Cedar Springs Mission Devotionals and Prayer Guide

January - December 2015 THURSDAY, JANUARY 1

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Opening Prayer: Almighty God, who came to us long ago in the birth of Jesus Christ, be born in us anew today by the power of your Holy Spirit. We offer our lives as home to you and ask for grace and strength to live as your faithful, joyful children always. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.( A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and Other Servants)

Scripture Reading for the Day: Psalm 131:1-3

Reading for Reflection: I think I might adopt Psalm 131 as my prayer for the New Year because it reminds me of what is really important and what God seems to desire as far as my outlook and my attitude are concerned. All of which is the polar opposite of everything the culture and the world encourage me to pursue. In a culture that says, “Make a name for yourself, achieve, perform, jockey for position, be ambitious, accomplish much!” this perspective can seem odd, if not diametrically opposed. Can you imagine someone asking about your goals for the New Year, or about what your New Year’s resolutions are, and telling them, “Well, I’m trying to keep my heart from being too high or proud. I’m trying not to get too full of myself. And I’m going to try not to be lifted up in my own eyes, or the eyes of those around me. I’m actually kind of hoping that I become smaller, less significant, and less visible. I want to stay out of the limelight and be about the things that no one ever really sees. I want to make sure that I don’t occupy myself- my heart, mind, and soul- with things that are simply too great and marvelous for me. I’m actually kind of hoping that my soul will be stilled, calmed and quieted, like a weaned child with its mother - totally content just to be, totally dependent on God and His great care and affection. I really just want to be held by Him and loved by Him. I don’t want to put my hope in what I do or what I achieve or what I accomplish. I don’t want to put my confidence in my own gifts, abilities, and efforts. I want to put my hope totally in the Lord, both now and forevermore.” What kind of response do you think that line of thinking would get? But that is what I long for, and more importantly what I think God longs for in me. Just to be His. Not to be heroic, or epic, or wonderful, or legendary. Not to be popular, or admired, or successful, or productive. But to be simply His, and to be loved, and to be obedient, and let everything else take care of itself. Happy New Year.

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Carlos and Sandy Rios are planting Rivers of Grace Bible Church in the San Andres area of Guadalajara, Mexico. The church is growing and many new families have begun attending. Pray today for their discipleship times with family groups to be fruitful and that the families may apply what they learn to grow in Jesus.

Closing Prayer: God, I’m not trying to rule the roost, I don’t want to be king of the mountain. I haven’t meddled where I have no business or fantasized grandiose plans. I’ve kept my feet on the ground, I’ve cultivated a quiet heart. Like a baby content in its mother’s arms, my soul is a baby content. Wait, Israel, for God. Wait with hope. Hope now; hope always! (Psalm 131, The Message) Notes

2 FRIDAY, JANUARY 2

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Opening Prayer: Almighty God, who came to us long ago in the birth of Jesus Christ, be born in us anew today by the power of your Holy Spirit. We offer our lives as home to you and ask for grace and strength to live as your faithful, joyful children always. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and Other Servants)

Scripture Reading for the Day: Hebrews 1:1-4

Reading for Reflection: Our spiritual life depends on his perpetual coming to us, far more than on our going to him. Every time a channel is made for him he comes; every time our hearts are open to him he enters, bringing a fresh gift of his very life, and on that life we depend. We should think of the whole power and splendor of God as always pressing in upon our small souls. (Advent with Evelyn Underhill)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Global Media Outreach is an Internet ministry that seeks to stay on the cutting edge of emerging technologies with the intent to give everyone on earth multiple opportunities to know and follow Jesus Christ. Pray today for each person that will encounter this ministry via their website that they will choose to follow Christ.

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for being the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being. Thank you for sustaining all things by your powerful word. And thank you for providing purification for our sins and sitting at the right hand of the Majesty of heaven; that we might join you for all eternity. Amen. Notes

3 SATURDAY, JANUARY 3

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Opening Prayer: Almighty God, who came to us long ago in the birth of Jesus Christ, be born in us anew today by the power of your Holy Spirit. We offer our lives as home to you and ask for grace and strength to live as your faithful, joyful children always. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and Other Servants)

Scripture Reading for the Day: Titus 2:11-14

Reading for Reflection: “Guide our feet into the paths of peace, that having done Your will this day, we may, when night comes, rejoice and give You thanks…” We begin the work that is before us this day, asking for the grace to do it well and to the glory of God. We dress children and get them to school, we find our places and undertake the tasks for which we have been dreamed into being. We do the work that is before us, the gift of study or play, the tasks and assignments, the places to go and the people to see. We begin to sense that our work can be changed from job and task into service and act of kindness, from struggle for gain into the offering of gift, from slow death into life-giving co-creation. The work itself can become something more as we come to see ourselves as co-laborers rather than pawns, as hands and feet of God rather than merely the shoulders and backs of the marketplace. We keep our eyes open for the One Who Comes among us in our daily rounds. (Living Prayer by Robert Benson)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Mostafa and Mona Sharkawy’s main area of work is the U.K., serving among Arab Muslims. Their goals are to see Arabic churches arise from Muslim background believers, to see new generations of leaders from Muslim believers, and to teach and prepare them for future ministry. Pray today for their work inside the Immigration Removal Centre and that more people will come and join the weekly meetings.

Global SEEDS (Global Source for Education and Economic Development Strategies) builds empowering relationships with Muslim refugees in the Knoxville community, helping them integrate into local culture by teaching English as a second language, offering adult literacy and job training, as well as assisting them in developing important life skills.

Closing Prayer: Lord God, in this holy season of song, prayer, and laughter, may we praise you for the amazing wonders you have sent us. For shining stars, angel’s songs, and the newborn’s cry in a lowly manger, we thank you. We praise you for the Word made flesh. May we behold his glory and bask in his radiance. Be with us as we continue to celebrate this Christmas season. Amen. Notes

4 Theme for the Week: The Way

SUNDAY, JANUARY 4

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Opening Prayer: May those without hope take heart in you, O Christ. May those with no home find shade at your right hand. May those near the end see beginnings; may those at the last become first. At the foot of your cross, O Christ, I come in prayer. O Christ, be my help, O Christ, be my hope. Amen. (Pamela Hawkins, Weavings Volume XXVI, Number 2)

Scripture Reading for the Day: John 14:1-14

Reading for Reflection: I had rented a car at the airport and dived recklessly into rush-hour traffic in a city I knew not at all. I had glanced hastily at a map but (in my hurry and carelessness) had assumed that the way to my hotel and dinner with old friends would be more or less self-evident. Within a quarter of an hour I had no idea where I was. However, I knew I didn’t want to be there. Once I left the interstate (which had seemed a good idea at the time) I found myself in a sprawling maze of dark warehouses and derelict tenements with bars on the windows and grates over the doors. There were few other cars (and no people) in sight. Finally I saw in the distance the lighted sign of a 24-hour coffee shop. I plunged toward it with the desperation and relief of a shipwrecked sailor sighting a lighthouse on the shore. Inside, when I asked for directions to get downtown, the waitress shrugged apologetically and said she didn’t know the way; she had never been that far. My heart sank. On a rising tide of panic, I began to fear, as one does in a nightmare, that I would be lost forever. But then a man who had been sitting in a back booth - camping there apparently: a bedroll and various bags were tucked in the corners - approached me. His face bore the marks of a hard life; he had no teeth; his eyes were kind. “Can I help you, ma’am?” he asked. Once again I explained my predicament. This time, thank God, someone knew not only where I was, but also where I was headed, and how to get from here to there. “You’re just off Broadway here,” the man told me. “You can be on it in a minute. Once you get on that road, you just stay on it.” He spread my crumpled disregarded map on the counter, and traced the way with his finger. “The name of the street will change, but don’t you mind that. You’ll come to train tracks by the river, and it will be confusing, but don’t you mind that either. You just keep going forward. You’ll come to a bridge. Go over it. Stay on that street. After a while, you’ll see signs for downtown. Then pretty soon you’ll see the name of the street you want, and you’ll turn left. But till then, you just keep going on the road you’re on.” “Do you mean,” I exclaimed incredulously, “that all I have to do is get on Broadway at the next corner and then just go straight to my hotel?” He shook his head. “No, ma’am,” he corrected me firmly. “It ain’t straight at all. Ain’t nothing straight about it. But you just keep going forward, and you’ll get there all right.” I thanked the man, got back in the car, found Broadway, and stayed doggedly on it for many miles. The way twisted and turned, as he had warned me it would. The name of the road changed; it bumped over railroad tracks, flung itself across a wide river. Once on the other side, I was in a less desolate landscape, and finally, as promised, I found the place and the friends I had been seeking. Everyone has had the experience, one way or another, of suddenly not knowing where one is, or which way to turn, what road to take. The journey, which at first appeared straightforward, reveals itself to be full of unexpected dangers, unmarked crossroads, bewildering choices, discouraging setbacks. At the beginning of his Divine Comedy, the great Italian poet, Dante, finds himself in a similar situation, alone “in a dark wood” having lost “the straight way.” Beset by terrors on every side, he is rescued by the Roman poet, Virgil, who guides Dante through Hell and Purgatory to the very edge of Paradise. My own loss of “the straight way” in the “dark woods” of north Kansas City taught me a great deal that Dante also learns at the outset of his adventures. Remembering that experience has helped me whenever I needed to find a way out of the dead ends and wrong turns that I continue to encounter along my pilgrim way.

5 We are all on our long journeys home; we all get lost along the way. We will need to ask for help. We have to learn to recognize the help we have asked for when it comes. We must not expect that the way will be easy. We will need to be sure of our destination and take responsibility for the path we have chosen. Then - and only then - we will have to keep going until we reach our destination, or need to ask for help again. None of which is as simple as it sounds. (Though the Way Be Lost by Deborah Smith Douglas, Weavings, Volume XXV, Number 3)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Gospel Wave Media is a satellite and Internet ministry that produces, records and broadcasts Christian television programs to Central Asia. Pray today for Shohrat and his team as they share the truth of the gospel with Muslims.

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you that you are the way. Helps us to walk in you. Amen. Notes

6 MONDAY, JANUARY 5

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Matthew 7:13-14

Reading for Reflection: The picture of the Lord Jesus as the Door properly belongs to the beginning of the Christian life… But what lies beyond the Door? Scripture could have pictured the Door leading us into a house or a garden. If it had done so, we would have gathered that the Lord Jesus brings us into a static experience of salvation, peace, and holiness, and that once having entered in, we would more or less stay there, enjoying it all without continuous co-operation on our part. Scripture, however, gives us the picture of the Door leading us, not into a house, but on to a Way. Said the Lord Jesus, “Narrow is the Gate, and straitened the Way that leadeth unto life” (Matthew 7:14 RSV). The Gate opens on to a Way that stretches right ahead. And the Lord Jesus who had said, “I am the Door”, now says, “I am the Way” (John 14:6) that lies beyond the Door. Both Door and Way are the same blessed Person. Now a Way speaks not of a final settled blessing but rather of a walk, of an experience which is continuous. A walk is simply a reiterated step, where something is happening each moment in the present; after one step, the next step; after the one “now”, the next “now”. This illustrates the fact that our experience of Christ is to be a continuous present tense, a glorious “now”. (We Would See Jesus by Roy and Revel Hession)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Manuel and Annabella Valverde are involved in church planting and leadership training in Guatemala. Dr. Valverde started the Francisco Lacueva Theological Seminary (STFL) in 2012 and they now have 14 students. Pray today for the students in the seminary and the churches where they serve.

Habitat for Humanity builds and sells single-family homes to qualified low and very-low income families by developing partnerships with businesses, organizations, churches, foundations and individuals who help build the homes. Pray today for preparations for a team from Cedar Springs to build a house in 2015.

Closing Prayer: O my God, teach me to seek you, for I cannot seek you unless you teach me, or find you unless you show yourself to me. Let me seek you in my desire, and desire you in my seeking. Let me find you by loving you, let me love you when I find you. (St. Anselm of Canterbury) Notes

7 TUESDAY, JANUARY 6 (Epiphany)

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Matthew 2:9-12

Reading for Reflection: Today is the Feast of the Epiphany. The word epiphany comes from the Greek word epiphancia, which can be translated both as coming and as manifestation (or appearing). While Christmas is the season that celebrates the event of Christ’s coming in the incarnation, Epiphany celebrates the manifestation(s) of that coming. Thus, Epiphany is the time in the church calendar where we celebrate, and participate in, seeing the Christ. It is a time in which we must pay special attention; when we must keep our eyes open for the ways and the places Jesus is revealed, both to us and in us. It is a season of seeing and recognizing. The scriptural focus for the Feast of the Epiphany is the coming of the wise men to see the newborn King (Matthew 2:1-12). It is a passage about seeing - seeing a star, seeing the Child, seeing the glory of God. The wise men saw the star; it is what guided them to the house. Did they see the star because they were told about it? Did they see the star because they (most likely) were astronomers and would’ve been trained to notice such a thing? Or did they see the star simply because they were paying attention? Surely many others noticed it as well, right? Or did they? Maybe they were so preoccupied with their own lives and problems and ambitions and worries that this strange appearance in the night sky slipped by them completely. Who knows? All we do know is that these three men saw the star and it filled them with indescribable joy. I wonder why? It must have been because they knew that this great sight was indeed leading them to a great hope. So they followed the moving star to the place where they saw the Savior. Thus, during this season, it might be good for us to pay attention to the things that seem oddly out of place - to people or conversations or circumstances that might be much more than they appear on the surface. They might actually lead us to the Savior as well. Once these wise men came to the house, they saw the Child. And when they saw the Child they were overwhelmed, so much so that they fell on their knees and worshipped him. Can you imagine, worshipping a newborn baby? But this was no ordinary babe in swaddling clothes, it was the God of the universe come to earth; to a lowly stable, to an unknown young couple, in the most humble circumstances you could imagine. What an entrance? It is almost as if God was trying to slip into his world unnoticed, except by those who were watching and waiting and longing for his arrival. And you have to love the last line of the passage, after they worshipped him they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts. This is the response that worship usually elicits. When we are completely captured by the beauty and wonder of a person or an experience or a moment, we tend to open our treasures to them. It is woven into the very fabric of our being. It is what we were created to do. Unfortunately, I often open my treasures to people, experiences, or moments that are not truly worthy of that offering. Only God is worthy of worship. So, during this day and this season, what does that look like? How will I open my treasures to the only One who is truly worthy of them? The bottom line is: “How will I treasure to Jesus today?” How will I treasure him with my time and my energies, my affections and my efforts? I pray that for each of us, this day and this season, will be filled to overflowing with his presence, his peace, and his joy, as we keep our eyes open for the many ways he will be revealed to us and in us in the days ahead.

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Vitaly and Oksana Voinov live in Moscow, Russia. Vitaly is working with the Institute for Bible Translation (IBT) in Russia/ CIS as IBT’s director. IBT has been serving the non-Slavic peoples of the former Soviet Union for four decades by translating the Holy Scriptures - Bibles, New Testaments, individual Bible books, and illustrated Children’s Bibles. The Voinovs ask that you pray for peace between Russia and Ukraine.

Homes of Love is an organization that cares for the long-term needs of orphaned or at-risk children in Southeast Asia. Homes of Love partners with local churches in various Southeast Asian towns to establish small, permanent, and family-structured homes for these children. Pray today for all of the children currently placed in these homes.

8 Closing Prayer: Father, you revealed your Son to the nations by the guidance of a star. Lead us to your glory in heaven by the light of faith. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen. (The Liturgy of the Hours) Notes

9 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Matthew 2:7-11

Reading for Reflection: The contrast is pretty striking. On the one hand you have the Magi, the three wise men who came from the east and followed the star until it came to rest over the place where the child (Jesus) was. We are not told much about them - where they were specifically from, how many miles they had traveled, or how long it had taken them. But we can well imagine that it had been a long and grueling journey. Some scholars estimate that the three travelers had ventured as many as 800 miles in search of the new born King, which could’ve taken in excess of 80 days. If nothing else, these guys were serious about seeking. King Herod, on the other hand, lived about six miles from Bethlehem. And even though he was so close to the place where the God of the universe had just entered into His creation, he was unwilling to go see it for himself. In fact, Herod told the Magi to go and search, and if they found anything to come back and let him know about it. He wasn’t about to go through all the trouble of seeking God on his own. “Let someone else do the work, and then let them tell me what they find.” he must’ve figured. Unfortunately, that attitude still seems to live on to this day, because true seeking requires a lot of us, especially when we are talking about seeking God. In fact, it requires all of us. There is no half way. There is no letting someone else do the work and then telling us what they have found. It is impossible to seek God second hand. Someone else cannot do it for us. We must go. We must embark on the journey, no matter what the length, regardless of what the cost. We must be like the wise men, rather than like King Herod. We must be willing to seek Him, for only then will we be totally and completely captured by the object of our seeking - Jesus. Only then will we rejoice exceedingly and be filled with great joy. Only then will we fall down and worship him, opening our treasures to him and offering him all that we have and all that we are. As the prophet Jeremiah so appropriately reminds us; “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 29:13-14).

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Hope Resource Center is a multi-faceted Christian ministry addressing such matters as sexual purity and health, unplanned pregnancy, post-abortion stress and abstinence education. Pray today for the staff and volunteers as they minister to young women in crisis.

Closing Prayer: O Thee who seest and knowest all things, give me grace, I pray Thee, so to know Thee and so to see Thee that in knowing Thee I may know myself even as I am most perfectly known of Thee, and in seeing Thee may see myself as I verily am before Thee. Give me today some clear vision of my life in time as it appears to Thine eternity. Show me my own smallness and Thine infinite greatness. Show me my own sin and Thy perfect righteousness. Show me my own lovelessness and Thine exceeding love. Yet in Thy mercy show me also how, small as I am, I can take refuge in Thy greatness; how, sinful as I am, I may lean upon Thy righteousness; and how, loveless as I am, I may hide myself in Thy forgiving love. Cause my thoughts to dwell much today on the life and death of Jesus Christ my Lord, so that I may see all things in the light of the redemption which Thou hast granted to me in His name. Amen.( A Diary of Private Prayer by John Baillie)

10 Notes

11 THURSDAY, JANUARY 8

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Jeremiah 6:16

Reading for Reflection: What does it really look like to live life with God? Well, Jeremiah 6:16 gives us a great hint. And it all starts, strangely enough, with the word stand. In other words, it starts by stopping. Stand. Be still. Be present - fully present - first to God within you and then to God around you. In other words, just show up. I believe it was Woody Allen who once said, “Eighty percent of life is just showing up.” In our case that means showing up with God and then showing up with others. That’s where it all starts. The next thing is to look. Stand at the crossroads and look. Pay attention. Look for God. Look deeply for him in whatever, or whoever, might be in front of you at the moment. Look past the surface. Look into the depths. Search. Seek. Seek him in all things. Then we are told to ask. Specifically, to ask God. Ask God, “What are you up? What are you up to within me? What are you up to around me? What are you up to in this circumstance? What are you up to in the life of the person in front of me?” Ask. Ask for the ancient paths. The ancient paths are those well-worn paths that lead straight to the heart of God. Those paths that multitudes of other saints, poets, and pilgrims have traveled well before us. In fact, whenever we see someone walking deeply and intimately with God we need to take note of it because that person has found these ancient paths, and watching them can show us the way into the heart of God. Solitude, silence, prayer, scripture, etc., these are the things that form the good way. And notice that, up until now, we still have not moved. We are still in one place (stand, look, ask) seeking God’s heart, mind, and direction. And it is not an easy place to be, or an easy thing to do, because our default mode is movement. Our norm is don’t just stand there, do something. We tend to operate (whether we like to admit it or not) out of a “ready, fire, aim” mentality. Which, in all likelihood, leads to a significant amount of wasted motion. Our default, it would seem, needs to change more to a “don’t just do something, stand there” mindset. And finally, once we have stood and looked and asked, it is time to move. Walk in it is the phrase Jeremiah uses. Walk in the good way, whatever that may mean. For, once we have received our direction and guidance from God, it is time to enter into whatever he is doing. It is time to move toward him (and his work) whatever that may be, whatever that may look like. Sometimes it will mean speaking a word he has given us to speak and sometimes it will mean keeping our mouths shut. Sometimes it will mean simply being present and sometimes it will mean reaching out to embrace. Sometimes it will mean offering bread to the poor and sometimes it will mean receiving a gift from a loved one. But whatever it is, we can be sure of its power, substance, and authenticity because it has come directly from God’s heart and not merely our own. And, in the end, the result is both delightful and incredible: you will find rest for your souls. No longer will we live life exhausted and overwhelmed, but instead we will be energized, renewed, and engaged by the winds of God’s Spirit. Thanks be to Him!

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Kenton Wood serves in Guadalajara, Mexico as a church planter. Pray today for Kenton who oversees a mother church that has six services on Sunday. Pray also for the Purépecha Indians in the nearby state of Michoacan that they may be reached with the gospel.

IFES (Middle East) is reaching college students in the Middle East with the gospel through a ministry based in Dubai. Pray today for the leaders of IFES that they may boldly continue their work with the students.

Closing Prayer: Forbid it, O Father, that the difficulty of living well should ever tempt me to fall into any kind of heedlessness or despair. May I keep it ever in mind that this human life was once divinely lived and this world once nobly overcome and this body of flesh, that now so sorely tries me, once made into Thy perfect dwelling place. Amen.( A Diary of Private Prayer by John Baillie)

12 Notes

13 FRIDAY, JANUARY 9

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Mark 1:14-20

Reading for Reflection: So how are we to live now? Can we bear the light of Christ into the darkness of our time? Jesus gave several directions that serve as signposts to guide us on that narrowing path of obedience. Though Jesus’ “Follow me” opens up a set of decisions for each one of us, all of us are called to trust, to relinquish whatever we cling to that is not of God, to seek ongoing guidance, and to be “sober and watchful” (1 Peter 5:8) as we attempt to “do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly” (Micah 6:8).Openness to surprise is one mark of a spiritual life vibrantly lived - and there will be surprises: every path has forks and hairpin turns. Jesus didn’t map out a way - he said “I am the way” (John 14:6). Our road map lies in relationship. We set out on our journeys, though, with very clear instructions, simple, but impossible without the help of the Spirit. (Where the Path Narrows by Marilyn Chandler McEntyre, Weavings, Volume XXV, Number 3)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Eric and Beth Yodis are facilitating church planting in eastern Ukraine. Because of the war in the Ukraine, Eric and Beth are currently in the U.S. Pray today for them as they consider returning to the Ukraine this Spring.

InterVarsity’s vision is to see students transformed, campuses renewed, and world changers developed. They live this out by inviting unreached students into life transforming encounters with Jesus Christ and training and developing them as disciples and leaders. Pray today for the staff and volunteers as they host small group Bible studies to introduce cultural Christians and the unchurched to Jesus.

Closing Prayer: O infinite God, the brightness of whose face is often shrouded from my mortal gaze, I thank Thee that Thou didst send Thy Son Jesus Christ to be a light in a dark world. O Christ, Thou Light of Light, I thank Thee that in Thy most holy life Thou didst pierce the eternal mystery as with a great shaft of heavenly light, so that in seeing Thee we see Him whom no man hath seen at any time. And if still I cannot find Thee, O God, then let me search my heart and know whether it is not rather I who am blind than Thou who art obscure, and I who am fleeing from Thee rather than Thou from me; and let me confess these my sins before Thee and seek Thy pardon in Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen. (A Diary of Private Prayer by John Baillie) Notes

14 SATURDAY, JANUARY 10

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Isaiah 35:8-10

Reading for Reflection: But between them and the foot of the sky there was something so white on the green grass that even with their eagles’ eyes they could hardly look at it. They came on and saw that it was a Lamb. “Come and have breakfast,” said the Lamb in its sweet milky voice. Then they noticed for the first time that there was a fire lit on the grass and fish roasting on it. They sat down and ate the fish, hungry now for the first time for many days. And it was the most delicious food they had ever tasted. “Please, Lamb,” said Lucy, “is this the way to Aslan’s country?” “Not for you,” said the Lamb. “For you the door into Aslan’s country is from your own world.” “What!” said Edmund. “Is there a way into Aslan’s country from our world too? “There is a way into my country from all worlds,” said the Lamb; but as he spoke his snowy white flushed into tawny gold and his size changed and he was Aslan himself, towering above them and scattering light from his mane. “Oh, Aslan,” said Lucy. “Will you tell us how to get into your country from our world?” “I shall be telling you all the time,” said Aslan. “But I will not tell you how long or short the way will be; only that it lies across a river. But do not fear that, for I am the great Bridge Builder. And now come; I will open the door in the sky and send you to your own land.” “Please, Aslan,” said Lucy. “Before we go, will you tell us when we can come back to Narnia again? Please. And oh, do, do, do make it soon.” “Dearest,” said Aslan very gently, “you and your brother will never come back to Narnia.” “Oh, Aslan!!” said Edmund and Lucy both together in despairing voices. “You are too old children,” said Aslan, “and you must begin to come close to your own world now.” “It isn’t Narnia, you know,” sobbed Lucy. “It’s you. We shan’t meet you there. And how can we live, never meeting you?” “But you shall meet me, dear one,” said Aslan. “Are - are you there too, Sir?” said Edmund. “I am,” said Aslan….”This was the very reason why you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there.” (TheV oyage of the Dawn Treader by C. S. Lewis)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Joni and Friends Knoxville ministers to families and individuals affected by disabilities in Knoxville, TN, as well as in Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi and in Guatemala. The vision of Joni and Friends is to accelerate Christian ministry in the disability community by communicating the gospel and equipping Christ-honoring churches worldwide to evangelize and disciple people affected by disability. Pray today for the Knoxville staff of Joni and Friends.

Closing Prayer: O Father, let me think rather of Thee and rejoice that Thy love is great enough to blot out all my sins. And, O Christ, Thou Lamb of God, let me think of Thee, and lean upon Thy heavenly righteousness, taking no pleasure in what I am before Thee but only in what Thou art for me in my stead. And, Holy Spirit, do Thou think within me, and so move within my mind and will that as the days go by I may be more and more conformed to the righteousness of Jesus Christ my Lord; to whom be the glory for ever. Amen. (A Diary of Private Prayer by John Baillie)

15 Notes

16 Theme for the Week: Small

SUNDAY, JANUARY 11

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Opening Prayer: Lord, give me the ability to persist through tedium, to survive without the oxygen of recognition, praise, and stroking, and to do some good things every day which are seen only by You. (Sacred Space: the Prayer Book 2010 by Jesuit Communication Centre)

Scripture Reading for the Day: Mark 1:1-8

Reading for Reflection: For quite some time I have been living with the suspicion that God has a preference for the small, the hidden, the quiet, and the lowly. I see it clearly all over the pages of Scripture, but maybe nowhere more clearly than in the Christmas narrative. To imagine that God, the Creator of all that is, chose to enter into that creation in the way that he did is simply astounding. To come into this world as a tiny, helpless baby; born to a couple of poor teenagers, who could afford nothing more than a lowly stable for a room, is beyond my imagination. It is almost as if God wanted to slip into our world without being noticed at all; except by those that were watching and waiting, by those paying extra careful attention. So during this season, would it not be wise of us to try and take notice of the small, the hidden, the quiet, and the ordinary? Would it not be wise to ask ourselves, “If God chose to become smaller (in some amazingly mysterious way that we cannot fully comprehend), then how might he be asking us to become smaller as well?” And who knows, if we keep asking ourselves that very question, and if we are really fortunate, then maybe, just maybe, someday we might actually become small enough for Christ to arrive; both among us and within us.

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

J. and E. work among unreached people groups in two restricted access countries of Southeast Asia catalyzing Church Planting Movements. Pray today for new workers to join Mekong Ministries to reach unreached people groups. The Black Hmong and Dong are the two groups they urgently need workers for.

KDEC or Kasr El Dobara Church is the largest evangelical church in the middle east. Started in 1948, it has grown to a membership of 8,000 members. Pray today for the ministry leaders of this church.

Closing Prayer: Lord, High and Holy, Meek and Lowly, Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision, where I live in the depths but see thee in the heights; hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold thy glory. Let me learn by paradox that the way down is the way up, that to be low is to be high, that the broken heart is the healed heart, that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit that the repenting soul is the victorious soul, that to have nothing is to possess all, that to bear the cross is to wear the crown, that to give is to receive, that the valley is the place of vision. Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from the deepest wells. And the deeper the wells the brighter thy stars shine; Let me find thy light in my darkness, thy life in my death,

17 thy joy in my sorrow, thy grace in my sin, thy riches in my poverty, thy glory in my valley. (The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions ed. by Arthur Bennett) Notes

18 MONDAY, JANUARY 12

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Scripture Reading for the Day: John 3:22-30

Reading for Reflection: I don’t know about you, but whenever I read these verses about decreasing rather than increasing I immediately start to squirm. They are just so contrary to my nature, so counter-intuitive. I mean, who really wants to decrease, right? And I can never read them without the question arising (from God’s Spirit deep within me), “So, how’s this process going for you these days?” And, of course, in an effort to avoid the question I immediately start reading the other verses around it, trying to see if there was any way of weaseling out of the question through the context. But nope, no luck. No wiggle room. In fact, the context just makes the question more pointed and difficult to answer. The context is that John’s disciples had come to him because many of the folks that had come out to the desert to see John had jumped ship, and were now going to Jesus instead. “Everyone’s going to him,” they complained. And John’s answer was priceless. “Good! Let them. Didn’t I tell you that I wasn’t The One, but only the one sent to bear witness to The One? The bride belongs to the bridegroom, not to me. I’m just a friend of the bridegroom. My job is to attend to the groom; waiting for His arrival, listening for His voice. And when He comes, my job is just to step out of His way. The bride is for Him, not for me.” That’s when it hit me. I don’t want to be just the friend. I want to be more than that. I want the attention and affection and recognition that the groom gets. I want the bride to feel that way about me. I want to matter. I don’t want to be an insignificant secondary character in this story, I want a bigger role. I want to be the main attraction; or at least a main attraction. I want to increase.I want to be BIG in people’s lives. I need to be BIG in people’s lives. And there it was...the whole ugly truth. So I guess my answer to the original question has to be, “Not very well, I suppose.” There is still plenty that needs to die in me, starting with my needy attitude. There is still plenty of decreasing that needs to be done; and not just for decreasing’s sake, but for His sake, so that He might increase. Decreasing so that He might be BIG in the lives of people. That He might grow so BIG that He is all they see, all they want. After all, He is their Beloved Groom; the one who loves them so deeply and passionately that He was willing to sacrifice everything just so they might spend eternity with Him. I pray that I will want nothing more than to help make that happen. I pray that I will learn to step aside and make BIG room for Him. I pray that I will not try to take up all the space myself. I pray that I will learn to be a better friend of the Bridegroom, rather than being so full of myself. I pray that I might embrace this wonderful life of decreasing. And I pray that the next time He asks me this question, I’ll have a better answer.

