Holy Spirit Driven

Brisbane: J-Club VBS 2011

2011-10-10T23:02:00.000-05:00

I know it's been awhile since I've posted something, but Jesus has been keeping me so very busy. It's amazing how He has opened up so many avenues for me to serve Him. One of the many highlights of my time in Brisbane, Australia has been being a part of a Vacation Bible School (VBS) at International City Church. For three days, I was trapped in the belly of a great fish with over 30 kids and a dozen or so leaders. No just kidding! I was trapped but not in the belly of a great fish! :D. No really it was such an amazing time! Eight kids gave their lives to Jesus and the rest were asking to be filled with the Holy Spirit! God is so faithful! I was so blessed to be a part of this work of God in these precious little children's lives.

"Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there" (Matthew 19:13-15 NIV).

Thank You Jesus for releasing the grace to me to lead these precious kids into Your Kingdom unhindered and for allowing me to pray for them all as You welcomed them into Your glorious Kingdom! Thank You Jesus for saving those who needed saving and filling all with Your Holy Spirit Who will empower them to walk into God's destiny for their lives, now and forever! Amen.

Mobile Prayer Station: DAY 40

2011-08-27T14:18:00.000-05:00

What can I say? Today was exciting. Forty days of the Mobile Prayer Station, "it's biblical." Now when I was first starting out forty days of prayer wasn't even on the radar. Personally, I think I was thinking I'd be out more days, but then again what the Lord impressed on my heart throughout this whole adventure was love over obligation. I will write another blog focusing more on reflections and lessons learned throughout the whole of the forty day experience so stay tuned.

I got to see lots of people today that I've been growing in relationship with from the community which was nice. I've been slowly telling people of my plans of travelling overseas so I've gotten to say some goodbyes. What I've been slowly learning over the years is the importance of saying goodbye. The more I'm able to say goodbye the better I've become at saying hello. I got to do this with quite a few people today which was sad, but also endearing. In saying goodbye I got to reflect and remember just how the other person has impacted my life, how close we've grown and how I will miss them. Saying goodbye has the power to draw us into the depths of our hearts if we allow it.

There were a few nice surprises today as I got to interpret a dream for Maureen who is the girl I buy my ice coffees from each day. Jose came by to say goodbye and we ended up praying for one another. My dear old friend Glory stopped by whom I haven't seen in like eight years and spent some time together talking and praying. I prayed with a few other friends today from church, as well as, an old childhood friend who just happened to be walking by. So cool! The day ended with Sean, who is a card carrying Coexister who said that he has constructed his own personal religion from lots of other ones. We talked for a bit about faith and life. I ended up praying for him and he started to weep. I told him that he was feeling the presence of God and he agreed. He shared a dream and I asked God to bring interpretation and He did. I love it when God includes me when He draws near to someone. The dream was from God and highly revelatory, I actually saw the lights go on in his eyes as we talked through the interpretation. God is so good!

Lastly, I ended up giving the Mobile Prayer Station sign to my friend Scott Venable who is the pastor of Mosaic Church. We talked and prayed for one another and then He tells me that he will definitely put the sign to use. He shared how he was going to get a street performer permit and continue on with the Mobile Prayer Station. YES! It truly warmed my heart to hear that the vision God gave me has been passed on to someone else who will carry it which is something I've been praying in my heart for over the last few weeks. Thank You Lord! He even said that he was hoping to get some other people in his church to get street performer permits so that they could rotate people through. Wow! Gotta love multiplication. I love the missional focus of what Mosaic Church is doing and have a prophetic feeling that God is going to move mighty through this church to bring spiritual awakening to the area.

At the end of the day, I know that Jesus used my presence with the Mobile Prayer Station to impact lives both directly and indirectly. I pray that you, who are reading this, were also encouraged and your faith was strengthen as you read how God drew near to people. He loves people and is eager to be in relationship with us. I am definitely looking forward to when I finally get to see Jesus face to face and have Him tell me exactly what He did through the Mobile Prayer Station. Well, this chapter of my life is finished, but there is another one ready to be written/read. I head out to Brisbane, Australia in two days! I've had so much to do in getting ready for this trip and if you continue to read my blog you will discover with me all that God has planned for me while I'm there. Though the future is unknown to me, I find peace in knowing that it is known to God and that my life is in His able, loving, caring Hands. Peace, Gerry.

Mobile Prayer Station: DAY 39

2011-08-26T00:14:00.000-05:00

The only thing that motivated to be out on the street today was the fact that the only way that I could finish 40 days with the Mobile Prayer Station was to be out today. You see, I am preparing to leave in a few days to spend one year overseas. So today and tomorrow are the only real days left before I travel overseas. But, even so, the Lord is so gracious and though it was a battle to even be out today, the Lord drew near to me as I cried out for His presence and grace.

What profoundly stood out today was the sense of loneliness in people. As they walked by, the Holy Spirit let me feel their loneliness and then moved me to ask the Lord to draw near to them. I believe one of life's true horrors is the feeling of loneliness because we were created by God for relationship. This is why hopeless gains such a quick foothold in a person's heart and life when loneliness grips them. We were created out of love, for love, to be loved and to give love. One of my favorite bible verses is 1 John 4:16: "And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them" (NIV). Really spend a minute to take this verse in. So amazing!

So even though I wanted to go home immediately after I got on the corner, God released grace to me and brought people for me to prayer with. First Jose and Crystal came by on their way to a youth night their church was throwing. I've gotten to talk and pray with Jose on a few occasions so it was nice to see him and pray with him again. But then God gave me a prophetic picture for his cousin Crystal which I shared with her and then prayed into. God has really brought these two through such tremendous trials which only speaks of such favor and incredible destinies on both their lives. God is so good! Next, I got to speak with a woman walking her dog who stopped to ask about dream interpretation (if you're interested on reading about my biblical grounding for dream interpretation read here). She couldn't remember any dreams and was a bit hesitant in receiving formal prayer from me, so I just spoke a blessing prayer over her as we talked. She was appreciative. Yes, I will sneak in a prayer even in conversation.

One of the highlights of my day was praying for a dad Sergio and his stepdaughter Elisia. He kept his request general and asked for resolution to some issues happening within the family. The Holy Spirit guided my prayers and I respectfully touched on a few prayer points while still honoring the family. Next, I prayed for Elisia that God would bless her creativity and give her the courage to walk into her God given gifts and talents. It's funny, one of the first things Sergio said to me was that they were having a pretty weird day and well why not keep it going by asking me for some prayer. I love it! Rather than getting offended I just ran with the God given opportunity to pray for peace, healing, kindness and grace for this hurting family. Thank You Jesus for Your compassion, love and humility. Only by Your grace Lord!

Lastly, I got to talk and pray with Seneca, who came up to me and said that God had given him a vision sometime in the past of me and my prayer sign and told him he was to have me pray for him. Wow! Are you kidding me? So we held hands and prayed. Right when I started praying Seneca started praying in tongues. I prayed for many things for him from healing to deliverance to revelation. I won't go into too much detail, but I will say this, after Seneca left I literally heard the Lord say to my spirit that one of my prayers was the one He's been waiting for someone to pray. God is so amazing! Here I am not even wanting to be out praying with people and God releases such grace and revelation to me. Talk about a Divine appointment. Before Seneca left, he did pray for and bless me which was a bonus! I love God's amazing grace!

Mobile Prayer Station: DAY 38

2011-08-24T00:57:00.000-05:00

I can't believe that this is already day 38, two more days until 40. What an amazing journey this has been. For most of today, I was deep in thought and in prayer for the community. I long for Jesus to encounter people and awaken their hearts to the reality of His Kingdom. If there's one thing that I can't pray enough of it's that God would stir in people Divine curiosity. Because if there's one thing that the world is relentless at, it's dulling people's minds to the reality of a spiritual realm, to the reality of God.

Maybe I'm reflecting on this today because only one person stopped for prayer today, my friend Jeff. Jeff has some health issues, specifically his lungs. So, I love praying that God would heal Jeff's lungs. Over the summer I must have prayed for Jeff's lungs to be healed at least four times (if not more). It's funny when I asked if I could pray for his lungs today, Jeff said, "again?" In which I answered, "yes, again." I am believing that every time I pray, God heals Jeff's lungs a little bit more. He did say that his lungs seemed to be getting better, but then again he also says that it's hard to tell unless they get inflamed and irritated which they haven't for a little while. Again, I'm believing God is bringing healing until shown otherwise. Overall, nothing super major today, just a good old fashioned day spent in intercessory prayer for the community which is always good! Thank You Jesus!

Mobile Prayer Station: DAY 37

2011-08-22T12:04:00.000-05:00

Well, the day started off with a bang. Denise, a regular who hangs out in the park, came by cursing and screaming about something and someone. Without missing a beat, I called out to her and asked her if I could pray for her. She agreed and we enjoyed a few moments of peace as I prayed that the Lord would give her a change of heart and help her to love her enemies. I am so grateful to the Lord for opening up avenues of prayer with some of the regulars of Wicker Park and even allowed me (at times) to be able to speak truth and life to them because the growing compassion of the Lord that dwells within me needs an outlet.

Whenever I read about Jesus' life and the way He interacted with people, I'm always impacted by how He had compassion on the masses of people who came to Him to be healed (Matthew 9:36; 14:14; 15:32; 20:34). Over the last many days, the Lord has used my time being on the street with the Mobile Prayer Station to cultivate more of His compassion within me. Just the other day I was spending time with a group of friends and one of them said that there was something different about me. She literally asked me if God had healed me or something because she said that there was a softness about me that was new. At the time, I really didn't understand what she meant. But, in reflecting on this now (I feel like the Lord is connecting the dots for me even now as I write this), the softness that she was sensing from me was the compassion of the Lord growing within me. Praise God!

The highlight of the day came with three teenagers who must have passed by me three times before they stopped and we started talking about dreams. Without any delay, Gabriel, Gerard and Ashley started sharing dreams that they had in the past with me. Many of them were dreams of demonic visitations where dark shadow figures would come into their bedrooms inciting terror and fear in them. Now, this is something I am very familiar with, so I took this opportunity to talk about the reality of angels and demons and the cosmic battle between good and evil. While we were talking I felt like the Lord gave me a word for them: that He has placed an incredible destiny on their lives, but the devil was currently trying to steal their dreams, kill any sense of hope in them and destroy their awareness of God's destiny for them by instilling fear in them. So, I shared this with them and asked if I could pray into God's destiny for their lives. They excitedly agreed. Let me just say that it was probably a moment that these kids will carry with them for a very long time. Thank You Jesus!

I love how God meets us all right where were at. The seed of faith that was planted in these kids hearts and mind today was the reality that God has a destiny for their lives and that He will fight for this destiny to happen. That's where the good soil was within their hearts. Sometimes, I feel like good intention believers end up blindly throwing seeds of faith against brick walls in people's hearts and minds because they fail to spend the time in discerning where a person is at on this journey through life, where the Lord has someone on their faith journey and where the good soil actually is within their hearts and minds. What this takes is a sensitivity towards the Holy Spirit, but also a compassion towards people. To be like Jesus means to embody both. And the Good News is that both of these graces are available to a believer because we are in Christ. Maybe today is a good day to start meditating on what it actually means for you to be in Christ and all that that entails...

Mobile Prayer Station: DAY 36

2011-08-16T12:42:00.000-05:00

As you can see, my friend Nobuki visited the Mobile Prayer Station for the first hour today. While he was there, an old college friend of his just so happened to be in the area. Coincidence? I think not. From what I gathered, this friend hasn't met the new creation Nobuki, but only knew the old Nobuki who did drugs and partied. So, Nobuki had a chance to share about his new life in Jesus with this friend. Very cool! The timing couldn't have been better because Nobuki is currently on a "short-term" mission trip back to his old art school to visit friends and to share about his new life in Jesus. Prophetically speaking, I believe that this divinely appointed meeting was like a foretaste of what was to happen on this coming trip.

Throughout the rest of the day, I talked and prayed with Cindy, who is becoming a friend; Matt, a Greenpeace volunteer who also gave me some encouragement; Cassandra, a social worker spending the summer in Chicago; as well as a dad and three kids. Each was a special moment because what I'm beginning to really understand is God's deep desire to be near His children (both lost and found). The more that I talk and pray with people while on the street, the more I'm impacted with the reality that God has such plans and purposes for each of His children. But, the sad reality is that sin and the evils of this world weigh people down from actually going after their destinies. In some instances they are completely blinded from actually even seeing God's destiny for their lives because satan, the god of this world has truly blinded their eyes from seeing their amazing destiny in Christ (2 Corinthians 4:4). So, if there's one thing that I love to do, it's to pray that God would set people free, open their eyes and reveal their God destiny to them.

God has a wonderful plan for everyone's life. He has a wonderful plan for your life. There's a Scripture verse that has eternally impacted me: "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,' declares the LORD" (Jeremiah 29:11-14a NIV). God has an amazing destiny for your life. I know that at times it may be hard to believe. But, it's in the rough patches of life that we need to all the more remind ourselves of this Truth: that "God has an amazing plan and destiny for my life." So, this is my prayer: that the Holy Spirit would ignite these words of truth in the very core of your being and release faith into your heart to believe and receive these words of grace, hope, truth and love. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Mobile Prayer Station: DAY 35

2011-08-12T23:59:00.001-05:00

Today, even before setting up the prayer sign, my friend Nate and I spent a few minutes singing "I love You, Lord." It felt right to be standing on a corner in Wicker Park singing to the Lord. After today, I've decided to start each day like this, from a place of worship to the Lord; from a place of love and adoration towards Him. I can't tell you how singing a simply song of love to the Lord can tenderize your heart and draw the presence of God near to you.

Overall, today was pretty amazing. I was so glad that Nate was by my side. The day started with Harry (see Day 34) and then Jeff, who has become a good friend. In praying for Jeff, I really felt the Holy Spirit's strong leading and hit some things that I was glad to have prayed for because it just seemed exactly what was needed. Even Jeff got pretty excited after the prayer. Next, came Eleven and his girlfriend Susie, who are a couple of traveling kids, looking for some dream interpretation. I was a bit nervous, but reminded myself that God reveals and interprets when we ask Him. The dream was another flying dream, but with a twist. After praying aloud in asking God for interpretation, I felt like God was wanting to bring spiritual breakthrough into their lives, but was also speaking directly against their current belief in astrology and their understanding of the universe as being god (pantheism). Nate felt like God was also going to bring change into their lives. They were very receptive to the interpretation and we ended up talking for a bit, until the rest of the friends came by.

Next, came William, who received prayer on Day 34. My friend Dave and I talked with William for probably a hour and prayed for him on three separate occasion. First, we prayed for some things that he lost, which he came back today to tell us that he got back what he had lost. Praise God! Now, from William's own mouth he said that he is angry with God and his chief complaint was that God wasn't talking to him. William has a faith, but it is distorted. So, the second time we prayed we prayed that God would bring revelation to him and prayed against the curse of addiction over his life. After this prayer time, I saw in my mind's eye a veil being lifted off of William's head. He even said that he felt lighter and more at peace. In this instance I felt like God lifted whatever was keeping him from receiving the blessings of God in his life. Today, when he came back he shared that the day after we prayed for him, he passed out in the park and woke up with a cross necklace around his neck (when we were talking he kept admiring my cross necklace) and was so thrilled that God had given him his own cross necklace while he was sleeping. Also, he woke up with money on his chest that someone had left on him. So amazing! Lastly, I felt like God gave me a word of knowledge about what was hindering William from freedom. So, we prayed for that and I truly feel like in that moment, God set William onto the path of healing and restoration. Go God!

Next, a woman came by who was pushing a cart filled with various things and who also had a street performer permit hanging around her neck. She came by asking if I was a dream interpreter which I told her yes and asked her if she had a dream she wanted interpreted. She said, "No." I then asked her what kind of street performing she did and she said that she was a tarot card reader. When she said this my spirit got excited because this was such an opportunity to show her love and to share Jesus with her. So, I told her that I was also out here praying for people and asked if she needed prayer for anything. She immediately said her marriage was falling apart, but also asked me how I prayed. So, I told her I was a Christian who prayed to God and in Jesus Name. She said that she also was a Christian (but was obviously mixing witchcraft with her Christianity). Regardless, she agreed to me praying for her and so I prayed. It was a powerful moment. The peace and love of God was almost tangible in the air. After the prayer time I asked her how she felt because she was obviously impacted and a little emotional. She just nodded her head and said "Wow" in more of a gasp. But, before I could say anything else she grabbed her cart and started walking down the street. I don't believe it was because she was offended or anything, but because God met her in a very powerful way and left her speechless. Thank You Lord!

If this wasn't enough, the day ended very sweetly. While I was packing up the prayer sign a very effeminate man came bounding up and blurted out "So you interpret dreams? How very neat. But, are you done for the day?" I told him if he had a dream I had time to interpret. But, he sadly told me, "I never dream, is that bad?" Without really answering his question, I told him that I could pray for him and ask God to give him dreams which he got very excited about. So, I said a very short prayer, asking God to give him dreams of his destiny and reveal to him the purpose he was placed on this earth. It took all of 30 seconds. Afterwards, Justin left just beaming and very excited about the prospect of dreaming and hopefully of being just loved through prayer. From what I gathered this was probably the very first time anyone ever prayed for him because before we prayed he literally said "I've never done this before what do I do?" Seriously, the day couldn't have ended any sweeter. I'm believing that though Justin has long road ahead of him, today his name and image was brought before the throne of God's grace and Jesus has now got His eye on Justin. Thank You Jesus!

Mobile Prayer Station: DAY 34

2011-08-12T09:12:00.001-05:00

What can I say about today? Well, my friend Dave came out today. He is on staff with the campus ministry InterVarsity and works predominately with the art schools in Chicago. After giving Dave a little "orientation" about the Mobile Prayer Station we chatted until God drew Hilda to us, who came up inquiring about dream interpretation. When, we asked her about her dreams she said she didn't really remember any of them, so we asked if we could pray for her. During the prayer time Dave got an image of a drawing of a butterfly that looked like it was drawn by a kid. We found out later that she actually works with kids. When he shared this image with Hilda she was amazed. It was obvious that butterflies hold some significance to her. But, then she started to ask Dave if he had any kids and if they drew pictures, maybe even of butterflies. What I believe Hilda was doing was trying to find an answer in the natural realm for the supernatural prophetic revelation. But, isn't that what we do? When something unexplainable happens, our immediate reaction is to try to find some sort of logical explanation for it, rather than accepting that maybe something supernatural did just happened. Hopeful I will see Hilda again.

I did get to do one dream interpretation for a man who was with a couple teenagers who were on a one day mission trip in the city from a church in Elgin. It wasn't really a recent dream he had, but still - he shared that he was flying in his dream and then all of sudden started falling, but God took hold of his hand and pulled him up. While he was talking, I was silently asking God to bring revelation and interpretation to the dream. This is what came up, I told the man that him flying meant God was planning to give him some sort of breakthrough in his life and that he could trust that God will carry him through which was highlighted by God catching him when he was falling. It was a seemingly straightforward interpretation which I was grateful for (being my first one out here). I asked him if that seemed right in thinking back when he had the dream and he said it seemed right. Very cool! I also got to pray for him and the kids before they left while Dave had his hands full talking with William. What can I say about William except that Dave and I spent at least 30 minutes if not more talking with him about faith and life (Dave must have talked with him for a solid 30 minutes before I joined the conversation because I was talking with some other people). Let me say this, William has some issues with God. But, rather than start the story here, I think I'll retell the whole story on Day 35 because not only did we pray for William but God actually answered our prayers for William and did some pretty amazing things which he came back around to tell us. So stay tuned...

