7 posts tagged “prayer”

                What can really change this world? I am really happy that an African-American is about to be President. Regardless of his politics it is a pleasing sight to see this breakthrough occurring. I think some things will change, some things will stay the same, and some things will get worse. Humans have an amazing ability to cope and produce a new normal, just think we are all thrilled that gas cost $2 a gallon, just $2! We have an amazing ability to cope.

                I really don’t know how much my actual daily life will change with a new president or even a new mayor, although I expect the new mayor to effect my life a little more. What I do know will change my life is what is going on in my church community and in my relationship with God. We are doing two very tough things that we haven’t done in a while or ever before. We are praying and we are discipling.

                For those of you unfamiliar with discipling, the closest thing to it is “mentoring” although discipling is a more spiritual concept, focused on pointing the person to God rather than to your take on the world. There are amazing things about what is going on there like how un-institutionalized it all is. People are connecting with others on their own and developing their own methods to mature each other in Christ. Some are meeting for breakfast once a week, some are texting every morning or all day long, some call each other to share scripture with each other, others meet in a simi-small group setting for intense bonding. It’s not a program of our church, but more of a mandate and its working.

                Honestly its getting harder to pastor. People are getting the simple items taken care of in discipleship and they are maturing so God’s is asking them to do more. Because they are maturing the dreams are not their own, they aren’t fanciful or unrealistic but God-ordained. God pushes us and laziness (not relaxation but laziness) has no place in following God. People are acting.

                People are also praying, and I hope they do more of it. We have been talking about prayer for two weeks. The first week called me out. We asked everyone to ask, “How Can I Pray For You?” to anyone and everyone. I have asked friends at church (cake), people who call the church (easy), Wal-Mart greeter, Panera Bread cashier, School janitor, and three teacher assists. I have to blog more about the encounters. It’s an amazing thing to do to ask someone this question, genuinely care, and then pray for them. And people at the church are beginning to do it. People praying is always a good thing.

                Today we took our prayers deeper with the acronym (CAL)² Complement, Confess, Appreciate, Ask, Listen, and Live. It’s from an old prayer method called ACTS but so few people know what Supplication is that we adapted the acronoyms to something we Californians can remember. I have no idea what will happen if people began praying with the depth that CAL calls for. It’s simple but to sit and think about how great God is and how unworthy we are to approach him before we ask anything. I think that will produce such an amazing and deep prayer life.

                Please forgive me if my blogs don’t make since. I’m not editing them or thinking through too much of what I am writing but it’s just another attempt to develop the habit.

We went to Sandman park tonight. Called to pray there by my Mom. We had a group of 15. No cameras, no police, no families, just us and God and the stiff wind we felt while at Louis Park. We prayed fervently, several voicing prayers of safety, deliverance,and innocence. Sometimes it is hard for me to remember prayer is our best weapon against evil. It is connecting with God, getting eyes to see, and equipping those we don't even know. I think we got into the habit of seeing prayer as useless because we know it is also the easiest thing we can do, it takes no effort or money besides stopping and voicing or thinking words to God. Perhaps it is because we want the glory for ourselves: I marched through the park keeping it safe, I cleaned the home of the poor widower, I shared and loved the hardened criminal leading him from a life of destruction, but this isn't likely. It's not even efficent. The actions and the glory is God's. God calls us to action, yes, but first he calls us to prayer. He calls us to hand things over to Him, to let Him orchestrate the events.

Lord heal our land. In Jesus Name, Amen

Thankfully, because it was not done for the press but for prayer. Our prayers were seen as a righteous response to the funeral. The end of the article states:

"Later that evening, a few dozen people did exactly that, returning to Louis Park for a candlelight vigil. While Aaron's family and friends prayed, four Stockton police cars quietly parked nearby. Yes, they were there in a show of force and support, Sgt. Chuck Flesher said.

'We learned of this and thought it would be a good time to make our sweep,' Flesher said."