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Sybil Baloyi lives in Mozambique and runs a preschool for orphaned and vulnerable children. Pray today for the vision that Sybil and her team have to add one new grade every year to the Hlauleka Christian Primary School through grade seven. A new building will be needed and plans are moving forward to complete this by January 2016. Pray today for Sybil as she recovers from surgery in South Africa to remove a benign tumor that has been causing headaches.

The goals of Kentucky Mountain Mission (KMM) and Youth Haven Bible Camp are two-fold: to reach the children and adults of southeastern Kentucky with the gospel of Jesus Christ and to train/disciple those that receive Christ for Christian leadership in their churches and communities. Pray today for these ministries and their leaders William & Dawn Owen and Andy & Erin Owen.

Closing Prayer: More of you, O Lord, and less of me. In the name of Jesus. Amen. Notes

19 TUESDAY, JANUARY 13

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Scripture Reading for the Day: 1 Peter 5:5-11

Reading for Reflection: Humility and Moderation - the graces of the self-forgetful soul - we might almost expect that if we grasped all that the Incarnation really means - God and His love, manifest not in some peculiar and supernatural spiritual manner, but in ordinary human nature. Christ, first-born of many brethren, content to be one of us, living the family life, and from within His Church inviting the souls of men to share His family life. In the family circle there is room for the childish and the imperfect and the naughty, but the uppish is always out of place. We have got down to the bottom of the stairs now and are fairly sitting on the mat. But the proof that it is the right flight and leads up to the Divine Charity, is the radiance that pours down from the upper story: the joy and peace in which the whole is bathed and which floods our whole being here in the lowest place. How right St. Paul was to put these two fruits at the end of his list, for as a rule they are the very last we acquire. But the saints have always seen it. When Angela of Foligno was dying, her disciples asked for a last message and she, who had been called a Mistress in Theology and whose Visions of the Being of God are among the greatest the medieval mystics have left us, had only one thing to say to them as her farewell: “Make yourselves small! Make yourselves very small.” (Fruits of the Spirit by Evelyn Underhill)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Ron and Amy Barber have been living near Auckland, New Zealand where Ron has been teaching church planting, cultural anthropology and global theology at Eastwest College of Intercultural Studies. Pray today that God will use Ron to equip workers to share the gospel to the cross-cultural New Zealand population.

Keymedia uses television, radio, the Internet and printed literature as well as local missionaries, in their Arabic and Muslim target countries, for the key purpose of planting churches and discipling local believers to take the gospel to their nation’s people. Pray today for those who are planting churches as a result of this organization.

Closing Prayer: You love those with a heart for the poor For the helpless, for those with no escape. You love those who shamelessly and fearlessly, And sometimes fearfully, Go back to be with those who suffer. You love those whose lives are forfeit to servitude Of the needy, the unknown; Those who by going back become unknown themselves. You love those who whisper your affections in the shadows To those who are hidden, who no one else cares for. You ask us to proclaim your desires to the broken, In the places devoid of reward or compensation; In the places where no trophies are earned. And because you first called us Out of our own filth and brokenness and because of vast heart change, We jump at the chance. I’m willing to be unknown for You.

Tim Branch (February 5, 2011)

20 Notes

21 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Luke 22:24-32

Reading for Reflection: It is frightening the extent to which hidden pride burns in the soul and dries up everything. And pride is all the greater in spiritual people, in us… It’s because we don’t want to be little! On the excuse that the religious life is a great, very great thing, we no longer dream of becoming nothing, nothing, nothing. (Letters to Dolcidia: 1954-1983 by Carlo Carreto)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Jutta serves as an anthropology consultant for Bible translation teams, advising them in their cultural challenges and research within the context of Bible translation and incarnational living among them. Pray today Jutta to have concentration, wisdom and divine insight for the documenting and analyzing of her anthropological research, so that the content of her doctoral dissertation will be an inspiration and ministry tool for her colleagues in West Africa, as well as kingdom workers among Muslims in many other countries.

Knoxville Area Rescue Mission (KARM) provides emergency shelter and food to homeless men and women and offers recovery for those seeking a way out of drug and alcohol abuse. Pray today for KARM as they feed hundreds of homeless men, women and children during the winter season.

Closing Prayer: Father, give me the humility which realizes its ignorance, admits its mistakes, recognizes its needs, welcomes advice and accepts rebukes. Help me always to praise rather than criticize, to encourage rather than to disparage, to build rather than to destroy, and to think of people at their best rather than at their worst. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Notes

22 THURSDAY, JANUARY 15

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Luke 18:9-17

Reading for Reflection: And our yearning to become lost in God only intensifies our tears over the thought of leaving this life, Christian existence is a joyful nonsense. In a culture of self-realization, the Christian’s call is to renounce self; in the face of noise, silence is the preference; in a world of competition, the Christian’s declaration is that the winners will be losers and the losers winners; in a culture whose economy is intent on consumption, the Christian insists on simplicity; in a culture structured by possessions, the Christian insists upon a high standard of life; and at every point, the Christian exposes the emptiness of fullness for the sake of the gospel’s fullness of emptiness.

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

R. and G. are serving at a sanitorium for chest diseases and a children’s home, focusing on bringing holistic healthcare to the semi-nomadic people of an area in the Middle East. R. is a dentist and G. is a teacher and artist. Pray today for the Bowles as they travel to the U.S. during February and March.

Knoxville Christian Arts Ministries (KnoxCAM) is an outreach ministry directed by Dr. Jill Lagerberg. It uses the talents of singers, instrumentalists, dancers and handbell ringers. They minister primarily to prisons and the inner city. They perform up to 10 concerts each year, telling stories of God’s unfailing mercy and providence through fully integrated music dramas. Pray today for Jill and the members of KnoxCAM as they perform concerts this winter.

Closing Prayer: Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner. Amen. Notes

23 FRIDAY, JANUARY 16

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Luke 14:7-14

Reading for Reflection: Those who believe in God can never in a way be sure of him again. Once they have seen him in a stable, they can never be sure where he will appear or to what lengths he will go or to what ludicrous depths of self- humiliation he will descend in his wild pursuit of man. If holiness and the awful power and majesty of God were present in this least auspicious of all events, this birth of peasant’s child, then there is no place or time so lowly and earthbound but that holiness can be present there too. And this means that we are never safe, that there is no place where we can hide from God, no place where we are safe from his power to break in two and recreate the human heart because it is just where he seems most helpless that he is most strong, and just where we least expect him he comes most fully. (The Hungering Dark by Frederick Buechner)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Knox County CAC is a public agency serving the citizens of Knoxville and Knox County, especially seniors, low to moderate income families, the unemployed and underemployed, persons with disabilities, and other individuals with a special need for services. Pray today for the staff of CAC that they may know the strength of the Lord as they serve in Knox County.

Closing Prayer: O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me. From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, Jesus. From the desire of being loved, Deliver me, Jesus. From the desire of being extolled, Deliver me, Jesus. From the desire of being honored, Deliver me, Jesus. From the desire of being praised, Deliver me, Jesus. From the desire of being preferred to others, Deliver me, Jesus. From the desire of being consulted, Deliver me, Jesus. From the desire of being approved, Deliver me, Jesus. From the fear of being humiliated, Deliver me, Jesus. From the fear of being despised, Deliver me, Jesus. From the fear of suffering rebukes, Deliver me, Jesus. From the fear of being calumniated, Deliver me, Jesus. From the fear of being forgotten, Deliver me, Jesus. From the fear of being ridiculed, Deliver me, Jesus. From the fear of being wronged, Deliver me, Jesus. From the fear of being suspected, Deliver me, Jesus. That others may be loved more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. That others may be esteemed more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. That others may be chosen and I set aside, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. That others may be praised and I unnoticed, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. That others may be preferred to me in everything, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. (Litany of Humility)

24 Notes

25 SATURDAY, JANUARY 17

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Philippians 2:1-11

Reading for Reflection: True service finds it almost impossible to distinguish the small from the large service. Where the difference is noted the true servant seems to be often drawn to the small service, not out of false modesty, but because he genuinely sees it as the important service. He indiscriminately welcomes all opportunities to serve. Self-righteous service requires external rewards. It needs to know that people see and appreciate the effort. It seeks human applause - with proper religious modesty of course. True service rests contented in hiddenness. It does not fear the lights and blare of attention, but it does not seek them either. Since it is living out of a new Center of Reference the divine nod of approval is completely sufficient.( Celebration of Discipline by Richard J. Foster)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

A. and B. are serving in a Creative Access country. Their family is building friendships and seeing them mature as A. continues to teach at a local university and serve the teachers and students there. Pray today for A. & B. as they deal with some health issues. They are seeking not only physical rest but renewed energy from mindsets of rest.

Knoxville Inner City Kids Outreach (KICKO) is a para-church ministry with a mission to “Mobilize the Message of Hope” to the at-risk children in our inner-city neighborhoods. This is done through a unique program called Sidewalk SONday School. Large trucks, outfitted to take the church into these communities, allow them to share the gospel with children at multiple locations each week. KICKO just celebrated their 20th Christmas season of outreach. Pray for the families that were reached this year.

Closing Prayer: O Jesus, how far down you had to come to reach us; how small and how low. Can anyone really comprehend the magnitude of that downward journey? You, who had always enjoyed the true delight and loving intimacy of the Trinity, yet willing to step out of the ecstasy of that intimacy because of your great desire to bring us into it. You, who was in very nature God, laid aside your Divine privilege and position to become a man of sorrows, despised and rejected. You, the Eternal One, were willing to become a mere mortal. You, the Creator of all, were willing to become one of the created. O the great sacrifice! O the immense love! You emptied yourself of more than we can dare ask or imagine. And thus, you gave us an example that we should do the same. Lord Jesus, show us specifically what this emptying looks like in our lives in the days ahead. Amen. Notes

26 Theme for the Week: Grasping

SUNDAY, JANUARY 18

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Opening Prayer: Lord God, give me open hands and not clenched fists as I walk with you and for you in the midst of this day - that I might be able to live with a true sense of freedom from the need to grasp desperately for love and value from those I come into contact with. For Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Mark 5:24-34

Reading for Reflection: When at last I cling to you with all my being, for me there will be no more sorrow, no more toil. Then at last I shall be alive with true life, for my life will be wholly filled by you. (Confessions by St Augustine)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, forgive me when my bleeding and wounded heart causes me to grasp for life and relief from any and every source available. Instead, help me to reach only for you, that I might touch the fringe of your robe and find healing and wholeness for the brokenness of my heart and soul. In Your Name I pray. Amen. Notes

27 MONDAY, JANUARY 19

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Mark 10:17-31

Reading for Reflection: Praying is no easy matter. It demands a relationship in which you allow someone other than yourself to enter into the very center of your being, to see there what you would rather leave in darkness, and to touch there what you would rather leave untouched. Why would you really want to do that? Perhaps you would let the other cross your inner threshold to see something or to touch something, but to allow the other into the place where your most intimate life is shaped - that is dangerous and calls for defense. The resistance to praying is like the resistance of tightly clenched fists. The image shows a tension, a desire to cling tightly to yourself, a greediness which betrays fear. A story about an elderly woman brought to a psychiatric center exemplifies this attitude. She was wild, swinging at everything in sight, and scaring everyone so much that the doctor had to take everything away from her. But there was one small coin which she gripped in her fist and would not give up. In fact, it took two people to pry open that squeezed hand. It was as though she would lose her very self along with the coin. If they deprived her of that last possession, she would have nothing more, and be nothing more. That was her fear. When you are invited to pray you are asked to open your tightly clenched fists and give up your last coin. But who wants to do that? A first prayer, therefore, is often a painful prayer, because you discover you don’t want to let go. You hold fast to what is familiar, even if you aren’t proud of it. (With Open Hands by Henri J. M. Nouwen)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Langham Partnership (formerly John Stott Ministries) is a global fellowship working in pursuit of the vision God entrusted to its founder, John Stott, to strengthen the growth of the church in maturity and Christlikeness through raising the standards of biblical preaching and teaching. Pray today for Chris Jonah, Langham’s preaching coordinator for Sierra Leone, who is on the front lines of ministering to those afflicted with the Ebola virus.

Closing Prayer: Open my hands, and my heart, O Lord, to all that you desire to do in and through me. For the sake of Jesus. Amen. Notes

28 TUESDAY, JANUARY 20

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Matthew 6:19-34

Reading for Reflection: Greed is often associated with a ravenous appetite that devours anything within reach—a noisy, uncouth vice. Yet it is more often known in the quietly insistent urge that nudges us from wanting to “needing,” then to grasping what we now “need” so others cannot deprive us of it. Jesus addressed this grasping, clinging mind when he counseled that we cannot serve God and mammon, and Aramaic word denoting ill-gotten gain (Matthew 6:24). “In your minds you must be the same as Jesus Christ: His state was divine, yet he did not cling to his equality with God…” (Phil.2:6, JB). The spiritual life is one in which we grow out of the grasping, clinging mind into the mind of Christ. The Christ-mind releases us from our compulsion to associate personal worth with what we have accumulated, taming what nineteenth-century professor Adolphe Gratry calls “the exuberant desire to rise by a borrowed power.” (Editor’s Introduction by John S. Mogabgab, Weavings, November/ December 2005)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Mark and Annemarie Dye are passionate about building Christian leaders to mobilize and equip the African Church for mission in the world. Pray today for this family as they begin their 21st year in Africa that God will continue to give them vision for the future.

Cedar Springs adopted Lonsdale Elementary in 2003. Lonsdale, with more than 400 students PreK through 5th grade, only serves the Lonsdale area. Over the years, the racial make-up of the school, whose students are 100% free lunch qualified, has changed to primarily Hispanic and African-American children. Pray today for the children that CSPC is reaching through their “D.E.A.R. Dinner” (Drop Everything And Read) program at Lonsdale Elementary on Tuesday afternoons. Consider volunteering to help. Contact Alison at 291-5261 to find out how.

Closing Prayer: O Christ my Lord, who for my sake and my brethren’s didst forgo all earthly comfort and fullness, forbid it that I should ever again live unto myself. Amen. (A Diary of Private Prayer by John Baillie) Notes

29 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Luke 12:13-21

Reading for Reflection: We mostly spend our lives conjugating three verbs: to Want, to Have, and to Do. Craving, clutching, and fussing, on the material, political, social, emotional, intellectual - even on the spiritual - plane, we are kept in perpetual unrest: forgetting that none of these verbs have any ultimate significance, except so far as they are transcended by and included in, the fundamental verb, to Be: and that Being, not wanting, having and doing, is the essence of a spiritual life. (The Spiritual Life by Evelyn Underhill)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Michael and Kim Essenburg have been serving at Christian Academy in Japan (CAJ), a school for missionary children (40% of student body) and children of business and professional people (60% of student body) that is located in Tokyo. They ask that you pray for effective closure to their 27.5 years of service at CAJ. They began their 6-month home assignment on January 6. In July, they will start serving at Okinawa Christian School.

Closing Prayer: Holy Father, from whom alone all good proceedeth, let the Christian graces of faith, hope, and charity be every day more firmly established within me. Amen.( A Diary of Private Prayer by John Baillie) Notes

30 THURSDAY, JANUARY 22

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Romans 7:14-25

Reading for Reflection: It is a long spiritual journey of trust, for behind each fist, another one is hiding, and sometimes the process seems endless. Much has happened in your life to make all those fists, and at any hour of the day or night you might find yourself clenching your fists again out of fear.( With Open Hands by Henri J. M. Nouwen)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

The Málaga Media Center is a ministry catalyst creating and establishing new reproducing churches by communicating Biblical truth through media and partnership. It is located in Málaga, Spain. Pray today for the leaders of this organization.

Closing Prayer: To you, Lord, I call; you are my Rock, do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent, I will be like those who go down to the pit. Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place. Amen. (Psalm 28:1-2) Notes

31 FRIDAY, JANUARY 23

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Revelation 21:1-7

Reading for Reflection: The years that lie behind you, with all their struggles and pains, will in time be remembered only as the way that led to your new life. But as long as the new life is not fully yours, your memories will continue to cause you pain. When you keep reliving painful events of the past, you can feel victimized by them. But there is a way of telling your story that does not create pain. Then, also, the need to tell your story will become less pressing. You will see that you are no longer there: the past is gone, the pain has left you, you no longer have to go back and relive it, you no longer depend on your past to identify yourself. There are two ways of telling your story. One is to tell it compulsively and urgently, to keep returning to it because you see your present suffering as the result of your past experiences. But there is another way. You can tell your story from the place where it no longer dominates you. You can speak about it with a certain distance and see it as the way to your present freedom. The compulsion to tell your story is gone. From the perspective of the life you now live and the distance you now have, your past does not loom over you. It has lost its weight and can be remembered as God’s way of making you more compassionate and understanding toward others. (The Inner Voice of Love by Henri J. M. Nouwen)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Paul G. is the International Director of Training for Christar and also serves as an Internet pastor. Pray today for a Christar relief project reaching people in Iraq displaced by Islamic militants.

Since 1996, the Mission of Hope has ministered to the people of various counties in Kentucky and Tennessee from which 80% of the residents no longer have jobs in the coal mining industry. In their first event in 1996 they were able to assist 150 children. Last year, because of the generosity of so many people, the Mission of Hope was able to help more than 17,000 children and their families with food, clothes, toys and hygiene items. Pray for all of the families that were reached during their Christmas outreach.

Closing Prayer: Keep me safe, O God, I’ve run for dear life to you. I say to God, “Be my Lord!” Without you, nothing makes sense. And these God-chosen lives all around - what splendid friends they make! Don’t just go shopping for a god. Gods are not for sale. I swear I’ll never treat god-names like brand-names. My choice is you, God, first and only. And now I find I’m I choice! You set me up with a house and yard. And then you made me your heir! The wise counsel God gives when I’m awake is confirmed by my sleeping heart. Day and night I’ll stick with God; I’ve got a good thing going and I’m not letting go. I’m happy from the inside out, and from the outside in, I’m firmly formed. You canceled my ticket to hell - that’s not my destination! Now you’ve got my feet on the life path, all radiant from the shining of your face. Ever since you took my hand, I’m on the right way. (Psalm 16, The Message) Notes

32 SATURDAY, JANUARY 24

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Psalm 63:1-8

Reading for Reflection: Prayer is the outgrowth of both silence and solitude. In silence we let go of our manipulative control. In solitude we face up to what we are in the depths of our being. Prayer then becomes the offering of who we are to God: the giving of that broken, unclean, grasping, manipulative self to God for the work of God’s grace in our lives. (Invitation to a Journey by M. Robert Mulholland)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Bill Harding is currently a special representative for SIM in North America. God is using Bill’s gifts and rich experience in Ethiopia as a conference speaker to challenge and reaffirm the priority of world missions. Pray today for the Harding Bible School in Ethiopia which needs a dormitory.

Navigators Collegiate ministry at UT Knoxville has this mission: “To advance the gospel of Jesus and His Kingdom into the nations through spiritual generations of laborers living and discipling among the lost.” Pray today for the leaders of this ministry and the students they are reaching as they begin the Spring semester.

Closing Prayer: Come, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, who stand by night in the house of the Lord! Lift up your hands to the holy place and bless the Lord! May the Lord bless you from Zion, he who made heaven and earth! Amen. (Psalm 134) Notes

33 Theme for the Week: Listening to God

SUNDAY, JANUARY 25

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Opening Prayer: Speak, O Lord, as we come to You, to receive the food of Your holy word. Take Your truth, plant it deep in us; shape and fashion us in Your likeness, that the light of Christ might be seen today, in our acts of love and our deeds of faith. Speak, O Lord, and fulfill in us all your purposes, for Your glory. (Speak O Lord by Stuart Townend, Keith Getty)

Scripture Reading for the Day: 1 Samuel 3:1-21

Reading for Reflection: Every once in a while, life can be very eloquent. You can go along from day to day not noticing very much, not seeing or hearing very much, and then all the sudden, when you least expect it very often, something speaks to you with such power that it catches you off guard, makes you listen whether you want to or not. Something speaks to you out of your own life with such directness that it is as if it calls you by name and forces you to look where you have not had the heart to look before, to hear something that maybe for years you have not had the wit or the courage to hear. (A Room Called Remember by Frederick Buechner)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Bruce and Laura Harris run SEND International’s camp and conference ministry in the mountains of western Tokyo. In this ministry, their goal is to glorify God by serving the church of Jesus Christ through camping programs of evangelism and Biblical education. Pray today for Bruce and Laura to continue to grow closer to the neighbors that were invited to their home for a Christmas party last month.

The focus of Navigators International at UT Knoxville is the over 1,000 international students at the University of Tennessee who come from 100+ nations. Spouses and family networks back home multiply the potential for the gospel to spread. Navigator’s mission is to advance the gospel of Jesus and His Kingdom to the nations through spiritual generations of laborers living and discipling among the lost. Pray today for the students that they are reaching as they begin the Spring semester.

Closing Prayer: Lord, teach me to listen. The times are noisy and my ears are weary with the thousand raucous sounds which continuously assault them. Give me the spirit of the boy Samuel when he said to Thee, “Speak, for thy servant heareth.” Let me hear Thee speaking in my heart. Let me get used to the sound of Thy voice, that its tones may be familiar when the sounds of earth die away and the only sound will be the music of Thy speaking voice. Amen. (The Pursuit of God by A. W. Tozer) Notes

34 MONDAY, JANUARY 26

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Scripture Reading for the Day: 1 Kings 19:1-13

Reading for Reflection: Our relationship with God would be greatly improved if we saw prayer as listening to God rather than talking to him. Think of those boring people who talk endlessly to others (or rather, at others). All their words show that they are distanced from others rather than close to them. Could this also be the reason why our prayers lack insight into the character of God? Openness to God, submissiveness to God, listening to his “still, small voice,” may give us far more insight than the constant chatter which we are used to calling prayer. (The Transforming Power of Prayer by James Houston)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Steve Hoke works with national church denominations and mission organizations in 25 countries and North America in the area of leader development and strategic life coaching. Pray today that Steve will have spiritual authority to speak into the lives of mission leaders who come for life coaching.

The Philadelphians Prison Ministry has been ministering in Tennessee prisons for 27+ years. Its purpose is to change the thinking of a prisoner through the power and the knowledge of Jesus Christ. This is done through strong Bible teaching with praise and worship services, weekly in-prison group meetings, the HELP program, and a transitional housing program, the HELP House, in Knoxville. Christian ministry counseling is given to inmates’ loved ones, the “silent victims” of crime. Pray today for all of their staff and volunteers.

Closing Prayer: You must adapt your word to my smallness, so that it can enter into the tiny dwelling of my finiteness - the only dwelling in which I can live - without destroying it. Then I shall be able to understand; such a word I can take in without that agonizing bewilderment of mind and that cold fear clutching my heart. If you would speak such an “abbreviated” word, which would not say everything but only something simple which I could grasp, then I could breathe freely again. O Infinite God, you have actually willed to speak such a word to me! You have restrained the ocean of your infinity from flooding in over the poor little wall which protects my tiny life’s acre from your vastness. Not the waters of your great sea, but only the dew of your gentleness is to spread itself over my poor little plot of earth. You have come to me in a human word. For you, the Infinite, are the God of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Encounters with Silence by Karl Rahner) Notes

35 TUESDAY, JANUARY 27

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Scripture Reading for the Day: John 10:1-18

Reading for Reflection: Retire from the world each day to some private spot, even if it be only the bedroom (for a while I retreated to the furnace room for want of a better place). Stay in the secret place till the surrounding noises begin to fade out of your heart and a sense of God’s presence envelopes you…Listen for the inward Voice till you learn to recognize it. Stop trying to compete with others. Give yourself to God and then be what and who you are without regard to what others think…Learn to pray inwardly every moment. After a while you can do this even while you work….Read less, but more of what is important to your inner life. Never let your mind remain scattered for very long. Call home your roving thoughts. Gaze on Christ with the eyes of your soul. Practice spiritual concentration. All of the above is contingent upon a right relation to God through Christ and daily meditation on the Scriptures. Lacking these, nothing will help us; granted these, the discipline recommended will go far to neutralize the evil effects of externalism and to make us acquainted with God and our own souls. (The Pursuit of God by A. W. Tozer)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Hugo and Jackie are from South Africa and have two children, Marlena and John. Hugo has been the leader of a media ministry and has also been providing oversight to the PALM ministry (Preparing Arab World Leaders for Ministry) for the last few years. Their mission is to engage young people of the Arab world through new media to facilitate church planting movements in partnership with local churches. Pray today for lasting fruit in the lives of Saudi and other Gulf Arabs searching for truth in these days.

Pioneer Arab World Ministries Media Center clearly presents Jesus Christ to the Arab world audiences. This is done by recording scriptures, Bible stories, sermons, and Arabic Christian music for broadcast by partner agencies for outreach and for the encouragement of Arab world believers. Pray today for those that will hear the gospel through this organization.

Closing Prayer: The heavens declare your glory, O Lord, and the skies proclaim the work of your hands. Day after day they pour forth speech, and night after night they reveal knowledge. There is no speech, or language, where your voice is not heard. Your voice goes out through all the earth, and your words to the end of the world. We will know your power and presence this day, if we will but listen for your voice. Amen.

Notes

36 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Opening Prayer: Speak, O Lord, as we come to You, to receive the food of Your holy word. Take Your truth, plant it deep in us; shape and fashion us in Your likeness, that the light of Christ might be seen today, in our acts of love and our deeds of faith. Speak, O Lord, and fulfill in us all your purposes, forY our glory. (Speak O Lord by Stuart Townend, Keith Getty)

Scripture Reading for the Day: Ecclesiastes 5:1-7

Reading for Reflection: Prayer is not a matter of my calling in an attempt to get God’s attention, but of my finally listening to the call of God, which has been constant, patient, and insistent in my inner being. In relationship with God, I am not the seeker, the initiator, the one who loves more greatly. In prayer, as in the whole salvation story unfolded by Scripture, God is reaching out to me, speaking to me, and it’s up to me to learn to be polite enough to pay attention. When I do have something to say to God, I am rendering a response to the divine initiative. So the questions of whether or not and how God answers prayer now seem to me bogus questions. God speaks, all right. The big question is do I answer, do I respond, to an invitation that is always open. (Speech, Silence, Action! by Virginia Ramey Mollenkott)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Cedar Springs partners with Redeemer City to City to plant churches in urban areas around the world. Pray for the church planters that are supported throughout the world.

Closing Prayer: God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. This very day the Lord has acted, may God’s name be praised. Come, let us raise a joyful song, a shout of triumph to the rock of our salvation. Let us come into Your presence with thanksgiving, singing songs of triumph. For You are a great God, a great king over all gods. The depths of the earth are in Your hands; and the mountains belong to You. The sea is Yours for You made it; and the dry land Your hands fashioned. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the One who made us. For You are our God, and we are the flock that You shepherd. We will know Your power and presence this day if we will but listen for Your voice. (Venite by Robert Benson) Notes

37 THURSDAY, JANUARY 29

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Opening Prayer: Speak, O Lord, as we come to You, to receive the food of Your holy word. Take Your truth, plant it deep in us; shape and fashion us in Your likeness, that the light of Christ might be seen today, in our acts of love and our deeds of faith. Speak, O Lord, and fulfill in us all your purposes, forY our glory. (Speak O Lord by Stuart Townend, Keith Getty)

Scripture Reading for the Day: 2 Chronicles 7:11-22

Reading for Reflection: I believe that we know much more about God than we admit that we know, than perhaps we altogether know that we know. God speaks to us, I would say, much more often than we realize or than we choose to realize. Before the sun sets every evening, he speaks to each one of us in an intensely personal and unmistakable way. His message is not written out in starlight, which in the long run would make no difference; rather it is written out for each of us in the humdrum, helter-skelter events of each day; it is a message that in the long run might just make all the difference. Who knows what he will say to me today or to you today or into the midst of what kind of unlikely moment he will choose to say it. Not knowing is what makes today a holy mystery. (The Magnificent Defeat by Frederick Buechner)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

J & M are in their second year of serving in Creative Access using the platform of microfinance lending. Pray today for M who is expecting their second child that she may have a safe and healthy pregnancy.

As a ministry of the Presbyterian Church in America, RUF holds to the core beliefs of historic Christianity which motivate a heart for God and love for the university. CSPC supports RUF on two college campuses. Pray today for Matt Howell at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, as RUF begins the Spring semester.

Closing Prayer: Bless with your presence my life and ministry all this day long and when night comes grant your servant rest and peace. Amen. (A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and Other Servants) Notes

38 FRIDAY, JANUARY 30

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Matthew 3:13-17

Reading for Reflection: Prayer is creating a sacred space where you can be overwhelmed with God’s uncompromising love and acceptance. (Living in God’s Embrace by Michael Fonseca)

It is the voice of the Spirit within us that reminds us that we, too are the Beloved. If we listen closely, we will hear these words of love. (Embracing the Love of God by James Bryan Smith)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Darlene Johnson is a member of MTW’s church-planting team in Nagoya. She teaches conversational English and evangelistic Bible studies and is involved in choral and instrumental music ministry. Pray today for Darlene as she meets regularly with other women for “language exchanges” over coffee or tea. She asks that you pray for her witness among these women.

Safe Families for Children is an innovative collaboration between area churches, volunteers and child care professionals designed to support at-risk children and parents in need. Pray for all of the children, parents and host families that they might know the love and comfort of Christ.

Closing Prayer: Jesus, lover of my soul, let me to thy bosom fly, while the nearer waters roll, while the tempest still is high. Hide me, O my Savior, hide, till the storm of life is past; safe into the haven guide; O receive my soul at last. (Jesus Lover of My Soul by Charles Wesley)

Notes

39 SATURDAY, JANUARY 31

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Scripture Reading for the Day: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

Reading for Reflection: In Jesus we have a master to whom we do not sufficiently listen. He speaks to each heart the word of life, the only word, but we do not listen. We want to know what he is saying to others, and do not listen to what he is saying to us. We are not sufficiently attuned to that transcendental being imparted to all things by divine action.( The Sacrament of the Present Moment by Jean-Pierre De Caussade)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Michael and Diana Johnson serve with People International. As International Director, Michael provides broad vision and leadership for the mission. Pray today for a continuing relief effort by People International to those who are seeking safety from Islamic militants in the Kurdish area of Northern Iraq.

Samaritan Ministry is a faith-based AIDS Service Organization led by Wayne Smith at Central Baptist Church of Bearden in Knoxville. They seek to serve people, primarily in East Tennessee, who are living with HIV/AIDS through direct support and by way of their significant network of service providers. Pray today for those in the program with alcohol addiction.