There were a couple more people who I got to pray with (while Dave was talking with William). First, there was Jeff who I know and while I was talking with Jeff, Harry came up. So, the three of us were talking when Jeff said he had to go, but before he left I prayed for rest for him and that God would give him dreams of his destiny. After he left and I turned back to Harry, who looked straight at me and said, "you need to pray for me." He shared how he felt that God was calling him to be bolder in his faith and to even preach the Gospel. Very cool! So, I prayed into this and some other things that the Holy Spirit brought to mind. Afterwards, he said that he felt like my words were coming right from the Holy Spirit because I hit everything that he's been holding in heart hoping to get prayer for. I just love it when God just shows up and loves on people. Harry's story also doesn't end here, but also continues on into Day 35. I love it when prayers are answered and people actually come back to share them with me. But, rather than make you wait on this one, I'll finish the story here. So, on Day 35 Harry came back around and said that since we prayed together, his faith has increased and he has been feeling more confident in God's presence in his life. Some of his fears are still lingering, but he doesn't feel immobilized by them. Praise God! My friend Nate who came out got the words baby steps and shared with Harry that he can trust that God will walk him through these first few small steps. Thank you Jesus!

Mobile Prayer Station: DAY 33

2011-08-10T13:05:00.002-05:00

Although this is Day 33 of the Mobile Prayer Station, this day marks the first day that I have begun to offer dream interpretation to the community. I must say, even though I was only out for an hour during this time I noticed an exaggeration of a look I am all too familiar with, a look of perplexity. Now, mind you since starting this I believe I have seen just about every kind of look from people, but the look of perplexity is common. People are typically taken by surprise by the Mobile Prayer Station in general but now add dream interpretation and this has seemed to up the ante on people's wonderment. In the hour I was out (which was intentional I wanted to test the waters so to speak with this), I had no takers on prayer or dream interpretation, but I am hopeful and truly feel released by God to do this.

Now, throughout the bible there are numerous examples of God communicating to people through dreams and in certain instances He has even sent a person to interpret these dreams. The most prominent dream interpreters in the bible are Joseph and Daniel. Dreams are an important avenue in which God speaks to people. Numbers 12:6 says, "And the Lord said to them, 'Now listen to what I say: 'If there were prophets among you, I, the Lord, would reveal myself in visions. I would speak to them in dreams'" (NLT). Also, Job 33:14-15 says "For God speaks again and again, though people do not recognize it. He speaks in dreams, in visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they lie in their beds" (NLT). Also, in Acts 2:17 Peter quotes the prophet Joel, "'In the last days,' God says, 'I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams" (NLT). It is clear that God speaks to us through our dreams.

More so, Divine revelation comes to us through dreams. All through the bible there is example after example of God communicating to people through dreams: the dreams of Abimelech (Genesis 20:3), of Jacob (Genesis 28:12; 31:10), of Solomon (1 Kings 3:5-15), of Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 2:19), of Daniel (Daniel 7:1), of Joseph (Matthew 1:20; 3:13), and Paul (Acts 23:11) unless this last instance is interpreted as a vision given to Paul, rather than a dream. Again, the bible makes it clear that God speaks to us through dreams. But, not all dreams are from God. From what I've heard from other Christians that I've heard teach on dream interpretation (and from my own experience), the devil and other evil spirits can cause dreams (more nightmares), and there's something called soul dreams where our souls express and project things to us from both the past and present (this is where I believe the New Age Movement has built their camp). But, regardless of the origin of our dreams (God, the devil or our own soul), we must remember that God is the Creator of all things and in Him is all wisdom, knowledge and understanding; and if we seek Him to bring insight and interpretation to our dreams, He will give it.

God is still speaking to people today through dreams and there is a great need for the people of God to rise up and seek the grace, wisdom and understanding of God in discerning the meaning of dreams. But, the sad reality is that the New Age Movement has in many ways hijacked dream interpretation claiming it as their own when it is and always has been something that has deep biblical roots and foundations. I believe that if we ask God for revelation in interpreting dreams, He will give it. Isn't that what the prophet Daniel did? There is a grace for dream interpretation and what I've come to understand is that some believers are uniquely gifted by God for dream interpretation. Being gifted in words of wisdom, words of knowledge, discerning of spirits, prophesy (1 Corinthians 12:8-10), even mercy, creativity and encouragement (Romans 12:6-8) are a great help when it comes to dream interpretation. If God has blessed you with some or all of these gifts then you should be asking God for the grace for dream interpretation and stepping out in faith.

Jesus Culture (feat. Melissa How): Oh Lord You're Beautiful

2011-08-08T17:00:00.000-05:00

What has been burning on my heart lately is letting my service to Jesus come from the overflow of worship to Him because when it does my service comes from a place of love and adoration towards Jesus. I don't know about you, but when I'm serving from a place of love, the burden of service lessens. The reason this song has so captured my heart is because it helps me refocus my gaze back onto the beauty and majesty of my Beloved Jesus. It helps remind me that, "yes He is with me and that His gaze is upon me and that He is extending me His grace." My favorite line of this song is "For my reward is giving glory to You" because it reminds me that my life is not about me striving to make some name for myself here on earth, but about living a life that expresses my gratitude towards Jesus for giving me an eternally new life in Him and giving Him the glory He deserves because of this.

Mobile Prayer Station: DAY 32

2011-08-06T12:37:00.000-05:00

So my friend Rachel came out to the Mobile Prayer Station today. We had a great time talking about faith and life with each other. Throughout the day, we said hi to people as they sped on by. Some were friendly while some were not so friendly. In total, two people stopped for prayer. I had the great honor to be able to pray with Cindy, who had first stopped by last week, about some relational things happening in her life while Rachel got to pray with Greg, who was a bit nervous about us praying for him, but he did stop nonetheless. What I've learned over these past weeks is to be gentle yet direct with people.

I was very glad to see Cindy again. If there is one thing that I really do enjoy is when I get to see people more than once. It's always better after the first relational encounter because of the inevitable awkwardness that comes from the newness of relationship. It's funny how connected you can feel to someone after you've prayed together. For me, I am always overwhelmed by God's heart towards His creation. He truly is a loving Creator who cares deeply for those whom He has created. That's why I will always pray for greater revelation of God's Hand in a person's life because (I know I must say this a lot but) knowing God is more than just knowledge, it's also experience.

I've just spent the last three days at the Jesus Culture Awakening conference where the focus was on revival. There was much that went on and I know that I have been forever changed because of how God drew close to me during my time at the conference. There is something unique that happens when people gather together to worship God. It's like God releases a corporate anointing on those gathered that doesn't happen when we are worshiping God privately in our homes and rooms. But, what I wanted to share with you was a statement that Kim Walker, one of the members of the band Jesus Culture, said "If you're not passionate about Jesus it's because you haven't experienced just how much He loves you." What an amazingly true statement. Knowing God is more than just knowledge, it's also experience.

If you haven't experienced just how much Jesus loves you, than I highly suggest that you ask Him to personally encounter you with His love. I would even add that you ask someone you know to pray with you. Maybe even asking Jesus to encounter you both with a life changing encounter of His love. Believe me, you will not disappoint. Jesus is faithful and if there's one thing that I've learned over the years is that Jesus loves to draw near to those who ask Him.

Mobile Prayer Station: DAY 31

2011-07-30T22:26:00.002-05:00

The day was beautiful. After last week's heat wave and crazy thunderstorms, today was almost perfect in comparison. Now before I get into sharing about the events of the day, I I decided to test my theory about the slowness of last week by intentionally spending some time before getting out on the corner in prayer with God, in order to get my heart and mind focused on Him just to see if that quickened the encounters of the day. Now, I'm not trying to find a formula in all this because God cannot be put into a box nor can He be controlled by an A + B = C mentality. I'm simply trying to keep in step with the Holy Spirit by learning and responding to the revelation He brought last week about staying focused on God, rather than on what happened yesterday or my future plans, even on the task at hand.

Well, I couldn't have been out more than 30 minutes when Dan came strolling by ready to talk about faith and life. I've talked with Dan a couple times before and each time I've had the opportunity to pray with him about the pressing things in his life. Almost immediately after Dan left (after we talked for close to 30 minutes) Herman came riding by on his bike. What made today stand out more so than others is that I was able to share a prophetic word God gave me for him almost a year ago when I first met him in which God reminded me of again a couple weeks ago. This time I felt released by God to tell him. It was a special moment. We talked for a solid 30 minutes about faith and life. Though I've talked with Herman here and there, today was the first time I got to pray with him. It was funny when I asked Herman if I could pray with him, he said "I knew you were going to eventually ask me that." What can I say I love praying with people. Now you have to imagine this picture, here I am this 5'8, 130 pound Asian man praying with this (roughly) 6'4, 350+ pound African American man. It must have been a neat sight to see.

Throughout the rest of the day I chatted with a few more people, but nothing very deep until Rahelle came bounding up. I met her once before gosh must have been a month ago. So, we have a little history which means she knows just how much I love praying with people because after some small talk she simply stated that she needed some prayer. I love it when I have some familiarity with people because it means we can be more relaxed with one another. She actually shared how she was planning on travelling overseas to China in 2013 in order to teach English. So, she was seeking some prayer in asking God to guide her, open doors for her in terms of getting her TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) certification and some more sensitive things in which I felt very honored to have her trust me with praying for her on. Imagine that, here I am about to spend 1 year over in Taiwan while Rahelle is just beginning her journey. Needless to say, we had a lot to talk about and I was really able to encourage her on many things. Please, remember Rahelle in your prayers.

So, what did I learned today from my little experiment? I learned that it's always better when I have my heart and mind in the right place, focused on God, when I'm serving Him. The day just flows smoother. I am less distracted and I'm freed up to be fully present both with God and with people. Does this mean God brings more people for me to encounter when I do this? I'm gonna have to say maybe. God has a plan for me and everyone else that I see when I'm on the street. So, at the end of the day, as the proverb says, "Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails" (Proverbs 19:21 NIV). Now, if I could make some sort of conclusion it would be this, serving God is an honor and a privilege in which He will supply both the words to speak and the strength the serve (1 Peter 4:10-11). When our focus in on God we will embrace more fully this truth and not worry so much about what we are going to say or in having the strength to serve. God will provide, but our focus needs to be on Him in order to receive this grace from Him. When it is everyone is blessed.

Phillips, Craig & Dean: YOU ARE MY KING

2011-07-28T00:00:00.001-05:00

This is one of my all time favorite worship songs. If there is one image of Jesus that I am completely drawn to, it's Jesus as King. For me this speaks of His majesty and authority, but also His grace and understanding. I love kneeling before King Jesus because He has earned all of my love and devotion for what He has done for us by taking on the full weight of God's wrath for sin in our place. Such amazing love! If you are a follower of Jesus than you are also His servant. This means that as servants of King Jesus we are also His ambassadors here on this earth (2 Corinthians 5:20). And as His ambassadors, Jesus has bestowed upon us the power of His authority. So, when we speak, we speak with the full weight and power of Jesus Himself. This is what it means to be ambassadors of King Jesus, but we must always remember to exercise this authority in love. In this way we honor Jesus our King as His ambassadors here on earth.

Mobile Prayer Station: DAY 30

2011-07-25T19:04:00.000-05:00

Man, was it humid out today which didn't help the slowness of the first hour (again). Honestly, I should pay closer attention to when this happens because I have a sneaking suspicion that maybe it was because God was getting my heart and head focused on Him, rather than on what happened yesterday or my future plans, even on the task at hand. In thinking back, I have been asking God to help me stay focused more often lately because I have been a bit distracted in thinking about travelling overseas at the end of August.

Ken and Ann came out a little later in the day, after I'd spent an hour wrestling with God in letting go of my thoughts and concerns for the day and the future. It's interesting right before they came out Jessica came by and began engaging me in conversation. I shared with her my heart in praying with people and she asked for some healing prayer. She talked a lot about good energy, so I explained to her that I was a Christian who prayed to God and in Jesus Name. She said that was ok, so I prayed for both healing and for an increased awareness of God's Hand in her life and in the lives around her. If there's one thing that I love praying for people on, it's revelation because knowing God is both through knowledge and experience.

The second hour in the stifling humidity was spent with Ken and Ann. God bless them that they came out right after work, but this meant that they weren't really dressed to be out in the heat and humidity. Regardless, I was grateful for their company and willingness to step out and be available to God. Over the next hour I shared with them the vision and heart of the Mobile Prayer Station of being more light than heat in the community and in being reliant on God to draw people to us who wanted prayer, rather than trying to sell or promote the prayer station and forcing prayer on people which I believe is a unique posture to take which people aren't really used to seeing Christians take. I believe giving people the freedom to choose to engage is important, rather than forcing them into conversations of faith and life.

Maybe God was getting Ken and Ann's hearts focused on Him as He had done with me earlier (they did share that their day at the office was overwhelmingly busy), but the second hour was also slow. Ken, Ann and I spent some time praying for the community and for a few people walking by. They did end up praying for me which was great! And I was blessed to pray for them before we started to say our goodbyes. But, while parting ways one of the men who hangs out in the park came walking by and I asked him if he'd finally let me pray for him (I ask him everyday I see him which he kindly says no). But, today he said yes! So, he put out his cigarette and came on over and the three of us (Ken, Ann and I) prayed for a renewed mind and a change of heart for Emmanuel (at his request). This made me happy for two reasons: 1) I finally got to pray with Emmanuel and 2) Ken and Ann actually got to pray with someone before they left. Yay!

The day ended with yet another answered prayer. There are a few elderly people who walk around the park with their just as elderly dogs. One of the ladies that I've been praying for as I see her came walking by with her dog and I said hi to her as I usually do and it seemed like she was going to keep walking, but then her dog started walking in the opposite direction which was right in front on my sign and then stopped. (The providence of God, what do you think?) So, Alice and I actually started talking. I have a confession to make, there's something about the elderly that draws me and warms my heart. I'm believing that it's all the Scripture verses that talk about caring for the widows, elderly and orphans that ignites God's compassion in my heart towards them. Talking and praying with Alice was a great ending to a long, hot and humid day. It felt good to be able to pray with her about some of her family relationships and health concerns. I was very surprised at how vulnerable and open she was with me. It was a very sweet moment. In leaving she said that this was exactly what she needed. Praise God!

Mobile Prayer Station: DAY 29

2011-07-24T15:29:00.003-05:00

So, my friends Matt and Monica joined me today. Of all the days this one was probably the hottest yet this summer. To be honest, I was a little skeptical about anyone being out, let alone wanting prayer. But, oh me of little faith. The first hour was slow. We spend the time talking and praying for the community as well as for a few of the people walking by. Matt and I talked about possibly offering dream interpretation for people which I've been toying around with and now am feeling a bit more released by the Lord to do so (I'd of course have to change the sign). Matt had to leave after about an hour, but Monica stayed the rest of the time. I did end up interpreting one of Monica dreams which seemed to be on target.

Anyways, today a few people stopped for prayer. First was Cindy, who after talking with her seemed to be a New Age spiritualist. Monica and I prayed for her and got some good words for her. I got a picture of a heart with all of these cracks and fissures which began to close and heal. I shared my image with her and told her God was going to bring healing to some past wounds of her heart which seemed to touched Cindy deeply. Monica sensed that God was calling Cindy to be a great intercessor for His Kingdom (after He saved her of course), so after Cindy left Monica spent some time just calling that out. We ended up seeing Cindy again and she was so warm towards us. Jesus seriously made her day.

Next, Charday came by who must have been no more than 20 years old and asked for prayer because she was single and pregnant. Monica spent quite a long time praying for her. Honestly, I was a bit nervous that she was going on too long. I've learned that praying with people on the street, particularly with people who are not used to prayer in the first place, can get a bit antsy if the prayer time goes on too long. But, God's grace was there and Charday was fine with the longer prayer. Lastly, came Aldene who is a medical student who just moved into the area. So, we spent some time talking which is always a joy and then prayed for community for her. I gave her one of our church's cards and hopefully will see her again.

The day was good. Some people may think that praying with only three people in two and a half hours is not worth bearing the heat, but I would beg to differ. Three people today received pray that I'm betting wouldn't have gotten prayer anytime soon if we weren't out on the street. With Cindy, I'm betting that this may have been the first time she ever received prayer from Christians. For me, there's nothing like being given the opportunity to pray for the lost children of God, even found children of God in transition. There are a lot of hurting people out here who need prayer. But, what I'm learning is that it's not so much about going out and trying to reach everyone. It's about simply (which sometimes isn't so simple) making ourselves available to God and He will bring people into our path to love, care and pray for and with.

Sarah Sadler: how deep the Father's love for us

2011-07-14T01:54:00.000-05:00

I've been really thinking and meditating this past week on the Father's love for all His children. It truly is so amazing how deep His love is for us. I mean what drew me to God in the first place was His unconditional love for me. I don't mention this too often, but some of the first words I ever heard from God was that He loved me and that He would never leave me. I was floored that even as a hopeless drug addict and manipulative drug dealer, God still loved me and wanted me to be near Him. I can still remember when God's Kingdom came near to me and I became aware of my sin and shame. When this happened an interesting thing happened as well, God heightened my sense of smell. It was like I could smell the stench of sin, both on myself and others.

The reason I bring this up is that even through the stench of my decaying sin-filled soul God still wanted me close to Him. There's a verse in the bible that is very real to me which says "But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners" (Romans 5:8 NLT). Imagine the sin of the world as a giant garbage dump and Jesus as this pure, spotless and holy Being who steps down out of Heaven into the middle of this giant stinking rotten pile of crap and refuse. When the bible talks about Jesus taking on the sins of the world, this is the picture we should have in our minds. For me, this verse says that even when my soul stunk like a garbage dump God still sent His Son to wade into the garbage dump of my life in order to save me. That's how deep the Father's love is for us.

Mobile Prayer Station: DAY 28

2011-07-10T22:05:00.000-05:00

Overall, today was quiet. I stood underneath a tree in the shade for most of my time on the street enjoying the peacefulness of the day. The whole area was uncharacteristically subdued. Not many people were out and the people whom I normally see were nowhere to be found. Even the children's playground was quiet with only a few children at play. Normally, I would have been eager to get going hoping God would bring people to pray with, but the day felt different. Instead of eagerness, I felt a peacefulness wash over me, so I enjoyed the day just being friendly with people as they walked by. while still praying for some of them in my heart as they walked by as well as praying for revival for the area.

Today was like a day of rest while still laboring in the fields. To be honest, it was a welcomed relief as God has been continually stretching and challenging me over these past weeks to have my security fully in Him while embracing more deeply my dependency on Him. God's peace felt great, like standing in the shade on a hot summer day with a slight breeze blowing. It was refreshing and life giving. Sure, I was ready to pray with anyone if they came up, but that was almost secondary to enjoying God's presence and peace in the moment. Today was a good reminder that our service should always come from a place of presence and peace with God and in this way we will make the deepest and most lasting impact on the earth for His Kingdom. I truly believe that we can experience the peace that the bible talks about: "the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, [that] will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7 NIV), even while we labor for God's Kingdom. It happened to me today.

