One Month of Prayer

I just sent this message to The Poulette Family in Mexico, our family Facebook group. Since many of you who read this blog aren’t in that group, I thought I’d post it here, too. Will you pray with us this month?

Hi everyone. We hope you’re doing great. I just wanted to write to ask you go pray with us for a gigantic Youth Ministry Conference we are having on November 27-28. That’s in ONE MONTH!!! We’re expecting 300 or more youth workers and leaders from all over Mexico to come for this training conference.

We’re going to be posting something everyday asking you to pray for specific things. Would you commit to praying everyday this month for the conference?

If so, please go here: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=8515608890&ref=ts and write on our wall, letting us know you’ll be praying for the National Youth Ministry Conference. Thanks!!

Thanks! We appreciate it and look forward to what God is going to do at the National Youth Ministry Conference in Mexico.

The 10/30 Window

Every night at 10:30 pm, my alarm on my phone goes off. Sometimes it scares me, especially if I’ve already put it away for the night. But I get up to turn it off. Why does it go off at that time, you might ask?

Well, I was inspired by a recent email from Frank Mills, a YMI missionary in France. His email said:

In 1990, the term “10/40 Window” was coined by Christian missionary strategist Luis Bush to refer to those regions of the Eastern hemisphere located between 10 and 40 degrees north of the equator. It is an area where roughly 2/3 of the world’s population is located.

Our prayer strategy/our prayer alert is for: “The 10/30 Window”. As you pray for us, please remember to pray for the French young people, between the ages of 10 and 30. Pray for the almighty working of the Spirit of God in their lives.

This is a generation in France that we have targeted (Middle School through young adult age) and we simply cannot afford to lose this generation of French young people. We must win this generation of French young people to Christ.

So… please pray for them and maybe even try to remember them regularly, as the Lord brings them to mind, at 10:30 AM or 10:30 PM.

Based on his email, I decided that I would pray every night for the YMI missionaries around the world, but especially for the world’s young people between the ages of 10 and 30.

Will you join me in praying that this generation will come to know the One who cared enough for them to reach out to them and die for them?

Set your alarm!

How to please God Today

How to please God Today

Today is the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States of America. Regardless of how you voted, you can please God today, tomorrow, and in the future. Here’s what 1 Timothy 2:1-8 says.


I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time. And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles.

I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.

My Observations

  • What should we do? Make requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving.
  • Who should we pray for? Everyone – including kings and those in authority (aka…the President)
  • Why? That we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
  • Another why? This is good, and pleases God our Savior.
  • What about God? He wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
  • How should we pray? With holy hands lifted up, and without anger or disputing.

Today, my family and I will pray for Barack Obama, hoping to live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. We want to please God our Savior, believing that He wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

(image by: Wa-J on flickr)

Ask and You will Receive

If you ask a typical church member if they would like to improve their prayer life, they will likely answer yes. I mean, who doesn’t want to improve their prayer life?

Recently, in a quest to improve my prayer life, I started praying through my contacts (both my address book and my Facebook friends).

What I do

  1. I pray for a letter of the alphabet every morning (sometimes two letters, depending on how many people I know with that particular letter and how much time I have).
  2. I write a little note to most of the people I pray for that day (either an email or a Facebook message – I prefer email) telling them I’m praying for them and asking for specific requests.
  3. Throughout the day, I usually receive emails back from those people and pray for their specific requests, which causes me to pray again for my friends.
  4. I file the emails in a special folder in gmail that I can review later.
  5. I mark the requests that are time sensitive on my calendar so I can remember to pray again on specific dates.

What I’ve Noticed

  1. It has helped me think about my time with God first when I wake up in the morning.
  2. I actually find myself praying for these people throughout the day, not just in my specified “prayer time.”
  3. When I write the email or a facebook message, almost everyone responds, both to thank me for praying for them and to give me specific prayer requests. I also have gotten a few responses that include, “Tell me how I can pray for you.”
  4. Many people have situations in their lives for which they need prayer but have nobody to share them with. I have a lot of ministers on my list. Sometimes they are the loneliest people and have nobody with whom to share their requests, so it’s good for them to have someone ask them for specific prayer requests.

I’m wondering if anyone else has any creative ways to pray for their friends. Leave your ideas in the comments.