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you that your grace is sufficient for me - this day and every day. Thank you that whatever this day may hold, or whatever it may require, or whatever it may demand, I can always hold on to this truth. Thanks be to God! Notes

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 1

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Opening Prayer: O Lord, as we spend time with you and your Word this day, let us hear the words of your Ancient Song; and let us listen closely for the Song of God that rises in our hearts. In Christ. Amen.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Song of Songs 2:10-13

Reading for Reflection: When you feel invited to remain in silence at Our Lord’s feet like Magdalen just looking at Him with your heart without saying anything, don’t cast about for any thoughts or reasonings, but just remain in loving adoration. Follow the whisperings of the Holy Ghost. If He invites you to beg, beg; if to be silent, remain silent; if to show your misery to God, just do so. Let Him play on the fibers of your heart like a harpist, and draw forth the melody He wishes for the Divine Spouse. (Union with God by Dom Marmion)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Mike and Stephanie are working with a project called LEARN (Leadership Education and Resource Network) based in Beirut, Lebanon. The project’s aim is to provide high quality, interactive Biblical training via Internet to Arabic-speakers wherever they are found. Pray today for Mike and especially Stephanie as she serves as a mentor to various female students at ABTS who come from other Arab countries. She is a confidant and advisor as these students integrate into a cross-cultural situation.

At The Restoration House (TRH), they are working to help restore single mothers and their children back to God’s good intent for their lives. Through transformational housing, team mentoring, and service planning, TRH is helping single mother families end cycles of poverty and distress. Pray today for the ongoing construction of The Village, a community of housing for single mother families. Co-founders Daniel and Mandy Watson will be our guests at this year’s Global Mission Conference. Be sure to meet them and ask how you can pray for this ministry.

Closing Prayer: Everything in all of creation, O Lord, is a unique song of yours. And when we sing our song - that song that is buried deeply within each of us - we are indeed being who we were made to be. We are in true harmony (shalom) with the voice of our Maker. Help us to sing our song (Your song) clearly and fully this day. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Notes

2 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 2

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Isaiah 12:1-6

Reading for Reflection: In the darkness something was happening at last. A voice had begun to sing. It was very far away and Digory found it hard to decide from what direction it was coming. Sometimes it seemed to come from all directions at once. Sometimes he almost thought it was coming out of the earth beneath them. Its lower notes were deep enough to be the voice of the earth herself. There were no words. There was hardly even a tune. But it was, beyond comparison, the most beautiful noise he had ever heard. It was so beautiful he could hardly bear it. The horse seemed to like it too; he gave the sort of whinny a horse would give if, after years of being a cab-horse, it found itself back in the old field where it had played as a foal, and saw someone whom it remembered and loved coming across the field to bring it a lump of sugar. “Gawd!” said Cabby. “Ain’t it lovely?” Then two wonders happened at the same moment. One was that the voice was suddenly joined by other voices; more voices than you could possibly count. They were in harmony with it, but far higher up the scale: cold, tingling, silvery voices. The second wonder was that the blackness overhead, all at once, was blazing with stars. They didn’t come out gently one by one, as they do on a summer evening. One moment there had been nothing but darkness; next moment a thousand, thousand points of light leaped out—single stars, constellations, and planets, brighter and bigger than any in our world. There were no clouds. The new stars and new voices began at exactly the same time. If you had seen and heard it, as Digory did, you would have felt quite certain that it was the stars themselves who were singing, and that it was the First Voice, the deep one, which had made them appear and made them sing. “Glory be!” said Cabby. “I’d ha’ been a better man all my life if I’d known there were things like this.” (The Magician’s Nephew by C. S. Lewis)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Tim and Barbie K. are currently working to translate the Bible into the “Makori” language. Their goal is to see a “Makori” church effectively using its own translation. Pray today for Tim, as he proofreads across Gospels, to make good suggestions to the team and for Barbie, as she proofreads the Arabic script version, for alertness to problems. Pray also for their safety during a period of unrest in their region.

The Cross Greek Christian Ministry is unique to the University of Tennessee and focuses on the fraternity and sorority community. The ministry is student led, but guided by a staff. Pray today for the students that lead this ministry as they begin the Spring semester.

Closing Prayer: And you will say in that day, “I thank you, God. You were angry but your anger wasn’t forever. You withdrew your anger and moved in and comforted me. Yes, indeed - God is my salvation. I trust, I won’t be afraid. God - yes God! - is my strength and song, best of all, my salvation!” Joyfully you’ll pull up buckets of water from the wells of salvation. And as you do it, you’ll say, “Give thanks to God. Call out his name. Ask him anything. Shout to the nations, tell them what he’s done, spread the news of his great reputation! Sing praise-songs to God. He’s done it all! Let the whole earth know what he’s done! Raise the roof! Sing your hearts out, O Zion! The Greatest lives among you: The Holy of Israel.”(Isaiah 12:1-6, The Message) Notes

3 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Zephaniah 3:14-20

Reading for Reflection: One day a friend of mine was walking through a shopping mall with his two-year-old son. The child was in a particularly cantankerous mood, fussing and fuming. The frustrated father tried everything to quiet his son, but nothing seemed to help. The child simply would not obey. Then, under some special inspiration, the father scooped up his son and, holding him close to his chest, began signing an impromptu love song. None of the words rhymed. He sang off key. And yet, as best he could, this father began sharing his heart. “I love you,” he sang. “I’m so glad you’re my boy. You make me happy. I like the way you laugh.” On they went from one store to the next. Quietly the father continued singing off key and making up words that did not rhyme. The child relaxed and became still, listening to this strange and wonderful song. Finally, they finished shopping and went to the car. As the father opened the door and prepared to buckle his son into his carseat, the child lifted his head and said simply, “Sing it to me again, Daddy! Sing it to me again!” Prayer is a little like that. With simplicity of heart we allow ourselves to be gathered up into the arms of the Father and let him sing his love song over us. (Prayer by Richard J. Foster)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Bobby and Teresa LaDage are working with Redeemer City to City (the church planting arm of Redeemer Church in NYC) envisioning, equipping, and mentoring church planters and their wives in order to see gospel-centered churches reach the major cities of Eastern and Central Europe. Pray today for church planters with whom they can partner with in these 10 cities: Helsinki, Stockholm, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Krakow, Warsaw, Kiev, Minsk, Prague, and Istanbul.

The Thornston Educational Fund is an organization whose mission is to initiate and develop relationships with certain educational institutions that serve the needs of underprivileged individuals and families in Asia. Pray today for the organization’s work and for the people that are served through it.

Closing Prayer: O Lord, my God, sing your song of love over me this day and let it completely capture my heart and transform my life. Quiet me with your holy love and rejoice over me with singing; that I may rejoice over you - in return - every second of this day. Amen. Notes

4 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Isaiah 26:1-9

Reading for Reflection: I have been greatly instructed by the story of Ulysses, when he was sailing past the islands of the Sirens. These Sirens had the power of charming by their songs all who listened to them, and of inducing them to leap into the sea. To avert this danger, Ulysses filled the ears of his crew with wax, that they might not hear the fatal music, and bound himself to the mast with knotted cords; and thus they passed the isle in safety. But when Orpheus was obliged to sail by the same island, he gained a better victory, for he himself made sweeter music than that of the Sirens, and enchanted his crew with more alluring songs; so that they passed the dangerous charmers not only with safety, but with disdain. Wax and knotted cords kept Ulysses and his crew from making the fatal leap; but inward delights enabled Orpheus and his crew to reign triumphant over the very source of temptation itself. And just so is it with the Kingdom of which we speak. It needs no outward law to bind it, but reigns by right of its inward life. So that it is said of those who have entered it, “Against such there is no law.” (The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

John and Kathy Lesondak are church planters who work across denominational lines in Slovakia to encourage and enable pastors in their work. Pray today that they would continue to learn the Slovak language and that their health would endure.

CSPC member Clayton Wood is the director of Thrive Lonsdale. This organization challenges inner-city youth with the love of Jesus Christ to serve others and reconcile by creatively meeting their spiritual, educational, and recreational needs through Bible study, tutoring, mentoring and outings. Pray today for all of the students being reached by this ministry.

Closing Prayer: O Lord, we wait for you; your name and remembrance are the desire of our soul. My soul yearns for you in the night; my spirit within me earnestly seeks you. (Isaiah 26: 8-9, ESV) Notes

5 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Exodus 15:1-21

Reading for Reflection: When he awoke, the song was there. Its melody beckoned and begged him to sing it. It hung upon the wind and settled in the meadows where he walked. He knew its lovely words and could have sung it all, but feared to sing a song whose harmony was far too perfect for human ear to understand. And still at midnight it stirred him to awareness, and with its haunting melody it drew him with a curious mystery to stand before an open window. In rhapsody it played among the stars. It rippled through Andromeda and deepened Vega’s hues. It swirled in heavy strains from galaxy to galaxy and gave him back his very fingerprint. “Sing the Song!” the heavens seemed to cry. “We never could have been without the melody that you alone can sing.” (The Singer by Calvin Miller)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Josh and Jenny M. are working with the RAK Church Plant in the United Arab Emirates. Pray today that the Lord would provide the funds needed to build the RAK church building.

Wears Valley Ranch offers a Christian home, education, and counseling to children from families in crisis. Their vision is to see each child inspired to follow Christ, healed from the past, and equipped to reach their full potential. Pray today for all of the residents that they may know Christ’s love and salvation through this ministry. Founders Jim & Susan Wood will be our guests at this year’s Global Mission Conference. Be sure to meet them and ask how you can pray for this ministry.

Closing Prayer: Thy mercy, my God, is the theme of my song, The joy of my heart and the boast of my tongue; Thy free grace alone, from the first to the last, Hath won my affections, and bound my soul fast. (Thy Mercy, My God by John Stocker)

Notes

6 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Psalm 95:1-11

Reading for Reflection: If enough of us were to ungarble our words [the word spoken uniquely into each one of us by God], perhaps God’s story might be more clearly heard and understood. Perhaps the song that God sings into the wind that whispers all around us in the trees would be on more lips and taught to more children. My friend Russell Montfort once remarked that he suspects that “we die with half our music left in us.” Maybe we do not know the words to our own song. And it is not just our own little melody that suffers; the whole chorus is not as good. If you leave out enough of the words, even the Song of the whole universe will sound funny. The Song needs my word. It is not the same song without it. And I am the only one who has ever heard it, the only one who can ever listen to its echo deep inside and know whether or not the life that I am living—what I am doing with my hours and days and work and other selves to love—rhymes with it, and sings it clearly at all. (Between the Dreaming and the Coming True by Robert Benson)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Heath and Angela Many are now serving at Tenwek Hospital, a Christian mission hospital in rural Kenya, as medical missionaries in their respective fields (surgery and obstetrics/gynecology). Pray today that the Lord will inspire the surgeons they are discipling to follow God in service to areas that desperately need Christian physicians.

YOKE mentors middle school children by building friendships with Christian adults through clubs, camps, and Kid Time (hanging out with kids in their world). Currently YOKE reaches out to nearly 20,000 students at 26 middle schools located in Anderson, Blount, Grainger, Jefferson, and Knox counties. Regina Edmonds of the YOKE staff will be our guest at this year’s Global Mission Conference. Be sure to meet her and ask how you can pray for this ministry.

Closing Prayer: Come, let us raise a joyful song, a shout of triumph to the rock of our salvation. Let us come into Your presence with thanksgiving, singing songs of triumph. For You are a great God, a great king over all gods. The depths of the earth are in Your hands; and the mountains belong to You. The sea is Yours for You made it; and the dry land Your hands fashioned. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the One who made us. For You are our God, and we are the flock that You shepherd. We will know Your power and presence this day if we will but listen for Your voice.( Venite by Robert Benson) Notes

7 SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Psalm 98:1-9

Reading for Reflection: The Voice on the earth was now louder and more triumphant; but the voices in the sky, after singing loudly with it for a time, began to get fainter. And now something else was happening. Far away, and down near the horizon, the sky began to turn grey. A light wind, very fresh, began to stir. The sky, in that one place, grew slowly and steadily paler. You could see shapes of hills standing up dark against it. All the time the Voice went on singing. There was soon enough light for them to see one another’s faces. The Cabby and the two children had open mouths and shining eyes; they were drinking in the sound, and they looked as if it reminded them of something. Uncle Andrew’s mouth was open too, but not open with joy. He looked more as if his chin had simply dropped away from the rest of his face. His shoulders were stooped and his knees shook. He was not liking the Voice. If he could have got away from it by creeping into a rat’s hole, he would have done so. But the Witch looked as if, in a way, she understood the music better than any of them. Her mouth was shut, her lips were pressed together, and her fists were clenched. Ever since the song began she had felt that this whole world was filled with Magic different from hers and stronger. She hated it. She would have smashed that whole world, or all worlds, to pieces, if it would only stop the singing. The horse stood with its ears well forward, and twitching. Every now and then it snorted and stamped the ground. It no longer looked like a tired old cabhorse; you could now well believe that its father had been in battles. The eastern sky changed from white to pink and from pink to gold. The Voice rose and rose, till all the air was shaking with it. And just as it swelled to the mightiest and most glorious sound it had yet produced, the sun arose. Digory had never seen such a sun. The sun above the ruins of Charn had looked older than ours; this looked younger. You could imagine that it laughed for joy as it came up. And as its beams shot across the land the travelers could see for the first time what sort of place they were in. It was a valley through which a broad, swift river wound its way, flowing eastward towards the sun. Southward there were mountains, northward there were lower hills. But it was a valley of mere earth, rock and water; there was not a tree, not a bush, not a blade of grass to be seen. The earth was of many colours: they were fresh, hot and vivid. They made you feel excited; until you saw the Singer himself, and then you forgot everything else. It was a Lion. Huge, shaggy, and bright it stood facing the risen sun. Its mouth was wide open in song and it was about three hundred yards away. (The Magician’s Nephew by C. S. Lewis)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Mark and Mary are living in a Creative Access country. Mark is working for a U.S. corporation there as a “Tent Maker.” Mark’s work gives him unparalleled access to the local population. Pray today for wisdom for Mark and Mary as they lead a growing team, with one new couple just arriving. Pray for unity of spirit and vision, and that the Lord would use them for his kingdom, and that the gospel would take root across the land where they live.

Young Life Europe is an organization that pursues and befriends teenagers to introduce them to Jesus. Jim McNamee is the Western Europe Regional Director and Barbara works on the regional staff. They direct and supervise YL staff in five countries: Belgium, France, Holland, Portugal, and Spain. Working from Madrid, they are responsible for both the national and international school works in those countries. Pray today for Jim and Barbara and their extended family.

Closing Prayer: Sing to God a brand-new song. He’s made a world of wonders! He rolled up his sleeves, He set things right. God made history with salvation, He showed the world what he could do. He remembered to love us, a bonus to his dear family, Israel - indefatigable love. The whole earth comes to attention. Look - God’s work of salvation! Shout your praises to God, everybody! Let loose and sing! Strike up the band! Round up an orchestra to play for God, add on a hundred-voice choir. Feature trumpets and big trombones, fill the air with praises to King God. Let the sea and its fish give a round of

8 applause, with everything living on earth joining in. Let ocean breakers call out, “Encore!” And mountains harmonize the finale—a tribute to God when he comes, when he comes to set the earth right. He’ll straighten out the whole world, He’ll put the world right, and everyone in it. (Psalm 98, The Message) Notes

9 Theme for the Week: Joy & Celebration

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 8

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Opening Prayer: Our Father, giver of all gifts, You love and choose us, your least ones. Increase our humility so that we might rejoice in the generosity of Your love and be mindful that the good in us comes from You, Creator, Redeemer, and Giver of Life, now and forever. Amen. - Macrina Wiederkehr

Scripture Reading for the Day: John 15:9-17

Reading for Reflection: Joy is essential to spiritual life. Whatever we may think or say about God, when we are not joyful, our thoughts and words cannot bear fruit. Jesus reveals to us God’s love so that His joy may become ours and that our joy might become complete. Joy is the experience of knowing that you are unconditionally loved and that nothing - sickness, failure, emotional distress, oppression, war, or even death - can take that love away. (Here and Now by Henri J.M. Nouwen)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Martyn and Elissa live in a Creative Access country as “Tent Makers.” Martyn’s work gives him unparalleled access to the local population. Pray today for a new friend of theirs to come to Christ. She is reading about Jesus at home regularly and loves to hear stories about Him.

Young Life Tennessee seeks to pursue and befriend lost or disinterested teenagers to introduce them to Jesus, share the gospel, and help them grow in their faith. Pray today for all of the students reached by Knoxville Young Life that they may know the love of Jesus during this semester. Jason Zinn of Young Life Birmingham will be our guest at this year’s Global Mission Conference. Be sure to meet him and ask how you can pray for this ministry.

Closing Prayer: O God, quicken to life every power within me, that I may lay hold of eternal things. Open my eyes that I may see; give me acute spiritual perception; enable me to taste Thee and know that Thou art good. Make heaven more real to me than any earthly thing has ever been. (The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer) Notes

10 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Nehemiah 8:1-12

Reading for Reflection: The difference between shallow happiness and deep, sustaining joy is sorrow. Happiness lives where sorrow is not. When sorrow arrives, happiness dies. It can’t stand pain. Joy, on the other hand, rises from sorrow and therefore can withstand all grief. Joy, by the grace of God, is the transfiguration of suffering into endurance, and of endurance into character, and of character into hope - and the hope that has become our joy does not (as happiness must for those who depend upon it) disappoint us. In the sorrows of the Christ - as we ourselves experience them - we prepare for Easter, for joy. There can be no resurrection from the dead except first there is death! But then, because we love him above all things, his rising is our joy. And then the certain hope of our own resurrection warrants the joy both now and forever. (Reliving the Passion by Walter Wangerin Jr.)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Tom Matthews serves as a translation consultant to Bible translation teams from multiple people groups in northern Tanzania and Kenya. Some of the groups are minimally reached for Christ and some are dominated by Islam. Pray today for Tom and Juanita for Godly wisdom in all aspects of their jobs. Tom really enjoys his work as a Bible translation consultant, but it is a remarkably challenging ministry. Imagine, for example, checking the translation of the Pauline letters to the Corinthians for a minority group that herds camels in a desert in northern Kenya.

Young Life Spain pursues and befriends teenagers to introduce them to Jesus. Drew and Sharalyn Goodman are in Madrid where Drew serves as an intern for YL. David Beltran leads the YL Spain team. Pray today for Drew, Sharalyn and David that they may effectively reach teens in Spain with the gospel.

Closing Prayer: Father, it is so easy for me to live automatically, so that nothing touches me or moves me. Give me the fullness of living in the now. In the name of your Son, who loved children and flowers and people, I pray. Amen. (Disciplines for the Inner Life by Michael Benson and Bob Benson) Notes

11 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Philippians 4:4-9

Reading for Reflection: One aspect of choosing life is choosing joy. Joy is life-giving, but sadness brings death. A sad heart is a heart in which something is dying. A joyful heart is a heart in which something new is being born. I think that joy is much more than a mood. A mood invades us. We do not choose a mood. We often find ourselves in a happy or depressed mood without knowing where it comes from. The spiritual life is a life beyond moods. It is a life in which we choose joy and do not allow ourselves to become victims of passing feelings of joy or depression. I am convinced that we can choose joy. Every moment we can decide to respond to an event or a person with joy instead of sadness. When we truly believe that God is life and only life, then nothing need have the power to draw us into the sad realm of death. To choose joy does not mean to choose happy feelings or an artificial atmosphere of hilarity. But it does mean the determination to let whatever takes place bring us one step closer to the God of life. (The Road to Daybreak by Henri J. M. Nouwen)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

J. and C. are working in a Creative Access country for World Outreach. J. is developing an entry platform using sustainable technologies that will provide income and economic development among the people they are ministering to. Pray today for God’s will to be evident as the team is in the process of exploring a new partnership with a large Business as Mission organization.

A Hand Up For Women, Knox County Christian Women’s Job Corps, strives to be a source of hope to women with the desire and motivation to lead a more self-sufficient life. Pray for the women reached by this ministry that they may understand the love of Jesus this Spring. Director Eva Pierce will be our guest at this year’s Global Mission Conference. Be sure to meet her and ask how you can pray for this ministry.

Closing Prayer: Father, teach me to rejoice at this moment. Teach me that it does me no good to be so busy planning to earn bread for next week that I cannot enjoy what I am eating now. Do not let tomorrow rob me of the pleasure of today. Amen. (Disciplines for the Inner Life by Michael Benson and Bob Benson) Notes

12 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Psalm 118:1-29

Reading for Reflection: Joy dwells with God; it descends from Him and seizes the spirit, soul, and body, and where this joy has grasped a man it grows greater, carries him away, opens closed doors…The joy of God has been through the poverty of the crib and the distress of the cross; therefore it is insuperable, irrefutable. (True Patriotism by Dietrich Bonhoeffer)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Pete and Ruth Mitchell are church planters in Marseille under the auspices of Mission to the World (MTW) and in collaboration with the Eglise Réformée Evangélique de France (French Reformed Evangelical Church). Pete’s role is that of team leader. The Mitchells have recently moved to Toulouse to plant a new church. They ask that you pray today for the church plant that God would give them wisdom as they begin the plans for this new church and that there would be excellent working relationships between the Mitchells and the Stephane Kouyo family (their French national partner).

Athletes in Action, the sports ministry of Cru, is ministering to college athletes at the University of Tennessee. Rachel and Jason Stankus minister to and through the athletic department at the University of Tennessee and are trusting God to build a spiritual movement that impacts the campus, community and world for Christ. Pray today for all the athletes at UT that they may be reached with the gospel. Rachel & Jason will be our guests at this year’s Global Mission Conference. Be sure to meet them and ask how you can pray for this ministry.

Closing Prayer: Generous Lord, the wonders of your extravagant love display themselves in the glittering beauty of the night sky and the abundant fruitfulness of the earth. You have led us faithfully throughout our years and in Jesus you have shown us the way to fullness of life. May our gratitude know no bounds as we praise your name in word and deed. Amen. (A Guide to Prayer for All Who Walk with God by Rueben P. Job, Norman Shawchuck, and John Mogabgab) Notes

13 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Revelation 19:6-9

Reading for Reflection: Only the one who has experienced it can know what the love of Jesus Christ is. Once you have experienced it, nothing else in the world will seem more beautiful or desirable. (The Signature of Jesus by Brennan Manning)

Do not look for rest in any pleasure, because you were not created for pleasure: you were created for JOY. And if you do not know the difference between pleasure and joy you have not yet begun to live.( Seeds of Contemplation by Thomas Merton)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

F. & S. are working alongside Arab believers toward the goal of seeing churches planted for those who do not have a church. Their main focus is to work with, mobilize, resource and train nationals for this purpose. Pray today for F. & S. as they travel to Knoxville to attend the Global Mission Conference next month. Make sure to meet them and ask about how you can pray for their work.

Bethany Christian Services is a global organization caring for orphans and vulnerable children on five continents. They manifest the love and compassion of Jesus Christ by protecting and enhancing the lives of children and families through quality social services such as adoption, family support, foster care, pregnancy counseling, refuge services and infertility. Pray today for the staff who are dedicated to facilitating adoptions.

Closing Prayer: New every morning is your love great God of light and all day long you are working for good in your world. Stir up in us the desire to serve you and to devote each day to your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. We praise you with joy, loving God, because your grace is better than life. Once again you have sustained us through the darkness and blessed us with life in this new day. Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love that we might sing for joy and be glad all our days. Amen. Notes

14 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Isaiah 55:6-13

Reading for Reflection:Celebration gives us the strength to live in all the other Disciplines. The other Disciplines faithfully pursued bring us deliverance from those things that have made our lives miserable for years, which in turn evokes increased celebration. Thus is formed and unbroken circle of life and power.( Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Dan and Shelly Owens live in Atlanta where Dan works with Sixty Feet. This organization focuses on ministry in Uganda in three categories: relief, rehabilitation or development. The Owens have recently left Atlanta and moved to Uganda. Pray today for their family as they adjust to their new home.

The Bible Society of Egypt is the largest Arabic Bible publishing operation in the world. They are publishing the Scriptures in a variety of formats and media (print, audio, visual), with each product designed for a particular social, economic, age, and cultural interest group. Pray today for the staff as they perform the day to day tasks required to publish the Bibles.

Closing Prayer: O Lord, our God, may we, this day, join the mountains and hills as they burst into a song of praise to you. May we, with the trees of the field, clap our hands in celebration of your unfathomable greatness. In the name of Jesus. Amen. Notes

15 SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Scripture Reading for the Day: James 1:2-12

Reading for Reflection: Joy ignores suffering or laughs at it or even exploits it to purify itself of its greatest obstacle, selfishness. (Seeds of Contemplation by Thomas Merton)

Joyful persons do not necessarily make jokes, laugh, or even smile. They are not people with an optimistic outlook on life who always revitalize the seriousness of a moment or event. No, joyful persons see with open eyes the hard reality of human existence and at the same time are not imprisoned by it. They have no illusion about the evil powers that roam around, “looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8), but they also know that death has no final power. They suffer with those who suffer, yet they do not hold on to suffering; they point beyond it to an everlasting peace. (Lifesigns by Henri J.M. Nouwen)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

B. and H. and their two children currently reside in Asia. Pray today for their family as they get settled in a new city where they are working with migrant workers. Pray today for the national ministry with whom they partner so the ministry can cover increasingly more areas and people. Pray for the individuals, fellowship groups, and house churches that raise up through the ministry’s efforts to stay true to the gospel.

Closing Prayer: Lord, we shout with joy for your goodness today. Remind us that you are the Sovereign of the earth and that you alone are worthy of our praise. Gather us to you and let the entire world know the peace of your reign. Amen. (A Guide to Prayer for All Who Walk with God by Rueben P. Job, Norman Shawchuck, and John Mogabgab) Notes

16 Theme for the Week: Tears

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Opening Prayer: O God. We give ourselves over to your care, trusting only in your infinite mercy and love. We will continue to give thanks to you, O Lord, for all that we have and all that we are. We will rest assured in the knowledge that when we cry to you in sadness or in joy you will hear our cry and make reply. Amen. (A Guide to Prayer for All Who Walk with God by Rueben P. Job, Norman Shawchuck, and John Mogabgab)

Scripture Reading for the Day: Psalm 42:1-11

Reading for Reflection:After prayer, the church needs to teach people what I call “the weeping mode.” Weeping is different from beating up on ourselves. Weeping is a gentle release of water that washes, baptizes, and renews. Weeping leads to owning our complicity in the problem. Weeping is the opposite of blaming and also the opposite of denying. It leads to deep healing when inspired by the Spirit. The saints talked about weeping frequently, far more than I was ready for when I first started reading the mystics. They often referred to “the gift of tears.”( Everything Belongs by Richard Rohr)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

H. & L. serve in Asia by providing strategic leadership for colleagues serving in several major urban centers in Asia. Their role involves encouraging and coaching these co-workers in their ministries, as well as networking with others to make sure they have the resources and training that they need for their respective ministries. Pray today for H. & L. as they travel to Knoxville to attend the Global Mission Conference next month. Make sure to meet them and ask about how you can pray for their work.

Campus Renewal Ministries is a National Christian Ministry devoted to seeing transformation on college campuses for God’s glory. They have been around for over 15 years and work with colleges all across America. Pray today for their leaders to have a renewed vision for ministry on UT’s campus this Spring.

Closing Prayer: May the God of love and peace, who gives us both tears of joy and sorrow, comfort us when we mourn, soothe us in our distress. Rejoice with us when we are glad, and be with us always. Amen. (A Guide to Prayer for All Who Walk with God by Rueben P. Job, Norman Shawchuck, and John Mogabgab) Notes

17 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Psalm 56:8-13

Reading for Reflection: The closest communion with God, I have begun to discover, comes through the shedding of my tears. If grapes and grain are not crushed, there can be no wine and bread. If my life is not crushed, there will not be the closest and most intimate communion with God. (Running on Empty by Fil Anderson)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Paul and Dori Pittman currently serve as area directors for United World Mission’s Latin America region. Paul is also project coordinator of UWM’s Cuba Partnership Project. Pray today for them as they travel to visit missionaries and partners throughout Central America and the Caribbean, meeting and getting to know ministry and prayer needs better.

Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) is committed to the evangelism of boys and girls through Good News Clubs, the Tennessee Valley Fair and any other means to reach the children of the Knoxville community. Good News Club is a ministry in which trained teachers meet with groups of children in schools, homes, community centers, churches, apartment complexes and just about anywhere the children can easily and safely meet with their parent’s permission. Pray today for the families of the children that attend the Good News Clubs each week that they may understand the love of Jesus.

Closing Prayer: O Lord my God, thank you that you keep track of all my sorrows. That you have collected my tears in your bottle. That you have recorded each one in your book. And that all the tears I’ve shed cannot begin to compare with the ones you shed for me. Amen. Notes

18 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Scripture Reading for the Day: John 11:17-44

Reading for Reflection: Digory kept his mouth very tight shut. He had been growing more and more uncomfortable. He hoped that whatever happened, he wouldn’t blub or do anything ridiculous. “Son of Adam,” said the Aslan. “Are you ready to undo the wrong that you have done to my sweet country of Narnia on the very day of its birth?” “Well, I don’t see what I can do,” said Digory. “You see, the Queen ran away and - “I asked, are you ready,” said the Lion. “Yes,” said Digory. He had had for a second some wild idea of saying “I’ll try to help you if you’ll promise to help about my Mother,” but he realized in time that the Lion was not at all the sort of person one could try to make bargains with. But when he had said “Yes,” he thought of his Mother, and he thought of the great hopes he had had, and how they were all dying away, and a lump came in his throat and tears in his eyes, and he blurted out: “But please, please - won’t you - can’t you give me something that will cure Mother?” Up till then he had been looking at the Lion’s great front feet and the huge claws on them; now, in his despair, he looked up at its face. What he saw surprised him as much as anything in his whole life. For the tawny face was bent down near his own and (wonder of wonders) great shining tears stood in the Lion’s eyes. They were such big, bright tears compared with Digory’s own that for a moment he felt as if the Lion must really be sorrier about his Mother than he was himself. (The Magician’s Nephew by C. S. Lewis)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Joe and Cindy Platillero proclaim the transforming presence of Jesus Christ through Biblical teaching and practical training to all who come through their doors. Their main ministry is through the Torchbearer Center where they have camps, conferences, and a small Bible School during the winter. They are focusing on the local church and the church throughout Europe. Pray for the current Bible school that began in January.

Christian Leadership Concepts (CLC) is an organization that seeks to find and deploy the natural male disciple-makers in our city, asking them to pour into other men via a two-year disciple-making process. Pray today for the men currently in the two- year discipleship groups.

Closing Prayer: Thank you, Lord Jesus that you wept. Thank you that you are a God who weeps - that our sorrows bring tears to your eyes as well. Thank you that you hold us, as well as all our tears, in the palm of your pierced hand. Amen. Notes

19 ASH WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Joel 2:1-2, 12-17

Reading for Reflection:

Because I do not hope to turn again Because I do not hope Because I do not hope to turn Desiring this man’s gift and that man’s scope I no longer strive to strive towards such things (Why should the agèd eagle stretch its wings?) Why should I mourn The vanished power of the usual reign?