Mobile Prayer Station: DAY 27

2011-07-08T23:49:00.001-05:00

Today, I had a very interesting conversation with a man named Mishael, who considers himself a Hebraic Christian. At first I thought he meant he was a Messianic Jew, who is a Hebrew who has found their Messiah in Jesus, the One who Moses and those after him prophesied would come. But, in further talking with him he explained that he was not Jewish but desired to live a Christian lifestyle with a strong Judaic foundation. Ok, I can appreciate that, wanting to truly follow after the 1st century disciples of Jesus' day.

Part of Mishael's story is that God called him out from a lucrative business which gave him both money and fame. He felt God telling him to give it all up and begin living a simple lifestyle. As he put it, "Jesus shoved this big fat camel through the eye of a needle and into His Kingdom" (Matthew 19:24) and for the last 15 years he has lived as a sojourner, owning nothing and living by faith. He said most of the time he travels by bicycle and by way of God giving him or someone he knows a dream. Honestly, he reminded me of a mixture between an Amish, a Quaker and a Mennonite all rolled up in one. And from what I gathered he had very conservative views, all the way down to what he thought women should wear (everything covered).

Now, I'm not out here to judge anyone about their views whether I agree with them or not. Mishael had a wonderful heart for Jesus and I was blessed to have spent well over an hour talking with him. We even spent some time praying together. I prayed out loud and Mishael prayed silently to himself which was a but different, but hey to each his own. I even got to prophesy over his life a little while we prayed which he seemed to received. We talked about lots of things. He shared how he was part of a fellowship of believers who were trying to live a communal lifestyle like those described in the book of Acts: "And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need" (Acts 2:44-45 NLT). Now what Mishael and his friends are doing is not terribly new, over the last 20 years or so there has been a growing house/organic church movement which also embraces these verses and are filled with people trying to do life together more so than just on Sundays. Regardless, I commend what Mishael and his friends are doing. My only hope is that they are actively moving missionally in reaching out to the lost children of God and are not overly isolating themselves in the hopes of keeping themselves pure and untainted by the world.

Mobile Prayer Station: DAY 26

2011-07-05T13:10:00.002-05:00

A big motivator for me in being out on the street with the Mobile Prayer Station day after day is the alarming reality that there are countless people who have never been prayed for, who's names or images have never been brought before the throne of God's grace. Now this revelation is not of my own thinking, but something the Holy Spirit brought to my attention many years ago and continues to remind of at least once a week.

The reason I'm thinking about this is that I read a blog by my friend Scott today where he gave a pretty fair assessment of the current "celebrity" driven Christian culture in America. Afterwards, I was scrolling through my Facebook feed when some of the status updates of the "celebrity" Christian fan pages I've "liked" came through. What struck me as I was reading through the comments was how many people said they were praying for this person and then I thought about all the many people I see each and every day who probably have never been prayed for. To be honest, it made me sad. Now don't misunderstand me here. I love prayer and and am thrilled that people are praying, but I couldn't help but to think about... (I think I'll let the Holy Spirit fill this one in for you).

So, today I had the privileged to pray with Amir who must have been 8 years old. He was walking with his mother when he stopped in front of my sign and started reading. His mother then asked him if he wanted me to pray for him and he said yes. So, I asked him what he wanted me to pray for him about and when he shrugged his shoulders, I gave him a few suggestions. He decided on blessing, and so I started to pray. But, to my surprise the very first words out of my mouth were "God, thank you that you see Amir and that you don't think that he's too little..." which is right, I mean kids aren't too little in God's eyes. But, the sad reality is that we treat them like they are. I am always amazed at the spiritual and emotional sensitivity of children and by their faith. Kids simply believe. No wonder Jesus tells us "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:2 NIV).

But what does it mean to "have faith like a child?" Well, I believe this story will help illustrate. It's like a child who only knows the area of her house and yard. This is what she is familiar with and this is where she feels safe. But, as she grows, she begins to take walks with her father away from their house and through the neighborhood where she loses sight of her house and soon is lost. Even if she tried to find her way home, she couldn't. But, because she was holding her father's hand she knew deep in her heart that she was safe. She knew that her father loved her and that he would always do what was best for her. That he would protect and guide her wherever they would go. Knowing this filled her with joy and excitement, rather than fear. She wasn't frightened as they walked down unfamiliar streets because she had full confidence in her father. This is how Jesus tells us we should be, like a child who has full confidence in our Father in Heaven.

Mobile Prayer Station: DAY 25

2011-07-04T15:47:00.001-05:00

Today was an interesting day. The time seemed to race by. In reflecting back, it's not that I was swamped with talking and praying with people. Maybe I was simply enjoying the quality of time I got to spend with people. I was blessed to be able to pray with a few people I've prayed with before plus a few new comers. I will share about my relational time with Michael, one of the travelling homeless kids that migrate between cities throughout the year. I see them hanging out in the park almost everyday and am always moved to pray for them. Maybe it's because we have similar stories. So, I was glad when Michael came by and asked me for some money because when I told him I didn't really feel right in giving him any, he asked if I could pray for him.

Being on the road is nothing new for me. I've spent my own fair amount of time travelling where I've rubbed shoulders with the many transient people of the various music and drug scenes; from Grateful Dead shows to Phish and Horde tours to the underground rave scene. I've even spent time with the "Rainbow Family" and their yearly gatherings. So, needless to say, on many levels I get them. Though on the outside the world sees only rebellious kids not wanting to conform to the tenets of society which is true to some degree. But underneath all of the many layers of these complex kids is the same desire that every human being has and that's the desire to belong; to be fully known and yet still be fully loved. The sad reality is that these travelling kids have failed to find this anywhere else expect among themselves. Now to be fair, there is the Lord's timing on all of this and from my experience it takes time to unconditionally love and not judge people into the Kingdom of God. But if the Body of Christ is faithful in loving and not judging people, I fully believe that there is no one that the love of Christ cannot touch through His Body, the Church.

I am also learning that loving people means being willing to open up my heart and life to them which also means being willing to sacrifice my time, treasures and talents on their behalf. A great book that I am reading at the moment (which I think I've mentioned before) is "When Helping Hurts: Alleviating Poverty Without Hurting the Poor...and Yourself." This book has helped broaden my perspective and given me greater understanding on discerning which of these (time, treasure, talents) is best for the people God crosses my path with and what is needed (relief, rehabilitation, development) in order to equip and empower them for greater living. I know my time with Michael was short, which is why I am hoping and praying that God makes a way for more relational time with him and his friends. So this is my prayer: Father in Heaven, lavish Your grace and love upon these travelling kids and make me trustworthy enough to be able to love these kids with the love and compassion of Jesus. And if I am not that person, then I pray Lord that You would divinely orchestrate the path of those who are and cross them with these kids. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Mobile Prayer Station: DAY 24

2011-07-01T22:14:00.002-05:00

What do we do when we pray for physical healing for someone and nothing happens? That's what happened with the homeless man I prayed with today. Seeing him limp along with his crutches broke my heart. I saw him walking from a good distance away because he had to stop every so often to rest. When I saw him I was moved with compassion for him and began praying that God would make a way for me to pray for him.

I typically don't do this, but when he got close I approached him and asked him if I could pray that God would bring healing to his leg. He said "yes" and so I prayed. It's interesting after my initial prayer I asked him if he felt anything and he said "yes." So, encouraged I continued to pray again, but this time nothing happen and he started walking away. I could see his ankle still bent but obviously he had had enough of me praying. I do wish I could have spent more time praying for him, but obviously I already used up the small window of time he was willing to give me.

Something I'm learning while being on the street is that when people stop they generally will give me anywhere from 3-5 minutes with them, if not less. So, I am learning to be on point with the Holy Spirit when it comes to praying, pastoring and prophesying with people on the street. But, when it comes to healing, I need more time with people. Praying for physical healing is very new to me and I have had some success in the past where God did bring some physical healing to people. I myself have experienced physical healing and I know that God's heart towards His creation is goodness, redemption, wholeness and restoration. But still, I need more time. The times that God did bring physical healing were times where I had at minimum 15 minutes with someone. So, I'm hoping that the more I step out in praying for physical healing, the more the Lord will guide and lead in being more on point with this divine gift.

It is a bit discouraging when I pray for physical healing for someone and nothing happens (like today). But, at the end of day I understand that if I don't pray for physical healing than the chances for it happening are slim to none. But, if I do pray for physical healing than the chances for it happening increases exponentially. So what do we do when we pray for physical healing for someone and nothing happens? We pray again and then again and then again and then again and then again and then again. I don't believe we should ever stop asking God to bring physical healing to His children, both lost and found. We need to be continually asking God to have mercy on us and bring healing to us. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Mobile Prayer Station: DAY 23

2011-06-25T22:44:00.000-05:00

I was a little slow in getting out of the street today after being away for almost 10 days visiting family in Minnesota. But, the day couldn't have started better. My friend Jeff (who lives in the building right across from where I am) came by and said that he was happy to see me. I told him "I spent a week in Minneapolis with family" and he said "That's what I figured, since last time you were away for about a week you were visiting family in Texas." He even mentioned that a couple people in his building were asking about me. Wow, I am just blown away that there were people I never met before wondering were I was. So, I told him to tell them to come by and say hi to me one of these days.

Honestly, after Day 22, I needed some heavy duty encouraging and I'm thankful that God knew it and timed it so Jeff would cross my path when he did. His words were like a ray of light to my overcast spirit. It truly warmed my heart to know that people are beginning to expect me to be out there. So, amazing the favor God is giving me on this small corner in the Wicker Park community of Chicago. Sometimes I wonder just how many people I've impacted by being out here. Regardless of the number, I'm looking forward to the day when I finally get to see Jesus face to face and hearing about how He used this little Mobile Prayer Station for His Kingdom. I'm also looking forward to meeting in Heaven all the people who were impacted through this prayer ministry. Very exciting.

Today, there was a broad spectrum of people with whom I was blessed to pray with. I'll mention a couple. The first is Dan who must have been in his 50s and as we talked he shared his desire to work for a non-profit organization. He said he's been looking around but to no avail. From my sense of him, I'd say he wasn't a Christian but more of a good moral person searching for significance. So, I prayed for divine guidance, revelation of purpose and direction for him. It's cool when I'm prophetically praying the desires of a person's heart because there's this excitement mixed with tenderness that happens. It was very neat to see Dan's heart and spirit light up during the prayer time. I'm having faith for Dan that God will pave the way before him to not only find satisfaction in this world, but also eternal satisfaction within his soul.

Next, Che kind of surprised me as I must have been in deep thought about something or just looking off into the distance because next thing you know I have this 6 foot plus African American man looming in front of me. And the very first words out of his mouth was, "Can you pray that I would win the lottery?" At first I thought he was kidding, but he wasn't. I find this interesting because just the other day I was challenged to not judge or critique people's prayers. But, to be honest I have a bias about the lottery because I believe they prey on the poor by giving them false hopes and teaching them to put their trust in the quick fix, rather then teaching them to work hard and to spend their money on necessities. I especially saw this in the Dominican Republic where people living well below the poverty level were spending half their income on lottery tickets when they hardly had enough money for food and clothing.

Anyways, I shared my thoughts with him and though he said I had a point, he countered that "If, someone is to win the lottery it's better to pray that that person be someone who would do a lot of good with the money, like me or you (I was flattered but little does he know of my secret desire to live on my own private island - yes I'm kidding), rather than someone else who would just blow the money or use it selfishly." I'd have to say Che had a point and I was humbled. I apologized for being critical of his prayer request which he graciously accepted. It was another neat prayer time. If there was one thing that stuck out to me about Che was that he was full of life and this really came out as I prayed that God breath even more life into him, that He would give Che favor in people's lives to encourage and impact them for good and that he would win the lottery. He asked, so I prayed. No judgement.

Today, was an all around good day. Afterwards, I went to Wicker Mic which is an outdoor open mic happening in WIcker Park. So after finishing with the Mobile Prayer Station I walked over and signed up to read a section of my poetry from a work titled "A Seeker's Return." I only read a portion of the work which gave a snapshot of the internal struggle and cosmic battle for my soul as Jesus' Kingdom of light broke into the darkness surrounding my life both internal and external. I've only read my work publicly say 5 times. So, I was a bit nervous because of this but also because I write very personally and honestly which maybe people don't want such a deep glimpse into my heart and soul. But, today they did if they wanted to or not. Overall, I felt the hand of God upon me and His compassion both for me and those I was blessed to talk and prayer with. God truly loves His creation and desires goodness and blessing for us.

Thank you for praying for me. And please let me know how I can be praying for you!

Mobile Prayer Station: DAY 22

2011-06-22T12:38:00.007-05:00

In reflecting back on this day, it was filled with a day of conversations with the various people of the community that I have started to build relationships with. Though I didn't get to pray with anyone, I was praying for them in my heart as we talked. Honestly, over the past weeks, I've been feeling in greater measure the weight of this prayer ministry. It's difficult to put yourself out there for people day after day, week after week. Each day has been a day of stepping out of my comfort zone and stepping into the unknown with God. And though I would love to say that I got this down, I don't. Everyday has been a bit of struggle for me because only God knows what's going to happen each day which means I need to trust and have faith in Him.

Standing on the corner offering prayer for people has meant opening myself up to the good, the bad and the ugly. Today was filled with more of the bad and ugly than good which is always disheartening. But, as the Psalmist proclaims, "Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him" (Psalm 91:1-2 NLT). I am continually learning to allow the LORD to be my refuge. I am learning that it's not so much about hardening my heart towards people, but about enduring through their anger, pain and hurt by leaning into God's love for them. This has meant coming to terms with the shallowness of my own love and accepting that on my own I am unable to love people with the kind of love they need, even deserve. But, God has poured His love into me through the Holy Spirit and I need to trust in His love and Spirit living within me. I believe when I do this, I am seeking the refuge of the LORD in the moment. I am understanding more and more that the refuge of the LORD isn't so much about escaping, but about persevering through whatever the day may bring while still remaining faithful, kind, loving and good from moment to moment.

Mobile Prayer Station: DAY 21

2011-06-17T22:44:00.006-05:00

My friend Steffan, who is currently a student at the International House of Prayer University in Kansas City (you may be more familiar with their Prayer Room), came into town to visit. So, we ended up spending most of the day together which meant spending some time on the street with the Mobile Prayer Station. It felt good to be ministering side-by-side together on the street. Normally, I'm not out on Saturdays unless I feel prompted by the Lord, which I did. I felt the Holy Spirit say to me "this is a discipleship moment." So, after talking at my house for a while we headed out.

I'm not sure what you're expecting to hear right now, but in the hour and a half that we were out the only person that we ended up praying with was my friend Jeff. Jeff always brightens my day, so it truly was a joy to be able to pray with him. Oh yeah, my friend also prayed for healing for my ongoing back pain which felt immediately better after he prayed. This was great! (I was trying to down playing it on purpose for effect, but I'm not sure how effective this was written rather than spoken). Percentage wise I'd say my back felt 20% better. The prayer was simple, Steffan just asked God to heal my back in Jesus name. Though my back wasn't completely healed in that moment, some restoration did happen. Sometimes, I feel like unless we see an instantaneous miracle we failed to recognize that God did bring some healing. Sure, I wish my back was 100% healed, but regardless I am thankful for the 20%.

Discipleship, the word has all sorts of meanings. Today, it meant being obedient to the voice of God in my life and taking Steffan with me on the street with the Mobile Prayer Station. I had no clue what would happen. Honestly, I thought that some amazing things would happen as we prayed with the people of the community. But, I guess God had other plans in bringing more restoration into my own life. Today was a good reminder that following Jesus means walking by faith in obedience to what He is calling us to do each and every day. Regardless of what I thought would happen, I need to remember to just come with an expectant heart while believing that God will move in amazing ways. The results are always up to God because He is the One who answers the prayers. Our job is to only ask them.

Mobile Prayer Station: DAY 20

2011-06-16T12:14:00.000-05:00

Today I met a man named Wolfgang, who approached me because he thought that he could have a pleasantly civil conversation with me. So, he put his belongings on the ground and we talked about faith and life. Between sips from his homemade concoction of milk and liquor Wolfgang shared with me that he has traveled to over 40 countries and has his sights set on the North Pole and Antarctica next. He immigrated over to the States from Germany over 45+ years ago. But, according to Wolfgang he is not German, only Human.

During our conversation I couldn't help but to see glimmers of light and lucidity come through Wolfgang's dim and hazy alcohol influenced stream of consciousness. There were moments in which his whole face would light up and he would say, seemingly out of nowhere, some very profoundly encouraging words to me. But, it was painfully obvious that Wolfgang is firmly in denial about where his alcoholism has taken him. As our conversation turned toward faith, he cordially listened to my stories of love and transformation, but I could tell that my words of God's Kingdom fell on the hard packed soil of his heart where as Jesus says, "when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word sown in them" (Mark 4:15b HCSB).

Our hearts should breaks for Wolfgang because "Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God" (2 Corinthians 4:4 NLT). I can remember standing right where Wolfgang is standing in denial about my drug addiction and blinded by satan. But, I can also remember God's Kingdom of light breaking through the darkness that enshrouded my life and coming to faith in Jesus where He has delivered me from my addictions and continues to heal me of the many wounds of my heart that first drove me to escape life. So please join with me in praying for Wolfgang and the many others like him who are blinded not only by devil, but also by their own addictions: www.420prayer.com.

Mobile Prayer Station: DAY 19

2011-06-09T17:41:00.006-05:00

Wow, was it hot out, so today I camped out in the shade. I was still on the same corner, but off a little to the side under a tree. Now, a question that I've been reflecting on since DAY 1 has been: What does it mean to offer a service of prayer to the community? I am continually revisiting this question as I stand on the street. If, my focus is truly for the people of the community, than I need to be continually positioning my heart towards them in humility. Again, I'm not out here to accomplish some sort of agenda, but solely out here to bless the people of the community with prayer: to go before our Father in Heaven on their behalf with the burdens and desires of their hearts.

Over the years, the LORD has taken me on a journey of prayer. I can still remember the first years of my salvation and my fear (almost immobilizing at times) of praying aloud in front of people. You see, I was also deathly afraid of public speaking and praying aloud meant doing both. During this season, most of my fears centered on the style and elegance of my prayers. I was so afraid of stumbling over my words or worse yet I'd forget what exactly I was praying, lose my train of thought and then there'd be this long awkward silence. So, oftentimes I would practice what I was going to say in my head a few times before I prayed just to make sure I had it down. Sound familiar? I hope so because I'd hate think I'm no only one, but I have a feeling this is a pretty common. I was stuck projecting an image to God of how I thought I needed to be, rather than simply pursuing intimacy with God and being real with Him. But, prayer during this season was more about me praying than about connecting with God.

Fast forward a few years and now I'm in Seminary studying to be a pastor/missionary and I remember being even more terrified of public prayer. You see, going to a Christian university means praying before class. Usually the professor prays but there are those who will choose students to pray instead. Let me tell you, boy did I get nervous in those first few moments before class when I would see the professor surveying the students. But, this time most of my fear came from not wanting to say the "wrong" thing meaning I was afraid that my fellow students were going to critique my prayers to make sure they were theologically sound which was actually a pretty common fear among the students that I actually talked with about this. Needless to say, I've always felt so much pressure when it comes to prayer. Now here I am praying on a street corner for strangers. Who'd a guessed? Only God.

