Today has been filled with prayer. I can't remember when I've felt so close to God. Thanks to Virginia for suggesting the day of fasting and to Don for suggesting the prayer meeting tonight.
I've never had much luck with fasting. I'm an eater. Big-time. I'm a three squares kinda guy, with a few extras thrown in. But today, God gave me a hand. I'm not kidding. On Sunday when fasting was called for, I thought to myself, "Yeah, okay. I'll play along. But by 10:00 a.m. I'll be willing to sell my third kidney for a Twinkie."
That's not what happened. From the time I woke up this morning, I haven't really even thought about eating. I've been thinking about God. I've been thinking about D-Now, the leaders, the students, Jacob, Jonah, and Jesus. I've been thinking about JGen and post D-Now. I've been thinking about the people I'm concerned about, the heavy hearts, the ones walking the tightrope, and the kids I hope will show up this weekend. There are some that I call "special needs" in a spiritual sense.
So thanks to God for showing Himself to me today in a different way.
As long as we're expressing our prayers:
Father, thank You for a wonderful day. Thank You for Your closeness and for helping me through something I usually fail at. Come near to us this weekend as we seek Your face. I pray the students' hearts will be opened to You. Many of them are hurting, many are searching, and some of them don't know how badly they need You. Show Yourself to them in a real and undeniable way. I pray that, even if they forget about Jonah or Jacob, they will come away with a desire to know You more, to seek after You, to surrender to You. I pray they will be willing to sacrifice in order to draw near to You.
Lord, work in the hearts of the leaders. Conform us, break us if you must, so that we can truly lead and not just teach. Help us to lead the kids by example in obedience and surrender to You. May they look at our lives and simply see You and Your love for them. Bring us together as one family with one purpose in mind --to bring glory to You. Amen.
So here we go. Cardboard testimonies, skits, games, lock-ins, and all. Disciple-Now is upon us and not a moment too soon. The anticipation is becoming unbearable.
And proof that God is real? I went all day without a Mountain Dew, or even a fudge round. Gimme an amen, Spenser.