Because I do not hope to know The infirm glory of the positive hour Because I do not think Because I know I shall not know The one veritable transitory power Because I cannot drink There, where trees flower, and springs flow, for there is nothing again

Because I know that time is always time And place is always and only place And what is actual is actual only for one time And only for one place I rejoice that things are as they are and I renounce the blessèd face And renounce the voice Because I cannot hope to turn again Consequently I rejoice, having to construct something Upon which to rejoice

And pray to God to have mercy upon us And pray that I may forget These matters that with myself I too much discuss Too much explain Because I do not hope to turn again Let these words answer For what is done, not to be done again May the judgment not be too heavy upon us

Because these wings are no longer wings to fly But merely vans to beat the air The air which is now thoroughly small and dry Smaller and dryer than the will Teach us to care and not to care Teach us to sit still.

20 Pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death Pray for us now and at the hour of our death. (Ash Wednesday by T. S. Eliot)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Steve and Ruth Porter center their ministry around Steve’s dentistry at the Miango Dental Clinic in Nigeria. Their goal is to provide high quality dentistry, a winsome witness, sound teaching, and a compassionate outreach to those in need. They minister to local pastors, teachers, and other church employees, offering their services for the cost of the materials they use. Pray today for the Porters as they resume their ministries after an extended medical leave.

Choices Resource Center is a Christian, life-affirming pregnancy resource center offering services to help people facing decisions regarding pregnancy, parenting, purity, and post abortion healing. Pray today for each young woman who will visit this center this week.

Closing Prayer: O Lord, thank you that you would rather tear me to pieces than allow me to continue being something other than that which I was created to be. Now that is true love! Help me, during this day and during this season, to return to you with all my heart. Amen. Notes

21 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Luke 7:36-50

Reading for Reflection: I would love to have been a fly on the wall, an eyewitness to this extravagant outpouring of sorrow and love. I would love to have seen her face as she both wept upon and kissed the feet of the Savior. Surely these were no normal tears. These tears were an odd combination of the remorse and regret associated with the gravity of sin, coupled with the immense gratitude and affection that comes from the joy and delight of being forgiven. Because, of course, the gospel is always both. They cannot be separated, this weeping and kissing. So as we journey together through these next days and weeks, let us always hold these two things together in perfect harmony. Let an abundance of tears and an abundance of kisses continually bathe his pierced feet. Thanks be to God!

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

The “Professors” create curriculum materials, providing teacher training, advising and helping others establish ESL ministries in a Creative Access country. They also work on “secret” projects with national Christians who teach weekly Bible studies. They are using innovative technology tools to communicate their training to teachers including podcasts that can be accessed while teachers are commuting to work. This last year teams took the materials they have created to use storytelling to share the gospel in 20 cities and 11 provinces. Pray today for all of the teachers who will be using their teaching tools in the coming months.

Logan and Melissa Keck are building relationships and meeting with a core group for the purpose of discipling, training, and equipping leaders as they are planting Christ the King, JP/Roxbury in Boston. Pray for the church as they are developing a reading buddy program with a local elementary school. Pray that they can build relationships with the children and families of this amazingly diverse school.

Closing Prayer: Gracious God, you know the sighs confined and hidden within the depths of our hearts. Sighs for which there are often no words. Do not be far from us, O God, when we cry out unto you. Hear our prayers today. Amen.( A Guide to Prayer for All Who Walk with God by Rueben P. Job, Norman Shawchuck, and John Mogabgab) Notes

22 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Hebrews 5:7-10

Reading for Reflection: I think a Christian is one who, along with Jesus, agrees to feel, to suffer the pain of the world. But we can’t stop there. Tears come just as much with happiness. When it is an unearned happiness, when we know we did not deserve this goodness, we lose words. Tears are our only response. We perhaps have two eyes because reality is stereoscopic. When we see it fully, we have reason for both immense sadness and immense happiness—and both at the same time. When faith reaches a certain intensity and the mystery becomes utterly overwhelming, often we can respond only with tears. (Everything Belongs by Richard Rohr) Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Carlos and Sandy Rios are planting Rivers of Grace Bible Church in the San Andres area of Guadalajara, Mexico. The church is growing and many new families have begun attending. Pray today that the members of the church will grow in their relationships with Christ and in their love for Jesus so that it overflows to others.

City Church of San Francisco is a Cedar Springs church plant led by Fred Harrell. Pray today for the entire staff of City Church.

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for the depths of despair you were willing to go to for me. Thank you that you carried my sorrows. Thank you that you bore my sin and my pain; all so that I could be with you for all eternity. Amen. Notes

23 SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Psalm 126:1-6

Reading for Reflection: “Tears hollow out places in the heart,” wrote Gibran, “where joy can grow.” To be emptied is to create a place that can be filled. “They that sow in tears…” says the psalmist, and which of us has no tears to sow?( Living Prayer by Robert Benson)

So much is distilled in our tears, not the least of which is wisdom in living life. From my own tears I have learned that if you follow your tears, you will find your heart. If you find your heart, you will find what is dear to God. And if you find what is dear to God, you will find the answer to how you should live your life. (Windows of the Soul by Ken Gire)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

M. is living in an area in Southeast Asia where the Tai Lue, an unreached people group, live. She is trusting that God will open doors for the gospel and empower local brothers and sisters to make disciples among them. Pray today for God’s help in raising up local leaders with the vision of initiating a movement of rapidly reproducing Tai Lue churches.

The mission of Compassion Coalition is to inform, prepare, and unite churches to transform lives and communities through the love of Christ. They strive to walk alongside Knoxville-area churches who earnestly desire to slow down and respond to the cry of the suffering, the broken, and the abandoned within their congregations and out in the community. Pray today for the work of this ministry in Knoxville. Executive Director Grant Standefer will be our guest at this year’s Global Mission Conference. Be sure to meet him and ask how you can pray for this ministry.

Closing Prayer: Help me O God, Give me the courage to cry. Help me to understand that tears bring reshly washed colors arching across the soul, colors that wouldn’t be there apart from the rain. Help me to see in the prism of my tears, something of the secret of who I am. Give me the courage not only to see what those tears are revealing but to follow where they are leading. And help me to see that where they are leading me is home. (Windows of the Soul by Ken Gire) Notes

24 Theme for the Week: Gathering the pieces

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 22

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Opening Prayer: O Lord our God, help us to be faithful to gather what you have provided for our hearts and souls this day - that we may feed on you and live. In the name of Jesus, the bread of life. Amen.

Scripture Reading for the Day: John 6:1-14

Reading for Reflection: The call came at about 9:30 p.m. on a typical Thursday evening in early December. I had just returned home from somewhere or other and was talking with my wife in the living room about the events of the day when our son called on his cell phone to ask if he could go to the church coffee shop with some friends. As she spoke to him there was an abrupt halt in the conversation - a significant amount of panic and anxiety filled her usually calm face. Our son, as his mother was listening, had just been involved in an automobile accident. I quickly got news of his location and headed for the door - not being able to get there fast enough. Fears and prayers consumed the drive until I reached the scene. As I arrived I saw him - in one piece, unhurt - standing with a few friends in the midst of the broken glass and police lights and passersby. My only desire at that moment was wrap my arms around him - which I did as he began to express his sorrow and sadness. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry,” was all he could say; which was met only by my relief and gratitude that he was unhurt. “I’m just so glad you are okay.” So we stood there in the middle of the road and waited as reports were written and information was exchanged and wrecker services were called. Looking down at my feet all I could see was broken pieces… glass, plastic, metal, etc. The pieces were littering the street - such an appropriate description of the scene in general - broken. Broken glass. Broken pieces. Broken hearts. Broken world. Broken. That’s when the words came. Words that I had been captured by months before that were returning at just the right time. “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” Words that offered such comfort and hope. Words that spoke of God’s heart and God’s presence, even in the midst of the broken pieces of this life. It was as if Jesus was saying to me, “I am here. I am with you even in the brokenness. Gather the pieces and you will find me. You are not alone in this. With me nothing is wasted. I will use even the most broken situations to mold and make you into the amazing creation that I have always longed for you to be.” What a crazy world this is that we live in - a world where brokenness is unfortunately a part of life. Death and suffering, war and violence, conflict and strife; from anger, hatred, and racism to hurricanes, tornados and tsunamis.We can’t avoid it, or deny it, no matter how hard we may try. But the beautiful thing is that brokenness does not have the last word - wholeness does. For no matter how broken the heart, or the life, or the circumstance, we have this amazing God who says, “With me nothing is wasted. Gather the pieces, I am in the midst of them.”

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Mostafa and Mona Sharkawy’s main area of work is the U.K., serving among Arab Muslims. Their goals are to see Arabic churches arise from Muslim background believers, to see new generations of leaders from Muslim believers, and to teach and prepare them for future ministry. Pray today for Mostafa as he goes three days a week to serve as an Arabic Chaplain in a large Immigration Asylum Seekers Prison to reach and disciple Arabic non-believers and seekers.

Core Leadership is a ministry concentrating on leadership development and spiritual formation. Jim Branch helps folks in leadership positions (of all ages and places) live their lives from both the core of their identity in Christ and from the core of their intimacy with Him. Pray today for Jim to have wisdom as he develops his teaching materials.

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you that you are present in the midst of the broken pieces of this day. May we find you there as we gather them up and may it help us to trust both your provision for us, as well as the goodness of your heart. Amen.

25 Notes

26 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 23

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Luke 9:57-62

Reading for Reflection: I love the plough that opens up the earth, lays bare the soil where seed can fall. It matters little that the widening wound of earth still hesitates, uncertain of the nutrients it has to offer falling seed. The seed is sown, the wound of earth closed up again. The broken soil becomes a womb, a sheltering tomb of life protecting what must die to live. We wait then for signs of life: the stem, the leaf, the bud, the fruit or vegetable to wend its way from dark to light. The image of the plough opening the soil to welcome seed offers us a metaphor for the human heart. The heart too must be prepared, readied to receive its daily seed. No more looking back! I love the Word of God that pierces the human heart, lays bare the soul where seed can fall. The sower’s passion invites the heart to receptivity. The sower looks not back to see if the heart is worthy. Sower and plough become one. With contemplative awareness they trust the widening wound of the opening heart. This laying bare the heart’s good soil is a moment of readiness. She or he who receives the seed of the Word of God receives also the silence of the Word and waits to be transformed. No more looking back! I love the disciple who allows the heart to be pierced. Obedient to the piercing Word and broken heart, the disciple learns to wait, trusting the Word to die and live within the heart’s good soil. The disciple’s heart becomes a sheltering womb and tomb for what must die to live. I love the one who is transformed into a disciple by surrendering to the Word of God. Rooted in obedience to the Word, there is no more looking back! (Abide by Macrina Wiederkehr)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Cru, formerly known as Campus Crusade for Christ, is a campus organization that seeks to share the gospel with students through relationships, small group studies and larger events like retreats and mission trips. John Strange from Cru at the University of Kentucky will be our guest at this year’s Global Mission Conference. Be sure to meet him and ask how you can pray for this ministry.

Closing Prayer: You alone bring order to the unruly wills and affections of sinners. Grant us grace to love what You command, and desire what You have promised, so that, among the swift and varied changes of this world, our hearts may be fixed where true joy is to be found. Amen. (Venite by Robert Benson) Notes

27 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Psalm 147:1-20

Reading for Reflection: “You’re writing another book about yourself?” Jordan asked. He was sitting at the counter in the kitchen eating a bowl of cereal. He had his laptop open and was choosing the starting lineup for his college fantasy basketball team. He’d been playing the game for a year and finally had a division one team. He said he was going to start his best defense, because defense wins championships. “I’m not writing a book. I’m not talking about a book. I’m talking about me. I don’t think I’m telling a good story.” “I think you tell good stories. Lots of people think so.” “I tell good stories in books. I don’t live good stories.” Jordan poured more milk in his cereal. He was looking at me while pouring the milk. He was squinting his eyes a little and furrowing his brow. He stopped pouring the milk. He kept looking at me for ten seconds or more, like he was studying me. “You’re right,” he finally said. “You aren’t living a good story.” “That’s what I was saying.” “I see,” he said. “What do I do about that?” “You’re a writer. You know what to do.” “No, I don’t.” Jordan looked at me with his furrowed brow again. “You put something on the page,” he said. “Your life is a blank page. You write on it.” (A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

The CSPC Adoption Ministry is a group of individuals and families who have a heart for adoption and foster care and for providing support for other individuals and families starting or going through the adoption/foster care process. Pray today for couples who need the support of other adoptive parents to be reached by this ministry.

Closing Prayer: Deliver us, O Lord, when we draw near to you, from coldness of heart and wanderings of mind: grant that with steadfast thoughts and kindled affections, we may worship you in spirit and in truth. Amen.( Venite by Robert Benson) Notes

28 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Scripture Reading for the Day: John 11:38-44

Reading for Reflection: The cave is dark and cold, filled with death and decay. After all, it has been four days since the dead man was placed inside. There’s no more hope; that’s it! Death has had the final word. If only Jesus would’ve shown up sooner, but now what could he possibly do? Ever feel that way? Ever feel like all hope is lost; like life and health and change are not possible because of the gravitational pull of the deadness inside? Martha would have us believe it is just too late. “Don’t open up that tomb, it’s going to stink. It is far too messy to be redeemed.” I’m so glad that Jesus didn’t share her sentiments. The fact is that Jesus specializes in messy. That’s because Jesus knows that for something to be resurrected it has to truly die first. Why do you think he waited four days before he arrived at the tomb? Why do you think he said to Martha, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” You see, Jesus is bigger than death - be it the death of someone we love, the death of a relationship we hold dear, the death of a dream, or the death that lives within us on a regular basis. That death would have you believe that this is it. That’s all there is. There’s no way out of this pain and darkness and depression. You are stuck. You are trapped. Life can never be the same again. But Jesus knows better. Maybe that’s why he weeps. Maybe he is heartbroken that somewhere deep inside we don’t truly believe that he can redeem this, whatever this may be. Maybe he is weeping over the fact that we do not really believe that he can, or will, bring life out of our unimaginable pain and brokenness. Maybe his tears come from the fact that our circumstances have made us doubt the goodness of his heart. And maybe his sadness is, somehow, related to our stuckness. Who knows? Luckily the story doesn’t end there. In fact, Jesus calls out, “Take away the stone.” And when he does some unknown, unseen (to us) group of people spring into action. People that are filled with the hope that this is not, indeed, the end. People that are filled with the faith to know that even though things look unredeemable, Jesus is able to breathe life into even the most dismal and hopeless and painful of circumstances. People that care so deeply for the one inside the tomb that they are standing by, willing and ready to do whatever it takes to help make that redemption possible. “He can’t get out himself,” they think, “so why don’t we help roll the stone away and just see what Jesus will do.” Truth be told, there can never be enough stone-rollers in the world. Stone-rollers don’t care about the stink. They don’t care about the mess. They don’t care about what anyone thinks. They are beyond all of that because at some point in time someone had the courage and the grace to roll their own stone away, so that they might walk out of the grave into the light of new life. And because of that, if there’s ever a time when someone needs a stone rolled away - rather than to be avoided or judged or given up on - they want to be the first in line. Being a stone-roller is a beautiful, beautiful thing.

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Vitaly and Oksana Voinov live in Moscow, Russia. Vitaly is working with the Institute for Bible Translation (IBT) in Russia/ CIS as IBT’s director. IBT has been serving the non-Slavic peoples of the former Soviet Union for four decades by translating the Holy Scriptures - Bibles, New Testaments, individual Bible books, and illustrated Children’s Bibles. Pray today for IBT to continue fulfilling its primary task in the constantly shifting whirlwind of Russian politics under the Lord’s protection.

The Refugee Ministry at CSPC coordinates the church’s effort of welcoming and offering a holistic ministry to refugees of various cultural and linguistic backgrounds that are arriving in Knoxville. Pray today for all the volunteers who will reach out to refugee families that have recently arrived in Knoxville. If you can help, even if just for one day, please contact Almaz at [email protected].

Closing Prayer: Grant us in all things to see your hand, that we may walk with Christ in all simplicity, and serve you with a quiet mind and contented heart. Amen. (Venite by Robert Benson)

29 Notes

30 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Deuteronomy 30:1-10

Reading for Reflection: The rabbis guide their people with stories; ministers usually guide with ideas and theories. We need to become storytellers again, and so to multiply our ministry by calling around us the great witnesses who in different ways offer guidance to doubting hearts. One of the remarkable qualities of the story is that it creates space. We can dwell in a story, walk around, find our own place. The story confronts but does not oppress; the story inspires but does not manipulate. The story invites us to an encounter, a dialog, a mutual sharing. A story that guides is a story that opens a door and offers space in which to search and boundaries to help us find what we seek, but it does not tell us what to do or how to do it. The story brings us into touch with the vision and so guides us. Weisel writes, “God made man because he loves stories.” As long as we have stories to tell to each other there is hope. (The Living Reminder by Henri J. M. Nouwen)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

The CSPC Special Needs Ministry reaches out to families touched by a disability and offers support to those who are constant caregivers. Opportunities for respite care are given to these families by loving, trained volunteers who offer their services several times a year through a program called Buddy Blast. This involves a variety of activities such as play time in the gym, movies, crafts and games. Pray today for Knoxville families who are touched by a disability and for the volunteers at CSPC who lovingly reach out to them.

Closing Prayer: O Lord, help us to truly love you with all that is within us. Gather us from the places we have been scattered. Delight in us the way we were created to be delighted in. Bring us home to yourself. Remind us of the story you had in mind for us from the beginning. Amen. Notes

31 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Isaiah 35:1-10

Reading for Reflection: And yet, though we strain against the deadening grip of daily necessity, I sense there is mystery:

All life is being lived.

Who is living it, then? Is it the things themselves, or something waiting inside them, like an unplayed melody in a flute?

Is it the winds blowing over the waters? Is it the branches that signal to each other?

Is it the flowers interweaving their fragrances, or streets, as they wind through time?

Is it the animals, warmly moving, or the birds, that suddenly rise up?

Who lives it, then? God, are you the one who is living life? (The Book of Hours by Rainer Maria Rilke)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

The Delhi Bible Fellowship, Daskhinpuri, is one of the oldest and largest Hindi congregations in Delhi. They have 18 services all across the city. Pray today for the leaders of their different locations as they share the gospel in Delhi, India.

Closing Prayer: O God, help me to see your glory and your splendor in the seemingly isolated and random pieces of this day. Open my blinded eyes to see you, unstop my deaf ears to hear you, and allow my lame spirit to leap like a deer within me and shout for joy. Amen. Notes

32 SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Isaiah 61:1-11

Reading for Reflection: Through prayer our daily work becomes wrapped up in the heart of God’s compassionate love. Just as Jesus was broken and given on the cross to feed our desperate souls, through work we are broken and given in order to feed and serve others. A wise person once said that there are three kinds of givers in this old world: the flint, the sponge, and the honeycomb. To get a flint to give, you have to hammer at it and then it only yields sparks. Sponges you must squeeze, or else you get nothing. But the honeycomb drips its own sweetness. (Beginning Contemplative Prayer by Kathryn Hermes)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Eric and Beth Yodis are facilitating church planting in eastern Ukraine. Because of the war in the Ukraine, Eric and Beth are currently in the U.S. Pray today for them as they travel to Knoxville to attend the Global Mission Conference next month. Make sure to meet them and ask about how you can pray for their work.

Worldwide Development Association has a mission to serve the church worldwide by developing Christ-like character in people and equipping them to disciple others according to the pattern Jesus used to train his disciples. Cedar Springs and Global Mission Group members Carroll and Shirley Coakley are part of this organization’s international staff and serve on short-term mission teams to Myanmar. Pray today for the Coakleys.

Closing Prayer: Loving Father, teach me to love and care for those that need you today. Those who are passed over and do not feel love unless I love them for you. May Christ’s love for others be felt through me today. In your name and by your power I pray these things. Amen. (Disciplines for the Inner Life by Michael Benson and Bob Benson) Notes

SUNDAY, MARCH 1 (Second Sunday of Lent)

Opening Prayer: Lord God, there are so many times and so many places in my heart and life where I am still resistant to you and unwilling to let you have your way with me. I am unwilling to follow you to uncomfortable or unknown places. I am unwilling to set aside my own convenience and comfort to embrace your desire and direction for my life. I am unwilling to let go of the many things, patterns, and agendas I am constantly pursuing in order to fully pursue you. O Lord, forgive me for my unwillingness. Change my heart. Lord, have mercy! Amen.

Scripture Reading: Luke 13:34-35

Journal: What word best describes your spirit these days, as far as life with God is concerned, willing or unwilling? Why and how is that true? Where in your life with God are you unwilling these days? How might God desire to gather you under his wings? Are you willing?

Reflection: I have come to the conclusion that I live a lot of my spiritual life in simple unwillingness. There are so many beautiful things that God wants to do with me, and within me, that, for some strange reason, I am just down right resistant to. The reason for that resistance seems to be that I am simply too full of myself: my needs, my wants, my agendas, my plans, my pursuits, or, in other words, my will. Somehow instead of “Thy will be done,” my mantra has become “My will be d o n e .” So maybe a better word than unwilling is willful - as in being full of my own will. The bottom line seems to be that I am simply too full of myself; for when I am willful I am unwilling to follow anyone’s agenda or direction but my own. It is a dark and ugly truth that I typically come face to face with during this time of year. The time of year when we hear a weeping Jesus, heading toward the cross, asking us why we would not be willing to let him gather us under his loving and protective wings. Lord, have mercy.

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Eric and Beth Yodis are facilitating church planting in eastern Ukraine. Because of the war there, Eric and Beth have recently be staying in the U.S. but are planning to return to the Ukraine soon. Pray today for them while they are in Knoxville attending the Global Mission Conference. Make sure to meet them and ask about how you can pray for their work.

In community with the local church, World Relief envisions the most vulnerable people transformed economically, socially, and spiritually. World Relief is on the ground in South Sudan working with families internally displaced by the current violence. Pray today for the humanitarian crisis in South Sudan.

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, capture my heart during this season with the depths of your love and mercy. Empty me of all my unwillingness and make me wholly yours. Have mercy on me, O Lord. Amen.

Notes

2 MONDAY, MARCH 2

Opening Prayer: Lord God, open my ears to hear you this day. And cause me to truly listen to what you have to say, even if it is a difficult and challenging thing to hear. Amen.

Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 3:1-11

Journal: What do you think God wants to say to you today? Are you willing or unwilling to listen? Is there something difficult or disruptive that he needs to address within you? Are you willing to receive it? Are there places in your life right now where you are hard headed or stubborn hearted?

Reflection: The journey through Lent is a difficult one. It involves coming face to face with things we would rather not see, and hearing truths we would rather not hear. It is like someone showing us a picture of ourselves that is exceedingly unflattering; and, unfortunately, there is no delete button to hit so we can wipe it all away. I don’t know about you, but I am not usually good at hearing the hard truth about myself. In fact, I go to great lengths to avoid it, and to try to make sure that no one will be able to uncover it either. Sometimes I do this by going on offense; spending my time and energy making my case, trying to convince myself and my world that the truth about me is not so ugly after all. And sometimes I do this by going on defense; trying to avoid or escape or deny the truth by rationalizing, comparing, medicating, or running away into extreme activity or busyness. One of my “go to” strategies when I have hard, unpleasant truth about myself that I need to face is to race off into my world to manipulate affirmation out of anyone and everyone I meet. It is pathetic really. But God loves us much too much to allow us to get away with that for long. At some point he comes into our life - or world - and speaks with such clarity that the truth simply becomes unavoidable. But God’s intent in this process is always love, making us into the people he dreamt for us to be. Anything less that his creation intent for us will not do. So he comes and he speaks. And, if we are wise and courageous, we will listen and heed. Because the hard things that he might have to say will always lead us to what we most deeply desire - freedom, joy, and peace. And the very taste of those things will be as sweet as honey in our mouths. Thanks be to God!

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

J & F live and work in one of the poorest and most heavily populated states in their country. They are seeking to make a difference in this state in both physical and spiritual realms. Pray today for J & F while they are in Knoxville attending this week’s Global Mission Conference. Make sure to meet them and ask how you can pray for them.

YOKE mentors middle school children by building friendships with Christian adults through clubs, camps, and Kid Time (hanging out with kids in their world). Currently YOKE reaches out to nearly 20,000 students at 26 middle schools located in Anderson, Blount, Grainger, Jefferson, and Knox counties. Regina Edmonds of the YOKE staff is our guest at this week’s Global Mission Conference. Be sure to meet her and ask how you can pray for this ministry.

Closing Prayer: You called, you cried, you shattered my deafness. You sparkled, you blazed, you drove away my blindness. You shed your fragrance, and I drew in my breath, and I pant for you. I tasted and now I burn with longing for your peace. - St. Augustine Notes

3 TUESDAY, MARCH 3

Opening Prayer: O Holy God, apart from you we are totally lost, full of sin, and without hope. Help us to see the gravity of our predicament, so that we might be overwhelmed by the depths of your love. In the name of your Son, our Savior, Jesus we pray. Amen.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Romans 3:9-18

Journal: What response comes up within you as you read the scripture for today? Is there any word or image that seems to stand out? Why? Pay attention to that word or image and see what God has to say to you through it.

Reflection: So of what possible value could it be to reflect and meditate on words that are as dismal and depressing as the words of Romans 3:9-18? A wise man once said that we can never know how unbelievably wonderful the Good News really is until we fully understand how terribly awful the bad news really is. We can’t possibly know the full beauty of the Light until we have wrestled with the ugliness of our own inner darkness. We must have the courage to face the depths of our depravity before we can fully understand and appreciate the immense beauty of his goodness and love. That is why we must come to embrace the words of Romans 3 rather than trying to escape them by running too quickly to the cross before we fully understand the whole reason why the cross is necessary. When we truly embrace these words of scripture, we begin to see the enormous chasm between sinful man and a holy God; one that ironically seems only to grow larger the older and wiser we get, and the closer we get to Jesus. Because as our knowledge of God grows the larger the distance between the two of us seems to grow as well, and the more we realize our enormous need for a Savior. But luckily, as the gap between us grows bigger, so does the cross. The cross is bigger than we ever dared to dream. So, in an odd sort of way, the more aware we become of our own sinfulness, the more aware we become of the immensity of his great love.

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Isak Abla hosts a satellite TV program called “Light for the Heart” on the Kanal Hayat Turkish-language channel. She also hosts a live call-in program that is simulcast on the Turkish and Farsi channels throughout the Middle East and Europe. These TV programs deliver the message of love, healing, and freedom through Christ Jesus, reflecting on Isik’s own life experience. Pray today for Isak as she prepares to speak tonight at the Global Mission Conference.

Closing Prayer: O Saving God, thank you that though our sin is deep, your love is deeper still. Thank you that your cross is larger and more beautiful than we could ever imagine. Hallelujah! Notes

4 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4

Opening Prayer: Lord God, help us this day, and this season, to walk in the good way and find rest for our souls. Amen.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Jeremiah 6:16

Journal: What words or images in this passage speak to something in your life or heart today? How does it speak to your deepest longings? Are you walking in the good way these days? If not, why? Why would we not be willing to walk in the good way if it promises rest for our souls?

Reflection: “The Way It Is” There’s a thread you follow. It goes among things that change. But it doesn’t change. People wonder about what you are pursuing. You have to explain about the thread. But it is hard for others to see. While you hold it you can’t get lost. Tragedies happen; people get hurt or die; and you suffer and get old. Nothing you do can stop time’s unfolding. You don’t ever let go of the thread. - William Stafford

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Jeff and Ellen work among unreached people groups in two restricted access countries of Southeast Asia catalyzing Church Planting Movements. Pray today for new workers to join Mekong Ministries to reach unreached people groups. The Black Hmong and Dong are the two groups they urgently need workers for. Pray also for Jeff and Ellen as they attend the Global Mission Conference this week. Make sure to meet them and ask them how you can pray in support of their work.

Beatriz and Gustavo Fuentes lead the work of Young Life in Mozambique. Beatriz first encountered Young Life in Brazil and became a Christian through that encounter. The Fuentes moved to Beira, Mozambique in 2010 and began building relationships with teenagers there to introduce them to Jesus. Pray today for the Fuentes and the students they are reaching.

Closing Prayer: Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. (Psalm 25:4-5) Notes

5 THURSDAY, MARCH 5

Opening Prayer: Lord God, be the delight of our hearts, even as we are the delight of yours. And help us to leave behind all thoughts, actions, and attitudes that do not reflect the beauty of that delight. May everything else pale in comparison with the passion we have to be truly yours. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Isaiah 30:15-18

Journal: Why do think someone might be resistant to the words of today’s scripture reading? Is there something in you today that is resistant to them? Why do you think returning, rest, quietness, and trust are things that are so hard for us to do? Are they hard for you? Are they a significant part of your life and world? Why or why not?

Reflection: Letting go is hard. And it doesn’t really matter what you are talking about letting go of. In fact, letting go is so hard that most of us are simply unwilling to do it, even if God is the one asking us to. Letting go is especially hard when the stakes are high. When what we are being asked to let go of is control, or agenda, or security, or significance. Then it is darn near impossible. For letting go is all about willingness. Are we willing to put ourselves completely in God’s hands? Are we willing to trust ourselves - and our families, or finances, or reputations - completely to God’s care? Are we willing to stop calling all the shots and let him do that for a change? Or are we simply unwilling? Are we unwilling to follow wherever he may lead? Are we unwilling to surrender all in pursuit of him alone? Are we unwilling to order our lives according to his will and his word? Where is God asking you to let go today? Where is he asking you to be willing? Are you?

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Young Life Tennessee seeks to pursue and befriend lost or disinterested teenagers to introduce them to Jesus, share the gospel, and help them grow in their faith. Pray today for all of the students reached by Knoxville Young Life that they may know the love of Jesus during this semester. Jason Zinn of Young Life Birmingham is our guest at this week’s Global Mission Conference. Be sure to meet him and ask how you can pray for this ministry.

Closing Prayer: Take, Lord, and receive all that I am and have. You’ve given it all to me; I give it all back to you. Do with me as you want. Just give me your love and your grace and that’s enough. - St. Ignatius Notes

6 FRIDAY, MARCH 6

Opening Prayer: Lord God, help us to believe. Help us to believe that in all times and in all circumstances you will take care of us if we will simply trust you and follow you. Keep us, O Lord, from being unwilling to follow you because of fear, but instead, help us to be willing to go wherever you may lead because of faith. Amen.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Deuteronomy 1:19-33

Journal: How does fear effect your level of willingness or unwillingness with God? Where are you unwilling to be obedient because you are afraid of what it might cost you? What things seem like “giants” to you right now? What things are scaring you away from what God has promised if you will just be willing and obedient?