Sure, there's a lot more to this journey of prayer that the LORD has taken me on, but at the heart of it has always been the reality that God loves talking with me (and you) and shame on those who would critique and judge our prayers because there really is no wrong way to pray. Now for those of you who would say otherwise, I encourage you to read through Psalm 88 and get back to me. You see, I believe God's heart is bigger than anything that we can throw at Him. When I look back on my prayer life, I see a journey of grace, love and transformation. Living this side of Heaven means that we will go through different seasons of faith and life, but we should never feel like we can't go to our Father in Heaven with the hurts and burdens of our hearts. No matter how angry, hurt, bitter, jealous, even volatile we may feel and be at the time, we need to trust that God is bigger and can handle it. God would much rather that we be real with Him and pursue intimacy with Him, than be shallow and superficial with Him by projecting some image to Him of how we think we should be.

The devil would also love to stop us from praying to God, even discourage us by getting us believing that there is a set way or form when it comes to prayer, which indirectly implies that there is a wrong way to pray. The devil knows that if he can drive a wedge between us and God, then he can rob us from experiencing God's love, protection, favor, blessing and provisions. So, I'll put the question out there again: Is there a wrong way to pray? I'm hoping you're catching my heart on this. God meets us right where we're at and He loves us unconditionally. Just recently, I was asked a question from a fellow believer who put her faith on hold for awhile. She asked me, "Gerry, do you think that God's mad at me for not praying and talking to Him for so long?" I told her, "No, God never holds any resentment towards us, He loves us unconditionally and is simply delighted and overjoyed every time that we choose to pray and talk with Him." God loves being in relationship with us and waits patiently for us to begin pursuing Him just as passionately as He is continually pursuing us.

So, back to the question: What does it mean to offer a service of prayer to the community? I believe it means praying for people's spoken and unspoken needs. I fully understand that stepping out in prayer can be scary at times and I'm not here to judge or critique their prayer requests, I'm only here to stand with them in order to ask our Father in Heaven to draw near to them (sometimes for the very first time) through prayer. Today, I was honored to be able to do that for Paloma, Jim and Kiomi. I know from personal experience that God is able and the longer I lean into Jesus for strength and security, the more confident I've become in prayer. And I pray that God would impart to every person I am privileged to pray with the grace, confidence and understanding that He has given me to them when it comes to prayer. So this is my prayer: Faither God, pour out your grace on people and empower them to draw near to you. Set them free from fear, shame and guilt and release more love, life and redemption into their lives. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Mobile Prayer Station: DAY 18

2011-06-05T23:06:00.004-05:00

"It's not about me." That's what I had to tell myself repeatedly today. Since DAY 1, God has taken me on a journey. This journey has not only taken me deeper into the Father's heart, but it has also take me deeper into my own heart. On this journey, I've come to greater revelation of God's heart towards His children both lost and found, but I've also gained greater insight into my own heart. Everyday I need to remind myself that I'm not out here to promote or sell anything, but only to make myself available to those in the community that desire prayer.

Each day I need to catch myself from seeking validation from the number of people I pray with each day because again, "it's not about me." But, isn't this the world that we live in, where success is measured by numbers, rather than obedience? I believe that God desires that I be on the street and my satisfaction should come solely from my obedience to Him. It's when my self-worth gets caught up in seeking validation in the number of people I pray with that I can lose my way and start being more heat than light with people where I'll tend to be overly pushy with people about praying with them. And to be honest, I'd be more of a nuisance to people than anything else.

What I feel God has been teaching me (besides humility) is that He is in control and that He will draw people to me to pray with, but my focus needs to be on the Father's heart. I shouldn't worry about whether or not I'm going to get to pray with anyone each day because God is in control and I need to trust in Him. Sure I could strive in my flesh to try and promote what I'm doing out here and get people to pray with me. But then I'd lose sight of not only the Father's heart, but also of the person's heart that I'm praying with because it starts being all about me again. When clearly the Lord's been showing me that, "it's not about me," but about His heart towards people which is far bigger than mine and I need to be caught up into His heart if I'm truly going to love people like I know He wants me to.

Every single person that comes by the Mobile Prayer Station is a gift and precious to God and though I did get to pray with a few people today (Dan, Casey & her kids and a girl and her family), wouldn't you know that God opened up a way after I repented for making it all about me. It's been freeing to let go of a little more of my validation seeking self that loves to strive in my own strength (flesh) in order to feel good about myself and just simply embracing more of the Father's love and grace for me. I don't make the way, God does. My only task is to follow Him and be obedient to what He is calling me to, leaving all the results up to God as He leads me through this life. Even if I get mocked and persecuted while on the street with the Mobile Prayer Station, I need to trust that God is still in control and that my satisfaction comes from knowing that I've been obedient to Him.

Mobile Prayer Station: DAY 17

2011-06-03T11:35:00.001-05:00

Today I spent most of the day just saying hi to people. I saw a lot of people I've talked and prayed with before and they all waved hi to me while some stopped to chat for a minute or two. Even more, there was an usual amount of people today who initiated greetings with me by waving and/or saying hi to me that I never met before. All in all, today was a day of rest for the most part. I got to see my friend Jeff today which I was happy about. Jeff has been having some health issues as of late and I usually see him at least once a week while I'm out on the street but I hadn't seen him for a couple weeks, so I was very happy to see and talk with him.

Another highlight of the day was seeing Bridget and Stephanie, a couple girls I met and prayed with when my friend Tyler joined me on DAY 10. They are art students who would consider themselves "spiritual" but not religious in anyway. We talked at length about faith and life and I shared my story with them and the many spiritually supernatural experiences of God's Kingdom of light breaking into the darkness of my life. I really enjoyed talking with them because they were honest and genuine. They believe people are spiritual beings and they pray to the universe and believe that a higher power may exist, but wouldn't call this higher power God. I shared with them my heart of wanting to be more light than heat with the Mobile Prayer Station and they said that that's why they came back to talk to me. They appreciated that I listened to them and wasn't trying to force them to believe in Jesus, but was still willing to talk about spiritual things with them. I did ask them if I could pray that "If God is real that He would personally reveal Himself to them" and I was thrilled when they agreed.

We had some good laughs together about the fear of being converted by Christians. This may sting a little, but honestly, I share some of their fears. You see, I have quite a few tattoos and when I'm wearing a t-shirt sometimes I get nervous when I visit a church I've never been to before or am hanging out at Starbucks or some other place that I know Christians hang out because I'm afraid that I'll be a victim of "drive-by evangelism," where someone comes by and shares the Gospel with me without any real interest in cultivating any sort of relationship with me. They drive-by hurl bible verses at me and then drive away leaving me feeling like I just got mowed down with a bunch of information that virtually makes no sense to me. Now hear me on this, I love sharing the Gospel with people and especially enjoy talking about Jesus, even jump at every opportunity that someone allows me to do this. But, from my experience and what I've heard from far too many people is that rather than feeling like they've been heard and really engaged with, people say that they mostly feel talked at by Christians who come off having an "I'm right and you're wrong" attitude.

I don't know about you, but when I read through the Gospels about the way Jesus lived life, I see Him sharing Himself with people. He opened His life up to people. He took the time to cultivate deeper relationships with people who were interested. Sure He shared hard truths with people, but He was also willing to relationally engage with them. Even reading through the book of Acts, the disciples were also willing to open up their lives to the people in their community. I believe this is what's been missing from the church, the willingness of believers to open up their hearts and lives to the lost children of God. Sure, we all say that we love our neighbor as long as that neighbor is another Christian. I believe we all need (and I include myself here) to ask God to both enlarge our hearts to love and to reprioritize them because many of the found children of God have entitlement issues and messed up priorities within our hearts. What we need to do is to ask God to come and turn our worlds right side up and establish within our hearts and lives greater Kingdom of God values and passions.

But, the sad reality of this is that we may all say yes and amen to this, but when God actually starts doing this and He begins smashing the idols of our hearts, we scream bloody murder. Being refined to do great things for the Kingdom of God takes sacrifice. It means accepting that Jesus is worth sacrificing for, even suffering for. I mean isn't He? Please, if none of this applies to you, than just let it fly. But, if it does, hear my heart on this. I'm not here to lay a bunch of guilt on you. That is definitely not my intent. My intent is to spur you on to be honest with yourself and to get real with God. It's time to stop brushing God off as He taps us on the shoulder. It's time to ask God for the grace to stop being complacent, the grace to want to change even if that means making us uncomfortable and the grace to love more fully. It also means admitting that we do have messed up priorities and idols within our hearts. It means admitting that our love is shallow, even selfish at times and admitting that we desperately need Jesus to de-compartmentalize our lives and transform us into fully integrated followers who's faith permeates every aspect of our lives.

Ok, I'm done preaching and I hope that I haven't offended you too terribly. But, I don't know, maybe it's not so much about trying to not offend people because honestly, I don't think this can be totally avoided no matter how hard we try. I believe it's more about being in relationship with people, leaning into more of God's love and being willing to open up our hearts and lives, so that we can by God's grace work through these offenses with a humble spirit, a listening ear and an open heart. It's about loving people unconditionally all the time and withholding our judgments of them all the time, especially when we disagree. Because not only does Jesus command us to not judge others (John 7:1), but our love should never be based on whether we agree or disagree. It should be based on who we are as people made in the image of God and who are precious to Him and never on what we do, think or say.

Mobile Prayer Station: DAY 16

2011-06-02T19:47:00.001-05:00

Today had a pretty good flow to it. God opened up the opportunity to for me to pray with 8 people. Also, my friend Victoria came out to see me and got to pray and prophesy over Kelly who came by with her friend Christina. Maybe it was the crystal that Kelly wore around her neck or the gentle nudging of the Holy Spirit (probably both), but while talking with them I felt that I needed to tell them that we were Christians and that we prayed in Jesus name. They said that was ok and off we went before the throne of God. One thing I will mention about this prayer time was that I felt moved to pray for Jesus' kingdom of light to break through the darkness around Christina's life.

Before giving you the very highlight of the day, let me tell you about the most discouraging part. It came with three people (Eric, Katie and Alejandro) who came bounding up to me and well to put it bluntly were pretty combative. They were sarcastic and a bit mocking with their prayer requests. I did end up praying with them mostly for revelation of God and His heart towards them. The sad part of all of this was that after the prayer they claimed to be Christians and wanted to proved it by singing a Christian rap song they wrote which I'm not too sure really glorified God. Later on I got to ask one of them which church they went to and Katie replied that she doesn't go to church. Nonetheless, I'm glad I got to pray with them. I'm not out here to judge, but to love and serve. It just amazes me that of all the people I've interacted with, the most discouraging moment has come from those who claim to be Christian.

Now to the very highlight of my day which happened early on when Jessy started hovering around the Mobile Prayer Station corner. I sensed in my spirit that she was interested but was a bit unsure. So, I immediately started interceding for her. She ended up sitting a little ways away in the grass in the park and whenever I glanced over to her she was staring my way. This went on for about a half hour until my friend Denise came by and was screaming about something. Denise struggles with alcoholism and hangs out with the homeless in the park. She came up to me and asked if I could pray for her, her son and her sister because they were fighting. So, I did. I guess that was all Jessy needed to see because it wasn't more than 5 minutes later that she came strolling by really slow and asked what I was doing.

I shared with Jessy my heart for prayer and began listing off things I could pray for her on; she zeroed in on emotional healing. Sensing her nervousness and tenderness, I suggested we step off the busy sidewalk to stand in the shade of a nearby tree. I prayed with her, asking God to come near to her and begin healing her heart. I asked our Father in heaven to release love, forgiveness and the power to let go both in Jessy and in the hearts of the other people involved. I prayed that God would reveal His heart towards Jessy and His deep love for her and His desire to see her made whole. It got a bit emotional and I'm believing that was because God was working. Afterwards, she thanked me and gave me a hug and I couldn't help but see a little spring in her step to match the smile on her face as her walked off. God is so awesome!

At the end of the day, what I've come to realize is that making myself available to God and to the community with this Mobile Prayer Station means that I'm all in. No matter what the day brings, I'm in. Whether it's precious moments like with Jessy or combative and discouraging ones like with the dynamic rapping trio of Eric, Katie and Alejandro; I'm in and I must have faith that God will give me strength and carry me through which He did (thank you for your prayers). What I learned today is that God's heart is bigger and His zeal (passion) to heal, save, redeem and restore people is greater than we could ever imagine. Being out here has really helped open up my eyes (and heart) to the reality that for us to really know and experience fully God's heart and passion for us, we will need all of eternity. That's how deep, wide and great His heart truly is for us.

Mobile Prayer Station: DAY 15

2011-06-02T00:53:00.000-05:00

I was only out for a little over an hour today. It rained on and off during the day, but then the sun came out around 5:30pm, so I headed out. I was having some coffee with a friend in the area, just in case. I guess I could've skipped today, but today was more about obedience and commitment. I know God wants me out on the street everyday (weather permitting) and so even though I was only out for a short while I knew I needed to be out in keeping in obedience to God. I've also committed to making myself available to the community for prayer for the summer.

Honestly, I've come to enjoy being on the street. I've come to enjoy talking to the people who pass on by. I especially enjoy getting to know the people I get to see on a more regular basis. It truly is a blessing to be with the Mobile Prayer Station, both for me and the community. It is a win win situation. Sure each day is unique and stretching at times, but at the end of each day I can't ever remember saying to myself, "well that was a waste of time." On the contrary, at the end of each day I'm always praising and thanking God for my time on the street because everyday God happens and His heart towards people is revealed!

Today, I got to meet and pray with Dan, who grew up in the Lutheran faith and who's dad is a both a well known Lutheran pastor and prolific author. I prayed for guidance and direction for him and his family as they are in the process of moving out of the area and that God would also guide them to the right church. He said he's been seeing me out more and more and decided to stop and say hi. It just goes to show you that commitment pays off. What I've also noticed is that the more people see me talking and interacting with people on the street, the less crazy and intimidating I become. They get to see my heart and more importantly God's heart. Keep praying! Together by God's grace we can!

Mobile Prayer Station: MEMORIAL DAY 14

2011-06-01T00:50:00.000-05:00

To be honest I was dragging my feet a little to get on the street. I couldn't really put my finger on why, but I actually spent quite a bit of time praying and asking God to motivate me and give me the strength to go. I thought I had a pretty good excuse. "Well Lord, it's a holiday and none of the buses are running so I'll have to carry the sign all the way to the train and my back's been really acting up. I mean most everyone will probably be barbecuing or at the lake front anyways." But, then the Lord reminded of the 88 Higgins bus which I normally wouldn't take, but could catch about 2 blocks away which I took as confirmation that He wanted me out on the street.

Today was a hot one and I think everyone was out and about which kind of gave the day a bit of a different feel. Normally, people are on errands or getting off work or taking their kids to the park or going out for dinner, etc. But, today everyone was off work and ready to relax and blow off some stream. Lots of people were drinking at the outdoor restaurant on the corner, even on the street corner. People seemed overdue for a hot day after the many cold and rainy ones which seemed to put many people in a good mood. I spent most of the day saying hi to people while quietly praying for revival for the area and asking God to spark Divine curiosity in people.

I am always encouraged when I see people I've prayed for before and today Ryle came back around and asked me to pray for encouragement for him as he was going to spend the day reading in the park. I did and also included a prayer about enjoying and being amazed at God's creation. That's typically how I pray for people, I pray for their requests but also pray for the things that the Lord places on my heart to pray for. Later on, Sara and Jordy came up to me and said, "So, we decided to come back and ask you about what you're doing." This has been happening more and more often, people will walk by and then circle back around. For Sara and Jordy, I had the honor of praying for God's peace for them as well as for a balancing of their lives.

Now for most of the day I was engaged in conversation with an interesting gentlemen who I first met on DAY 3 and have been seeing on and off since. Dave and I talked on three separate occasions today about religion. He was on his bike, so what would happen is that we would talk for about 15 minutes or so and then he would ride off. After a little while he would ride on back and we would talk some more. Let me just this about Dave, he has been through quite a lot and well is a very vocal and opinionated man. Long story short, he says he is very political and has numerous complaints against various law enforcement officers which he says don't take too kindly of him. He actually told me that if the police see him talking to me may begin to harass me. What Dave doesn't realize is that my God is greater than him and the police combined.

After listening to him share about how against he was of organized religion, I had the opportunity to talk about Jesus, rather than church. I think there are so many people who have been hurt or burned by the church that to convince them that the church is anything but evil would be near impossible. Or people see the many abuses within the church by preachers and pastors particularly it terms of money (which was Dave's complaint) that again in their minds they're like "Religion, what a joke." And whose to blame them. That's why instead of talking about church, I talk about Jesus and what He says it means to follow Him and be His disciple: loving and worshiping God genuinely and honestly, loving people unconditionally and not judging them and helping people and serving the world.

While talking with Dave, God showed me a picture of dark and looming clouds hovering over him. God further revealed to me that this deep darkness has been over his life for a very long time and I began to sense various curses over his life. So, I asked Dave, "If he believed in a spiritual realm?" He didn't because he said it wasn't quantifiable. So, I shared my story with him which seemed to take him back a bit. I could see that it sparked something, so I pressed him further and asked him I could pray for healing for his carpal tunnel and the pains of his heart. Surprisingly, he said yes but asked if I could not be too flashy about it. So, I prayed on the down low with him. I prayed for healing for his carpal tunnel, healing for the pains of his heart and then I broke off the dark cloud that's been overshadowing his life, in Jesus Name.

All I have to say is that something happened. Dave's demeanor changed. He became very excited. It was almost like there was a surge of energy flowing through him which I'm believing was the Holy Spirit doing some work. He kept thanking me which was bit odd and then with a quick see you later, sped off on his bike. I mean Dave is a bit ADD to put it mildly, just from talking with him I can tell his mind races at a high velocity. Regardless, I'm looking forward to seeing him again and getting an update about what's going on with him, how his wrist is doing and to also discern for myself if there's some change with him. So, remember Dave in your prayers. Pray that God's kingdom of light would continue to take more ground in Dave's life and that God would bring greater revelation of Jesus to him. Thanks.

Mobile Prayer Station: DAY 13

2011-05-28T14:31:00.002-05:00

Today I was given the opportunity to talk at length with quite a few people. Usually, my conversations with people has been limited to a few minutes. But, today Jose and I must have talked for almost a half hour about faith and life. He shared with me his amazing journey of redemption and I had the privileged to pray with him and for his family. I prayed favor and peace for Jose, but then the Lord moved me to break the generational curse of alcoholism in Jose's family. Something the Lord has been continually teaching and challenging me to do is to walk in the power and authority He has given me as His disciple (Luke 9:1; 2 Corinthians 10:3-8).

Everyday I am confronted by the reality of the great cosmic battle between good and evil where the devil is constantly trying to steal, kill and destroy the life Jesus desires to bring into people's lives (John 10:10). What I've learned over the years of engaging in spiritual warfare both in my own life and in the lives of others is that the only way to stand up against the devil and his schemes is to do it in the authority of Jesus' Name (Acts 2:38; 3:6, 16; 4:10), in the power of the God's Word (2 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 4:12; 2 Peter 1:3) and in and under the anointing of the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:18, 19; 1 Corinthians 12:7; Ephesians 3:26; 1 John 2:27) which collectively means speaking the truth and life of Jesus into people's lives and releasing in greater measure the presence of God and the reality of His Kingdom.