Very interesting, I didn't tell them. The family might have but I can't help but see God's protective hand.

http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080215/A_NEWS/802150325

Wow! I returned from an amazing time of prayer. On Sunday I shared with the church that I felt God calling me to go out to Louis Park to pray. I told the church they were invited. I said I would get out of my car at 6:00 and as soon as I was done I would get back in (it ended at 6:45). During the week I was encouraged many times to not go, as well as by many who said we must go. All I knew was the only reason I wouldn't go is I was afraid God would not protect me, that my life and stuff was more valuable than his direction. It was a test of my personal faith as much as it was about our church community and our city. That's how life with God is, it's way bigger than just one thing.

I was not alone. My parents went with me and I picked up three youth at the church. It was already a good night! We got down to Louis Park and noticed someone had put up a little shrine with some balloons and flowers by the sign of the park, so I thought that would be the best place for us to pray. We parked and it was freezing! The wind was howling off the Delta and it was cold, very cold. So I called everyone (6 people) to gather around so we could start praying. As we gathered into a circle, Freddie and his family arrived. (10 people). I read some pieces of scripture Matthew 5:3-11, 21-26 and Ephesians 6:10-13. And then I closed my eyes and we prayed. I prayed fervently for about 5-8 minutes. I really felt God giving me the words. I had no idea I would end up praying the same prayer three times this night.

People began arriving while I was praying. As I prayed I heard the soft steps of people on the asphalt. It is a little unnerving to hear steps on asphalt when I was scared for my safety. After I finished praying I called on anyone else who would like to pray, to pray. Liza, Freddie's wife, prayed a beautiful prayer of deliverance. I looked around at that time to see 3 more people had arrived. (13). And then my father prayed and then my mother. People kept arriving, Eric drove up, and then 2 friends of Frances, 1 man from the monday Bible Study and then a father and his child. (18).

Also during this time police started appearing on the periphery. One under a street light, one in the parking lot a distance away. And then I prayed a second time, a closing prayer, I thought. And we began to break up, very moved by our time with Christ and looking forward to what he would do. And I was frozen stiff, looking forward to getting back into my warm car.

Then cars came down the steet all with their lights on pulling into the parking lot, a whole group of people 15-20, with more following. It was the family of Aaron Kelley Jr, the boy who was murdered. I knew my friend Myrna was coming with her mom Frances, I was surprised by the honor of being able to pray with the family. So we prayed again! 

Surronded by easily 40 people now I prayed fervently and with humulity. I prayed for God to make Stockton the safest city in California, for God to call out people to take in the boys who needed it so they would avoid a life of crime, I prayed for the family for comfort, I prayed for justice, for peace, and with a moment of trepidation I prayed for gang members that they would find forgiveness, come to Christ, and create lives of love and reconcilation. And I said Amen.

And then I opened up my eyes to more people! We were surronded by  4 Stockton PD patrol cars and then Freddie directed me to talk to a gentlemen who introduced himself as a writer for the Stockton Record. He had taken notes on my prayer and asked me to repeat what I prayed for the gangsters of Stockton.

A lady there, a relative of the family, then asked me to stand by her friend who could voice a prayer in Spanish, as some of Aaron's family doesn't speak English. I called everyone again to gather round. Her friend then preached a small sermon and concluded with a prayer in Spanish. And then we gave our condolences, and hand shakes to each other. As I shook my friend Eric's hand he smiled at me and said, "You thought you would be alone."

Well said Eric.

As I took the three teens home, I shared with them how special our night was, and they agreed. I said most people won't understand how spiritual and special this was, but don't you forget it or doubt it. And then as we got closer to Starbucks (I offered to buy them coffee) one of the youth accepted Christ, dedicating his life to being a follower of Jesus for the first time.

Wow. I am so honored to go through a faith test with great people. I am sure everyone was going through their own tests, it was nice to do it together. It is not over, let us continue to pray showing the Love of Jesus to the victims and the victimizers. Oh God, deliver our city. 