Reflection: Giants. That is what the Israelites were afraid of. That is what kept them from taking possession of the land God had promised them, even though God had told them plainly that he would care for them and fight for them and give this good and fruitful land to them. Not much has changed after all these years. We are still afraid of giants. Giants are still what keep us from taking possession of the fullness and the life that God desires us to have with him. Giants make cowards of us all. Giants make it difficult to trust. Medical reports, financial crises, insecurities, family conflicts, loneliness, depression, are all giants that can paralyze us with fear and keep us from be willing to be obedient. They can keep us from trusting God’s promises and his word, and even his very heart. Giants cause us to doubt. What is looming large in your life right now? What just looks too big and too overwhelming to overcome? How are those giants keeping you from the life God most wants for you these days? Listen to the words God gave the Israelites as they struggled with fear and take them for your own. Remember that he loves you. He will care for you. He will fight for you. He is trustworthy. So fear not!

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Michael Ramsden is the Regional Director of Ravi Zacharias International Ministry (RZIM). Pray for him today as he prepares to speak tonight as part of the Global Mission Conference.

A Hand Up For Women, Knox County Christian Women’s Job Corps, strives to be a source of hope to women with the desire and motivation to lead a more self-sufficient life. Pray for the women reached by this ministry that they may understand the love of Jesus this Spring. Director Eva Pierce is our guest at this week’s Global Mission Conference. Be sure to meet her and ask how you can pray for this ministry.

Closing Prayer: O Lord our God, help us to live our lives with the faith and courage necessary to live by love and not by fear. Forgive us when our seeing and our thinking get so distorted that we allow fear to control us and make us its slave. Seize our hearts with your perfect love and drive out all fear, no matter how big the giants might appear. In the name of Jesus. Amen. Notes

7 SATURDAY, MARCH 7

Opening Prayer: Most High, glorious God, enlighten the darkness of my heart, and give me right faith, certain hope, and perfect charity, wisdom and understanding, Lord, that I may carry out your holy and true command. Amen. - St. Francis of Assisi

Scripture Reading for the Day: Mark 8:31-33

Journal: How does operating by your agenda get you in trouble sometimes? In what areas of life is it most tempting to charge ahead before getting direction from God? What would it look like for you to have in mind the things of God, rather than having in mind the things of men? Are you willing to get behind Jesus?

Reflection: I don’t know about you, but it is easy for me at times to get ahead of myself. To move and act and live life before I have really reflected and thought and prayed about the life I most want to live - or the life that God most wants to live in me. And it is also easy in this life of faith to get ahead of God at times as well. It is easy for us to charge ahead with our plans and schemes and agendas - even for the kingdom, mind you - without really listening and seeking and getting direction from God. I’m glad to see that I am not alone. Peter had the same problem. So much so that when Jesus told him what was to come, he adamantly disagreed with him - even rebuked him - because those plans did not agree with his own. That’s where the “Get behind me, Satan!” part comes in. Peter had charged ahead when the place he needed to be was firmly behind - behind Jesus. And Jesus reminded him of that, quite boldly I might add. It is just so easy to charge ahead sometimes; to follow our own plans for how we think things should work, or things should go, or things should be. There is obviously a great danger when that happens. For when we charge ahead, we actually become a stumbling block to Jesus rather than a follower. For ours is not to charge ahead, ours is just to follow closely behind. What will that look like today?

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

R. and G. are serving at a sanitorium for chest diseases and a children’s home, focusing on bringing holistic healthcare to the semi-nomadic people of an area in the Middle East. R. is a dentist and G. is a teacher and artist. Pray today for this family while they are guests at our Global Mission Conference. Meet them and find out how you can pray for their family.

Al Hayat Airtime programming has captured the attention of Muslim men and women around the world since its launch in 2003. Through innovative programming, Al Hayat has become a powerful force against the deceptions of Islam. Pray today for the leaders of this organization.

Closing Prayer: O Lord, my God, forgive me when I have in mind the things of men rather than the things of God. Help me to be willing to embrace your direction and your will in all that I do, rather than my own. Amen. Notes

8 Theme for the Week: Willing

SUNDAY, MARCH 8 (THird Sunday of Lent)

Opening Prayer: Thank you, Lord Jesus, for setting your face to go to Jerusalem. Thank you for being willing to pay the high cost for my sinfulness. Give me the courage during this season to travel alongside you on your journey to the cross, that I might more fully understand both the depths of my sin and the depths of your love. I pray in your Holy Name. Amen.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Luke 9:51

Journal: What do you think was going on in the mind and heart of Jesus as he set his face to go to Jerusalem? What goes on within you as you hear those words? What is your response to his willingness? Where is God calling you to that same type of willingness?

Reflection: A pure heart is one that is unencumbered, unworried, uncommitted, and which does not want its own way about anything but which, rather, is submerged in the loving will of God, having denied self. - Meister Eckhart

He gathered up his courage and steeled himself for the journey to Jerusalem. (Luke 9:51, The Message)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Pray today for the CSPC congregation that they will take the stories and challenges that they have heard during this week’s Global Mission Conference and seek God’s plan for their own mission.

Al Massira is an online course for groups to use that presents the Christian faith through a chronological overview of the Bible. It centers the Christian faith in its original Middle Eastern context and includes a variety of integrated activities: viewing the films, open discussion, prayer, food and companionship. Pray today for those just starting the course, that they will find Jesus through it and begin a new life with him.

Closing Prayer: O Jesus, our Lord and Savior, thank you for your willingness. Thank you for your sacrifice. Thank you for your love. Thank you for the example you have given us to follow. Give us hearts that are as willing as yours. Amen. Notes

9 MONDAY, MARCH 9

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to be willing to follow you no matter where it may lead, no matter what it might cost, no matter what I must leave behind. Amen.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Luke 9:57-62

Journal: Which of these three men do you relate best? Why? What statement do you want to make to Jesus today? What is his word to you today? Will you follow him? Is there a “but” involved? What is your “but?”

Reflection: Jesus had just set his face to go to Jerusalem. Then, suddenly, he comes across three men that are would-be followers. And as the scene unfolds, it is very important that we keep that in mind. We must remember the turn towards Jerusalem that Jesus has just taken. From this point on everything will be focused on his sacrifice, his suffering, and his death. From here on out there will not be as many miracles, there will not be as much activity, he will not be quite as available to the masses as he was before. From now on his focus will be sharpened - shifted to the twelve (and their preparation) and to the cross. That is the culmination of his mission, and it is now at hand. So, as these three approach him, asking to follow, he is fully mindful of exactly where his road is leading. He is keenly aware of the high cost involved in where he is heading and what lies before him to be done. So, literally, as these three men declare their intention to follow Jesus, they are declaring, unbeknownst to them, their acceptance of the invitation to “come and die.” These are the lenses through which we must view Luke 9:57-62. This is this context in which we must hear the first man say, “I will follow you wherever you go.” For Jesus knew all too well that currently that anywhere involved the cross. I think that is why Jesus’ response to all three men is so strong. It is almost as if he is saying, “If you really want to follow me, it will always involve a cross; there are no ifs, ands, or buts. Are you still willing?” And that is the question that each of us must answer during the season of Lent as well. Will we follow? All the way to the cross? We will come and die to ourselves? No ifs, ands, or buts?

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Phil C. has been serving in Eurasia for over 10 years. His focus has been the Tatar people, a largely Muslim people group. Phil has worked with others in launching a local organization that provides language instruction with the goal of helping to equip believers to bring the light of the gospel to the least-reached in their own language. Pray today for his students to be diligent in their studies with the idea of using their new language in ministry to Tatars.

Thabiti Anyabwile is the planter/pastor of Anacostia Bible Church, a new church plant in the heart of Washington, D.C. It’s in the Anacostia neighborhood, a place with high crime, bad schools and no gospel centered churches. It is an exciting mission field of great promise and greater reward for those who love Jesus. Pray today for Thabiti and his family.

Closing Prayer: All to Jesus I surrender; all to Him I freely give; I will ever love and trust Him, in His presence daily live. I surrender all, I surrender all; all to Thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender all. Amen. Notes

10 TUESDAY, MARCH 10

Opening Prayer: God unto whom all hearts are open and unto whom every will speaks, and from whom no secret thing is hidden, I pray You to cleanse the intent of my heart with the ineffable gift ofY our grace, that I may perfectly love You, and worthily praise You. Amen. - The Cloud of Unknowing

Scripture Reading for the Day: Isaiah 1:18-20

Journal: How do the words willing and obedient strike you today? What is the relationship between the two? How well do they describe your life these days?

Reflection: No man receives a word from God without instantly being put to the test by it. We disobey and then wonder why we don’t go on spiritually. (My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

T recently left a career in engineering to join SEED Company (an affiliate organization of Wycliffe Bible Translators) in their mission to promote and accelerate Bible translation that is being done by indigenous churches and organizations in their home countries. As a Field Coordinator T seeks to form and foster relationships with these partners by acting as a liaison between them and SEED Company. The vision of SEED Company is to see God’s Word available in languages where it currently is not. Pray today for T and his wife L as they begin this new work.

Arab World Media clearly presents Jesus Christ to the Arab world audiences. This is done by recording scriptures, Bible stories, sermons, and Arabic Christian music for broadcast by partner agencies for outreach and for the encouragement of Arab world believers. Pray today for the staff of this ministry.

Closing Prayer: Lord God, make us willing and obedient this day, that we might eat the fruit of salvation, to the glory of your name. Amen. Notes

11 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11

Opening Prayer: O Lord, you who searches our hearts and knows our every thought, give us, by your Spirit, a wholehearted devotion and a willingness of mind, that we might truly seek you, and, thus, be found by you. It is the deepest longing of our soul. In the name and power of Jesus we pray. Amen.

Scripture Reading for the Day: 1 Chronicles 28:8-10

Journal: What words in this passage capture your attention? Why? What does it look like to serve God with a whole heart and willing mind? What is the current state of your heart? What is the current state of your mind? What would it look like to seek him this day?

Reflection: When religion has said its last word, there is little that we need other than God Himself. The evil habit of seeking God and effectively prevents us from finding God in full revelation. In the and lies our great woe. If we omit the and we shall soon find God, and in Him we shall find that for which we have all our lives been secretly longing. (The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

A. and B. are serving in a Creative Access country. Their family is building friendships and seeing them mature as A. continues to teach at a local university and serve the teachers and students there. Pray today for success in a new program to provide cross-cultural training for Chinese university graduates before they go abroad.

Athletes in Action, the sports ministry of Cru, is ministering to college athletes at the University of Tennessee. Rachel and Jason Stankus minister to and through the athletic department at the University of Tennessee and are trusting God to build a spiritual movement that impacts the campus, community and world for Christ. Pray today for all the athletes at UT that they may be reached with the gospel. Rachel & Jason were our guests at last week’s Global Mission Conference.

Closing Prayer: Lord, I am yours; I do yield myself up entirely to you, and I believe that you do take me. I leave myself with you. Work in me all the good pleasure of your will, and I will only lie still in your hands and trust you. Amen. (The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith) Notes

12 THURSDAY, MARCH 12

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you that you just couldn’t stay away. Thank you that when you saw our plight and our struggle you came to walk among us. Thank you that when you saw our desperation and our pain and our need that you couldn’t keep your hands to yourself. Thank you that you were - and still are - willing. Touch us in our places of deepest need. In your name and for your glory. Amen.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Matthew 8:1-4

Journal: How do you feel like the man with leprosy these days? What does it say to you that Jesus was willing to reach out and touch him with his healing touch? Are there any parts of your life or heart that desperately need the healing touch of the Savior? Do you believe he is willing to touch you in those places? Do you truly believe that he cares enough for you to do that?

Reflection: “Lord, if you are willing….” Does that phrase sound familiar to you? It certainly does to me. I’m glad to see that I am not the only who prays it. “Lord, if you are willing, you can take this difficult circumstance away. Lord, if you are willing you can heal this cancer. Lord, if you are willing you can reconcile this broken relationship. Lord, if you are willing, you can help me find the right job. Lord, if you are willing, you can provide for our financial needs. Lord, if you are willing, you can bring back my wayward child.” The list is endless, it seems. And the answer we get often seems to be different than the one given to the leprous man. But what we always need to remember is that Jesus is willing. Oh maybe he is not always willing give us what we think we need (or want) at any given moment, but he is always willing to give us himself - which is ultimately what we want the most anyway. Even if he is not willing to “take this cup from us” whatever this cup may be, it is only because he has learned firsthand that ultimately God’s will is the one most likely to move us in the direction of who he wants us to become and who he wants us to understand him to be. He is always willing to form us more and more into his image - which is exactly what we were created for. He is always willing to draw near to us when we are brokenhearted. He is always willing to work out what is most in line with his glory, and our ultimate benefit in the long run (see Romans 8:28). And he is always willing to give us his love, which more than we could ever ask for or dream about, but which might come in a rather painful disguise from time to time. He is willing.

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: O Lord, if you heal me, I will be truly healed; if you save me, I will be truly saved. My praises are for you alone! (Jeremiah 17:14, NLT) Notes

13 FRIDAY, MARCH 13

Opening Prayer: God be in my head, and in my understanding; God be in mine eyes, and in my looking; God be in my mouth, and in my speaking; God be in my heart, and in my thinking; God be at mine end, and at my departing. - Sarum Primer, 16th century

Scripture Reading for the Day: Psalm 84:5-7 (NIV)

Journal: What word would you use to describe your life with God these days? How well does the word pilgrimage fit for you right now? What does that mean? What does that look like? Where are you on that pilgrimage?

Reflection:This Lenten journey is very much a pilgrimage. It is the time where we, like Jesus, set our face to go to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51 ESV). It is a journey to the cross; a journey that passes through the Valley of Weeping, but ultimately ends up at a place of springs; a place of new life, a place of resurrection. So what does it look like to set my heart on this pilgrimage? Does it mean to willingly follow wherever the hard and lonely path may lead, trusting that Jesus knows the way to life? Does it mean to embrace, rather than avoid or deny, the struggle and pain and brokenness of the season - and my own heart - knowing that this is the soil in which new life is born? Does it mean simply putting one foot in front of the other as we willingly follow our Savior into a scary and vulnerable land; the land of denying ourselves, taking up our cross, and following him? Does it mean being stripped down to the core of who we really are, and who he really is, in order that we may really become all that he desires us to be? Does it mean a putting off of all that is false within us, in order to put on all that is genuinely true? Does it mean the putting to death of the false self, that we may live, and be, the true self we were intended/created/dreamt to be? If that is indeed what it means, then by all means, O Lord, set my heart of pilgrimage, as you set your face to go to Jerusalem, so that I may really know, and really love, you and you alone.

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Lady and Armando Cueva are working in Tlajomulcho, Mexico, located in the southwestern part of greater Guadalajara, as part of Mission Guadalajara, a reproducing church planting effort begun by Kenton Wood. The Tlajomulcho church plant is one of six church planting efforts underway as part of Mission Guadalajarra. Pray today for their family.

Closing Prayer: How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young - a place near your altar, Lord Almighty, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you. Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Weeping, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion. Hear my prayer, Lord God Almighty; listen to me, God of Jacob. Look on our shield, O God; look with favor on your anointed one. Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you. Amen. (Psalm 84:1-12) Notes

14 SATURDAY, MARCH 14

Opening Prayer: O Christ Jesus; when all is darkness and we feel our weakness and helplessness, give us the sense of Your presence, Your love, Your strength. Help us to have perfect trust in Your protecting love and strengthening power, so that nothing may frighten or worry us, for, living close to You, we shall see your hand, Your purpose, Your will through all things. Amen. - St. Ignatius of Loyola

Scripture Reading for the Day: Matthew 26:36-46

Journal: What would it have been like to be with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane? How would you have felt if you were one of the disciples? What would you want to say to him? What do you want to say to him now? What is your response to the willingness of Jesus?

Reflection: Jesus in His prayers on earth, in His intercession in heaven, in His promise of an answer to our prayers from there, makes this His first objective - the glory of His Father. Is it so with us too? Or are not, in large measure, self-interest and self-will the strongest motives urging us to pray? Or, if we cannot see that this is the case, have we got to acknowledge that the distinct, conscious longing for the glory of the Father is not what animates our prayers? Not as if the believer does not at times desire it. But he has to mourn that he has so little attained it. And he knows the reason for his failure too. It was, because the separation between the spirit of daily life and the spirit of the hour of prayer was too wide. We begin to see that the desire for the glory of the Father is not something that we can awake and present to our Lord when we prepare ourselves to pray. No! It is only when the whole life, in all its parts, is given up to God’s glory, that we can really pray to His glory too. (With Christ in the School of Prayer by Andrew Murray)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: Father, thy will, not mine, be done! Amen. Notes

15 Theme for the Week: Messy

SUNDAY, MARCH 15 (Fourth Sunday in Lent)

Opening Prayer: Thank you, O God, that you can take me, the mess that I am, and turn me, once again, into the beautiful masterpiece you intended for me to be. Through Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Ephesians 2:1-10 (NLT)

Journal: Write some this morning about the transformation in your heart and life, from being dead in sin, to being made alive in Christ. What places within you still need to be raised to new life? Where has God transformed you from mess to masterpiece?

Reflection: unknotting a big ball of yarn knotted and snarled looped and tangled a big mess this old self of mine is it possible to untangle this jumble o you who knit and wove me? and what will it take? time and space room to loosen and undo the knots patience and perseverance it is slow work this unknotting only your strong and tender hands can turn me from mess to masterpiece once again

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Mark and Annemarie Dye are passionate about building Christian leaders to mobilize and equip the African Church for mission in the world. Pray today that those being trained as trainers will grasp the long-term value of training others, and learn how to train in a facilitative way rather than lecture style.

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, continue to capture me with your great love and mercy. Continue to transform my life, and restore me to the beautiful creation you originally dreamt me to be. In your name and for your glory. Amen.

16 Notes

17 MONDAY, MARCH 16

Opening Prayer: Thank you, Lord Jesus, for paying the price for my sin, canceling my debt, and raising me to new life again. I was dead in my sin and totally helpless to do anything about it. But thank you that you rescued me and made me alive again. Help me, this day and every day, to live my life in, and for, you. Amen.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Colossians 2:13-15

Journal: What does it mean that we were dead in our sin? What does it mean that God made us alive in Christ? When and how did God come to rescue you? Write him a letter thanking him for that rescue.

Reflection: It was late afternoon on Christmas Eve and Mike was in Washington D.C. making his final delivery of the day for his small air transport business. He knew that if he hurried he could make his D.C. delivery and be back in the air in time to get home to Johnson City before his kids went to bed. He knew it would be pushing it, but after all, it was Christmas Eve. It was snowing like crazy and the forecast was for more snow overnight, and there was no way he was going to take a chance at being stuck in a strange city on Christmas while his family celebrated without him. So as soon as his delivery was made, he jumped back in to his airplane and prepared for a quick take off. He was nearing the end of the runway and had just gotten airborne when he realized that something was not right. The plane was having a problem gaining altitude and was heading straight for a bridge over the Potomac River; one that was filled with rush hour traffic. Somehow, miraculously, Mike was able to maneuver the small plane in such a way to miss the bridge, but he couldn’t keep it from a nosedive afterwards, straight into the icy river below. On impact the plane disintegrated into hundreds of pieces as it made a gaping hole in the icy surface of the Potomac. Mike was helpless; fighting for his life in the icy water as the debris from the plane quickly sank below the surface and out of sight. He knew with the temperature of the water that he didn’t have long before the river would claim his life as well. Bystanders quickly responded and attempted to come to his rescue, but the ice, now shattered by the impact of the plane, was so fragile that no one could get close enough to help. They were helpless to do anything but watch and pray. Rescue workers arrived quickly on the scene as Mike was still battling for his life in the icy waters. Who knew how much longer he could stay afloat? A rescue helicopter arrived for the airport in a matter of minutes and tried to drop a basket down to him to pull him to safety. But by now Mike’s hands and arms were too frozen to be able to grasp it. There was absolutely nothing he could do to save himself. Time was running out quickly as Mike began to go under the water time after time before he would eventually pop back up to the surface again. Finally, he had given all he had to give and he went under for the last time. A collective gasp went up from the bystanders as they figured all hope was lost. Suddenly, before anyone really knew what was happening, a figure jumped out of the helicopter and into the icy water… it was one of the rescue crew. At the risk of his own life he plunged down into the icy depths over and over again as he tried to locate Mike’s body. He dove down time after time until, at last, he appeared with a lifeless Mike in his arms. The rescuer, now on the verge of death himself somehow was able, in a valiant act of strength and courage, to miraculously drag Mike’s limp body into the rescue basket. Then he repeatedly performed CPR, trying to breathe life back into Mike’s lifeless body. Finally, with his very last breath, the rescuer was able to breathe life back into Mike’s dead body, bringing him to life once again, but at the cost of his own. The Rescuer had given his dying breath to Mike in order that he might live.

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved. (Ephesians 2:4-5)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Michael and Kim Essenburg have been serving at Christian Academy in Japan (CAJ), a school for missionary children (40% of student body) and children of business and professional people (60% of student body) that is located in Tokyo. They ask that you pray for effective closure to their 27.5 years of service at CAJ. They began their 6-month home assignment in January and were guests at this month’s Global Mission Conference. In July, they will start serving at Okinawa Christian School.

18 Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, our Savior, thank you for giving your life that we might live. Thank you that you would rather die for us than live without us. Help every day be our chance to express our gratitude for what you have done. We pray in your precious name. Amen. Notes

19 TUESDAY, MARCH 17

Opening Prayer: Thank you, Lord Jesus, that while we were yet sinners, powerless to do anything about our spiritual condition, you demonstrated your love for us by dying in our place. O how deep the love that would make the God of all creation become a lowly man in order to die a death that we rightly deserve. Thank you, Lord Jesus, thank you!

Scripture Reading for the Day: Romans 5:6-8

Journal: What do the words of today’s scripture do within you? How aware are you today of your own sinfulness? How aware are you of God’s great love? What is your response to his love today?

Reflection: While we were yet sinners. The Greek word here for sinner is hamartōlos, which comes from the root hamartanō, meaning to miss the mark. We are people who are constantly missing the mark. Have you missed the mark recently? What did it look like? What did it feel like? Do you ever feel like, regardless of what you do, you just can’t measure up? I feel that way a lot. Probably because apart from the saving work of Jesus, that is the condition of my heart and soul. It is a condition that runs deep and one that, this side of heaven, I’m not sure I will ever be completely free of. That’s the picture that we are offered here in Romans 5. But luckily that is not where the picture ends. Thanks be to God that even though we fall woefully short (and woefully is not nearly a strong enough word) of what we were created to be - again and again and again - God still chooses to demonstrate his great love for us by sending Jesus to die. God took our mess on himself, so that we might be made whole and clean. That should make us glad. That should give us hope. And that should also make us humble, constantly reminding us that it was because of our mess that Jesus had to get his hands dirty in the first place. The good news is that Jesus never seemed to be afraid to get his hands dirty. No mess was too big for him. I mean, he was constantly touching lepers and receiving kisses from prostitutes for heaven’s sake. If he was okay with getting his hands messy, shouldn’t we be also. Yet, oftentimes we demand that people be mess-free before we will have anything to do with them. I am so glad Jesus was not like that. In fact, it was while we were still a mess that he died for us. That is not a license to continue to live in our messiness, but a reminder that, whether we are aware of it or not, we are all still a mess apart from God’s grace. Therefore, if we are going to be like Jesus, we can never demand that everyone we meet be mess-free before we will have anything to do with them. My guess is that none of us has finished making a mess of our lives, there are still plenty of opportunities ahead. The reality is that life is messy sometimes. That does not mean that we should ever set out in the direction of messy, we are called to much greater things than that - holiness and righteousness. But it does mean that when messes occur, all is not lost. Because it is in the middle of the messes - while we were yet sinners - that God demonstrates his great love.

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Leoma Gilley works for Wycliffe Bible Translators and is responsible for developing university-level, accredited training in linguistics, literacy, Bible translation, Scripture use, anthropology and language assessment (survey) to people across Africa. Pray today for wisdom for Leoma as the training program develops in Africa. They need staff to prepare the materials and ensure that teaching is given at the right level for the students.

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner! Notes

20 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18

Opening Prayer: Here in the presence of Almighty God, I kneel in silence, and with penitent and obedient heart confess my sins, so that I may obtain forgiveness by your infinite goodness and mercy. Amen. - The Book of Common Prayer

Scripture Reading for the Day: Psalm 32:1-11

Journal: What has been your experience with the practice of confession? Are there things within you right now that are taking up all the space that God longs to occupy? How might confession open up space within you for God to speak and act? What are the things you need to confess before God this day?

Reflection: I want to be a mirror that reflects your whole being, and never to be too blind or too old to hold your heavy, swaying image. I want to unfold. Nowhere do I want to remain folded, because where I am folded, there I am a lie. - Rainer Maria Rilke A few years ago, at the end of a retreat I was leading, I got into a wonderful conversation with a dear friend about all that God was up to in our lives. And somewhere in the midst of the conversation he asked me a great question: “Do you have any secrets?” The tone and the spirit of the question was not at all threatening or judgmental or harsh, but rather easy and free and filled with care. And I clearly remember being delighted with the answer that arose from deep within me. “You know,” I said, “I really don’t.” And something really wonderful was struck deep within me, not only by the answer, but also by the question. Because deep in my heart I have a desire to live openly, unfolded, before God and before the folks in my life and world, and this question was an invitation to do just that. I’ve been thinking about confession a lot lately, and the role it plays in our life with God. So many times I have viewed confession as a shame-filled, guilt-laden process that no one in their right mind would want to perform on any kind of regular basis. But I’m beginning to think that I had it all wrong. Confession is not a practice that is meant to produce guilt and fear and shame, but one that holds within it the possibility of living truly and freely and wholly (or holy) before God and before one another. Confession is meant to produce life and space and freedom within us. When I stand open before God and allow him to see all of me (which he already sees anyway), it does something beautiful deep within my soul. It opens the possibility for intimacy and communication and growth (i.e., real relationship). It allows him to help me clean my “inner room” of all of the junk and mess and clutter that fills the landscape of my soul and takes up room that God alone was meant to inhabit. It unfolds me. Because living folded, closed, and hiding is not really life at all, but only a fear- filled lie. And we all know that: There is no fear in love, because perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. (1 John 4:18) So I’m hoping that from this day forward I will begin to see confession in a new way; as an invitation and an opportunity rather than a duty and obligation. An invitation from my loving Father to live before him openly, freely, and unfolded. Thanks be to God!

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: Count yourself lucky, how happy you must be - you get a fresh start, your slate’s wiped clean. Count yourself lucky - God holds nothing against you and you’re holding nothing back from him. When I kept it all inside,

21 my bones turned to powder, my words became daylong groans. The pressure never let up; all the juices of my life dried up. Then I let it all out; I said, “I’ll make a clean breast of my failures to God.” Suddenly the pressure was gone - my guilt dissolved, my sin disappeared. These things add up. Every one of us needs to pray; when all hell breaks loose and the dam bursts we’ll be on high ground, untouched. God’s my island hideaway, keeps danger far from the shore, throws garlands of hosannas around my neck. Let me give you some good advice; I’m looking you in the eye and giving it to you straight: “Don’t be ornery like a horse or mule that needs bit and bridle to stay on track.” God-defiers are always in trouble; God-affirmers find themselves loved every time they turn around. Celebrate God. Sing together - everyone! All you honest hearts, raise the roof! (Psalm 32:1-11, The Message) Notes

22 THURSDAY, MARCH 19

Opening Prayer: Lord God, help us to believe that you are able to bring life out of the most painful, chaotic, and messy circumstances. When we are tempted to doubt the goodness of your heart, or to lose hope that you will, indeed, care for us, help us to hold fast to an unswerving trust in your unfailing love. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Scripture Reading for the Day: John 11:38-44

Journal: Where have the circumstances of your life made it difficult for you to believe in God’s heart? Who can you relate to most in this story right now? Why? What stones do you need rolled away within you these days?

Reflection: The cave is dark and cold, filled with death and decay. After all, it’s been four days since the dead man was placed inside. There’s no more hope; that’s it! Death has had the final word. If only Jesus would’ve shown up sooner... but now what could he possibly do? Ever feel that way? Ever feel like all hope is lost; like life and health and change are not possible because of the gravitational pull of the deadness inside? Martha would have us believe that it is just too late. “Don’t open up that tomb, it’s going to stink. It is far too messy to be redeemed.” I’m so glad that Jesus didn’t (and still doesn’t) share her sentiments. In fact, Jesus specializes in messy. That’s because Jesus knows that for something (or someone) to be resurrected it has to truly die first. Why do you think he waited four days before he arrived at the tomb? Why do you think he said to Martha, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” You see, Jesus is bigger than death - be it the death of someone we love, the death of a relationship we hold near and dear, the death of a dream, or the death that lives within us on a regular basis. Death would have us believe that this is it. That’s all there is. There’s no way out of this pain and darkness and depression. We are stuck. We are trapped. Life can never be the same again. But Jesus knows better. Maybe that’s why he weeps. Maybe he is heartbroken that somewhere, deep inside, we don’t truly believe that he can redeem this, whatever this may be. Maybe he is weeping over the fact that we do not really believe that he can, or will, bring life out of the most unimaginable pain and brokenness. Maybe his tears come from the fact that our circumstances have made us doubt the goodness of his heart. And maybe his sadness is, somehow, related to our stuckness. Who knows? Luckily the story doesn’t end there. In fact, Jesus then calls out, “Take away the stone.” And some unknown, unseen (to us) group of people spring into action. People that are filled with the hope that this is not, indeed, the end. People that are filled with the faith to know that even though things look unredeemable, Jesus is able to breathe life into even the most dismal and hopeless and painful of circumstances. People that care so deeply for the one inside the tomb that they are standing by, willing and ready, to do whatever it takes to help make that redemption possible. “He can’t get out himself,” they think, “so why don’t we help roll the stone away and just see what Jesus will do.” Truth be told, there can never be enough stone-rollers in the world. In fact, what if that was what our churches were full of? Oh what a different world it would be! Stone-rollers don’t care about the stink. They don’t care about the mess. They don’t care about what anyone thinks. They are beyond all of that, because at some point in time someone had the courage and the grace to roll their stone away, so that they might walk out of the grave into the light of new life. And because of that, if there’s ever a time when someone needs a stone rolled away - rather than to be avoided or judged or given up on - they want to be the first in line. I get the privilege to seeing some stone-rollers do their thing from time to time, and let me tell you, it is remarkable. Being a stone-roller is a beautiful, beautiful thing. After the stone is rolled away, Jesus turns his eyes, and his heart, to his Father - the giver of all life. He knows the Father’s heart like no one else. He knows the goodness. He knows the faithfulness. He knows the love. And he knows that those standing around, particularly the family of this dead man, are doubting all of that at the moment. Maybe, somehow, they think that it was God’s hand that caused all of this pain, but Jesus knows better. He knows the heart of the Father that groans for and with his creation (Romans 8:26) in their most broken hours - and so he prays. He prays that they may believe; believe that he is the God of life even in the face of death, believe that they can trust his heart even when they can’t see his hand, believe that he was sent from the Father’s side to redeem the unredeemable. So Jesus calls out the dead man’s name and tells him to come out. Notice he doesn’t just say “Come alive” or “Be healed,” but “Come out.” Because a significant part of the new life that Jesus calls us to is leaving the tomb behind. He raises us from the dead, breathes new life into our soul, and then calls each of us to “Come out.” Thus, coming to life again but choosing to remain in the tomb is not an option, yet so many people live like it is. So many people, claiming to belong to Jesus, claiming to have been raised from the dead, are still sitting in the darkness of the tomb of shame or guilt or anger or bitterness or

23 unforgiveness or self-pity. They are still living a life that is anything but alive. We must take that step out of the tomb. Then, and only then, can the body of Christ (maybe even the same ones who rolled away the stone) come along side us and help us take off the grave clothes so we can be totally alive and totally free.