With each person I talked and prayed with today (Jose, Patrick, Denise, Rahelle, Bridget, Wesley and Greg) what they repeatedly ask for was blessing and what I was repeatedly moved to pray for as well was favor. We are still living in challenging times and people are still struggling vocationally, financially emotionally and spiritually and God's heart towards His children, both found and lost, is one of goodness, kindness and love. But there are many, many people who believe that they need to work their way into Heaven and earn God's good graces. So, much of my conversations with people and the wording of my prayers with them is to help break through this distorted understanding of God's heart towards them. God gives freely with no strings attached. He gives us His unconditional love because He desires our unconditional love in return. The last thing He wants is to coerce us, that's why He has given us free will. He wants us to choose Him over the devil, the things of the world, other people, even ourselves.

Sorry for going off there, but as you can tell I am pretty passionate about this. Maybe it's because it pains me so deeply to see people being deceived and lied to and in bondage and oppressed. When I know that God's not angry with them and that He's not waiting for them to step out of line so that He can punish them. God is not vindictive and petty, but I can't tell you how many people I've met who think He is. What I believe and what I believe the bible says about God is that His plans for us are good and not harmful (Jeremiah 29:11), that He is overjoyed when we call out to Him (Jeremiah 29:12-13; Psalms 34:17-18; 57:2; 147:3; ), that He delights in His creation (Genesis 1; Psalm 104; Zephaniah 3:17) and is eager to be in relationship with us (Luke 15). But the devil, the world, even our own earthly desires will do everything they can to keep us separated from God by deceiving and distorting our view and understanding of who God is and His heart towards us. But, Jesus has defeated the devil (Colossians 2:14-15), overcome the world (John 16:33) and has endured every temptation without sinning (Hebrews 4:15; 1 Peter 2:22). It is through Him that we have victory and through Him that we receive ALL the joy, peace, riches and blessings of Heaven.

So as Jesus tells us: "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give" (Matthew 10:8 NIV).

Mobile Prayer Station: DAY 12

2011-05-25T23:41:00.000-05:00

My time with family down in San Antonio was amazing. God showed up and ministered to my brother and his wife. God opened up a way for me to pray with both of them and to even give a prophetic word about God's hand in what is happening in their family now. My sister-in-law shared with me that she literally felt a hand squeeze her shoulder. It was like God was letting her know that He hears her, sees her and that He is with her. So cool!

Nevertheless, it felt great to be back out on the street after a week away and today was eventful. It started out with a great conversation with Himanchu who was walking around today sharing about Krishna Consciousness. I learned about his beliefs while getting a chance to answer some of his questions about Jesus. I hope to see Himanchu again so that we can continue our conversation.

Next, a homeless man came up to me asking for money. He was obviously high on something. Normally, I would have told him no and allowed him to move on. But, lately I've been reading a great book called, "When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor . . . and Yourself" by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert which talks about seeing poverty alleviation in relational terms because the only way to understanding the best way to help someone in poverty is by getting to know them. So, without answering his question I extended my hand, introduced myself and asked him his name. Honestly, it was very difficult to understand Louis because he was slurring his speech. I did tell him that I didn't have any money for him but asked if I could pray with him which he agreed. If you're a Christian who is interested in helping the poor than you need to read this book. It will definitely broaden your perspective on how to truly help those in poverty.

I also got to see my friend Suzanne who I met on the first day of the Mobile Prayer Station and was a listening ear for her. Life is burdensome and we all need to be pastorally cared for and shepherded. So, it was truly a blessing today to be able to pray and shepherd Suzanne. Next, Jim came riding up on his bike and stopped right in front of the sign and asked me what this was all about. I told him I was a Christian out here offering to pray with people. He asked if I could pray a blessing over him, so I spend a the next few minutes praying for blessing, favor and healing for Jim. Afterwards, he said he felt incredibly good and then rode off. He got about 30 feet away and turned back to me and waved. He did this twice. God had obviously touched him.

Lastly, I got to spend a longer time talking with Marc, a Messianic Jew who found his Messiah Jesus 38 years ago. Some of the first words he spoke to me was to ask me if I was prophesying over people out here which I answered sometimes. We ended up talked about church, mission and the family of God. I did pray with him and he prayed with me and we both had some prophetic insights for each other. I know I probably say this about everyone I meet, but I'm glad I met Marc and hope to see him again. He even came with me to my church's Wednesday night prayer meeting at 7pm where naturally more prayer happened (of course).

Now, I do want to spend some time thanking you for your prayer support in all of this. Jesus loves being with people and is actively answering your prayers. Please continue to pray that God would continue to encounter and touch people, that He would instill Divine curiosity in people and give them grace and courage to seek out the answers to the questions bubbling in their hearts and minds. Pray that I would make much of Jesus and that I wouldn't get in the way of our Father's heart towards His lost children. I truly believe that God has amazing plans for each and everyone one of us, but we need to be actively praying His purposes into our lives. So, this is my prayer for you: I pray that Jesus would release in you the grace, passion and courage to step out of the boat to join Him as He walks on water in the storms of people's lives. In His Name I pray, Amen.

Mobile Prayer Station: DAY 11

2011-05-16T23:13:00.002-05:00

It felt really good to be back on the street. Missing Friday (because of my Commencement rehearsal) and Saturday (because of my Commencement from Graduate school plus rain) was hard. There was a part of me that would have rather skipped my graduation in order to be on the street with the Mobile Prayer Station. I'm really enjoying serving the community in this way and kind of beginning to see myself as part of the community which is a neat feeling.

For most of the day I quietly stood by the prayer sign, not really engaging too many people. It was sunny out today but extremely windy. There weren't that many people out and those who were seemed to be in a hurry on such a brisk day. My sense of the spiritual atmosphere of most people today was one of blasé. I think we are all tired of the bipolar weather and concerned about the rising gas prices. But, I also got the sense from the Holy Spirit that there are a lot of wounded people walking around which moved me to pray for hope, asking God to release hope into people's hearts and lives. Revival was also on the Father's heart, so I prayed for revival every hour I was out today.

I did get to connect with Jeff who has been coming by from time to time to chat with me about faith and life. We talked about Rahm Emanuel's inauguration, the city of Chicago's financial state and basketball. At the very end of the day, I got to pray with Jeff, asking God to bring healing to his lungs and for the revitalization of his prayer life. I really don't think it was a coincidence for this because for most of the day I felt impressed by the LORD to pray for both Divine and spiritual curiosity, that as people saw the prayer sign that they would begin to reflect on the meaning and significance of prayer and the reality of a spiritual realm and of a Creator.

I had a very good time conversing with Jesus today, I would literally ask Him to ignite spiritual curiosity and reflections on prayer in 15 minute blocks and as people walked by I was stirred in my spirit to thank the LORD for doing just this. But there were also times when someone walked by and I would want to thank the LORD for stirring their heart when the Holy Spirit restrained me from this because the LORD didn't do that for that person. But, then there were other times where I couldn't thank the LORD quick enough for leading people to reflect of prayer. Maybe this sounds silly to some, but when I talk to the LORD He talks back, not in a booming audible voice but more like a whisper or in my thoughts. Jesus tells us that He is the good Shepherd and that He knows His sheep and His sheep know His voice (John 10:1-18). It's true.

Now, I know that it's not all about me, but I had a good time with the LORD as He lead me in how I should pray and intercede for people and the community. I am going to miss being out on the street this week because I am going to visit my brother and his family in San Antonio, Texas. I will be back in a week. I know life will go on, but like I said, I've really come to enjoy offering this service of prayer to the community. Not only is it a good time praying and talking with people, but it's also been a pretty sweet time listening and talking with the LORD and getting a greater sense of His heart towards His many lost children wandering about Wicker Park and also His desire for bringing revival and redemption to the community. So, it looks like the Mobile Prayer Station will be closed for a week, very sad. But please continue to pray for grace, open doors and freedom. Thank you!

Mobile Prayer Station: DAY 10

2011-05-13T13:41:00.000-05:00

Well the day started with Michael who passed me a couple times, on the second pass I engaged him in conversation. We talked about spirituality and faith. I explained to him my Christian faith and he talked about a more universal faith. He said he believed that Jesus was the Son of God, but also alluded to other religions leading towards heaven. I told him I respected his beliefs and that I wasn't out here to try and impose my beliefs on people, but about serving the community through prayer. I shared about my personal experiences with God and he asked if I could pray for a greater revelation of God for him and that he desired the Holy Spirit. So, I shared some Scripture with him and then prayed with him. It was good.

Then, Niko and Kat came back around after they too had passed me by. Niko engaged me in conversation while Kat hung back. I explained to Niko my heart for praying for people and he asked if I could pray for his financial situation and some family concerns. I did and he left. But, about a minute later, they came back and his friend Kat asked if I could pray for her. I feel like Niko may have had some understanding of prayer, but Kat was definitely a newbie. It's pretty easy to tell at times because I get blank stares when I ask "how can I pray for you?" So I suggested blessing, hope or purpose in life and she said yes. I feel like my role out here is to love people of course, but to also be a shepherd to them which I really enjoy.

Then, my friend Tyler showed up and hung out for the day and over the next hour or so we had the opportunity to pray with another 6 people. We prayed for clarity and direction for school for Jenny, favor and revelation of God for a group of friends Stephanie, Bridget and Vivian, and healing and deliverance for Ken and his wife. God also gave Tyler some prophetic words for a couple people. Now, a very cool moment happened when Joshua, my friend from the other day came by and literally began to prophesy over Tyler. So very cool! It was definitely on time for Tyler. This is why I love when people come to hang out at the Mobile Prayer Station. God shows up and not only will you get to pray and minister to people but God has been speaking to those that have shown up. My friend Nate had a God appointment when he came by and now Tyler too. I love it!

On further reflection, I feel like when other people join me at the Mobile Prayer Station it's like there is a shift that happens because more spiritual gifts are added to the mix and God brings people to be blessed by these gifts. Not only this, but there is definitely a lot more going on then meets the eye. Only God knows all that is happening, but I know that God is definitely stirring people's heart through the Mobile Prayer Station. God is moving and I feel like a lot has to do with the prayer support of my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. So, if that is you, thank you for your faithfulness to Jesus and for interceding for me and the people who are coming for prayer. God is answering your prayers and is opening doors with people. I am definitely amazed at how many people engaged us in conversation today. Though we got to prayer with roughly 10 people today, I must have talked with at least 10 more just about life. Thank you Jesus for Your strength, courage and faithfulness!

Mobile Prayer Station: DAY 9

2011-05-12T09:38:00.000-05:00

I've come to realize that everyday is going to be different. I say this because there really is such a diverse collection of people who live in the Wicker Park area and I see most of them. Add to this reality the fact that people are all at different places in both faith and life and well needless to say, "Everyday is an adventure!" For the most part being out on the street isn't as confrontational as you may think. Most people are more curious than anything else. Sure, there are those who are a bit more guarded and apprehensive and those who think I'm a fool for being out there, even those who are offended by my very presence on the street. I find it hardest to connect and interact with people who have been hurt or burned by the church. I am praying that as I am being obedient to the LORD in being available to Him and the community for prayer, He will bring healing to people and reignite hope in the community.

Despite the dark and glooming day, I still got to pray with Jeff, who has 4 years sobriety under his belt. I told him I have 8 years clean time. It was very cool talking with him, he's an older gentlemen maybe in his late early 60s. He shared some of his life journey with me and I did the same. He was on his way to a doctor's appointment because he has about 60% lung capacity from 40 years of smoking. I asked if I could pray and ask God to heal his lungs which he said yes. After praying, he said that he lives right across the street and said that if I'm out tomorrow he'll come by to talk and have me pray for him again. I love it! Building bridges with people in the community one relationship at a time (sounds catchy, I must have heard that somewhere at sometime). Anyways, that's all any of us can do. I truly believe that the more that we step out in love and obedience, the more God will bless the work of our hands.

There is a great harvest coming, but this means that we all need to do our part in tilling the soil and sowing seed. It's through intercessory prayer that we till the soil of both the community and people's hearts. And it's through being in relationship that we are given the opportunity to sow seeds of faith, hope and love. So this is my prayer: that the God of the universe who moved heaven and earth in order to be in relationship with us by allowing His Son Jesus to come and die on a cross for our sins would actively anoint and empower His children to do the work of His Kingdom. Holy Spirit we ask that You would begin simplifying our lives, making us more available to the LORD to do what He has placed on our hearts to do. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Mobile Prayer Station: DAY 8

2011-05-11T10:11:00.002-05:00

I was once again amazed by God's grace today. So, my friend Nate joined me for about an hour today and while he was there we met two women, Lucy and Ana, who stayed in a nearby apartment complex that my church has been interested in blessing and serving. Not only did we get to pray with them, but Lucy was the woman who, up until a few years ago, organized the activities for the seniors who lived in the building which is exactly what my church has been interested in doing. After brainstorming ideas with her, Lucy gave Nate her contact info. Talk about a God orchestrated appointment. So cool!

Even though the weather was so wonderfully warm today, some people I encountered still had storm clouds looming over their lives. Case and point, I give you Edwin and Ada who are going through quite a bit of financial stress and anxiety in their lives right now. They actually walked past me and came back around to me. After saying hi to them, the very first thing Edwin said to me was "I wish I could find $1000 on the ground right now." We talked for a little while, but mostly I just listened both to Edwin and Ada, but also to the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God helps to highlight which burdens I need to focus on in prayer and will oftentimes give revelation of what may be the underlying cause while also giving me pictures of hope to share. For Edwin and Ada, God let them know that He sees them and is concerned that they are distressed.

A new comer today was Larry who complimented me on my burnt orange Converse high tops and asked me what I paid for them. We then proceeded to talk about where to find Converse Allstars at a low price which lead to him talking about why he loves wearing Converse low tops because of an old ankle injury that gets swollen from time to time. Seeing an opportunity, I told him why I was out on the street and asked if I could pray with him and ask God to bring healing to his ankle. He said "yes" and we prayed while bumping fists. I love the diversity of people's personalities and style. I also prayed for blessing and favor over Larry's life. There was no immediate healing that happened, but I'm still glad I asked God for healing for Larry because if we don't pray for healing, healing will never happen. But if we do there is a chance that God will heal. So, no matter the results, I never regret praying for healing for someone.

Finally, my new friend Lao, the ice cream vender, was out today. We talked about faith while eating one of his very tasty ice cream pops. He said that he has no faith, but that he believed in a higher power. I told him I was a Christian and he stated that he thinks that people humanize God too much and that he has a problem with that. What I was discerning from Lao was that this "higher power" of his was an impersonal being, a nebulous intangible power. So, I ended up sharing my testimony with him and my own personally encounters with God. I shared that it's not only about reading about God in the bible, but also about personally experiencing Him; that knowing God is both understanding and experience. His eyes popped open and I could tell he was interested in encountering and experiencing God. So, I prayed with Lao, asking God "If you are real God, reveal Yourself to Lao." A very simply prayer, but one filled with revelation and power. I have a feeling that my conversations with Lao about God are only just beginning and am looking forward to engaging with him more on the things of faith and life.

Mobile Prayer Station: DAY 7

2011-05-09T23:22:00.000-05:00

The weather today ended up being pretty phenomenal. When I first arrived at the park (4:00pm) it actually started drizzling a little. But, after about 10 minutes it stopped and the sun came out and it was simply gorgeous. Right after I set up, my friend Mat came walking across the street. It was definitely a nice surprise. We talked for a bit and he ended up praying for me. It was very encouraging. If you haven't noticed yet, I love prayer! Even while we were talking, Mat got a sense of something from God and ended up prayerfully walking around the perimeter of the park. I'm telling you, God is in this and if you stop by you will experience His presence.

Today, was filled with lots of "hellos" and "what's ups." I think people may be getting used to me or maybe I'm just getting used to being on the street or may be God is showing me grace and giving me favor. It's mostly likely all of the above. Regardless, I am beginning to see some familiar faces. I got to pray with Suzanne again, whom I prayed with last week which was really encouraging because I am interested in building bridges and relationships with people in the community. Win. There were also people who remembered me from last week and said he to me with that tone of familiarity. Double win.

People are getting used to me. I feel like this is due to the fact that I am being more light than heat. What the LORD has been continually impressing on me is that I am here to provide a service for the community. I'm not trying to preach at people or convert people or even force prayer on people (heat), what I'm doing is offering people a prayer service and if they are in need of prayer I am making myself available to pray with them (light). That is all. Now maybe other people have different understandings of what it means to be a light in the world, for me it means serving the world and offering them what I feel is most valuable to me: prayer. Prayer is the opportunity to allow God love on us. And at the end of the day that's my heart's desire that people would be touched by the love of God. If you're in the area, come by and see me! I've been tweeting the times I'm out there, so following me on Twitter. I will be on the corner of Damen and Wicker Park Avenue. You can't miss me, I'll be the one by the sign...

Mobile Prayer Station: DAY 6

2011-05-07T19:43:00.000-05:00

So, this is where I stood today, just outside the fencing around Wicker Park. It was a very overcast day. The forecast was for rain but not until later in the afternoon, so I setup around 1:00pm. It's interesting, right when I woke up this morning, I heard the Holy Spirit tell me that I needed to be out on the street today. So, after my morning meeting, I drove towards Wicker Park. I typically take the 'L' train but today I had access to a car so I drove.

To be honest, I was hesitant in going, but there was this urgency that rose up inside of me and compelled me to drive to the park. Even after finding free parking less than half a block away (which was amazing) I sat in the car just waiting. I kept looking at the overcast sky and telling myself it's gonna rain, I should just go home. I did this for around 15 minutes, but after checking like two different weather sites on my iPhone and watching the sky in the distance. I grabbed the sign and headed towards the park. The thought came to my mind, even if I'm out here for only an hour, it's still worth it.

Not five minutes after I set up a guy comes up to me and asks, "So, how's this prayer thing work?" After some introductions, I told Ryle that "I'm out here offering prayer for people, can I pray for you?" He said "Yes" and started to walk away, but I stopped him and said "Can I pray for you now?" Again, he said "Yes." I could tell that he was kind of new to this whole prayer thing, but God's grace covered us and disarmed the awkwardness. So, I told him I could pray a blessing over him or for financial breakthrough and he said, "No, just a blessing would be good." So, I ended up praying for God to bless him and to give him favor and for God to reveal to Ryle His heart of goodness, love and delight towards him. When I was done, he said, "Thanks" and then headed off, coffee in hand.

Even though I was slow in getting going, having such good reception right from the start helped settle my heart and get me in the game, so to speak. I didn't do any Bible reading today, but rather just smiled and said hi to people walking by. Surprisingly, there were quite a few people out and everyone was pretty open and friendly. I think it was close to half past 2:00pm when Joshua came walking up and started asking me questions like, "So, what kind of prayer are you offering?" and "Who are you praying to?" I told him flat out that I am praying to God through Jesus Christ. His face lit up and he gave a double fist bump and said, "Alright, just making sure we're on the same page." He asked we where I attended church and said he attends Bill Winston's church Living Word Christian Center in Forest Park, IL.

