well!
I continue to pray that we would see God move in ways that we would never have thought, in ways that only can bring him glory. Would you pray that with me, for First Glance, for Kenmore, Akron, and in your own lives and communities? It’s time we give up our small dreams, and let God work through us for his purposes.
Eph 3: 14-21
14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