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Bill Harding is currently a special representative for SIM in North America. God is using Bill’s gifts and rich experience in Ethiopia as a conference speaker to challenge and reaffirm the priority of world missions. Pray today for Paul’s & Grace’s son, Drew, and his family as they return to Stellenbosch, South Africa to minister with Senai Global, a non-profit connecting people with purpose.

Closing Prayer: O Lord, I believe, please help my unbelief. Notes

24 FRIDAY, MARCH 20

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, O the depths you were willing to go to in order to show us your love! O the depths to which you were willing to stoop in order to show us our incredible worth. Thank you for your unfailing love. Amen.

Scripture Reading for the Day: John 13:1-17

Journal: Put yourself in this passage. Put yourself in Simon Peter’s shoes. Jesus kneels before you, takes your dirty feet into his strong and gentle hands. He looks you deeply in the eyes, and then begins to wash your feet. What is your response? What else in you needs to be washed this day?

Reflection: Years ago I was at a weekend camp with kids and leaders from my community. My job for the weekend was to make sure all of the leaders, who were there with their high school friends, had everything they needed for a fruitful and successful experience. Just before our main meeting on Saturday night, one of our leaders came to me with a dilemma. His cabin and another cabin of guys, from a rival high school, had been in conflict all weekend, several times being on the verge of violence. His dilemma was that during the free time, just before our evening meeting, some kids from the other cabin had come in and vandalized his cabin. His fear was that if the guys in his cabin went up after the meeting and saw what the other cabin had done, there was sure to be a fight. He wondered if I might be able to go up during the meeting and take care of whatever damage might have been inflicted. So after making sure everyone was in the meeting and taking care of a couple of more quick requests, I headed up to survey the damage. As soon as I walked in the door I couldn’t believe my eyes, or nose. What these guys had done was come in and take a bowel movement right in the middle of the floor of their rival cabin. And not only that, they had taken the excrement and spread it all over the walls. When I walked into the bathroom, I could quickly see that they had done the same thing there as well; spreading the nastiness all over those walls too. It didn’t take long before I realized exactly what I had to do. While the entire camp sat in the meeting listening to the incredible story of what Jesus had done on the Cross, I would be on my hands and knees cleaning this incredibly nasty mess off the floors and walls. I must admit that, as I began the process, I was not pleased - and that’s putting it mildly. So what do you do? You get over it, you roll up your sleeves, and you get to work. It wasn’t until about half way through the process that I was in a state to hear anything other than my anger and frustration. But as I continued on, I began to realize that God was right there in the midst of it all. This is exactly where Jesus would be; just as he was when we bent down to wash the disciple’s dirty feet - why in the world would Almighty God stoop that low? Only because of Love. As a matter of fact that was not all, God had something more to say to me. “You know that the kids that did this are listening to the story of my great love for them right now don’t you? You see what you are doing right there, cleaning this nasty mess off of everything? That’s what I’m doing for them right now - even as they hear the story of my Passion. I am washing them. I’m cleaning their filth and their stench and their nastiness with my very own hands; with my very own blood. And you know what else? I did the same thing for you. You were exactly like them; covered in your own sin and filth and nastiness. I got my hands involved in your filth, I washed you clean, and I made you whole.” And before I knew it, tears were streaming down my cheeks; tears of joy, tears of gratitude, tears of recognition of the depths of His amazing love - tears of peace. I, indeed, had been washed as white as snow by the loving hands - and blood - of my Creator. Only because of Love. Thanks be to God!!!

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Bruce and Laura Harris run SEND International’s camp and conference ministry in the mountains of western Tokyo. In this ministry, their goal is to glorify God by serving the church of Jesus Christ through camping programs of evangelism and Biblical education. Pray today for Bruce and Laura as they seek to expand their outreach by offering additional evangelistic programs to new segments of the Japanese community. Outdoor and sports camps are especially effective for gathering young boys and men.

The mission of Compassion Coalition is to inform, prepare, and unite churches to transform lives and communities through the love of Christ. They strive to walk alongside Knoxville-area churches who earnestly desire to slow down and respond to the cry of the suffering, the broken, and the abandoned within their congregations and out in the community. Pray today for the work of this ministry in Knoxville. Executive Director Grant Standefer was our guest at this month’s Global Mission Conference.

25 Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you that you were willing to wash my dirty feet. May I learn to do the same for others. Amen. Notes

26 SATURDAY, MARCH 21

Opening Prayer: O God, disrupt, disturb, disorient, do whatever it takes to make us into the people and the lovers you desire for us to be. Amen.

Scripture Reading for the Day: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

Journal: What is your thorn? Is his grace sufficient for you, even in that?

Reflection: undone years and years of hard work diligently putting it all together piece by piece thinking all is well progress is being made but then you come and scramble the whole picture leaving pieces scattered everywhere you smile lovingly as I sit in the middle of the mess knowing that I don’t know knowing that I’m undone and thinking to yourself now that’s progress

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Steve Hoke works with national church denominations and mission organizations in 25 countries and North America in the area of leader development and strategic life coaching. Pray today for Steve for wisdom and clarity in completing a new book manuscript with co-author Dr. Bill Taylor to help mobilize and equip the next generation of North American missionary candidates.

Core Leadership is a ministry of spiritual formation and leadership development. Its mission is to help strengthen and encourage the life of leaders, in the Knoxville area and beyond, by the means of spiritual nurture and leadership development. Jim Branch is the director of Core Leadership and is actively involved in the lives of people all over the city of Knoxville and beyond, as well as being active in the Powell community, where he lives. Pray for Jim today and the people that he is reaching with this ministry.

Closing Prayer: Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon - from Mount Mizar. Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me. By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me - a prayer to the God of my life. I say to God my Rock, “Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?” My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, “Where is your God?” Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. (Psalm 42:5-11) Notes

27 Theme for the Week: Ordering Our Affections

SUNDAY, MARCH 22 (Fifth Sunday in Lent)

Opening Prayer: Late have I loved you, O Beauty, so ancient and so new, late have I loved you! And behold, you were within me and I was outside, and there I sought for you, and in my deformity I rushed headlong into the well-formed things that you have made. You were with me, and I was not with you. - St. Augustine

Scripture Reading for the Day: Mark 12:28-31

Journal: How do you love God with all of your heart? With all of your soul? With all of your mind? With all of your strength? Which one is most difficult for you? Why?

Reflection: Jesus said, “The first in importance is, ‘Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.’ And here is the second: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ There is no other commandment that ranks with these.” Mark 12:28-30 (The Message) Before anything, love Me. Just love Me. It’s as simple as that. In fact, that is the one thing I really want from you, your love. And I want all of it. I want you to love me with everything you’ve got; all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Every bit of you. And I want you to love me for Me, not for the sake of anyone, or anything else. I must be the end, and not just a means to some other end. So love me because that’s what I made you to do. And when you do what I have made you to do, you will know joy and fullness like you have never known it before. Then, and only then, will you be able to truly love others; for then you will be free from needing them to come through for you in some strangely dependent way. This freedom from needing them will allow you to truly love them, rather than to try and manipulate love out of them. For this second love can only be a reflection of the first.

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

The Hope Center was established in 1996 to address the unmet needs of patients infected with HIV in Knox and surrounding 20 counties. In December of 2014, the Center moved from its location at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center to a new home, operating under the auspices of Covenant HomeCare. Pray today for these patients and their families.

Closing Prayer: I feel your love as you hold me to your sacred heart, my beloved Jesus, my God, my Master, but I feel, too, the need I have of your tenderness, and your caress because of my infinite weakness.- Charles de Foucauld Notes

28 MONDAY, MARCH 23

Opening Prayer: O Lord, my God, be my first love and not merely one of many. Be the one true love of my heart and soul. You alone deserve that place in my heart. Amen.

Scripture Reading for the Day: D euteronomy 6:4-9

Journal: What consumes most of your thought and energy these days? What does it tell you about the order of your affections? Why is it important to order your affections? What would it look like for God to be your greatest affection?

Reflection: God’s ultimate desire is to be the greatest of all our affections, not just one of many which all constantly compete for the top place in our hearts. When we give ourselves to these lesser affections, we rob him (the Great Affection) of what he made us for, and rob ourselves of the life that was intended for us. The problem is that it is not always readily apparent - to us anyway - when something, or someone (even the good things of this life - friends, family, ministry, etc.), has grabbed that top place within us that was intended only for him. When we do this, we become excessively attached to people, places, material possessions, occupations, titles, honors, achievements, and the acclaim or affirmation of others. These things are good in themselves when ordered and directed by the love of God. But they can become compulsions (or even addictions) and produce chaos when they push God from the center of our lives and become the key to our identity. Therefore, the saints of old made a practice of ruthless self-examination. They intentionally made time and space to listen to God and, thus, to constantly examine their affections to assure they were in proper order. God must be first, before all else, and only then will we have the freedom to truly love others. Therefore, we might be wise to follow their lead.

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Cru, formerly known as Campus Crusade for Christ, is a campus organization that seeks to share the gospel with students through relationships, small group studies and larger events like retreats and mission trips. John Strange leads Cru at the University of Kentucky and was our guest at this month’s Global Mission Conference. Pray for today John, his wife Geralyn and their family.

Closing Prayer: O Spirit of God. We ask you to help orient all our actions by your inspirations, carry them on by your gracious assistance, that every prayer and work of ours may always begin from you and through you be happily ended. Amen. - A Jesuit Prayer Notes

29 TUESDAY, MARCH 24

Opening Prayer: Deliver us when we draw near to you, from coldness of heart and wanderings of mind; Grant that with steadfast thoughts and kindled affections, we may worship you in Spirit and in truth. Amen.( Venite by Robert Benson)

Scripture Reading for the Day: Luke 14:25-35

Journal: How do these words of Jesus strike you? How do they disturb you? How do they inspire you? How do they challenge you? How does your love for Jesus compare to your love for the other things in your life?

Reflection: It seems like a pretty extreme statement doesn’t it? It’s very disturbing and disruptive, especially to our “have our cake and eat it too” mentality. Somehow we have tried to tame Jesus and his words. Somehow we have convinced ourselves that we can be “half in.” But Jesus will not stand for that. He will not settle for less. He will not be tamed. He is wild and free. He is disruptive and disturbing. As John Powell once said. “He comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable.” You cannot “buy him” in small quantities, with him it is “all or nothing.” Our problem is that we tend to want a limited quantity of him; five dollars’ worth, if you will. We want just enough to make us comfortable, but not so much that it disturbs our lives or disrupts our plans and agendas. But of course, Jesus will not operate by our rules. That’s just the way he is. And as you read Luke 14:25-35 that becomes pretty clear. Jesus doesn’t just desire our love and allegiance, he demands it. In fact, if in comparison to our love for him we don’t “hate” all else, we are not worthy of him. There is no room for negotiation, no room for debate. His love for us demands our full love and allegiance in return. If, indeed, we really want to follow him we can only do so with all of our being. One day when large groups of people were walking along with him, Jesus turned and told them, “Anyone who comes to me but refuses to let go of father, mother, spouse, children, brothers, sisters - yes, even one’s own self - can’t be my disciple. Anyone who won’t shoulder his own cross and follow behind me can’t be my disciple. “Is there anyone here who, planning to build a new house, doesn’t first sit down and figure the cost so you’ll know if you can complete it? If you only get the foundation laid and then run out of money, you’re going to look pretty foolish. Everyone passing by will poke fun at you: ‘He started something he couldn’t finish.’ “Or can you imagine a king going into battle against another king without first deciding whether it is possible with his ten thousand troops to face the twenty thousand troops of the other? And if he decides he can’t, won’t he send an emissary and work out a truce? “Simply put, if you’re not willing to take what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it good-bye, you can’t be my disciple. “Salt is excellent. But if the salt goes flat, it’s useless, good for nothing.” “Are you listening to this? Really listening?” (Luke 14:25-35, The Message)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

J & M have begun their third year of serving in Asia using the platform of micro finance lending to engage in church planting with holistic development. They have sought to be deeply immersed in the language and culture and continue their work with a micro finance company. Pray today for good health for M and their new child to be born this summer.

Closing Prayer: Take Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will, all that I have and possess. Thou hast given all to me. To Thee, O lord, I return it. All is Thine, dispose of it wholly according to Thy will. Give me Thy love and thy grace, for this is sufficient for me. - Ignatius Loyola Notes

30 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25

Opening Prayer: Each day may I remember the source of the mercies Thou hast bestowed on me gently and generously; each day may I be fuller in love to Thyself. - Carmina Gadelica

Scripture Reading for the Day: Mark 10:17-31

Journal: Where is your treasure? What do you treasure? Do you treasure Jesus above all else? Who, or what, is his biggest competitor in your life? If you were the one standing before Jesus, rather than the rich young ruler, what would he ask you to give up in order to fully follow him?

Reflection: Let me talk very intimately and very earnestly with you about Him who is dearer than life. Do you really want to live your lives, every moment of your lives, in His presence? Do you long for Him, crave Him? Do you love His presence? Does every drop of blood in your body love Him? Does every breath you draw breathe a prayer, a praise to Him? Do you sing and dance within yourselves, as you glory in His love? Have you set yourselves to be His, and only His, walking every moment in holy obedience? I know I’m talking like an old-time evangelist. But I can’t help that, nor dare I restrain myself and get prim and conventional. We have too long been prim and restrained. The fires of the love of God, of our love toward God, and His love toward us, are very hot. “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and soul and mind and strength.” Do we really do it? Is love steadfastly directed toward God, in our minds, all day long? Do we intersperse our work with gentle prayers and praises to Him? Do we live in the steady peace of God, a peace down at the depths of our souls, where all strain is gone and God is already victor over the world, already victor over our weaknesses? This life, this abiding, enduring peace that never fails, this serene power and unhurried conquest over ourselves, outward conquest over the world, is meant to be ours. It is a life that is freed from strain and anxiety and hurry, for something of the Cosmic Patience of God becomes ours. Are our lives unshakable, because we are clear down on bed rock, rooted and grounded in the love of God? This is the first and greatest commandment.( A Testament of Devotion by Thomas Kelly)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Darlene Johnson has been a member of MTW’s church-planting team in Nagoya, Japan, since 2000. She teaches conversational English and evangelistic Bible studies and is involved in choral and instrumental music ministry. Pray today that God will fill Darlene’s coworkers and her with joy and peace as they believe in him and that they will overflow with hope by God’s Spirit based on Romans 15:13.

Closing Prayer: Lord, you are my Lover, it is you whom I desire. You flow through my body like a stream, you shine on my face like the sun. Let me be your reflection. Amen.- St. Mechthildis Notes

31 THURSDAY, MARCH 26

Opening Prayer: I have heard your call, my Lord, and respond with a yes that arises from the depth of my being. I know that if I follow close to you, nothing shall be able to separate me from your love. Amen. (A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God by Norman Shawchuck and Rueben P. Job)

Scripture Reading for the Day: John 21:15-19

Journal: Do you truly love him, more than these? What is these for you? Walk with Jesus on the quiet beach and hear him ask you the same question he asked Simon Peter. Write him a letter in response to his question.

Reflection: They are walking down the shoreline in the early morning sun. It had been days since that fateful night. It is just the two of them, with John following well behind. Jesus had something he wanted to ask his friend, and he didn’t want to put him on the spot by asking in front of the others. It was an intimate question and it called for an intimate setting. Peter could sense something was coming, but didn’t quite know what. There was still a good bit of shame and disappointment lingering deep within his soul as he replayed, over and over again, that dreaded scene from the night of Jesus’ arrest. Peter had denied him, three times. He had denied his master, his teacher, and his best friend. He had done the very thing he swore just hours before that he would never do. It was still so fresh, so painful, so haunting, so humiliating. As they walk, Jesus senses that there is a lot below the surface of his friend’s silence. A deep wrestling is going on. So he turns to Peter and asks the question, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?” In fact, three times Jesus asks it, and three times Peter answers - three chances to confess that which he had denied only days earlier. It is such a sweet picture of grace and intention and restoration, even though Peter doesn’t fully realize what is going on. Jesus is offering him a second chance. Jesus is saying: Peter, I love you more than life itself. I dreamt you into being and knit you together in your mother’s womb. I formed your innermost parts with great care and intention, and I deeply love what I have made. When I think of you it brings a smile to my lips and joy to my heart. When I look at you my eyes light up and my heart leaps within me. How I long for you to know and understand the depths and fullness of my love. How I long for you to live your whole life from this deep inner reality. Peter, you are my Beloved . . . am I yours? It isn’t just any question, it is the question: “Do you truly love me?” And it isn’t just “Do you truly love me?” but “Do you truly love me more than these?” And what are the “these” to which he is referring? Are “these” his friends, or his family, or his work, or his business? It could be anything. Which is exactly the point. Because the question Jesus asks Peter isn’t just for Peter, it is for us all. Each of us has a different these. Jesus wants us to realize that it’s only when we live our lives firmly in the center of his love and affection that we are able to be truly free - free of our deep need for love and acceptance and affirmation and significance. Free to feed his lambs without feeding on his lambs. (Being with Jesus by Jim Branch)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: Yes, Father! Yes! And always Yes! - Francis de Sales Notes

32 FRIDAY, MARCH 27

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to consider all else rubbish compared to my desire to know you. Be the center of my life and my affections in all that I do. Amen.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Philippians 3:7-14

Journal: What do these words of scripture stir up in you today? How do they speak to your life? How do they inspire you? How do they disturb you? How do they challenge you?

Reflection: The very credentials these people are waving around as something special, I’m tearing up and throwing out with the trash - along with everything else I used to take credit for. And why? Because of Christ. Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant - dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him. I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself. If there was any way to get in on the resurrection from the dead, I wanted to do it. I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward - to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back. (Philippians 3:7-14, The Message)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Mike and Stephanie are working with a project called LEARN (Leadership Education and Resource Network) based in Beirut, Lebanon. The project’s aim is to provide high quality, interactive Biblical training via Internet to Arabic-speakers wherever they are found. Pray today for both Mike and Stephanie that they would model a joyful and content relationship to the students where they work and others they will encounter. Pray for daily filling of the Spirit, eyes to see and a heart to embrace all the Lord is doing.

Closing Prayer: O heavenly Father, in whom we live and move and have our being: We humbly pray thee so to guide and govern us by thy Holy Spirit, that in all the cares and occupations of our life we may not forget thee, but may remember that we are ever walking in thy sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. - Book of Common Prayer Notes

33 SATURDAY, MARCH 28

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, be my one thing, be my first and truest affection. May nothing else in all of creation compare to the love and affection I have for you. Amen.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Luke 10:38-42

Journal: What are the greatest affections of your heart and life these days? How do they compare and/or relate to your affection for Jesus?

Reflection: There is a created order to all things; an intentional design. When that created order is followed, life is the result. But whenever that created order is not adhered to, there is chaos. That’s why Jesus, when he was asked by “an expert in the law” in Matthew 22 which commandment was the greatest, immediately responds (from Deuteronomy 6:5): “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” For there is even - and most particularly - a created order to our “loves.” Unless we love God with all of our being first, we can never truly love anyone or anything else with the love that we were created to love them with. As Henri Nouwen put it years ago, “The second love, can only be a reflection of the first.” Therefore, when we love something or someone more than we love God we have gone against the created order - which produces all kinds of disorder and chaos. The saints and the poets knew this well and have discussed it in detail through the ages. In fact, centuries ago Ignatius spoke of this very phenomenon when he used the term disordered affections. It is a phrase that has really had some life in me lately. I actually think that’s what Jesus was getting at when he was talking to the rich young ruler. He looked at him and loved him because He realized that the real issue was that this young man’s affections were disordered. And Jesus wanted so much more for him than that. That’s why He tells him that there’s still one thing he lacks. One thing. It is the same one thing that Martha lacks here in Luke 10. That one thing is making Jesus our one thing. That one thing is having Jesus as our first and truest affection. For if Jesus is our first and truest affection, then the other things (or the many things in the case of Luke 10:41) of this life seem to fall in order. Our lives become centered on and rooted in the love of Jesus. Unfortunately disordered affections can be a very difficult thing to recognize. Because the things that end up occupying most of our time and energy (which is a very good way to tell what’s really in the center of our lives) are often very good things: job, work, accomplishments, reputation, service, ministry, achievements, hobbies, exercise, even family activities. But Jesus was pretty direct in saying that when anything takes precedence over our affection for him, we have made that thing the center of our lives - a spot that was designed only for Him to occupy. So the questions we are left to answer regularly are: What occupies most of our time and energy and focus these days? What is our one thing right now? And what does it really look like to hold Jesus as our first and truest affection? The answer to these questions can give us a pretty good idea about whether our lives, and our affections, are properly ordered.

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: When at last I cling to you with all my being, for me there will be no more sorrow, no more toil. Then at last I shall be alive with true life, for my life will be wholly filled by you.( Confessions by St Augustine)

34 Notes

35 Theme for the Week: Holy Week

SUNDAY, MARCH 29 (Palm Sunday)

Opening Prayer: You alone bring order to the unruly wills and affections of sinners; Grant us grace to love what You command, and desire what You have promised, so that, among the swift and varied changes of this world, our hearts may be fixed where true joy is to be found. Amen.( Venite by Robert Benson)

Scripture Reading for the Day: Luke 19:28-44

Journal: What is going on within you as we begin Holy Week? Are you ready for this journey to the cross? What will that mean for you this year?

Reflection: come ride with me beckons jesus come to jerusalem come and weep over a city gone astray come and die with me that you might be raised to new life

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Bobby and Teresa LaDage are working with Redeemer City to City (the church planting arm of Redeemer Church in NYC) envisioning, equipping, and mentoring church planters and their wives in order to see gospel-centered churches reach the major cities of Eastern and Central Europe. Pray today for Bobby to have wisdom in helping the City to City European Leadership board.

Echo Resources is a ministry to ministers. ER’s vision is for ministers to live in deeper intimacy with Christ, family and community, and to thus have greater effect for God’s Kingdom. Pray today for Buddy Odom as he leads this ministry.

Closing Prayer: Loving God, at this time, we remember that going up to Jerusalem cost Jesus his very life. So we come before you, conscious of the way religious words and holy phrases can slip so easily from our lazy lips and our hardened hearts. What do we really know of your mountainous truth, your rock-hard integrity, the depth of your suffering for love of us all? Forgive us for the shallowness of our faith and the timidity of our following: forgive us for the ready excuses we make for going our own way and claiming it as yours. Turn us round again, we pray, by your Holy Spirit, active within us and among us. Show us how to be open again to your faithfulness and to your freedom, that we may live new lives and be again bearers of the seeds of the realm of Jesus. (A Prayer for Palm Sunday) Notes

36 HOLY MONDAY, MARCH 30

Opening Prayer: Your most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory but first he was crucified: Grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace. Amen. (Venite by Robert Benson)

Scripture Reading for the Day: : John 12:1-11

Journal: Where do you find yourself in this story from scripture today? Who can you identify with the most? The least? What do you wish to extravagantly pour out to Jesus today?

Reflection: When it comes to accomplishing things for God, you will find that high aspirations, enthusiastic feelings, careful planning and being able to express yourself well are not worth very much. The important thing is absolute surrender to God. You can do anything He wants you to do if you are walking in the light of full surrender. Living in this blessed way involves a continual death which is known to very few, but it is in this position that you can be really effective for God. A single word spoken to another person from this restful, abandoned position will do more than all our most eager and carefully planned schemes. You see, when you speak from this position of abandonment to God, it is the Spirit of God who is then speaking, and the word you speak out of this context loses none of its force and authority. - Francois Fenelon

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Volunteers provide weekly English classes at CSPC for those who need to improve their language skills. Classes meet on Thursdays in the morning and in the evening. There is an optional Bible study held after the morning classes. The ESL students and teachers hold holiday parties, go on outings and picnics, and do other fun things together. Pray today for both the teachers and students as they continue the spring semester.

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, whatever I’ve got to give you today, may I give it all to you, freely and extravagantly, as an outpouring of my affection. Amen. Notes

37 TUESDAY, MARCH 31

Opening Prayer: By the passion of Your Divine Son, You caused an instrument of shameful death to be for us the means of life; Grant us so to glory in the cross of Christ, that we may gladly suffer shame and loss for the sake of Your Son. Amen. (Venite by Robert Benson)

Scripture Reading for the Day: John 12:20-36

Journal: Where in your life are you sensing that something must die in order for many seeds to be produced? What is it? What is your “kernel?” What are the “many seeds?” Where in your life have you seen evidence of life coming out of death?

Reflection: Nothing that has not died will be resurrected. - C. S. Lewis

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Josh and Jenny M. are working with the RAK Church Plant in the United Arab Emirates. The RAK Evangelical Church has now been formally constituted as a church with about 40 members. They continue raising funds for the building on the land the Lord has provided. By God’s grace, they have now raised almost half the needed funds and have had architectural drawings made. Depending on the amount of funds received, they hope to break ground on the building this year. Pray for their patience as they continue to raise funds.

Family Promise of Knoxville serves families that come into their program “situationally” homeless – something has happened in their lives (job loss, medical conditions, financial problems, or other tough circumstances) to cause them to be homeless. It is not a choice they have made consciously or easily. This organization has created an interfaith network involving 16 “host” congregations and 26 “support” congregations. Pray for the homeless families that Family Promise will reach this month.

Opening Prayer: Your Divine Son gave his body to be whipped, and his face to be spat upon; Grant us grace to accept joyfully the sufferings of our time, confident of the glory that shall be revealed. Amen.( Venite by Robert Benson)

Scripture Reading: John 13:21-32

Journal: Put yourself in the room with Jesus and the disciples. What do the words and the spirit of Jesus do within you? How do those words and that troubled spirit make you feel? What is your response when he tells everyone that one of the people in this room will betray him? What do these words reveal in your heart?

Reflection: The cross is an invitation; each person must say yes. No one becomes a disciple without saying yes to Jesus taking us, blessing us, breaking us open, and passing us around. - Edward J. Farrell

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

FCA’s vision is to see the world impacted for Jesus Christ through the influence of athletes and coaches. Their mission is to present to athletes and coaches, and all whom they influence, the challenge and adventure of receiving Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, serving Him in their relationships and in the fellowship of the church. Pray for all of the FCA leaders in Knoxville and the student athletes that they will connect with during activities as they wrap up this school year.

Closing Prayer: Lord, The house of my soul is narrow; enlarge it that you may enter in. It is ruinous, O repair it! It displeases Your sight. I confess it, I know. But who shall cleanse it, to whom shall I cry but to you? Cleanse me from my secret faults, O Lord, and spare Your servant from strange sins. - St. Augustine Notes

2 MAUNDY THURSDAY, APRIL 2

Opening Prayer: Your Divine Son, on the night before he suffered death, instituted the sacrament of his Body and Blood: Grant that we may receive it thankfully, in remembrance of him, who in these holy mysteries gives to us a pledge of eternal life. Amen. (Venite by Robert Benson)

Scripture Reading: John 13:1-17, 31-35

Journal: What do you think it would have been like to have Jesus wash your feet? What would your reaction have been? What is your reaction to hearing that he has “given us an example that we should do as he has done to us?” How will you follow the example of Jesus?

Reflection: Try to imagine the scene. You are sitting at the table with Jesus and his friends on the night before he died. A confusing sorrow overshadows you. Yet a mysterious hope has settled in your heart. Suddenly Jesus is standing in front of you. He looks into your eyes and immediately you are filled with an awareness of your tremendous worth.

Supper was special that night There was both a heaviness and a holiness hanging in the air We couldn’t explain the mood It was sacred, yet sorrowful. Gathered around the table eating that solemn, holy meal seemed to us the most important meal we had ever sat down to eat.

We were dwelling in the heart of mystery Though dark the night Hope felt right as if something evil was about to be conquered. And then suddenly the One we loved startled us all He got up from the table and put on an apron. Can you imagine how we felt?

God in an apron!

Tenderness encircled us as He bowed before us. He knelt and said, “I choose to wash your feet because I love you.”

God in an apron, kneeling I couldn’t believe my eyes. I was embarrassed until his eyes met mine I sensed my value then. He touched my feet He held them in his strong hands He washed them I can still feel the water

3 I can still feel the touch of his hands. I can still see the look in his eyes.

Then he handed me a towel and said, “As I have done so you must do.” Learn to bow Learn to kneel.

Let your tenderness encircle everyone you meet Wash their feet not because you have to, because you want to.

It seems I’ve stood two thousand years holding the towel in my hands, “As I have done so you must do,” keeps echoing in my heart.

“There are so many feet to wash,” I keep saying “No,” I hear God’s voice resounding through the years “There are only my feet What you do for them You do for me.” (Seasons of the Heart by Macrina Wiederkehr)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

FISH is a food distribution ministry which is sponsored by many churches and food banks in the Knoxville city area. CSPC stocks the food pantry once a year, takes calls for food and also distributes the food once per month. CSPC members Keith and Shelley Percic are the CSPC contacts for this ministry. Pray today about how you and your family can help with FISH.

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to understand that unless you wash our feet we can have no part with you. So wash us clean, O Savior, that we might be clean indeed. And that we might follow the example you have given us to follow. Amen. Notes

4 GOOD FRIDAY, APRIL 3

Opening Prayer: We pray You graciously to uphold this Your family, for whom Jesus was willing to be betrayed, and to suffer death upon the cross. Amen.( Venite by Robert Benson)

Scripture: John 18:1-19:42

Journal: Put yourself before Jesus as he hangs upon the cross. What do you want to say to him?

Reflection: Reflect carefully on this, for it is so important that I can hardly lay too much stress on it. Fix your eyes on the Crucified and nothing else will be of much importance to you. If his Majesty revealed his love to us by doing and suffering such amazing things, how can you expect to please him by words alone? (Interior Castle by Teresa of Avila)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Martyn and Elissa live in a Creative Access country as “Tent Makers.” Martyn’s work gives him unparalleled access to the local population. Pray today for growth of Martyn’s business so that it can better support us and so that it can open more doors for ministry.

FOCUS (Following Our Choices Unto Success) works in the Knox County Jail and Detention Facility, Taft Youth Center, and the four men’s prisons of East Tennessee. The FOCUS work “Behind the Walls” includes evangelistic events, weekly support groups, discipleship classes, life-skills classes and one-on-one counseling. Pray for the work of FOCUS today.