Now Joshua has a very interesting story, he feels called to be among the homeless. I didn't quite get all the details, but from what I gathered, he has spent the last 30 nights on the streets with the homeless. He feels called to be a light to them and help them in whatever way he can. Man, let me tell you God showed up and we had such an anointed conversation. Jesus was definitely in our midst. Personally, when he was talking, wisdom, discernment and prophetic insights were coming to me clear as day. So amazing. We talked for about a half hour and then I prayed for him. Have you ever had one of those moments where the clarity and direction of prayer was so evident? Well that's how the prayer time went. After I prayed, he prayed for me and everything he prayed for was exactly what the Holy Spirit was impressing on my heart in the past hour. Very cool.

Then it started raining and we said our good-byes and I packed up to go. But, before Joshua left he came over to me and literally poked me and said, "I just wanted to make sure you were real and not an angel because everything you said to me and prayed for me was exactly what I needed to hear from God." Now, I knew why the Holy Spirit told me right when I woke up this morning that I needed to be out on the street today. It was for Joshua. I gave him one of my personal 420 Prayer Movement cards hoping to further reinforce to him that I wasn't an angel, but a man just like him. I'm so glad that I got to meet Joshua today and I have a feeling (no, I know) that Jesus is going to great Kingdom things through Joshua because he has such a tender heart towards our Lord.

Mobile Prayer Station: DAY 5

2011-05-06T23:12:00.003-05:00

Hmmm, where to begin? Well, the day started with me being asked to leave the Chicago Park District area. Apparently, my City of Chicago street performer permit is not valid on Park District grounds. So, the "Man" :o) told me to move outside of the fencing which I did. I actually ended up moving to where I first setup on Day 1. No big deal. Honestly, I moved a little into the park area because I was feeling a bit shy and didn't want to be on the corner where everybody could see me. But, oh well. So there I stayed, on the corner for all to see.

I spent the day reading through Isaiah while occasionally saying hi to people. I am still trying to get a feel for my role in all of this. Right now, I feel like all I'm suppose to do is offer prayer services to the community. This means I'm not preaching at people or pushing prayer on them, but I'm just making myself available to them if they are in need of prayer. Now, this may change as the days and weeks go by and I'm ok with that, but right now I feel like I am just to be an available presence of prayer.

So, today I got to speak in length about church and mission with Scott Venable the pastor of Mosaic Church which just so happens to be a newer church plant that will begin meeting in the field house of Wicker Park. Before we parted ways, I got to pray for vision, blessing and the release of the five fold ministry (apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher) for him and his church. Shortly after he left, I got to pray for the FedEx guy who pulled up to make a delivery. On the way to his delivery he gave me a thumbs up and after he made his delivery I asked him if I could pray for him which was definitely a first for me. Praying for the FedEx guy that is. Pretty cool.

The rest of the day was pretty uneventful. I've noticed that breaking up my time between smiling and greeting people with reading the Bible is helpful. I feel like people are more receptive of my presence when they see me reading the Bible. It's like I'm less intimidating to them. Oftentimes, while I'm reading the bible I'll hear people reading the sign aloud and when I look up and they'll actually say hi to me. But, when I'm just standing there, people seem to be a bit more guarded and leery of me. I'm definitely learning something new everyday about God, myself, people and the mission. Yup, I am on an adventure that is filled with the good, the bad and the ugly.

I did want to spend some time describing the Divine appointment I had at the end of the day. It was with this woman Renise. She came beelining for me and begin engaging me in conversation. She asked what church I went to and then proclaimed "God's got you on the front lines." She then proceeded to tell me these amazing stories of when God used her for a street prayer ministry where gang bangers would literally laid down their guns on the street and come for prayer. Very cool stuff. We must've talked for over an hour. Long story short, she prayed for me and then I prayed for her. She prayed about things that reconfirmed what God had already spoken to me in the past and I felt like God gave me some prophetic insights for her. It was definitely a God moment. I told her I was going to try and be in this area for the summer and she said she'd try and join me when she could (one of her kids goes to the A.N. Priztker school right down the street). What was so endearing to me about all of this was the fact that God knew that I was having a a rough couple days and thought enough of it to actually send someone to come pray, encourage and build up my faith. So, thank you for your prayers. God is answering!

HILLSONG: one desire

2011-05-06T12:41:00.001-05:00

This is my heart's cry. Not only do I want to be with Jesus in Heaven after I leave this earth, but I also want to be with Him as I live and breath in this world. I want to be where He is healing, saving, redeeming and restoring all the lost children of God. You see, Jesus did all of these things with me, He has healed and continues to heal me physically, emotionally, psychologically and spiritually. He has also delivered me from a life of addictions and is even now redeeming the lost years of my past as He restores my broken life. If you ask me why I do the things that I do, I would tell you that it is the love of Jesus that compels me to live the life that I do. I have been so touched by the love of God and His love has forever changed me. I was once lost in a lust-filled angry selfish world, but now I am found in the love, joy and peace of Heaven.

So this is my prayer: I pray that the God of the universe would touch your life with His love, joy and peace, that He would release the hope of the Gospel of Jesus Christ into your life, that His Kingdom of light would break through the darkness that clouds your life and that He would bring healing to your heart. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Mobile Prayer Station: DAY 4

2011-05-06T01:31:00.000-05:00

Today there weren't that many people walking around today which I'm thinking may have been due to the chance for scattered showers weather forecast. Needless to say, I was kind of glad there weren't that many people out today because I felt a lot of hostility from people which was a bit discouraging. Now, I know that this is all part of the package of this street prayer ministry and I'm ok with that, but it still doesn't take away the sting. It was like nobody was even slightly interested in even saying hi to me. I was ignored most of the time. I even got some sneers and eyes rolled at me today. One man had to forcibly restrain himself from just going off on me. Thankfully by God's grace, I just smiled and wished him a wonderful day which seemed to really throw him off balance. Proverbs 15:1 comes to mind, "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."

So, I spend much of the day with my head buried in the bible reading through the middle part of Isaiah. It was good because I found refuge and comfort in God's Word that reminded me that God is the Creator of the universe (Isaiah 42:5) and that there is no reason to be afraid because He is with me (Isaiah 43:5; 44:8), He is Savior (Isaiah 43:11) and that no one can snatch anyone out of His hand (Isaiah 43:13). Thank you Lord. I did pray for people today, and what I really felt impressed to pray for the people I saw was for the revelation of Christ. Over and over again, person after person, I was moved to pray for the revelation of Christ to be birthed in people's hearts which may be telling of the people I encountered today maybe even the spiritual condition of the Wicker Park area at large.

I find what happened today interested because I spent the first part of my time today praying for revival. More specifically, I prayed against the principalities of lust, drunkenness, greed, anger and hate. I prayed that God would release hope into the area where there was hopelessness, love where there was hate and peace where there was anger. So, maybe it's no surprise that in engaging with the darkness of over this area of the city, I was confronted with opposition and hostility. Maybe I'm over spiritualizing all of this, but I tell you, when I left the park I literally had my tail between my legs, that's how discouraged I felt. It was like I couldn't get away from that area fast enough. I was even telling myself that I hope it rains tomorrow so that I wouldn't have to come out. But, God's faithful and I believe it is through answering people's prayers that I have been renewed. So, thank you for your prayers. I am feeling much better and yes I will be heading back out tomorrow.

Mobile Prayer Station: DAY 3

2011-05-05T00:16:00.001-05:00

After yesterday's conversation with God in the importance of praying for the people I see walking by because many of them have never ever been prayed for before, I started the day with a renewed passion for intercessory prayer. But, I was deeply challenged today in this. Let me explain, I love to pray out loud. That's how I typically pray these days. I truly believe there is power in speaking prayers aloud. I mean God Himself spoke the universe into existence (Genesis 1). Also, when we speak our prayers aloud, we are literally engaging in spiritual warfare with the spiritual dark forces in the world.

But, that's not why I was challenged today. I was challenged today in not wanting to look like a crazy person. Remember the story of Hannah in 1 Samuel 1? If not, here's a short recap, Hannah goes to the temple to pray that God would bless her with a son. Well, Eli the priest sees her and thinks that she's talking to herself and accuses her of being drunk. Now, imagine you see some "religious" person standing on the corner talking aloud with nobody around (without a bluetooth or headphones). I'm thinking fanatic or crazy may come to mind. So, here I am with this burning desire to pray for people, but having to do it without speaking. Don't get me wrong I do also pray quietly to myself at times, but when it comes to intercession, proclaiming it out loud is what I prefer. Anyways, I am learning.

For most of the day, I felt like I was walking a tightrope. I felt caught between the tension of wanting to love and pray with people but not wanting to be too pushy about it. Today was a day where I felt in my spirit the push back from people for being out here. What I kept sensing from more than a few people (and I believe I will continue to sense this) is this: "Oh, here's yet another Christian who's trying to force his beliefs on me." I can literally see some of them tense up as they come near me, even before I say anything. It's like their waiting for me to yell at them or something. So, most of the time I've been just smiling and saying hi to people. I mean I do have the sign so they know why I'm there and I am planning on having the Mobile Prayer Station there for the summer, so I feel like I need to focus on building bridges with people. Again, it's gonna be a learning experience in understanding what it means to be the Lord's gospel light of love for this community.

Now don't get me wrong, I actually really enjoy being out here. I feel like I am offering a vital service to the community. In fact, I got to pray for three people today, Dave, Christy and Jamie. All of whom were at different places in faith and life. Christy and Jamie had a faith, Dave did not. I enjoyed speaking and praying with all three of them. But, I must always be aware of the reality that we are all journeying through life and that people are gonna be at all sorts of different places. What I am realizing is that there are a lot of people who really have no concept of God, let alone prayer or they've been terribly hurt by the church or other Christians. But at the end of the day, I'm convinced that it's not so much about worrying about whether or not I'm offending people, but about having the patience, tenacity and desire to love and continue to love people regardless of how they may treat me. I mean aren't those Jesus' words: "But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Matthew 5:44 NIV).

Mobile Prayer Station: DAY 2

2011-05-04T11:24:00.002-05:00

Today was more about me than others. I was dragging my feet today because it was pretty chilly out. But then I heard the Lord ask me: "Are you a fair-weather Christian?" Now I know this could have had a variety of meanings, for my situation it seemed to touch on both the physical (the weather) and the spiritual (commitment and obedience). You see, when the Lord first gave me the vision for the Mobile Prayer Station, I had a strong impression that it was to be a daily ministry. At the heart of the ministry is to make prayer available to the lost children of God by going into their midst. Prayer has been described many ways, but I believe the best description of prayer is this: spending time with God and allowing Him to lavish His grace and love upon you. From the beginning that has always been my sense of God's heart in all of this. He wants to touch people through me with His love and grace.

To be honest there weren't many people out today because of the weather. But of the few people I saw, I prayed for, not with but for. I need to confess something, I am sometimes afraid of getting prophetic revelations from God because I'm afraid of the responsibility of stewarding these revelations. But the more I thought this through, the more I begin to see the foolishness of my ways. I felt the Holy Spirit lovingly nudge me through this by asking me "Who are you to reject revelation from God?" Let me tell you, in that moment all of my wishy-washiness about receiving prophetic revelation from God dissipated. The Holy Spirit was right (of course), if the God of the universe desires to reveal things to me, I best listen. So after repenting for my fear and foolishness I begin listening and asking God for prophetic revelation about the people walking by. So for the rest of time, God spoke and I prayed.

Furthermore, the Holy Spirit reminded me of something He spoke to me many years ago. Roughly around 8 years ago, I was stopped at a red light while driving my car. Now, as I was watching this lady walk cross the street, the Spirit of God overwhelmed me with an urgency to pray for this woman and I quote the Spirit's voice in verbatim here: "No one has ever prayed for her, neither her name nor her image has ever been brought before the throne of God." When I heard this, my heart broke. Needless to say, I couldn't begin to pray for her fast enough.

Now even though I didn't get to pray with anyone today. I did get to pray for quite a few people and I am betting that for many of them it may have been the very first time their image was ever brought before the throne of God. Think about this reality as you spend your day, of the many people you will see, even talk to today how many of them do you think have never ever been prayed for? How many of them have never had their name or image brought before God's throne of grace? You could be the first. "Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." (Hebrews 4:16 NLT)

Mobile Prayer Station: DAY 1

2011-05-03T00:11:00.002-05:00

Today marks Day 1 of the Mobile Prayer Station. I ended up setup the prayer sign at the corner of Damen & Wicker Park Avenue right at one of the entrances into Wicker Park. I arrived around 3:30pm and stood nervously wondering what would become of the next few hours. So, I said a quick prayer for the courage to unpack the sign. Immediately, I felt God's peace and slowly setup the sign when two skateboarders came rolling up. One of them looked at the sign, then at me and said, "I'm encouraged already." I couldn't have asked for a better launch. But, it gets better.

Right after the kids left, an ice cream vender came by and we started chatting. It wasn't long before he shared that he was just beginning his ice cream business. While we were talking two girls came and bought some ice cream from him. Lao was very friendly and welcoming. After the sale, Lao asked me what the sign was all about and I told him that I was here to pray for people. He asked me how it worked (I could tell he was interested). So, I told him that I could ask God to bless his new business and family which I ended up doing. I could tell he was nervous, but God's presence and grace helped to ease the awkwardness. Afterward, Lao went on his merry way.

Over the next hour, I smiled and said hi to people. I really don't think people knew how to react. They'd read the sign, looked at me and then back to the sign. I got all kinds of reactions from smiles to confused looks to stonefaced stares. Mark was this 10 year old boy who was riding his Razor scooter round and round the park. He must have pasted me a half dozen times. Each time saying hi. Finally, he stopped and all he said was "hope?" I told I could pray for hope for him and he said "ok" so I did. He bowed his head with me and everything and then he was off again.

Next, a homeless woman named Denise came and we sat on the near by bench for awhile and talked about her family. She shared her heart with me and I prayed for her. If you're reading this please remember the Weeks family in your prayers. They truly need God to come and rescue them from addiction. I have a feeling that I will be seeing lots of Denise over the next few weeks. Later on, one of her friends Maurice came rolling over in his wheelchair and stopped right in front of my sign and asked me to pray a blessing for Osama Bin Laden. I told him sure, but that I'd rather pray a blessing over him. He then proceeded to press me on why I didn't want to pray for Osama which I replied I'll pray for both of you. So, I prayed a blessing over Osama Bin Laden's family and asked God to bring healing and redemption to them and then prayed a blessing over Maurice. He thanked me and rolled off.

The last woman I had the privilege to pray for was Suzanne. She came beelining for me from across the street. She stood right in front of me and said, "I could so use some encouragement right now" so we talked for a little. I asked her how I could pray and she shared her day with me. I prayed for her and then we talked some more. And I prayed for her again. She cried and then she smiled. God showed up. We ended up talking for at least 20 minutes until she had to leave to got pick up her two kids from daycare.

I ended up leaving around 6:40pm. I was planning on staying until 7:00pm, but the wind kicked up something fierce and it got extremely chilly. I am looking forward to returning to the same spot tomorrow. I think people just need to get used to me being there. I was blessed by God today to be able to pray with 5 people, but really was given the opportunity to pray for dozens upon dozens of people as they walked by. What the Holy Spirit impressed upon me most was to pray for the Father's love to be released into people's lives and for the healing of their wounded, broken and beat-up hearts. "Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sin" (1 Peter 4:8 NLT).

Cece Winans: alabaster box

2011-04-11T16:58:00.002-05:00

A reoccurring prophetic word that I have gotten from the Lord for numerous people has been the image of an alabaster jar inside people's hearts being broken open. Sometimes their hearts are literally shaped like an alabaster jar. Now inside these alabaster jars is always the fragrance of worship and devotion, inside is the freedom to worship and love Jesus without shame or restraint. Many times when I share this with the people I am praying for, they confirm that they feel stuck, dry, even constrained in their hearts.

But, just as the very presence of Jesus undid the woman in Bethany setting her free to worship and adore Him without caring who was around (Matthew 26:6-12; Mark 14:1-11; Luke 7:36-50), so the Lord's desire for these people was to increase His presence in their lives, breaking open the alabaster jar within their hearts and setting them free to worship and adore Him without restraint. Allowing the fragrance of worship and devotion to flow freely from their hearts in greater and greater measure.

So this is my prayer: Lord, there are so many people who feel locked down in their hearts, unable to offer You the worship and devotion that they know You deserve. So, I pray Lord that You would increase Your presence in their lives, breaking open the alabaster jar within their hearts and setting them free to worship and adore You with wild abandon. Where the fragrance of worship and devotion will continually surround them and even be released into the atmosphere wherever they go. In Your Name Jesus, Amen.

Khan Academy: leveraging globalization for educational progress

2011-04-05T18:04:00.000-05:00

Watching this video makes me happy, especially after watching the documentary "Waiting for Superman" which really painted a pretty abysmal and depressing picture of the current public school system in America. Though I don't see the Kahn Academy as an end all be all solution, it is a giant leap in the right direction. It will be interesting to see how this approach of customized learning for individual students will change the present educational models. In many ways, Kahn Academy is addressing the major issue of poor quality teachers by helping fill in the gaps by coming alongside students as a their own personal teaching assistant. I especially appreciate the global vision of peer-to-peer tutoring (where students can help tutor students on the other side of the world) which leverages globalization in a positive way.

When it comes to globalization, there are many pros and cons which people much more educated in the matter can explain far more articulate than me. But, from my perspective I feel the cons out weigh the pros. Now, hear me on this, I'm not saying that there aren't some good things happening through globalization, but there are some downsides: the greatest being monoculturalism. I see a lot of value and beauty in the diversity of peoples and cultures, I mean creation is about diversity which globalization seeks to homogenize. In order to preserve the unique beauty that the many cultures of the world hold, a higher value needs to be placed on celebrating cultural diversity by embracing a more multicultural perspective, rather than sinking into the monoculture that globalization (and postmodernism) seeks to create. The reason that this is so important is because at the end of the day, there is no stopping the globalization machine. So, embrace and celebrate the cultural diversity that surrounds you today!

Rita Springer: in this forever

2011-03-12T14:38:00.006-06:00

I ran across this song this morning as I was scrolling through my Facebook News Feed (Rita Springer's artist Facebook page is one of the many pages that I like). It's from her latest live album with the same title. Hearing this song was a good reminder that following Jesus is forever. It's true. When I read through the Scriptures I am confronted with the heavy weight of eternity. The salvation of our souls did not come at an easy price. No, the redemption of all creation caused Jesus unimaginable suffering, not to mention His very life.

I heard this preached and it has forever changed the way that I view Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross. The preacher said, "Now, I can't say for certain that Jesus suffered more physical and emotional pain than any other person ever suffered when He was crucified on a cross, but what I do know is that Jesus was the only person who ever suffered the full weight of God's wrath for sin." That my friends is unimaginable suffering and is the heavy weight of eternity that Jesus bore so that we could be with Him in eternal paradise.

Jesus is in this forever and we are to have His same attitude. There was no turning back for Jesus. He knew this the very moment He decided to step down out of Heaven: "You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross" (Philippians 2:5-8 NLT).

Following Jesus isn't always going to be easy. But I believe, if our hearts remain tender towards God, then the longer we follow Jesus, the more we will feel the heavy weight of eternity that He has placed upon our shoulders.The burden to preach the Good News to a broken, hurting and dying world while caring for the sick, the poor, the imprisoned, the fatherless, the widow, the orphan, the lost and the hopelessly addicted. And this burden will far out weigh whatever trial may come our way as we make our way through this fallen world. But, this will mean truly deciding with all that you are (mind, heart and will) that no matter the cost, you are in this with Jesus forever.

