Practical Notes for Facilitating Global Prayer Teams

It was pitch black as we made our way to the prayer meeting. No street lights or lights shone from around the huts. This wasn’t Atlanta, Georgia, but right on the border between Thailand and Burma. There was no electricity. The only light was from candles burning, showing where the meeting was going to take place. Climbing up a bamboo ladder, we joined the assembled village Christians, sitting cross-legged around the perimeter of the room with 8-10 candles in the middle.

I was scared the flimsy bamboo mat floor wouldn’t take the weight of four large, Western men. Then I was worried that I would knock over one of the candles and burn the meeting room down! Suffice it to say, neither happened, but what remains with me today are some significant reminders about prayer. We came to bless these faithful people, but actually what they imparted to us was far, far greater. Sitting in that environment brought home to me again how uncomplicated prayer is and yet how profound is the mystery of it. Here are some lessons I’m learning about keeping prayer vital, fresh and enjoyable!

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The Best & Brightest: God’s Calling to the Unreached

The awesome account of the advance of Christianity is essentially the story of how God used sold-out young men and women – His best and brightest.

Each day heaven’s new heroes are writing new chapters of bravery. Now, with the finish line in sight of “a church for every people group and the gospel for every person,” God once again is looking for His “first choice” runners – young men and women with a passion for the honor of Jesus Christ among the nations.

God is scanning the earth right now looking for those whose hearts will beat with His. “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him” (2 Chr. 16:9). This very day God has His eye on you. The torch is being passed to you. Are you ready to run with the gospel?

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Hearing the Voice of God: Entering Into the Dialogue, part 1

One thing we all crave is to hear the voice of God. Whether we want to hear God speaking to us because we want to know that we matter to Him or because we are seeking direction in our lives we all want to listen to God speaking to us. As those contemplating the call to go to the nations, we wonder if that is God’s will for us. Others do know that God has called them to be message bearers, but they are asking where to go. Still other message bearers are already on the field, and they want to know that when language learning is difficult and culture mistakes have been made that God still knows right where they are, He hasn’t forgotten, we aren’t off track, and He still has a plan for us in that place.

When we think of receiving direction from the Lord, most people think this is just a feeling, sense or impression that we should do something in particular. But few of us think we ever hear God speaking to us in specific instances. For some reason, most people think that if they haven’t heard the audible voice of God then they haven’t heard God speak. Sometimes God speaks to non-Christians to turn their hearts toward Him or reveal something important, but as children of God we are His sheep and He promises that we will know and can hear His voice. (John 10:1-5) God speaking to us isn’t only just a general sense of knowing, but also a specific instance of hearing specific words. What does His voice sound like? How can I learn to hear His voice? If the Lord is speaking to me, then why don’t I hear Him?

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