Closing Prayer: Lord, enfold me in the depths of your heart; and there hold me, refine, purge, and set me on fire, raise me aloft, until my own self knows utter annihilation. - Pierre Teilhard de Chardin Notes

5 HOLY SATURDAY, APRIL 4

Opening Prayer: The crucified body of Your Divine Son was laid in the tomb and rested on this holy Sabbath: give us grace to await with him the coming of the third day, and rise with him into newness of life. Amen. (Venite by Robert Benson)

Scripture: John 19:38-42

Journal: What does it feel like to sit between death and resurrection? How is that place descriptive of your life these days? Where are you living between death and resurrection?

Reflection: The more we lack everything the more we resemble Jesus crucified. The more we cling to the cross, the closer do we embrace Jesus who is nailed to it. Every cross is a gain, for every cross unites us to Jesus. - Charles de Foucauld

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Free Medical Clinic of America was founded by CSPC member, Dr. Tom Kim, to provide medical care for the working uninsured. The clinic is built upon the words from Christ about serving the least, the lonely, and the lost. Pray for Dr. Kim and the other medical volunteers that help to meet the medical needs of our community.

Closing Prayer: In you, O Lord, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me! Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily! Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me! For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me; you take me out of the net they have hidden for me, for you are my refuge. Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God. - Psalm 34:1-5 Notes

6 Theme for the Week: Resurrection EASTER SUNDAY, APRIL 5

Opening Prayer: Through your Divine Son, You overcame death and opened to us the gates of the life that does not end: Grant that we who celebrate this day with joy may be raised from the death of sin by Your life-giving Spirit. Amen. (Venite by Robert Benson)

Scripture: John 20:1-18

Journal: Put yourself in the scene. Walk with Mary to the empty tomb. What does “He is Alive!” mean to you today? What is raised to life in you?

Reflection: What was it like in that dark tomb Jesus? What exactly happened when light suddenly broke into the darkness and brought you to life once again? Did the mouth of God come down from heaven and breathe the breath of life into your lifeless body? Or did He reach down with His life-giving hands and brush the death from you as one would wipe sleep from the eyes of a child? Or was it like a Father tenderly bending down over his sleeping child to plant a gentle kiss upon his forehead? Perhaps it was more like an earthquake; a sudden jolt of power and life that hit you like a lightning bolt from on high, raising you suddenly to life once more. And were there any words uttered in that silent grave? Words that you had the privilege of hearing, but that we will never know about because they were words meant only for your ears: arise, my love, or wake up sleepy head or My Child, I’ve missed you so much! And what was it like when the grave clothes were removed? And who exactly did that? Was it the angels that were present the next morning; sent by the Father to unbind His Beloved Son? And why exactly did they fold them and stack them so neatly? I’ll bet they were smiling from ear to ear. And O what a reunion it must have been, the Three-in-One becoming Three and becoming One once again! What was that like? What was it like when you and the Father, and the Spirit, were reunited. What were the looks on your faces? What was going on in your hearts? What a dance that must’ve been! A dance we are now invited to join. O the joy, joy unspeakable. Let our imaginations run wild on this Easter day, as we dream about, and celebrate, the day our beloved Jesus, was raised to life again!

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

The Garbage City Alliance is a ministry to the Garbage City in Cairo, Egypt. Rebecca Atollah, the wife of Ramez Atollah, the leader of the Bible Society of Egypt, is a key worker at the St. Simon Coptic Orthodox Church in the Mokattam garbage village. Over the last twenty-five years she has helped with church planting and providing Christian education among the lowest of the low, Egypt’s untouchables. Pray today for Rebecca and her work with the Garbage City Alliance.

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, I’m so glad Easter is finally here. During this season train my eyes and my heart to see you, O Risen Christ, in ways and in places that I don’t normally see you. Thanks be to God that you are alive! He is Risen!!! He is Risen indeed!!! Hallelujah!!! Notes

7 MONDAY, APRIL 6

Scripture: John 20:16-18

Journal: What are you clinging to these days that you need to let go of?

Reflection: a longing for genuine transformation will always lead us to death’s door again and again what a crazy design we must die in order to be raised paschal mystery the old must be out of the way to make space for the new to take shape within us one cannot truly begin without the other ending release comes before receive after all it is difficult to receive the new when our hands are still so full of the old and why is dying such a necessary part of this process maybe because without dying there can be no resurrection and resurrection is really the point being raised, that is, not raising ourselves being raised

8 by the giver of life breathing his breath into our deadness and bringing us to life once again in a new form that is not new at all to him

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Pete and Ruth Mitchell are church planters in Marseille under the auspices of Mission to the World (MTW) and in collaboration with the Eglise Réformée Evangélique de France (French Reformed Evangelical Church). Pete’s role is that of team leader. The Mitchells have recently moved to Toulouse to plant a new church. They ask that you pray today for a MTW mission team retreat April 16-19 to be held near Marseille. Pray that they will build solid relationships with their new team mates.

The focus of Global Golf (formerly WPGF) is to serve women at all levels of competitive golf - professional tour players, college athletes, coaches and club pros - and introduce them to Jesus Christ through long-term relationships built around golf. Evangelism, discipleship and pastoral care are Global Golf’s primary purposes. Pray for director Cris Stevens and the women that she will have opportunities to connect with on the pro tour.

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to cling not to the old patterns and old ways of being and seeing that I have become so used to and adept at, but help me to be made new each day, living your resurrected life, with your resurrection power. In the name of the resurrected One - Jesus. Amen. Notes

9 TUESDAY, APRIL 7

Opening Prayer: By the glorious resurrection of Your Divine Son, You destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light: Grant that we, who have been raised with him, may abide in his presence and rejoice in the hope of eternal glory. Amen. (Venite by Robert Benson)

Scripture: Matthew 28:1-10

Journal: What stones need to be rolled away in your life? What will it take?

Reflection: sometimes it takes an earthquake to roll the stone away God sends his angel to disrupt or disturb to shake or quake our lives and our world just enough so that the stone that held us captive a prisoner trapped in the dark gloom of death and despair is rolled away from the tomb and we are given the power and freedom and possibility of leaving the stench and decay of death behind and stepping out into the warmth and light of new life alive. risen. resurrected. O God, let us take that step

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Lucky & Sonnet Mnisi are South African and serve in Mozambique. Lucky has pastored the Reformed Church in Mucatine, and has helped plant other churches in Gaza Province, including Chake. Lucky is a discipler of young men and has a mentoring role among those he serves. Lucky and Sonnet and their family are now living in Chokwe where Lucky pastors a church they planted. Pray today for their church family to grow in faith and learn to reach out to others in the community.

Closing Prayer: Power of Love, shining through the risen Jesus, radiantly shine in the dark places of my pain. Let their power to infect me be broken and drawn into your heart. (Feed My Shepherds by Flora Slosson Wuellner) Notes

10 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8

Opening Prayer: Your blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of the bread: Open the eyes of our faith, we pray, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work. Amen. (Venite by Robert Benson)

Scripture: Luke 24:13-35

Journal: Where will the risen Christ walk alongside with you today? How will you recognize him? What will it do in you?

Reflection: an isolated beach at daybreak a locked room full of fearful men a lonely road with two weary travelers of all the places you could’ve chosen that’s where you chose to show up small, obscure, remote, intimate in some ways hidden in some ways unrecognizable except by the ones that were yearning deeply who were paying extra careful attention those with eyes to see you and hearts to recognize you even if you were in disguise what does this tell me about you? about your heart, about your spirit, about your ways does it mean that i should look for you in places such as these? does it mean that i should gravitate toward places such as these? does it tell me i should pursue people such as these? does it tell me ie should pursue a life such as this? could it be that resurrection is a very subtle thing? so unassuming that it can easily go unnoticed?

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

F. & S. are working alongside Arab believers toward the goal of seeing churches planted for those who do not have a church. Their main focus is to work with, mobilize, resource and train nationals for this purpose. Pray today for F. as he seeks to know who God wants them to work with in the region. There are a number of opportunities. Pray for discernment in shared vision and how best to use the internet-based teaching materials to serve the church.

Closing Prayer: O God, who by your One and only Son has overcome death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life; grant, we pray, that those who have been redeemed by his passion may rejoice in his resurrection, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen. - Gelasian Sacramentary Notes

11 THURSDAY, APRIL 9

Opening Prayer: In the Paschal Mystery, Almighty God, You established the new covenant of reconciliation. Grant, we pray, that all who have been reborn into the fellowship of Christ’s Body may show forth in our lives what we profess by our faith. Amen. (Daily Prayer by Robert Benson)

Scripture: Romans 6:1-14

Journal: What does it mean to be dead to sin? Alive to Christ? How is this process going?

Reflection: What does resurrection look like for us, this side of heaven? What should we expect? What should we hope for? And how should we expect it to unfold? My guess is that if we’ve learned anything at all these last few weeks from the stories of the resurrection in scripture, it is to expect the unexpected. But I keep wondering, what does resurrection look like in our present lives? Does it come suddenly? Like the earthquake that shook the tomb and rolled the stone away in Matthew? Or does it come in a more hidden way, as it did to the travelers on the road to Emmaus; so slowly and subtly that we will have to pay careful attention to be able to recognize it. Or will it be a long, slow process; like a journey in which the destination appears on the horizon, off in the distance, but still seems miles and miles away from a current reality? You know that it is getting closer, slowly but surely, but can’t quite tell when exactly it will arrive. I guess I’m wondering because of my hope that at some point this old, passing, manufactured, false self will finally be fully put to death and the new, eternal, God-breathed, true self will rise from the ashes. But for now I still have way more of one than I’d like, and less of the other than I truly long for. The old just keeps hanging around, with nowhere near the amount of life it once had mind you, but still ever-present nonetheless. And the new, although it keeps gaining more of a presence and a voice within me, still is not in complete control of my thinking and my believing, my being and my doing. How much longer will this wrestling go on before I wrestle no more and am able to rest in the fullness of all that I was created to be?

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Dan and Shelly Owens live in Atlanta where Dan works with Sixty Feet. This organization focuses on ministry in Uganda in three categories: relief, rehabilitation or development. The Owens left Atlanta recently and moved their family to Uganda. Pray today for all of them as they adjust to their new home.

Habitat for Humanity builds and sells single-family homes to qualified low and very-low income families by developing partnerships with businesses, organizations, churches, foundations and individuals who help build the homes. Pray today for volunteers from CSPC that are starting a new house in just 2 days!

Closing Prayer: Lord of all life and power, who through the mighty resurrection of your Son overcame the old order of sin and death to make all things new in him: grant that we, being dead to sin and alive to you in Jesus Christ, may reign with him in glory; to whom with you and the Holy Spirit be praise and honour, glory and might, now and in all eternity. Amen. (A Collect for Easter, Oremus) Notes

12 FRIDAY, APRIL 10

Opening Prayer: You gave Your Divine Son to die for our sins and to rise for our justification: Grant us grace so to put away the leaven of malice and wickedness that we may always serve You in purity of living and truth. Amen. (Venite by Robert Benson)

Scripture: Romans 5:1-11

Journal: How do you try to justify your own existence?

Reflection: Do you ever find yourself trying to do that? Trying to justify your existence? When I read this phrase the other day, it simply stopped me in my tracks. Because I do that all the time. In fact, most of the things I do in my life are nothing more than feeble attempts to justify my own existence. It reminds me of a line from that old classic movie Chariots of Fire where one of the characters (Harold Abrams) is asked about his upcoming race and he says, “And now in one hour’s time, I will be out there again. I will raise my eyes and look down that corridor; four feet wide, with ten lonely seconds to justify my existence. But will I?” What a powerful, yet incredibly haunting, line. You can hear, and feel, the very weight of the world squarely on his shoulders. It is simply too much for one person to bear. Justifying my existence doesn’t involve running in the Olympics, but that doesn’t make it feel like any less a burden. I live daily with the idea in my head that I am “not enough” and can never “measure up.” It is an idea that has grown in me and taken root deep in my heart and soul. It is an idea whose roots run so deep that it is incredibly difficult to uproot them completely. And it significantly effects the way I go about living my life; constantly pushing me to try and prove to myself, and to my world, that I am valuable. To convince myself that what I have to contribute is important. I don’t know about you, but I constantly feel the need to prove to the world that the work that I do, the ministry I have, that the gifts I possess, are necessary and significant. It tends to keep me running breathlessly about, and can be overwhelming and exhausting at times. But Jesus calls me to live out of another voice altogether. For he has given me all of the justification my life will ever need. I am fully and freely justified in him (see Romans 3:24, 5:8-9). His love defines me. His deep affection gives me my value and worth. So I don’t have to run around looking for someone or something to justify my existence, he alone does that. He alone gives me freedom; freedom to be loved, and more importantly, freedom to love. I can genuinely love his world because I do not need anything (affirmation, attention, importance) from his world. I think that is why the main character in Chariots of Fire (Eric Liddell), when asked why he ran, was able to beautifully answer, I run because “when I run I feel his pleasure.” May it be the same for each of us.

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

B. and H. and their two children currently reside in Asia. Pray today for the national ministry with whom they partner so the ministry can cover increasingly more areas and people. Pray for the individuals, fellowship groups, and house churches that raise up through the ministry’s efforts to stay true to the gospel.

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to live in the fullness of the freedom you have provided; the freedom from having to justify myself - my life, my existence, my work, my worth. Thank you that justification is a free gift from you, the fruit of your love and obedience. You have taken away my sin and have given me your righteousness. All that you have, you give to me. Thanks be to God! Notes

13 SATURDAY, APRIL 11

Opening Prayer: We thank You that You have delivered us from the dominion of sin and death, and brought us into the Kingdom of Your Son: Grant we pray that, as by his death he has recalled us to life, so by his love he may raise us to eternal joy. Amen. (Venite by Robert Benson)

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:50-58

Journal: What hope is the resurrection offering in your life these days? How is it helping you to stand firm?

Reflection: Long, long, long ago; Way before this winter’s snow First fell upon these weathered fields; I used to sit and watch and feel And dream of how the spring would be, When through the winter’s stormy sea She’d raise her green and growing head, Her warmth would resurrect the dead.

Long before this winter’s snow I dreamt of this day’s sunny glow And thought somehow my pain would pass With winter’s pain, and peace like grass Would simply grow. The pain’s not gone. It’s still as cold and hard and long As lonely pain has ever been, It cuts so deep and far within.

Long before this winter’s snow I ran from pain, looked high and low For some fast way to get around Its hurt and cold. I’d have found If I had looked at what was there, That things don’t follow fast or fair. That life goes on, and times do change, And grass does grow despite life’s pains.

Long before this winter’s snow I thought that this day’s sunny glow, The smiling children and growing things And flowers bright were brought by spring. Now, I know the sun does shine, That children smile, and from the dark, cold, grime A flower comes. It groans, yet sings, And through its pain, its peace begins. (Resurrection by Mary Ann Bernard)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

H. & L. serve in Asia by providing strategic leadership for colleagues serving in several major urban centers in Asia. Their role involves encouraging and coaching these co-workers in their ministries, as well as networking with others to make sure they have the resources and training that they need for their respective ministries. Pray today for H. & L. as they travel back to Hong Kong at the end of this month after some time in the U.S.

14 Hope Resource Center is a multi-faceted Christian ministry addressing such matters as sexual purity and health, unplanned pregnancy, post-abortion stress and abstinence education. Pray today for the staff and volunteers as they minister to young women in crisis.

Closing Prayer: Help us, O God, to always hold onto the hope of the resurrection. The hope that death and decay and pain and sorrow do not have the last word, but life does. By the power of, and in the name of, the resurrected Jesus we pray. Amen. Notes

15 Theme for the Week: Moving Deeper

SUNDAY, APRIL 12

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to never be content living with less of you, when you desire so much more for me and from me. Give me the courage and the strength to move out of the shallow and comfortable places, to those of true depth and trust. This can happen only by your power, so Lord, have mercy on me. Amen.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 2:9-16

Journal: How would you describe your spiritual life these days? Where have you grown complacent or comfortable? How does God want more for you? How does God want more from you?

Refection: Our only desire and our one choice should be this: I want and choose what better leads to God’s deepening His life in me. - St. Ignatius

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Paul and Dori Pittman currently serve as area directors for United World Mission’s Latin America region. Paul is also project coordinator of UWM’s Cuba Partnership Project. Pray today for them as they travel to visit missionaries and partners throughout Central America and the Caribbean, meeting and getting to know ministry and prayer needs better.

Closing Prayer:From the desire for life to be easy and comfortable, O Lord, deliver me. From the temptation to live on the surface of things, O Lord, defend me. From the tendency to be lackadaisical and complacent in my life with you, O Lord, protect me. Give me a yearning, O Lord, for a deeper, richer, and fuller life with you. And then give me the courage and the strength to move in that direction. Amen Notes

16 MONDAY, APRIL 13

Opening Prayer: Jesus, help us to hear your call today to a life abandoned to your kingdom and your purposes. To think that you would call us to anything less than that is utter fantasy. There is no half-way with you. It is all or nothing. Help us to be “all in.” Amen.

Scripture: Mark 8:27-38

Journal: Who do you say Jesus is? Who does your life say he is?

Reflection: Looking for Jesus is an undertaking fraught with danger. As I intimated earlier, the closer you get to finding him, the higher the stakes become. He is no mere passive object to be circled and appraised like a piece of sculpture. You look at him and he looks back. You may begin the search for Jesus with your own agenda, but be warned: he has one too. As the disciples discovered, you pay a price for finding Jesus. He may, in fact, one day turn to you, as he did those feckless first-century followers and ask, ”But you - who do you say that I am?” Then you will either have to abandon his company altogether or spend the rest of your life trying to answer that question. - Virginia Stem Owens

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Joe and Cindy Platillero proclaim the transforming presence of Jesus Christ through Biblical teaching and practical training to all who come through their doors. Their main ministry is through the Torchbearer Center where they have camps, conferences, and a small Bible School during the winter. Pray for them today as they focus on the local church and the church throughout Europe.

Closing Prayer: Vindicate me, Lord, for I have led a blameless life; I have trusted in the Lord and have not faltered. Test me, Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind; for I have always been mindful of your unfailing love and have lived in reliance on your faithfulness. …My feet stand on level ground; in the great congregation I will praise the Lord. (Psalm 26:1- 3, 12) Notes

17 TUESDAY, APRIL 14

Opening Prayer: One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. (Psalm 27:4)

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 3:17-18

Journal: The image that we most often behold is the image we will ultimately be formed into. What do you spend most of your day beholding? How is that reflected in who and what you are becoming? What does it mean to behold the Lord? How well are you reflecting him these days?

Reflection: When the soul is occupied with looking away from present trials into the face of Christ, and making this a regular and passionate occupation, this soul will become more tranquil and still, and therefore more able to reflect the Being it adores. This reflected glory will enable us to love our neighbor as ourselves.- Marian Scheele

Truth sees God, and wisdom beholds God, and from these two comes the third, and that is a marvelous delight in God, which is love. - Julian of Norwich

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Steve and Ruth Porter center their ministry around Steve’s dentistry at the Miango Dental Clinic in Nigeria. Their goal is to provide high quality dentistry, a winsome witness, sound teaching, and a compassionate outreach to those in need. They minister to local pastors, teachers, and other church employees, offering their services for the cost of the materials they use. Pray today for the Porters as they have recently resumed their ministries after an extended medical leave and time in the U.S.

Closing Prayer: Hear my voice when I call, Lord; be merciful to me and answer me. My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek. Do not hide your face from me, O God. (Psalm 27:7-9) Notes

18 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to stay dressed and ready for service today and to keep our lamps burning; that we might burn more and more with love for you. Amen.

Scripture: Luke 12:35-40

Journal: What is burning within you these days? What is the condition of your inner fire? What does it mean to keep your lamp burning? How will you do that today?

Reflection: Cast aside everything that might extinguish this small flame which is beginning to burn within you, and surround yourself with everything which can feed and fan it into a stronger flame.- The Art of Prayer There is a flame within us, started and sustained by God’s Spirit, which we are required to tend. It is the part of us that burns for God, for intimacy with him, and for his Kingdom to be revealed in this world. In some this fire is a raging inferno. In fact, it is so real and so present that if you get within a certain proximity of these people you will be warmed by the heat of its passion. And in others this fire is weak and smoldering, like a dim wick that is on the verge of being snuffed out completely. It is of no use to anyone. And though we cannot control the source of this fire, we are called to tend and feed and fan its flame. We are called to make sure to keep our lamps burning. Therefore, we must be thoughtful and intentional as we consider how to nurture and grow this fire within us. We must learn to listen and reflect and pray in a way that allows us to see how to create the proper conditions for this fire to thrive, and for its flames to grow. We must regularly ask ourselves certain questions like: “What are the things that keep my inner fires going? When and how will I make those things a regular part of my life? What fuels my soul to keep me stumbling toward love? Who are the people and what are the practices that ignite something deep within me?” And when we finally begin to get a sense of the answers to some of these questions, we need to go to work; to start gathering these logs and tossing them on the fire.

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Carlos and Sandy Rios are planting Rivers of Grace Bible Church in the San Andres area of Guadalajara, Mexico. The church is growing and many new families have begun attending. Pray today that the members of the church will grow in their relationships with Christ and in their love for Jesus so that it overflows to others.

KDEC or Kasr El Dobara Church is the largest evangelical church in the middle east. Started in 1948, it has grown to a membership of 8,000 members. Pray today for the ministry leaders of this church.

Closing Prayer: O living flame of love that tenderly wounds my soul in its deepest center! Since now you are not oppressive, now consummate! If it be your will: tear through the veil of this sweet encounter! O sweet cautery, O delightful wound! O gentle hand! O delicate touch that tastes of eternal life and pays every debt! In killing you changed death to life. O lamps of fire! In whose splendors the deep caverns of feeling, once obscure and blind, now give forth, so rarely, so exquisitely, both warmth and light to their Beloved. How gently and lovingly you wake in my heart, where in secret you dwell alone; and in your sweet breathing, filled with good and glory, how tenderly you swell my heart with love. - John of the Cross Notes

19 THURSDAY, APRIL 16

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, give us the strength and the courage to follow you, wherever it may lead. Amen.

Scripture: Luke 5:1-11

Journal: What does it look like for you to put out into the deep water for a catch? What is Jesus asking you to leave behind in order to follow him to new and deeper places?

Reflection: Jesus tests our limits and invites us to go out into the deep, far from the secure shores of large savings accounts, comfortable routines, familiar places and situations. There have been many times when I felt overwhelmed by work and family responsibilities, There have been times when I felt depressed, wanting to escape to the comfort of home or to the security of familiar tasks. I was afraid of what lay ahead. Every year we wonder where the money will come from to sustain our ministry. But in every one of these situations, Jesus has been there beckoning me, beckoning us, beyond the security of shallow water to go with him into the deep. - James McGinnis

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

M. is living in an area in Southeast Asia where the Tai Lue, an unreached people group, live. She is trusting that God will open doors for the gospel and empower local brothers and sisters to make disciples among them. Pray today for God’s help in raising up local leaders with the vision of initiating a movement of rapidly reproducing Tai Lue churches.

Closing Prayer: Disturb us, Lord, when we are too pleased with ourselves, when our dreams have come true because we dreamed too little, when we arrived safely because we sailed too close to the shore. Disturb us, Lord, when with the abundance of things we possess we have lost our thirst for the waters of life; having fallen in love with life, we have ceased to dream of eternity and in our efforts to build a new earth, we have allowed our vision of the new Heaven to dim. Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly, to venture on wilder seas where storms will show Your mastery; where losing sight of land, we shall find the stars. We ask you to push back the horizons of our hopes; and to push back the future in strength, courage, hope, and love. This we ask in the name of our Captain, who is Jesus Christ.- Sir Francis Drake Notes

20 FRIDAY, APRIL 17

Opening Prayer: O Christ Jesus, when all is darkness and we feel our weakness and helplessness, give us the sense of your presence, your love, and your strength. Help us to have perfect trust in your protecting love and strengthening power, so that nothing may frighten or worry us, for, living close to you, we shall see your hand, your purpose, your will through all things. - St. Ignatius

Scripture: Matthew 14:23-32

Journal: Where is Jesus calling you to step out of your boat these days? What does that look like? Where is he calling you to deeper places with him? To deeper trust?

Reflection: If nothing else you have to admire Peter’s willingness. I mean, at least he desired to step out of the boat and move toward Jesus - and dared to do so. It was not an easy step, to say the least. The step into deep waters never is. It requires a lot. Jesus was asking Peter to leave the security of the boat and his friends and his old life and ways, and to join him in a totally new and totally unfamiliar place. A place of total surrender and total abandon. That’s what real life with God is all about. We can’t avoid it or deny it. And when Jesus invites us to that place with him it always requires us to step out of our comfortable and controlled lives (and ways) and step into a life that is completely determined and ordered by him. It is a place where real trust is necessary and real life is experienced. Peter took him up on it. Most of us never get that far. Most of us hear the call and rationalize that it is for someone else. Most of us hear his invitation to a deeper life with him and allow the wind and the waves to affect us, long before we ever consider stepping out onto the raging sea. Peter’s willingness meant that he was able to experience something that none of the other disciples (at this point at least) were willing to. That is often the case with all of us. So often we are simply unwilling - be it from fear, or preoccupation, or comfort, or control and agenda - to step out onto the sea (into the deep) with Jesus, where we must totally trust his care and his control. The deep is a place where we cannot touch bottom, where we cannot control things, where we cannot manage life on our own terms. The deep is a place where we have no idea what will happen when we actually set foot upon its waters. Therefore, it is a place of total vulnerability, total surrender, and total trust. Peter was willing to go there. He stepped out. He took nothing with him. He completely let go of everything else but this burning desire to be with Jesus, wherever Jesus may lead, whatever Jesus might ask. The call of Jesus is like that for us all. Are we willing to take that step, whatever that step may look like? Are we willing to join him? If we really want to be his, there is no other choice.

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Mostafa and Mona Sharkawy’s main area of work is the U.K., serving among Arab Muslims. Their goals are to see Arabic churches arise from Muslim background believers, to see new generations of leaders from Muslim believers, and to teach and prepare them for future ministry. Pray today for the ongoing ministry inside the Immigration Removal Centre to flourish and be blessed. Pray for the new believers to be strengthened in their new faith in Christ.

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, give us a willingness to respond to your invitation to step out of our boat, whatever that may mean, and to follow you as we step out onto the raging sea. Amen. Notes

21 SATURDAY, APRIL 18

Opening Prayer: O God, my God, lead me into your desert and speak tenderly to me. Allure me, open me up to receive your passionate love. Betroth me to yourself, capture me with your Great Affection, and make my heart completely yours. Amen.

Scripture: Hosea 2:14-23

Journal: Listen to the voice of God as he speaks tenderly to you. Write down what he says.

Reflection: The key to this home, this heart of God, is prayer. Perhaps you have never prayed before except in anguish or terror. It may be that the only time the Divine Name has been on your lips has been in angry expletives. Never mind. I am here to tell you that the Father’s heart is open wide - you are welcome to come in. Perhaps you do not believe in prayer. You may have tried to pray and were profoundly disappointed...and disillusioned. You seem to have little faith, or none. It doesn’t matter. The Father’s heart is wide open—you are welcome to come in. Perhaps you are bruised and broken by the pressures of life. Others have wronged you, and you feel scarred for life. You have old, painful memories that have never been healed. You avoid prayer because you feel too distant, too unworthy, too defiled. Do not despair. The Father’s heart is wide open—you are welcome to come in. Perhaps you have prayed for many years, but the words have grown brittle and cold. Little ever happens anymore. God seems remote and inaccessible. Listen to me. The Father’s heart is wide open—you are welcome to come in. Perhaps prayer is the delight of your life. You have lived in the divine milieu for a long time and can attest to its goodness. But you long for more: more power, more love, more of God in your life. Believe me. The Father’s heart is open wide—you too are welcome to come higher up and deeper in. If the key is prayer, the door is Jesus Christ. How good of God to provide us a way to His heart. (Prayer by Richard Foster)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Knoxville Area Rescue Mission (KARM) provides emergency shelter and food to homeless men and women and offers recovery for those seeking a way out of drug and alcohol abuse. Pray today for KARM as they prepare for the fundraising Dragon Boat Festival in June.

Closing Prayer: Lord God, our Heavenly Father, lead us into your very heart this day. Help us to know your deep, deep affection, not only for us, but also for your world. In the name of Jesus. Amen. Notes

22 Theme for the Week: The Dance

SUNDAY, APRIL 19

Opening Prayer: My God and Father, Lord of the dance, allow me to see this day and this moment for what it really is— an invitation to dance the dance of life and faith with the One who made me. May I dance this day with joy and passion, knowing that there will never be another one just like it. In the name of Jesus I Pray. Amen.

Scripture: Jeremiah 31:1-14

Journal: What is causing your spirit to dance these days?

Reflection: The cosmic dance of the universe is perhaps best articulated in the last three paragraphs of New Seeds of Contemplation, Merton’s most popular and best-loved book. The basic image is a favorite of the mystics, the image of God as bridegroom dancing with his bride, that is, all of creation, at a wedding feast. How often we’ve seen at a wedding reception the bridegroom with an enormous smile and tender love sweep his bride into his arms and out onto the dance floor; then the other couples follow. So also our cosmic God of creation. He is so deeply in love with his whole creation, especially us his rational creation, that he is engaged in a joyous dance daily with us, the work of his hands. This dance is going on all the time around us and in us, in every breath we draw and in every heartbeat. To live fully then is to tap into this reality that lies below the surface of things and to touch this rich river of joy and love that is being poured out into this world. (A Traveler toward the Dawn by John Eagan)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: Dance with me, O Lover of my soul, to the Song of all songs. Romance me, O Lover of my soul, to the Song of all songs. Behold You have come over the hills upon the mountain. To me You will run, my Beloved, You’ve captured my heart. (Dance with Me by Paul Wilbur) Notes

23 MONDAY, APRIL 20

Opening Prayer: O God, Lover of my soul, give me the grace and the courage to take you up on your invitation to intimate, passionate union with you; it is what my heart truly longs for. Amen.

Scripture: Psalm 149:1-5

Journal: What does the scripture today bring to life in you? How does it make you want to praise God?