So this is my prayer: "Lord Jesus, Your sacrifice on a Cross for sin earned you the praise and worship of all creation. Thank You Lord for bearing the full weight of God's wrath for sin and taking upon Yourself my punishment. Truly, I am healed, saved, redeemed and restored in You. Holy Spirit transform me and place within me the fortitude to stand for Jesus no matter the cost. I proclaim today in this moment that I am in this with You Jesus forever and ever. In Your Name Jesus, Amen."

Hillsong United: search my heart

2011-03-08T08:57:00.001-06:00

Everyday I am confronted with the reality of a fallen world that is constantly trying to distract me from walking with Jesus. Each and everyday I come to mini-crossroads where I can either choose to follow Jesus and submit to God's ways or I can choose to follow my own understanding that has been largely influenced by the world's ways. I believe that at all times, there lies before a person two kinds of paths: 1) paths which have been set in place by the world and its standards and 2) paths that have been established by God. The bible verse that comes to mind is one of the very first scriptures that I ever memorized and says: "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight" (Proverbs 3:5, 6 NIV 2011).

The longer I walk with Jesus, the more I am confronted with the reality that the ways of the world are consistently in opposition to the ways of God. When I read about Jesus' life in the Gospels, what I see is a life lived in passionate reverence and faith towards God. A life birthed out of a love relationship with God that was founded on respect and intimacy. Jesus knew of and experienced the Father's unconditional love and responded with His own unconditional love in return. I long to walk with God as Jesus did when He lived among us on earth, but this means continually submitting myself to the spiritual surgery of the Holy Spirit in purifying my heart of its desire to walk in the ways of the world, rather than in God's ways.

So this is my heart's cry and prayer: Father in Heaven, "search my heart and search my soul. There is nothing else that I want more. Shine Your light and show Your face. In my life, Lord have Your way. Hear my cry and hear my prayer. Draw me close, so I know You're near. Give me strength and give me grace to walk with You Lord, all my days" In Jesus Name, Amen.

Lindsey Kane: HE KNOWS

2011-03-07T07:43:00.001-06:00

This is such a timely song for me because since coming back from Tanzania I've been feeling a bit disconnected. Now I know that this is natural in transitioning back Stateside, but on a heart level this disconnectedness has gotten me in touch with a deeper sense of loneliness that's always been within my heart. My sense is that this revelation is not a coincidence but purposeful by the Lord so that He can bring healing to the pain and burden of this loneliness that finds comfort in isolation, rather than in community.

Just the other day I heard these words in my spirit "I know your pain." Then the Holy Spirit flashed in my mind pictures of Jesus praying in the garden of Gethsemane and the great anguish and loneliness He felt in having to face the coming trial of the Cross (Matthew 26:36-45). He truly knows the deep pain of loneliness because He's been there. In that moment, He felt utterly alone, but rather than isolating Himself He sought the fellowship of both the Father (vv. 39, 42, 44) and the other disciples (vv. 40, 45).

This has moved me to begin asking the Lord to help me to remain faithful through this coming season as He pulls me from this loneliness and not isolate myself or seek after less than healthy or pure avenues to self-medicate this loneliness. But, to seek the comfort of the Father and the fellowship of the Body of Christ. Somehow I feel like I'm probably not the only one who feels this way. So this is my prayer: "Help us Lord, to find comfort in the fact that You know the pain of our loneliness and that we can trust that You will lead us out of this loneliness and into the comfort and joy of fellowship, both with the Father and others, as You bring healing to our brokenness. In Your Name Jesus, we pray amen."

Jeremy Riddle: full attention

2011-03-03T18:10:00.001-06:00

There is so much in this world that vies to steal my attention away from Jesus. That's why I am so grateful for the Spirit of the Lord who dwells within me because He is greater than the world and can preserve me from and empower me to resist the world's downward pull. Here's a quote from Dr. Ed Murphy from His book, The Handbook of Spiritual Warfare: Revised & Updated, "The Spirit of God, even when He is the Spirit of conviction of sin, is always the Spirit who lets us know we belong to God and His Kingdom...He builds up. He encourages. He blesses. He enlighens. He makes Jesus more and more previous to us. He empowers us to the defeat of the flesh, the world, and Satan and his demons. It is he and he alone who cries within us,'Abba! Father!"

So this is my prayer: Lord, "May Your voice be louder, may Your voice be clearer than all the others. May Your face be dearer, may Your words be sweeter than all the others in my life. May Your presence be truer, may Your presence be nearer than all the others & may Your light shine brighter, may Your love move deeper than all the others in my life. Please keep my eyes fixed on You, please root my heart so deep in You, keep me abiding that I might bear fruit" In Your Name Jesus, Amen.

Vineyard UK: come to me

2011-02-17T09:45:00.001-06:00

This song seems fitting for the days I've walked around the village of Mlangali in Tanzania, Africa visiting families in their homes. At every turn I was confronted by poverty and sickness, people living in less then acceptable shelters while suffering with various insufferable health issues. I met a man today working his farm with what seemed like a fractured leg, a woman with a persistent cough, another man with severe back pain, many children coughing with runny noses and others with various sores and painful ailments. At one point, a woman came looking for me (and my translator) as she must have heard that I was visiting and praying for people. She asked for prayer for her husband whom she said literally lost his mind one day and gave away everything the family owned leaving them in poverty with nothing.

It’s painfully obvious that the kingdom of darkness is actively at work in oppressing people and stealing their hope for a future. The reality of Jesus’ words couldn’t ring truer, “The thief [devil] comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10 ESV). God is life and He desires to bless people with an abundant life. Throughout the day, I was reminded by Holy Spirit that God cares for every aspect of each and every person. He cares about their physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual needs. At each home I was overwhelmed with great compassion for the family, Christ’s compassion, and as I was talking with them about their lives all my heart wanted to do was pray that God would intervene in their lives and restore all that the devil has stolen, killed and destroyed. Thankfully, I had an opportunity to pray for just about every family I visited. Praise the Lord!

walking the Way

2011-02-04T11:42:00.003-06:00

While I’ve been traveling through Tanzania over this past month, I’ve had the opportunity to meet several Pentecostal pastors and quite a few Catholic priests. Many of the conversations I’ve been having with these church leaders has centered on my faith journey with Jesus. To give a little background, image is very important in Tanzania and all pastors and priests wear trousers, a button down shirt at minimum and usually a tie and coat even though it is consistently hot (90+˚ F). Pan over to me and I am wearing a t-shirt and shorts, jeans maybe. While I’ve been here I have actually purchased some trousers and button down shirts. Going to church in less would be disrespectful and preaching in less would be unheard of. Needless to say, it’s been an interesting journey.

Whenever I’ve had the opportunity to really sit down with these church leaders and talk with them, I can’t help but to sense that they are very curious about my tattoos. This is only heightened when I tell them that I have spent six years in seminary, hold two Master degrees (one in Divinity and the other in Counseling Ministries) and pastor in America. I just don’t fit the typical pastor mold. Now it would be very easy for me to be offended, but rather then seeing this as an obstacle, I see it as an opportunity to talk about how Jesus saved me and brought me out of darkness and into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). I love seeing their faces light up when I begin to share my story of hope and healing with them because they can’t help but to be impacted by God’s unconditional love, His amazing grace and Almighty power.

But, these situations are nothing new to me. From the earliest days after Jesus saved me, He impressed upon me 1 Corinthians 1:27-29, “But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God” (ESV). You see, a drug addict and dealer are considered foolish, low and despised in the world’s eyes and that’s what I was. God let me know very early that I had nothing to offer Him, which is extremely humbling. But, by God’s love, grace and power, He has transformed me and my life is now a living testimony to the truth of these verses. I am one of God’s many trophies that He wants to show to the world.

It’s amazing the favor God has given me with people and with whom He has placed me in the company of. The more I’ve leaned into God’s grace and relied upon Him to make the way forward, He has opened up opportunity after opportunity for me to preach, pastor and pray for people. It’s funny, by the world’s way of doing things I should probably try to promote myself by hiding my tattoos, dressing the part of a pastor and talking of my degrees and minimizing or even skipping the ugly of my past. But, whenever I am in situations like these, Holy Spirit faithfully reminds me that to do that would be minimizing God’s grace and anointing upon my life. Jesus has captured my heart and place within me this all-consuming passion to worship, serve and make Him known to the world. I truly can do nothing less. As Peter told Jesus, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life” (John 6:68 NLT). There is no place else for me to go, but to following Jesus wherever He is going and calling me to follow, so that I may proclaim of His grace, love, mercy and power!

making much of Jesus

2011-01-24T09:28:00.009-06:00

My prayer this morning has been to ask the Holy Spirit to cultivate in me in greater and greater measure the simple passion to make much of Jesus. My reasoning behind this is if I am seeking to making much of Jesus then it won’t matter who I’m talking with or the situation I’m in because if my greatest passion is to make much of Jesus, this will move me to give grace, to sacrifice for another, to be slow to anger, to forgive, to be patient, kind and gentle towards others and most importantly to love continually. Simply put, making much of Jesus will mean dying to myself in greater and greater measure because making much of Jesus means making less of myself.

As Jesus tells us, “Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it”. Both Matthew (10:36; 16:25) and Luke (9:24; 17:33) record that Jesus says this twice in His ministry, in three of the four instances Jesus includes the command to “take up your cross and follow Me.” So, if Jesus took the time to repeat Himself, we should pay extra close attention to these words. I believe a good interpretation of “taking up our cross and following Jesus” is taking the time to deal with the barriers that hinder us from following Him. This means asking ourselves: “Where am I trying to preserve my life, when I really should be dying to myself and losing my life?”

If we are to fully accept that the ultimate goal of the inward transformative work of the Holy Spirit is Christlikeness, then this means accepting the reality that life truly is not about us any longer. So we must stop striving to cultivate a righteousness of our own and simply receive in greater and greater measure the gift of Christ’s righteousness imputed to us through the cross. The more we let go of ourselves, the more we will gain Christ. What this looks like walked out is whenever we choose to forgive someone just as Jesus forgave His persecutors while hanging on the cross, He is formed within us. When we choose to give grace to someone just as Jesus extended grace to everyone He met along the way, He is formed within us. When we choose to put others needs before ours just as Jesus did in ministering to the multitudes of people who came to Him for healing, He is formed within us. I could go on, but I think you get the idea.

Making much of Jesus means allowing the Holy Spirit to do what He loves to do, forming Christ within us. The more we grow in Christlikeness, the more the fruit and gifts of the Holy Spirit will flow in and through us and the more we will make much of Jesus. So this is my prayer: Holy Spirit, do what You love to do and make the things of Jesus known to us, but even more than that, we release You to disrupt our comfortable lives in order to form Christ within us. Cultivate more of Your fruit and gifts within us, empowering us to make much of Jesus in every relationship and in every situation. In His Name we ask, Amen.

simple Fruit

2011-01-19T12:11:00.001-06:00

Over the last several years, the Lord has been simplifying my life. This has been an inward transformative work by the Holy Spirit that is now bearing outward fruit. This simple, yet lasting fruit is allowing me to be content in the midst of a town called Morogoro, Tanzania. I have been here for the last few days waiting on a translator while my friend David is in Dar es Salaam procuring a car among other goods for our journey. Morogoro is a rural town with not much in terms of modern world amenities. It is a simple life here, where the power can go out at any moment (just the other day, January 17, 2011, it was out for nearly 10 hours). Small street side shops line dusty roads while others sell their wares on sidewalks. The larger shops have generators which are a God send when the power fails.

Now what the Holy Spirit has been highlighting to me is that it is by the grace of God I can be content here (or anywhere for that matter). You maybe saying well of course, but the way this grace has been apportioned to me is two-fold. First, providentially there is the inward transformative work He’s done in freeing me from the stranglehold of materialism which has helped me to gain a greater eternal perspective on life in general. It’s sad how much influence materialism has and consumerism for that matter (because you can’t have materialism without consumerism) in clouding a person’s judgment and perspective. Add to this the many years the Lord has impressed upon me the need to live a fasted lifestyle also helps to keep the world at bay. The fruit of much of this good work has manifested itself in the contentment of living a simple lifestyle.

This is not to say that I don’t need or want things because I do, but these desires no longer control me. Pressing into the Lord is becoming more and more of my first impulse rather than a second, third, even last resort. Case and point, I’ve spent a day fasting and praying alone in my room while here in Morogoro because seeing the Father’s Kingdom agenda happen has become more important than sightseeing or eating out. Again, I give all praise to God for this because it is by His providential grace of transformation through the Holy Spirit that this is now my passion and reality. Secondly, I would add that God is continually lavishing His grace upon all people, but it is His children who have learned to more readily receive and depend on His grace. Compound this with the prayers of my supporters and I truly am blessed. His grace truly is new each and every morning and I feel His grace through their prayers. If this is you, THANK YOU! Together we can by God's grace!

African Time

2011-01-18T11:22:00.000-06:00

Integrating into the Tanzanian culture has meant accepting the reality of African time. Simply put, African time is the understanding that life happens, so delay happens. So far, I see two contributing factors to “African time.” Firstly, because the majority (89%) of Tanzanians are living on less than $1.25 a day, this means their access and means to things is limited. Hence, walking everywhere is commonplace which creates delay. Secondly, in my last post, I described the importance of knowing another’s life news. I believe this also feeds into African time. Greeting people is so very important to Tanzanians and spending a few minutes greeting someone is commonplace. Now put these two scenarios together and you have African time. On the one hand, you have people walking everywhere and as they are walking along they are spending a significant amount of time greeting their friends and neighbors.

Currently, I am reading this book called “Soul Guide” by Bruce Demarest. In this book on spiritual direction he makes a fair observation of the current Western culture that people are seen more as obstacle then opportunities. Let me explain, Westerners like to fill their days with appointment after appointment (yes, I am guilty of this) and when we encounter people throughout our day, they become more like obstacles to get over or around, so that we don’t miss our next appointment. Now, the challenge the author puts to us is this: rather than seeing the person before us as a hindrance to our next appointment, see this person as our next “divine” appointment. Maybe a good lesson we can learn from African time is that we need to slow down and take the time to greet one another. Who knows the next person that “gets in your way” maybe the very person in whom you can impact for all eternity with the good news of the Gospel?

Habari Yako?

2011-01-17T08:30:00.001-06:00

Over this past week, I had the opportunity to visit some friends who were called by God two years ago to share Jesus with the Zanzibari people. My initial experience of the Zanzibari people was that they see “wazungu” (white people) or “watlii” (tourists) as $$. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been harassed to look at this or to buy that or beckoned to come over here or there. Now I fully understand that from their perspective that’s why the “wazungu” come to Zanzibar, for tourism. I found it interesting to watch the Zanzibaris interact with my friends who are fluent in Swahili. They would walk up to them just as they did me and say a greeting in Swahili, but whenever my friends greeted them back or asked them questions in return in Swahili, they would simply walk away. Hence, I couldn’t help but feel like most of the time, they were simply sizing people up. The saying on the island is that there is the “wazungu” price and then the “Zanzibari” or “real” price. Now, if that’s all the interaction I had with Zanzibaris, my conclusion would be that they are no different than the locals in any other touristy city I’ve ever been too.

But, because my friends have been living on Zanzibar for two years, they have made some “rafiki” (friends) in which they are in genuine fellowship with. It is through seeing their interaction that I’ve come to see the heart and beauty of the Zanzibari people. Relationships are so very important to Zanzibaris and knowing the “news” (habari) of one another’s life is crucial. Whenever I was walking with my friend around their home, it was imperative that she greet everyone and ask of the news of their life. At any given encounter these and many more questions would be asked: “Habari yako? (what’s your news?) Habari nyumbani? (what’s the news of your household?) Habari mama? (what’s the news of your mother?) Habari baba? (what’s the news of your father?) Habari Dar? (what’s the news in Dar?)” and so on and so forth. Granted though the answer to these questions was almost exclusively “nzuri” (good), what stuck me was the importance in asking about the “news” of one another’s lives. So let me ask you: Habari yako?

Selah: Light of the stable (performed by Orchard Hill Church worship team)

2010-12-27T12:36:00.004-06:00

This song is becoming by far my favorite Christmas song, ever. I love it because it captures the reality of who Jesus is: He is a King worthy of all creation's praises! Even as a little newborn baby, He is still the King of Kings (Revelation 19:16), who is worthy of our praises! "Hail, hail to the newborn King." Not only this, but Jesus is and always will be "the Light of the World and whoever follows Him will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" (John 8:12). Take a minute to really let this Truth settle into you. Jesus' presence in our lives drives back the darkness that continually tries to pull us down into the pits of despair and hopelessness. Now that's Good News! "Hail, hail to the guiding Light. That brought us tonight to our Savior! Halle, hallelujah! Halle, hallelujah!" Merry Christmas!

Sara Groves: when the saints

2010-12-20T14:27:00.000-06:00

This song is a good reminder that when we read through the book of Acts in the bible, we should be asking ourselves: "Where in the world can I be doing what the disciples were doing?" Now, on the surface, the world today may look very different from what it looked like 2000 years ago. But, the sad reality of sin and our fallenness is that no matter what era that we live in there will always be people using and abusing other people. Though we have advanced greatly through technology, greed, lust and hatred still remains which means that there will always be a need for followers of Jesus to be engaging redemptively with the world from an eternal perspective with the Gospel.

"I see the long quiet walk along the Underground Railroad. I see the slave awakening to the value of her soul. I see the young missionary and the angry spear. I see his family returning with no trace of fear. I see the long hard shadows of Calcutta nights. I see the sister standing by the dying man's side. I see the young girl huddled on the brothel floor. I see the man with a passion come and kicking down the door. I see the man of sorrows and his long troubled road. I see the world on his shoulders and my easy load..."

Mercy Me: spoken for

2010-12-09T15:00:00.000-06:00

This song is in many ways my heart's cry for all people, but specifically for those who struggle with drug and alcohol addiction because they are the ones who are being destroyed by their all-consuming desire for the things of this world (drugs and alcohol) at such an alarming and tragic rate. Whenever I see someone caught in such bondage to their lust for the world, the Spirit of God moves my heart to begin praying that Jesus would set them free into His eternal Kingdom of grace and freedom where they are covered by Divine Love, where God puts His hand upon their life and says to the devil, "No more! This one is mine!" and where their hearts are completely spoken for: sold out for Jesus.

Hillsong United (Brooke Fraser): SOON

2010-12-06T11:56:00.000-06:00

I long to see Jesus, to see Him in all of His majesty, to see the Savior who gave His life, so that I could live, to see my friend and King who shares all eternity with me. I long to see Jesus, to see Him in all of His beauty, to see Him who is Love and Truth, to see the Shepherd who has guided and cared for me through this life. I long to see Jesus, to finally see Him face to face.

Rita Springer: fragrant offering

2010-11-11T23:50:00.001-06:00

This song reminds me of the Gospel story where a woman anoints Jesus with expensive perfume (Mark 14:3-9). What moves me in the narrative is both the woman's passion to boldly bless Jesus regardless of who was around and Jesus' full acceptance of her fragrant offering. What especially touches my heart is when people begin to criticize her for being wasteful, Jesus becomes very protective of her. "Leave her alone,” He says, “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me" (Mark 14:6 NIV).