Yesterday morning I was struck deeply by what is happening at Louis Park in Stockton. One gang, West Side Bloods has claimed it as there territory according to the Stockton Record. That isn't a surprise, the area has been crime-ridden for a very, very long time, as long as I have lived in Stockton. Last week Aaron Kelley, a 13 year old, was shot in his mother's car as she fled the park. She had gone over to the park with him to play. I was angry and frustrated when I read this. I took part, as a member of Reflection Community Church, a predecessor to New Day, in building that park. It was built in honor of one of the soldiers from our area who was killed early in the Iraq War.

God spoke to me and said we should go and pray at Louis Park. Our church has a commitment, "New Day is a community of followers of Jesus called to destroy evil, restore lives, and show the love of God." This was definitly evil. But then my mind immediately went to the risks. Louis Park is dangerous. Gangs could start coming after me, at my home...My mind and anxiety were racing. I had to stop my mind.

I talk brave. I talk of faith, of God providing, of God answering our needs and giving us purpose. We read in the Bible of people who God asked to do remarkable things and at times wonder why the people acted so cowardly. They had a lot to lose. All God has asked me to do is to go and pray at Louis Park. That's it. And yes it could be the last thing I do, it probably won't be, it will most likely be uneventful. The sad thing is I was hesitant to go because of what I had, my comforts, not seeing this blessings as simply gifts from God that he can keep and he can take away. I must do what the Lord has said.

I see confirmation of God's call. Fellow wise believers have said, it's very, very dangerous. They too were scared for their safety. I told them we will arrive at 6. When my cell phone says 6 we will get out of cars, pray, and then leave. Second, everyone agrees it is evil and prayer needs to happen. Obviously prayer can happen anywhere but I believe God is calling me into a less comfortable spot to pray. So I will go.

I have a friend who is Irish and used to live in Belfast. He lived through "The Troubles" of the Protestant-Catholic conflict there. Upon the death of Pope John II some protestants put up horrific grafitti celebrating his death. My friend, who is part of a peace group in Ireland, went out with friends in the wee hours of the morning and spray painted over the hateful grafitti with the word, "Sorry". A simple act, that took a lot of courage from just a few.

I must do this.

New Day is in the midst of another season of 24 hours of prayer. This time we have scheduled only for one week. If you want to take an hour or two you can by logging in via the New Day website www.newdaystockton.com The prayer room is located at the church and very easy to find from the parking lot. Our time ends on Sunday

Night owls are especially desired as I have been praying at 2 AM on many nights this week. Today I did it and went to work at Stagg High later in the morning. I slept in between. Tonight I have been having trouble going to sleep so I decided to stay up and work on stuff. If I fall asleep before 2 no problem because I have my alarm set.

I have been relieving Yvonne which is awesome because she is so amazingly encouraging to me. It's kind of fun to try and out encourage each other. Man that sounds stupid when I read it but it's true.

This time my focus my prayers have been on leadership and for praying for the Saints. Now good theology is that any who follow Jesus are saints so I am praying for those who already follow. This week I am going to be preaching from Ephesians 1:15-19 which convicted me that I often spend time praying for the hurts and aches of fellow believers or I pray for new believers to happen but I often forget to pray for exisiting believers to grow in their faith and to be caught up in the movement of Christ and "the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him". That's so much bigger than my prayers. So I have been inserting people's names into those verses and repeating the prayers for many of the people I know. I encourage you to do it as well.

Thanks for reading and please feel free to post a comment.

I haven't posted in a while because I have been getting back into the swing of work. I have now cleared my inbox to nothing. I have also been back at school, and hurray, I haven't got bit yet! Oh the joy of teaching special Ed.

An amazing thing occured today, thay my friend will be moving back to Stockton from So. California. He took a job at St. Joseph's as their new chaplain. Very exciting for him and his family.

Another amazing thing was my friend Barry, a fellow long-term substituted called today for me to pray for our mutual friend, Mary Anne. Her grandbabby Miles needs a liver transplant. He is very young, 11 months. So please be in prayer for him.

It was just such an honor for someone to think of me when they needed prayer in the situation.

Have a good one as I just keep up the habit.

Thanks for reading