This is good reminder that in the world's eyes, extravagant offerings to the Lord may seem foolish and wasteful. But, to the Lord they are "a beautiful thing." My heart's cry is that I would hold nothing back from the Lord, that the whole of my life would be a pleasing and fragrant offering to the Lord. I pray Lord that just as the woman in Bethany broke the alabaster jar of expensive perfume and anointed You, Jesus, I too would "pour my vial of worship over You" regardless of what anyone thinks or says Jesus. Help me Holy Spirit to give generously and with wild abandon to the Lord! To the Father's glory! Amen.

Starfield: unashamed

2010-10-20T16:52:00.000-05:00

What does it mean to be made whole, to be made complete? Because everyday I am confronted with the reality that my soul is fractured and in need of healing. Some days are better than others, but there are those moments where I come face to face with my brokenness; soulish moments where the wounds of my heart begin to lash out at God, others, even myself. Lately, I've been feeling the force of all the many broken relationships of my past which is effecting my relational capacity to receive love.

Now, I fully understand that Jesus makes me whole. But, what I am learning is that embracing this truth is an ongoing process. It's like I need to continually remind myself that because I am in Christ I have been made complete because in Him my wounds are healed. I believe the reason this is easier said than done is because if I am to be made complete in Jesus, I need to embrace the full extent of my brokenness which is all together scary, humbling, overwhelming and painful to say the least.

But, what helps get me through is the reminder that God is love and that there is no safer place to be than at His feet. He fully accepts me just as I am, period. I don't need to feel ashamed about my brokenness because Jesus fully loves me in my brokenness while He brings healing and redemption to my brokenness. At His feet is where I am fully known and still fully loved. Jesus, "here I am at your feet, in my brokenness complete."

Rita Springer: phenomenon

2010-10-19T08:55:00.018-05:00

A few weeks back God miraculously grew out one of my legs and then evened them out (for the full story click here). While I have been processing this, what the Holy Spirit has brought to my attention is how I can get easily sidetracked by the supernatural. Meaning, when a miracle happens I can very easily forget the Miracle Worker (God) because I am so captivated by the miracle itself. That's why I love this song, it reminds me that I don't follow God because of the supernatural but because I love Him. "I am not here just to see a phenomenon. I am not here for experiential bliss. I simply come to the feet of the God I serve, the One that I love."

God is a supernatural God, Who works miracles. There is no way of getting around this truth. And this song is a great reminder that witnessing and experiencing the supernatural isn't what we ground our faith in. Rather, our faith needs to be rooted in God Himself. The reason God does miracles is to bring people to faith in Him. But, if our faith is solely rooted in the supernatural, then what we'll have is an immature and shallow faith. "I am not here for the sake of a miracle. I am not here just to see the dead raised. Yes I believe in power supernatural, but that's not why I'm saved." We are saved through a Person, Jesus Christ, in Him is where we must put our faith.

Bad Religion: we are only gonna die

2010-10-18T18:52:00.002-05:00

Recently, a friend of mine changed her Facebook profile pic to one that reminded me of when we used to run wild in the streets of Chicago as a couple of punk rock kids. When I sit down and really think about those days, they were some pretty painful times of my past. I was so angry at the world and I wanted everyone to feel my pain. This song was one of my favorites back then. From as far back as I can remember, music has always helped me find my voice. If you ever want to know where I'm at in this journey through life just ask me what songs I'm listening to, they will clue you in to what's currently on my heart.

Today, the music that reflects the voice of my heart is far different then what it was. Thankfully, God has healed the painful memories of my past and eased the anger that poured out of my every pore. I have found peace. Not just any peace, but a peace that transcends this very world. Through Jesus I have made peace with God, with others and with myself. My past no longer controls my present, nor dictates my future. There's a Scripture verse that describes my life with God now: "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future'" (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV). It's true.

ATB: don't stop

2010-10-16T23:20:00.002-05:00

Just recently, a friend of mine posted this as his facebook status: "amazing how many memories a song can hold." I'd have to agree. Music is a powerful catalyst. This song has quite a few memories for me, both happy and painful. The happy memories are the ones where I'm dancing with close friends without a care in the world. The painful memories are the ones where I'm so high on ecstasy that I can't even remember my name. I definitely don't miss those days. But, I do miss the ones where I'm dancing with close friends. What kind of memories do the songs of your life activate?

chicane: DAYLIGHT

2010-10-03T09:29:00.004-05:00

When God first began moving in my life, letting me know that He was real, that He loved me and that He had an amazing purpose and plan for my life, He used people and music to speak to me. I was pretty deep into the rave and club scene where music, dancing and drugs was my life. When I hear the lyrics, "Is it daylight? I hardly ever notice. I hardly feel the sun. And I never feeling anyone." That was me. I lived for the night, numbed to everything but drugs and music. I used to get completely lost dancing for hours and hours on end: music, drugs and dancing was my escape from reality.

This song reminds me of those times when the light of God's Kingdom began to break into the darkness that was my life. He helped me to feel again. He helped me to come out of the darkness and into His wonderful light. At first it hurt to be exposed, but I slowly began to adjust to the light and my soul started to heal in the light of God's love. Today, I am learning to dance through life, rather than dancing to escape life. God has shown me the way of life and has granted me the joy of being in His presence and the pleasures of living with Him forever (Psalm 16:11). My prayer is that the light of God's Kingdom would begin to break in greater measure in your life and that you would begin to heal in the light of His love.

daft punk: DIGITAL LOVE

2010-10-02T15:53:00.000-05:00

This is another song that just makes me happy when I hear it because it touches the part of my heart that dreams of being in love. Life is always better when you can share it with another. I'm glad that God said that "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him" (Genesis 2:18 NIV). Now, if only God would bring that helper my way already! Do you believe that God divinely orchestrates two people meeting, falling in love and spending the rest of their lives together?

Peter Heller: BIG LOVE

2010-10-01T14:43:00.000-05:00

House music just about always puts me in a good mood. This song is no different. Call me a hopeless romantic or old fashioned, but there's something simply sweet about saving love for that special someone! But, it seems like everyday I am tempted to give my love away in less than meaningful ways. We live in such a sexually saturated society where the value on our sexuality has been steadily depreciating at an alarming rate. Sex has been reduced to a purely physical act, rather than encompassing every aspect of our being (emotional, psychological, physcial and spiritual). To use other language, our sexuality needs to be connected to our heart, mind, body and soul. How much value do you put on your sexuality?

Hillsong United: FIRE FALL DOWN

2010-09-27T18:11:00.001-05:00

Whenever I feel broken this song helps to remind me of God's faithfulness in healing, saving, redeeming and restoring my life. I've been on such an amazing journey with God these past 10 years or so. Sometimes I wish I was further ahead on this journey then I am, but it's in these moments that I need to remind myself that I can't make myself grow any faster. I need to remind myself that I am completely dependent on God's grace and mercy. After all, it is His love that sustains me. Thank You Lord that You really do fix broken lives. Thank You for fixing mine.

Leona Lewis: BRAVE

2010-09-25T17:42:00.001-05:00

Bravery. I think it's safe to say that we all wish we could be a bit braver in certain areas of our lives. But, because of the spiritual battle that wars around us many of us have "shadows weighing us down," keeping us from reaching our full potential in life, keeping us from being brave. Listening to this song touches those places in my heart that long for bravery. To be honest, the moments that I lack the most bravery are usually when God is calling me to step out in faith to proclaim and demonstrate that His Kingdom is near to people.

The more I listen to this song, the more I long to have the faith that I read Jesus had in the Gospels. The bible says that Jesus was tempted in every way that we are, but was without sin (Hebrews 4:15). This tells me that there were moments when Jesus was tempted to not step out in faith, to not be brave. But, He didn't. Why not? Now the easy answer would be to say that well Jesus was God, so of course He didn't and leave it at that. This is maybe true, but sounds more like a cop-out than an explanation. The more I've meditated and sought clarity from the Holy Spirit on this, the more I'm convinced that it was because Jesus knew who had His back.

Our Father in heaven had Jesus' back and He also has ours. For me, it's not so much about trying to conjure up bravery inside of myself, but more about believing that our Father in heaven actually has my back, that He is before me and behind me, above me and below me and at either side of me. Bravery comes from knowing that because we are God's children, He has our backs. God is intimately concerned about every aspect of our lives from the big to the small, from the epic to the utterly mundane and boring. He is our Father in heaven who loves and delights in us. Bravery comes from knowing who He is to us and what we mean to Him.

ten shekel shirt: HEALER

2010-09-24T21:28:00.004-05:00

I find great comfort in knowing that God is my healer. I personally have experienced healing from Jesus emotionally (the wounds of my heart) and spiritually (freed from the shame and guilt of sin and delivered from demonic torment). Jesus has also used me to bring emotional, spiritual, psychological and physical healing to people as well. God's heart towards us is goodness, but because we are caught in a war where the enemy is constantly attacking people and trying to destroy them many people confuse this suffering as actually coming from the heart of God.

Today, as I was at the grocery store, I saw this women who was terribly thin. From my perspective it was pretty obvious that she suffered from anorexia nervosa (by the grace of God, I am extra sensitive to addictive types of conditions). I was so moved by the compassion of God that I literally began to pray out loud for Jesus to bring healing to her body and deliver her from any demonic influence over her life. It's in moments like this that God blesses me by revealing to me His heart towards people who are suffering. I fully believe that His heart is to bring healing to us. Have you asked God to become your healer?

Snow Patrol: OPEN YOUR EYES

2010-09-12T22:44:00.000-05:00

I long for God to awaken people to the reality of the Kingdom of God, so that they can begin to see the world from an eternal perspective. This is my heart's cry. I think the reason I like this song so much is that I helps give voice to this longing. I just want to scream to the world to "open your eyes" Jesus loves you! But, in the end everyone has to choose to believe for themselves, I can't open their eyes for them. When the Kingdom of God comes near them, they have to choose to open their eyes and hearts to accept and believe that Jesus has come to save them!

Jonathan David Helser: fly

2010-09-07T18:58:00.000-05:00

Trust, surrender and healing go hand in hand (in hand?). The more I trust, the more I surrender, the more I surrender the more I am healed by God. My heart longs to be fully free and fully alive. But, "the sad reality of our fallen condition is that we would rather live the way we are familiar and comfortable with, even if it means living in bondage, rather than embrace the new and unfamiliar way that Jesus has for us" (for more on this go here: living free). Now stepping off the edge, letting go and leaving it all behind will look differently for each of us. But, I believe at core of this cutting loose is the revelation that the plans that Father God has for us are far better than any plans we could ever have for ourselves. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV).

Jason Upton: sons and daughters

2010-09-02T21:35:00.001-05:00

This is such a profound question: "Do you know that you are a Word from Heaven?" When I really sit down a think through what this question is asking, it blows me away. What this question is saying is that from Heaven, God has spoken that we are His sons and daughters and His Word has come true. Have you recieved the truth that you are a Word from Heaven?

Brian and Jenn Johnson: love came down

2010-08-31T18:11:00.002-05:00

God longs to be near us. But, because of the thorns and scars in and on our hearts (our woundedness) there will be times where we will try to keep God at arm's length thinking to ourselves that He would rather be spending time with someone else. I can't tell you how many people I've met that believe that God loves us because He has to and that He actually doesn't really like us. He more or less just puts up with us (which couldn't be further from the Truth). Personally, the day someone told me that God actually really does loves me, that He actually really, really, really likes me as well and can't get enough of me and that He really, really, really, really delights in spending time with me has forever changed me (and I don't feel like I'm being overly dramatic here). I mean think about it, God gave up His one and only Son, Jesus, so that He could be near us and we could be near Him for all eternity (John 3:16). Do you really think that God would do this only to have to "put up" with us forever? Of course not! because He really, really, really does love and like us!!! This song helps to remind me that I belong to God and He loves spending time with me, period.

Chris Tomlin: this is our God

2010-08-26T21:29:00.000-05:00

Everyone has baggage when it comes to God which clouds the way we understand and experience Him. That's why I love this song because it paints a Scripturally accurate picture of Who God is. I can't tell you how many times I've listened to this song over and over and over again because I needed to hear over and over and over again Who God is. My baggage, the wounds of my heart, fights against believing in the goodness and love of God. One of the hardest thing for me to do (and I don't think I'm alone in this) was to just receive God's saving grace. Even after coming to faith in Jesus, I still need to make a conscious decision each and everyday to receive the grace He has for me each and everyday. I've noticed that the more I do this the clearer and more accurate my understanding and experience of God grows. Maybe you need to listen to this song over and over and over again to help remind you of Who God is. "God help us to receive more of Your grace, in Jesus Name, Amen."

Straight Gate Church Choir: Breathe

2010-08-25T19:01:00.001-05:00

What gives you life? There are two instances in the bible where God breathes. First, in Genesis 2:7 the Father breathes into Adam the breathe of life. Secondly, in John 20:22 Jesus breathes the Holy Spirit onto His disciples. What this says to me is that God is the Creator and Giver of life, both physical and spiritual, old and new. The bible also says that when a person comes to faith in Jesus, God pours His love into them by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5), who comes to dwell within that person (1 Corinthians 6:19) and that person becomes a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). In that instant a miracle happens. I believe from that day forward as a person embraces more and more living, moving and having their being within God (Acts 17:28), Holy Spirit continually breathes new life into that person each and everyday. So, maybe the better question is: "When's the last time you felt God breathe in or on you?"

Pennies HEART

2010-08-24T23:03:00.000-05:00

The guys at Phos Pictures never fail to move my heart towards hope. This video is especially endearing: who's heart doesn't break when they see kids in distress? I couldn't even begin to imagine what this family went through. The Scripture passage that comes to mind is "All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us" (2 Corinthians 1:3, 4 NLT). God is the great Comforter, but He also empowers His people to comfort others. I love that a community of people gathered around this family and comforted, prayed and cared for them. For me that's a clear picture of the family of God: "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:35 NIV).

Rita Springer: WORTH IT ALL

2010-08-19T17:51:00.000-05:00

This song always helps to ground and reorient me back to the reason I live the way I live, do the things that I do and suffer through the things that I suffer through. Simply put, Jesus is worth it. For me, the Christian faith isn't so much about Heaven (though I do look forward to being there), nor is it all about eternity (though I do look forward to living forever). No, for me the Christian faith is all about Jesus: knowing Him, following Him, becoming more like Him. From what I gather from Scripture, the blessed hope that the followers of Jesus get to look forward to is: the day that we all finally get to meet our Savior face to face. I think this video captures the essence of this song well. Jesus' sacrifice on the cross for the sins of Mankind has earned Him all the praise and glory from all creation. Jesus is worthy of all our praise. The reason I live the way I live, do the things that I do and suffer through the things that I suffer through is because in my eyes, Jesus is worth it.

Tyson Ibele: HEMLOCK

2010-08-18T17:15:00.005-05:00

I find this take on the fountain of youth interesting because it takes the old myth and incorporates modern man's pursuit of technological immortality. The rise of technology has given birth to a movement of "Transhumanists" who are obsessed with living forever through the merging of man and machine. Ray Kuzweil is one of the leading scientists in this endeavor and has coined this merging as the "Singularity."

In interacting with this notion, here are a couple questions to ask yourself:

Biological: When does a human being stop becoming human?
Metaphysical: At what point do we consider an entity to be conscious, to be self-aware, to have free will?
Personal: How much technology would you be willing to merge with your body?

The 420 Prayer Movement: STORY

2010-08-17T17:16:00.004-05:00

Do you believe God can transform a person's life? Well, God supernaturally changed mine. I was hopelessly addicted to drugs. But, God changed all of that. The Kingdom of God broke in power into my life and I was forever changed. What's your story? Share it here.

The 420 Prayer Movement: VISION

2010-08-16T19:01:00.000-05:00

I'm pretty excited about where God is taking the 420 Prayer Movement. One of the next steps in this coming year is to become a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. You can read more about this here. Do you know someone struggling with drug or alcohol addiction? The 420 Prayer Movement is dedicated to praying for all addicts and acoholics: http://ww.420prayer.com/

saying good-bye

2010-08-14T12:47:00.003-05:00

Last night was a sad night for my brother's family. They decided to euthanize their 16 year old dog "Princess." It was a very difficult decision for them to make, but her quality of life was declining quickly. She had gone deaf and was almost completely blind. You could tell that her bones ached when she moved, she would walk into walls and she just recently began showing signs of senility; she would literally get lost coming in from the garage. Here are some pictures of them saying good-bye.

It's interesting how death can spark thoughts of something more. Princess' passing opened up conversations about Heaven. More specifically what does the Bible say about animals going to Heaven, even what does the Bible say about people going to Heaven. From my understanding, the Bible is silent on whether or not animals go to Heaven, but there are Scriptures (to name a few) that talk about creation waiting to be redeemed (Romans 8:21), that describe the new heaven and earth where "The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent's food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain," says the LORD (Isaiah 65:25 NIV), and that describe Heaven as a place filled with creatures that praise Jesus, the Lamb of God (Revelation 5:13).

So though there is some conjecture about this, I would say that it's ok to say that all animals do go to Heaven. Let me explain, I don't believe animals have the capacity to willfully sin as people do. Sure, God frustrated creation by His will (Romans 8:20) and so all creation is fallen, but I'm not so sure that animals have the capacity for premeditated sin. They act more out of instinct than conscious thought. So, if one animal goes to Heaven (in which the Bible is clear that there are animals there), I would have to conclude in God's justice and fairness that all animals go to Heaven. But, regardless of my own thoughts and musings about this, at the end of the day, I put my trust in the Word of God and in His goodness and mercy when it comes to all things pertaining to salvation, redemption, healing and life.

Princess you will be missed!!!
(1994-2010)

Emma Thompson: Human Trafficking PSA

2010-08-13T19:36:00.000-05:00

In Revelation 18, John describes the sins of the great city of Babylon, which simply put represents the world in rebellion to God. I know that there are differing views (preterist, historicist, futurist and idealist/spiritualist), but the common thread within all of the views is rebellion to God, whether a specific or symbolic world system or religion of the past, present or future. What I want to point out is one of the earmarks of Babylon which is human trafficking, the selling of souls. "She also bought cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, horses, chariots, and bodies—that is, human slaves" (Revelation 18:13 NLT). We shouldn't be surprised that human trafficking is happening, even on the rise. Be informed! Get the facts! Get involved! Begin praying! HUMAN TRAFFICKING: THE FACTS

WFJ: Wrestling for Jesus

2010-08-12T10:35:00.000-05:00

What do you think? Personally, I think it's awesome that there are evangelist wrestlers that travel from town to town wrestling and preaching the Gospel. I mean Jesus tells us that, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field" (Luke 10:2). Well, this video is proof that the Lord of the harvest is actively sending out workers into His harvest field. In this case the wrestling lovers harvest field.

When's the last time you ask the Lord of the harvest to raise up laborers? I'd like to invite you into a movement going round called the "Luke 10:2b" virus where people are setting their cell phone alarms to go off at 10:02 am everyday, in order to ask the Lord of the harvest to raise up laborers. Let's join together in one voice and Spirit to begin begging the Lord for more workers! Set your cell phone alarm today.

Bob Lorrimer: SNAIL

2010-08-10T18:01:00.002-05:00

Watching God's creation always makes me wonder in awe at the diversity of His incredible creativity!