Reflection: What is serious to men is often very trivial in the sight of God. What in God might appear to us as “play” is perhaps what He Himself takes most seriously. At any rate the Lord plays and diverts Himself in the garden of His creation, and if we could let go of our own obsession with what we think is the meaning of it all, we might be able to hear His call and follow Him in His mysterious, cosmic dance. We do not have go very far to catch echoes of that game, and of that dancing. When we are alone on a starlit night; when by chance we see the migrating birds in autumn descending on a grove of junipers to rest and eat; when we see children in a moment where they are really children; when we know love in our own hearts; or when, like the Japanese poet Basho we hear an old frog land in a quiet pond with a solitary splash—at such times the awakening, the turning inside out of all values, the “newness,” the emptiness and the purity of vision that make themselves evident, provide a glimpse of the cosmic dance. For the world and time are the dance of the Lord in emptiness. The silence of the spheres is the music of a wedding feast. The more we persist in misunderstanding the phenomena of life, the more we analyze them out into strange finalities and complex purposes of our own, the more we involve ourselves in sadness, absurdity and despair. But it does not matter much, because no despair of ours can alter the reality of things, or stain the joy of the cosmic dance which is always there. Indeed, we are in the midst of it, and it is in the midst of us, for it beats in our very blood, whether we want it to or not. Yet the fact remains that we are invited to forget ourselves on purpose, cast our awful solemnity to the winds and join in the general dance. (New Seeds of Contemplation by Thomas Merton)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Vitaly and Oksana Voinov live in Moscow, Russia. Vitaly is working with the Institute for Bible Translation (IBT) in Russia/ CIS as IBT’s director. IBT has been serving the non-Slavic peoples of the former Soviet Union for four decades by translating the Holy Scriptures - Bibles, New Testaments, individual Bible books, and illustrated Children’s Bibles. Pray today for IBT to continue fulfilling its primary task in the constantly shifting whirlwind of Russian politics under the Lord’s protection.

Knox County CAC is a public agency serving the citizens of Knoxville and Knox County. Cedar Springs is partnering with CAC Homeward Bound Emergency Transitional Housing Project (ETH). The program helps specific groups find housing: (1) Families with children that cannot find shelter space, (2) Seniors that cannot get into shelter or who are too frail for existing shelter, (3) Individuals with an already established housing plan. Pray today for the staff of CAC as they seek to find housing for these people.

Closing Prayer: O God, Lord of all, with all of creation my heart rejoices in you this day. Your Spirit and your word are like music that leads my soul to dance! And what a wonder-filled dance it is! Let me always be a good dance partner, willing and able to move to the leading of Your Holy Spirit. Thank you that you take pleasure in your people. Thanks you that you adorn us with salvation. May we be glad and rejoice, may we leap for joy and spin around. May we dance the dance of life and joy with you this day. Amen. Notes

24 TUESDAY, APRIL 21

Opening Prayer: Lord God, may your presence, your Spirit, and your glory cause a celebration to rise up from deep in our hearts. May we dance before you this day with all our might, whatever that may look like. Amen.

Scripture: 2 Samuel 6:1-15

Journal: What do you think it was that caused David to dance before the Lord with all his might? What does that look like for you?

Reflection: In the little blue book, on page 115, in the readings for week 17, where I would have started in with my father had I started in when he gave me the book and the note, there is this sentence written by Nikos Kazantzakis: “Only he who obeys a rhythm superior to his own is free.” More than a decade has now passed since I first read that sentence. I did not even highlight it then, the way I did so many sentences in the book. I was not seeking anything like that at the time and could not have had any idea what such a sentence might mean to me or anyone else. Nothing in my life is the same now. I do not live in the same house or even with the same people. Most of the material possessions that I had then are long gone, not by some great devout sacrifice on my part, but torn from my grasping hands by bankruptcy or divorce or other crisis. I fight a constant battle against depression, and I live a life that pretty much keeps me out of the mainstream most of the time. I am not complaining, nor am I bragging. I am simply trying to make the point that since the day I said yes to the tune that called me to the Dance, nothing has ever been the same. That is not to say, as some would have you believe, that everything has gone along swimmingly after my grand experience of the Transcendent. Much of it, most of it, has been really hard. But from this vantage point, I can look back across those days and see that the rhythm of the Dance had begun to call me. It was so new to me then that I did not recognize it for what it was, and for what it is. A life of prayer - or the spiritual life or the interior life, whatever term one uses for this journey that we have undertaken—is not completely linear, any more than one’s intellectual or emotional life is linear. It is cyclical; it turns and turns again, and carries us along with it. It is that turning that caught my attention then. It is that turning, that Dance, if you will, and its rhythms and steps and habits and joys and sorrows that draws me now. If we are to live lives that enable us to hear more clearly who we really are, then we will have to learn to move to a rhythm that is superior to the ones we have fashioned for ourselves, or the ones a consumer society has foisted upon us. We will have to discover the rhythms of prayer and life that can be found in the steps of the Ancient of Dance of the Ancient of Days: the liturgy, the Eucharist, the calendar and the mass, the prayers of confession and intercession and recollection and contemplation, the habits of reading and retreat and working with our hands, the practices of hospitality and forgiveness and being with the poor. Our lives must be shaped by the same rhythms that shaped the ancients, those who have gone before us. Only then will we be able to take up our places and join the general Dance. (Living Prayer by Robert Benson)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Knoxville Inner City Kids Outreach (KICKO) is a para-church ministry with a mission to “Mobilize the Message of Hope” to the at-risk children in our inner-city neighborhoods. This is done through a unique program called Sidewalk SONday School. Large trucks, outfitted to take the church into these communities, allow them to share the gospel with children at multiple locations each week. Pray today for the children that will be reached by the Spring series called “Faith Works.” It helps the kids understand where faith comes from and how to build their faith in God.

Closing Prayer: Lord God, draw me out on the dance floor of life this day and fill my ears and heart with the beautiful music of Your great affection. Give me such an awareness of your presence that my feet just can’t be still. Dance with me as I dance with you. Amen.

25 Notes

26 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22

Opening Prayer: Lord God, Creator of all, let us praise you this day with all that we are. Let everything that has breath praise you! Praise the Lord!

Scripture: Psalm 150:1-6

Journal: What do you want to praise God in (v. 1) today? What do you want to praise God for (v. 2) today? What do you want to praise God with (v. 3-6) today?

Reflection: Keep risking that your heart’s desire is trustworthy. There is always another, deeper step you can take toward more complete trust, a more all-encompassing possibility of love. It will be this way until consecration becomes as ordinary and natural as breathing, until every act of every day is simply sacred, until there is no more separation of life from prayer, until each precious moment, awake and asleep, is consciously, knowingly infused with love, until compassion reigns and justice pervades all things, and until life becomes what it was meant to be: sheer enjoyment and pure dancing in the spaciousness of Love. (The Awakened Heart by Gerald G. May)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: In darkness and light You follow me. In my sighs and cries You hold my hand. In my anger and despair You show me the way out. In my own poverty as human You send me angels to guide.

You dance with me each day and night Though I dance awkwardly, You continue to coach me. In my ripples of joy I hear you laugh.

Thanks for dancing with me You, the love of my life, You, my Creator, Redeemer, my Savior, Refuge and Rock!

I have kept on running away from you But you caught me by your strong hands asking me only to dance with you. - Elizabeth Padillo Olesen

27 Notes

28 THURSDAY, APRIL 23

Opening Prayer: O God, union with you is a song that does not die in the hearing, a flavor which does not abate in the eating, and embrace which gives delight without end. - St. Augustine

Scripture: Isaiah 55:12-13

Journal: When was the last time you became aware of God’s dancing and singing presence in the midst of his creation? How did you recognize it? What gave you eyes to see it? What will help you see in that way more often?

Reflection: The universe is dancing. And the smallest bit of matter knows, unerringly and interiorly, the dance. Let there be no more talk of flashing signal lights. No more solitary figures sending out messages in quantum bottles to be picked up light years later on some distant star. No more cumbersome cosmic intelligence network dependent on the measurable flight of photons. The timing of this dance must take into account something more than the speed of light. It must take in to account a “knowing” universe. (And the Trees Clap Their Hands by Virginia Stem Owens)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Eric and Beth Yodis are facilitating church planting in eastern Ukraine. Because of the war there, Eric and Beth have recently be staying in the U.S. but are planning to return to the Ukraine soon. Pray today that God would open the hearts and minds of church leaders throughout Ukraine to see the need for church planting.

Cedar Springs adopted Lonsdale Elementary in 2003. Lonsdale, with more than 400 students PreK through 5th grade, only serves the Lonsdale area. Over the years, the racial make-up of the school, whose students are 100% free lunch qualified, has changed to primarily Hispanic and African-American children. Pray today for the children that CSPC is reaching through their “D.E.A.R. Dinner” (Drop Everything And Read) program at Lonsdale Elementary on Tuesday afternoons in June. Consider volunteering to help. Contact Alison at 291-5261 to find out how.

Closing Prayer: The heavens are telling the glory of God and all of creation is shouting for joy. Come dance in the forest, come play in the field and sing, sing to the glory of the Lord. (Canticle for the Sun) Notes

29 FRIDAY, APRIL 24

Opening Prayer: O Shepherd God, companion me on all the journeys of my life. Dance through the darkness with me. (The Song of the Seed by Macrina Wiederkehr)

Scripture: Psalm 23

Journal: How are prayer and dance similar? How is prayer like dance? How is dance like prayer? What dance does Psalm 23 call you to today? A dance of trust? A dance of contentment? A dance of peace? How does Psalm 23 draw you to pray today?

Reflection: And so began the stretch of some months of rising early and doing the things that it took to help get young children to day care and preschool and so forth, and then over to the church to spend time in the sanctuary alone with the little blue book: reading from the saints and the scriptures, reciting the psalms, whispering the prayers, and scribbling in my journal. After a while, I would go upstairs to write until it was time to go and pick up the children and head off home. Somewhere in that spring an ancient rhythm began to resonate within me, calling me, drawing me, compelling me to join in the general Dance. I seemed then, and still seem, to have no control over my heart’s response to that rhythm. Like the way one’s feet start tapping when someone plays a country tune, one simply cannot stop even if one tries. My advice is that if you do not want to tap your feet, stay away from the jukebox. If you do not want to pray, then do not go near prayer books. Once your heart has heard the music, it is happy only when it is dancing. (Living Prayer by Robert Benson)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

J & F live and work in one of the poorest and most heavily populated states in their country. They are seeking to make a difference in this state in both physical and spiritual realms. Pray today that God will help all of those involved in church planting in this area to be effective. Pray for the many groups of people there who are still unengaged with the gospel.

Closing Prayer: Lord you are my Lover, it is you whom I desire. You flow through my body like a stream, you shine on my face like the sun. Let me be your reflection. - St. Mechthildis Notes

30 SATURDAY, APRIL 25

Opening Prayer: Forgive me, O God, when I demand that you dance to my tune, rather than me dancing to yours. Forgive me when I try to make you play by my rules, rather than me playing by yours. Forgive me when I try to determine the direction and agenda for my life, rather than operating by yours. For, when I do this, it shows how far I still have to go - and to grow - in my relationship with you. I am still such a child in my faith; filled with childish ways and childish attitudes. Help me, O Jesus, to grow up fully into you. You be the One who always determines how I live my life. In your name and for your glory. Amen.

Scripture: Luke 7:31-35

Journal: What are you demanding from God these days? Where are you trying to make the rules? Where are you the one trying to set the agenda and the direction? What song are you playing that God is refusing to dance to?

Reflection: Let us never be mistaken about one thing: Jesus only comes to us on his terms, not our own. We can never demand, control, or manipulate him - although we constantly try. Even though the incarnation proves that he is the God who comes, he does so on our turf, but only on his terms. He is the one in control and he will not give that up. We, therefore, cannot demand that God behave the way we want him to, or he will just not show up at all. For when we try to dictate the how and the when of his coming, we have stopped seeking him altogether. At that point we are no longer seeking God, we are seeking to become God.)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Isik Abla hosts a satellite TV program called “Light for the Heart” on the Kanal Hayat Turkish-language channel. She also hosts a live call-in program that is simulcast on the Turkish and Farsi channels throughout the Middle East and Europe. These TV programs deliver the message of love, healing, and freedom through Christ Jesus, reflecting on Isik’s own life experience. Pray today for Isik and the “Light for the Heart” program to reach many with the gospel.

Closing Prayer: Father, I abandon myself into Your hands; do with me what You will. Whatever You do I thank You. I am ready for all, I accept all. Let only Your will be done in me, as in all Your creatures, I ask no more than this, my Lord. Into Your hands I commend my soul; I offer it to You, O Lord, with all the love of my heart, for I love You, my God, and so need to give myself - to surrender myself into Your hands, without reserve and with total confidence, for You are my Father. - Charles de Foucauld Notes

31 Theme for the Week: Direction

SUNDAY, APRIL 26

Scripture: Proverbs 3:1-6

Journal: What direction are you seeking from God in your life these days? What does it look like to trust in him and to lean not on your own understanding? Who might be a helpful companion to journey alongside you in this discernment process?

Reflection: Spiritual direction is a conversation with another in which we share our life, our experience of prayer, the movement of the Spirit within us. As the other person listens, prays with us, and points out certain things we may not have noticed, we become more attentive and responsive to the Spirit’s action in our life. He or she also helps us pay attention to God as he actively reveals himself. God’s voice can be heard more clearly when the muddle of our thoughts is clarified. (Beginning Contemplative Prayer by Kathryn J. Hermes)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Jeff and Ellen work among unreached people groups in two restricted access countries of Southeast Asia catalyzing Church Planting Movements. Pray today for new workers to join Mekong Ministries to reach unreached people groups. The Black Hmong and Dong are the two groups they urgently need workers for. Pray today for the many other unreached people groups of Southeast Asia. Jeff and Ellen are helping others engage new groups.

Since 1996, the Mission of Hope has ministered to the people of various counties in Kentucky and Tennessee from which 80% of the residents no longer have jobs in the coal mining industry. In their first event in 1996 they were able to assist 150 children. This past Christmas, because of the generosity of so many people, the Mission of Hope was able to help more than 18,000 children and their families with food, clothes, toys and hygiene items. Pray today for all of the end of the school year parties the MOH will have in sponsored schools.

Closing Prayer: Grant me, O Lord my God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you. Amen.- St. Thomas Aquinas Notes

32 MONDAY, APRIL 27

Opening Prayer: Dear Lord, help me keep my eyes on You. You are the incarnation of Divine Love, You are the expression of God’s infinite compassion, You are the visible manifestation of the Father’s holiness. You are beauty, goodness, gentleness, forgiveness, and mercy. In You all can be found. Outside of You nothing can be found. Why should I look elsewhere or go elsewhere? You have the words of eternal life, You are food and drink, You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. You are the light that shines in the darkness, the lamp on the lampstand, the house of the hilltop. In and through You I can see and find my way to the Heavenly Father. O Holy One, Beautiful One, Glorious One, be my Lord, my Savior, my Redeemer, me Guide, my Consoler, my Comforter, my Hope, my Joy, and my Peace. To You I want to give all that I am. Let me be generous, not stingy or hesitant. Let me give You all - all I have, think, do, and feel. It is Yours, O Lord. Please accept it and make it fully Your own. Amen. - Henri Nouwen

Scripture: Jeremiah 6:16

Journal: What crossroads are you standing at these days? What happens when you stand, and look, and ask? What do you see? What do you hear? Do you gain any clarity about the journey ahead? What are the ancient paths and how will you walk in them?

Reflection: The real question is “What does this have to say to me?” Those who are totally converted come to every experience and ask not whether or not they liked it, but what does it have to teach them. “What’s the message in this for me? What’s the gift in this for me? How is God in this event? Where is God in this suffering?” (Everything Belongs by Richard Rohr)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: O Beautiful Mystery Where is the life that once held me in its sometimes gentle, sometimes terrible grasp? That life lives on; I am every age I’ve ever been! How easy it is to forget as I walk through the day that I carry within me layers of life, layers of ages. My life is a mystery story still unfolding It is a good life full of joys and sorrows, promises kept, promises broken memories and forgetfulness. O God of so much mystery Continue to dwell in the layers of my life. Be my way when I lose the way. May it come to pass! - Macrina Wiederkehr Notes

33 TUESDAY, APRIL 28

Opening Prayer: O heavenly Father, in whom we live and move and have our being: We humbly pray thee so to guide and govern us by thy Holy Spirit, that in all the cares and occupations of our life we may not forget thee, but may remember that we are ever walking in thy sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (The Book of Common Prayer)

Scripture: Isaiah 43:16-21

Journal: Is there a new thing that God is doing in you these days? What is it?

Reflection: Tend only to the birth in you and you will find all goodness and consolation, all delight, all being and all truth. Reject it and you reject goodness and blessing. What comes to you in this birth brings with it pure being and blessing. But that you seek or love outside of this birth will come to nothing, no matter what you will or where you will it. - Meister Eckhart

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: Let nothing disturb you, nothing frighten you; all things are passing; God never changes; patient endurance attains all things; whoever possesses god is wanting in nothing; God alone suffices.- Teresa of Avila Notes

34 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29

Opening Prayer: O God, you are the potter and I am the clay. Mold me and shape me into the image you desire me to be. I realize that I am a work in progress and I long to be all that you dreamt for me to be. Help me to become something beautiful in your strong and tender hands. Amen.

Scripture: Jeremiah 18:1-6

Journal: How is God molding and shaping you these days? Are you open to him doing whatever he wishes in you, or with you?

Reflection: We desperately need men and women at our side who have disciplined their minds to think God: who God is and what he is doing in and among us; what it means to be created and chosen by God and how we get in on what he intends for us. (The Wisdom of Another by Eugene Peterson)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

R. and G. are serving at a sanitorium for chest diseases and a children’s home, focusing on bringing holistic healthcare to the semi-nomadic people of an area in the Middle East. R. is a dentist and G. is a teacher and artist. Pray today for the Iraqi Christians who have now begun to come to their area as refugees.

Old North Abbey is an Anglican church plant in Knoxville meets for worship on Sunday mornings in the Chapel at First Presbyterian Church, 620 State St. The church seeks to be a part of the community revitalization and restoration efforts as well as ministering to the deep needs of those living in that area. They have created Abbey Fields, a two acre urban farm dedicated to rebuilding vacant or blighted green spaces for agriculture use. Pray today for this church as they seek to reach their community.

Closing Prayer: O my God, when will silence, retirement, and prayer become the occupations of my soul as they are now frequently the objects of my desires? How I am wearied with saying so much and yet doing so little for You! Come, Jesus, come, You the only object of my love, the center and supreme happiness of my soul! Come, and impress my mind with such a lively conviction of Thy presence that all within me may yield to its influence. Amen. Thomas- Α Kempis Notes

35 THURSDAY, APRIL 30

Opening Prayer: Father, you alone know what lies before me this day, grant that in every hour of it I may stay close to you. Let me today embark on no undertaking that is not in line with your will for my life, nor shrink from any sacrifice which your will may demand. Suggest, direct, control, every movement of my mind; for my Lord Christ’s sake. Amen. (A Diary of Private Prayer by John Baillie)

Scripture: Jeremiah 33:1-3

Journal: Who do you normally call on first when you are in need of guidance or direction? What would it look like to take this verse to heart?

Reflection: Christian life is ultimately this yielding to what God is doing in us through the Spirit of Christ. It is the Spirit’s activity, yet, in a mysterious way, it is also truly our own. (The Journey Within by Kathryn J. Hermes)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

George and Kathy Cail live in North Carolina where George works in the curriculum department of a ministry called TEN3 (Transformational Education Network - Discipling to the Third Generation). Pray for George and Kathy as they grieve the loss of George’s father, former missionary to West Africa Jim Cail, Sr., who died on March 30.

PALM (Preparing Arab-World Leaders for Ministry) is Arab World Media’s discipleship and theological training ministry. It provides high quality leadership and discipleship training materials in Arabic, Kabyle and French. It is an excellent way to meet the need for training in leadership and ministry among Muslim background believers throughout North Africa, Middle East and Arabian Peninsula. Our recent conference guest Belkacem Guermouche works with PALM Algerian.

Closing Prayer: Lord, be the first direction I turn when I am in need of guidance or clarity. Help me to trust in your promise that when I call on you, you will show me great and hidden things that I do not know. Amen. Notes

Opening Prayer: O Lord My God, when the storm is loud, and the night is dark, and the soul is sad, and the heart oppressed, then, as a weary traveler, may I look to you; and beholding the light of your love, may it bear me on, until I learn to sing your song in the night. Amen. (Little Book of Prayers by George Dawson)

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 30:18-21

Journal: How do you respond to the image of God who waits to show you mercy? What do you think he is waiting on? Is there anywhere in your life right now that you get the sense that God is saying, “This is the way, walk in it?”

Reflection: I must spend enough time in prayer and faithful listening to the voice of God to be brought to the moment of trust and surrender when I can give up my preconceived ideas and become open to God’s idea. My first concern is not my desired result. My first concern is God and the fidelity of our relationship, and then the result of the discernment efforts will come quite naturally. (A Guide to Spiritual Discernment by Rueben P. Job)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: O God, the source of all understanding, wisdom, and knowledge, instill within us discerning hearts and minds that we may come to know your plan for our lives. May we trust in your will and walk boldly and with confidence the path you have set before us, this day and always. Amen. (A Guide to Prayer for All Who Walk with God by Rueben P. Job, Norman Shawchuck, and John S. Mogabgab) Notes

2 SATURDAY, MAY 2

Opening Prayer: Give ear to my words, O Lord; consider my groaning. Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you I pray. O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you, and watch. (Psalm 5:1-3)

Scripture Reading:Proverbs 4:20-27

Journal: What words of God do you need to be attentive to today? How will you incline your ear to hear him?

Reflection: Once having the vision, the second step to holy obedience is this: Begin where you are. Obey now. Use what little obedience you are capable of, even if it be like a grain of mustard seed. Begin where you are. Live this present moment, this present hour as you now sit in you seats, in utter, utter submission and openness toward Him. Listen outwardly to these words, but within, behind the scenes, in the deeper levels of your lives where you are all alone with God the Loving Eternal One, keep up a silent prayer, “Open Thou my life. Guide my thoughts where I dare not let them go. But Thou darest. Thy will be done.” (The Sanctuary of the Soulby Thomas Kelly )

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer:

I believe in all that has never yet been spoken. I want to free what waits within me so that what no one has dared to wish for may for once spring clear without my contriving.

If this is arrogant, God, forgive me, but this is what I need to say. May what I do flow from me like a river, no forcing and no holding back, the way it is with children.

Then in these swelling and ebbing currents, these deepening tides moving out, returning, I will sing you as no one ever has, streaming through widening channels into the open sea. (The Book of Hours by Rainer Maria Rilke)

3 Notes

4 Theme for the Week: Solitude SUNDAY, MAY 3

Opening Prayer: God, of thy goodness, give me Thyself; for Thou art enough for me, and I can ask for nothing less that can be full honor to Thee. And if I ask anything that is less, ever shall I be in want, for only in Thee have I all.”- Julian of Norwich

Scripture: Luke 5:12-16

Journal: What is the current balance in your life between solitude and ministry? What happens if it is all ministry and no solitude? What happens if it is all solitude and no ministry? What does the life rhythm of Jesus have to teach us?

Reflection: Christian ministry is a ministry of the whole person. It is an expression of the life of Christ, a life that at every point must confront the world as it is - not critically, but with the awareness that it is in the world, with all its complexity, that God chooses to reveal himself. In solitude we await God. We await him as he reveals himself in the deep silence of our lives and in the dreams and ongoing reflections that constitute our life experience. We await him as he reveals himself in the presence of another human being, for this, too, is an experience of solitude. Ministry, as has been said before, is not born in activity, but in solitude. It is the natural expression of our ongoing life with the risen Lord. Christian ministry has meaning to the degree that it reflects both the spirit and the substance of Christ’s ministry to the world. - James C. Fenhagen

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

A. and B. are serving in a Creative Access country. Their family is building friendships and seeing them mature as A. continues to teach at a local university and serve the teachers and students there. Pray today for success in a new program to provide cross-cultural training for Chinese university graduates before they go abroad.

Cedar Springs partners with Redeemer City to City to plant churches in urban areas around the world. Pray for the church planters that are supported throughout the world.

Closing Prayer: Lord, I do not know what to ask you; only you know what I need. I simply present myself to you; I open my heart to you. I have no other desire than to accomplish your will. Teach me to pray. (Little Book of Prayers by Francois Fenelon) Notes

5 MONDAY, MAY 4

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, set the tone, the agenda, and the direction for my life; as well as for the day that is ahead of me. Let my time with you in solitude be the determining factor for who I will be and what I will do this day. Amen.

Scripture: Mark 1:32-39

Journal: Who or what determines how you spend your life each day? Who or what determined that for Jesus?

Reflection: A wise saint once said, “Only he who obeys a rhythm superior to his own is free.” That was certainly true in the life of Jesus. In the first chapter of Mark, here he was staying up late into the evening, the whole town at his door, healing many. And yet, before the morning light had lifted its sleepy head, he arose and went out to be with his Father. That’s because it was his Father who determined his steps; not the needs of others, or their demands, or even their expectations. Thus, when his disciples came and found him, because everyone was looking for him, he replied, “Let us go somewhere else to preach the good news; that is why I came.” It was his time with his Father in solitude that determined his agenda and direction for the day ahead. What determines ours?

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

L. and E. serve in a Creative Access country. L. is working to make evangelical literature available to the nations so that people can come to Christ. Pray today for new believers. The biggest struggle is for them to read God’s word daily and get connected to a local fellowship. Pray for L. and E. as they are currently in the U.S. visiting with family.

Re-Entry is a partnership organization whose mission is to inspire, equip, and connect international students and scholars to become ethical and impactful leaders in their communities of origin or employment. Pray today for Tom Henry, the president of this organization.

Closing Prayer: Father, give me eyes to see and a heart to respond to all which will come to me this day. Forbid that I should miss its graces by looking ahead to some tomorrow. Let me accept the newness each moment brings with awareness and gratitude. In the name of the one who makes all things new I pray. Amen. (Disciplines for the Inner Life by Michael W. Benson and Bob Benson) Notes

6 TUESDAY, MAY 5

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to remember that you called your disciples first so that they could be with you, and then so you could send them out to preach. It is always the being with that gives power and substance to the sending out. Help us to be ever mindful of that order. Amen.

Scripture: Mark 3:7-19

Journal: What does the balance of being with Jesus versus being sent out by Jesus look like in your life right now? Which one is dominant? Why? How might you begin to balance the two movements?

Reflection: We are called to love the world. And God loved the world so much that he gave Jesus. Today he loves the world so much that he gives you and me to be his love, his compassion, and his presence, through a life of prayer, of sacrifice, of surrender to God. The response that Jesus asks of you is to be a contemplative. If we take Jesus at his word, all of us are contemplatives in the heart of the world, for if we have faith, we are continually in his presence. By contemplation the soul draws directly from the heart of God the graces that the active life must distribute. Our lives must be connected to the living Christ in us. (No Greater Love by Mother Teresa)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you that you love us enough to want to be with us, and that you trust us enough to send us out on your behalf. Help us to always be mindful of both. Amen. Notes

7 WEDNESDAY, MAY 6

Opening Prayer: I pause, Father, to commune with you. Help me to be still and know that you are God. Ease awhile any tense muscles or strained nerves or wrought-up emotions. Let me be relaxed in body and calm in spirit so that I may be more responsive to your presence. I pause, Father, to commune with you. Amen. (Daily Prayer Companion by Roy E. Dickerson)

Scripture: Galatians 1:11-24

Journal: Why do you think Paul went to Arabia? What do you think happened to him/in him there? What is the intent of Arabia? What might God want to do in you in Arabia? What might he want to be preparing you for?

Reflection: There are two movements which must be plainly present in every complete spiritual life. The energy of its prayer must be directed on the one hand towards God; and on the other towards people. The first movement embraces the whole range of spiritual communion between the soul and God; in it we turn toward the Divine Reality in adoration, bathing, so to speak, our souls in Eternal Light. In the second we return, with the added peace and energy thus gained, to the natural world; there to do spiritual work for and with God for others. Thus prayer, like the whole of the inner life, “swings between the unseen and the seen.” Now both these movements are of course necessary in all Christians; but the point is that the second will only be well done where the first has the central place. The deepening of the soul’s unseen attachments must precede, in order that it may safeguard, the outward swing towards the world. (Concerning the Spiritual Life by Evelyn Underhill)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Paul and Karan Davis have been working with TEAM in France since 1978 in church-planting ministries. They have planted churches in the southern suburbs of Paris, northwestern suburbs of Lyon, and more recently in the Alps region around Albertville. Pray today for French believers living in the area to catch the vision of starting a network of churches in and around Pontcharra. Pray also for the Fall inaugaration of the new church building and the curiosity that is building in their community.

Closing Prayer: Uncrowd my heart, O God, until silence speaks in your still small voice; turn me from the hearing of words, and the making of words, and the confusion of much speaking, to listening, waiting, stillness, silence. - Thomas Merton Notes

8 THURSDAY, MAY 7

Opening Prayer: Loving Father, I surrender to you today with all my heart and soul. Please come into my heart in a deeper way. I say, “Yes” to you today. I open all the secret places of my heart to you and say, “Come on in.” In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Scripture: Luke 22:39-46

Journal: Solitude is not the easiest place to step into. In fact, at times what we encounter there is terribly difficult. Maybe that is why we shy away from solitude so often. Is there a difficult place that Jesus is wanting you to come face to face with in solitude? What is it?

Reflection: In solitude we can listen to the voice of him who spoke to us before we could speak a word, who healed us before we could make any gesture to help, who set us free long before we could free others, and who loved us long before we could give love to anyone. It is in solitude that we discover that being is more important than having, and that we are worth more than the result of our efforts. In solitude we discover that our life is not a possession to be defended, but a gift to be shared. (Out of Solitude by Henri J. Nouwen)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Mark and Annemarie Dye are passionate about building Christian leaders to mobilize and equip the African Church for mission in the world. Pray today for the Dyes as Mark leads workshops in Malawi this month and as they organize the UWM Africa Conference to be held this July in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.

Closing Prayer: In the quietness of life, When the flowers have shut their eye, And a stainless breadth of sky Bends above the hill of strife, Then, my God, my chiefest Good, Breathe upon my lonelihood: Let the shining silence be Filled with Thee, my God, with Thee. (Petition and Communion, by Percy C. Ainsworth, Weavings, Volume XXII, Number 4, July/August 2007) Notes

9 FRIDAY, MAY 8

Opening Prayer: O God, our Heavenly Father, thank you that as you sent Jesus into the desert, you sent him with the words, “You are my Beloved Son, with you I am well pleased.” ringing in his ears. Thank you that those words sustained him and offered him encouragement and nurture during his time of temptation in the desert. Thank you that we too can carry those words into whatever deserts we may encounter; that we might be nurtured and sustained by your great affection in our times of deepest need. Amen.

Scripture: Matthew 4:1-11

Journal: What do you think God was up to as he led Jesus into the desert? What do you think his purpose was for leading Jesus there? What is the value of “the desert” in our lives? What might God be up to in the deserts of your life?

Reflection: The desert initiates us into the life of the Spirit by helping us to discover who we most deeply are. To follow Christ means that we must let go of excessive attachments to passing pleasures and possessions, to ploys of autonomous power, to tangible goods as if they were ultimate. Christ asks us to abandon our idols, whatever they may be, and to love him with our entire being. (With Christ in the School of Prayer by Andrew Murray)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Michael and Kim Essenburg have been serving at Christian Academy in Japan (CAJ), a school for missionary children (40% of student body) and children of business and professional people (60% of student body) that is located in Tokyo. They ask that you pray for effective closure to their 27.5 years of service at CAJ. In July, they will start serving at Okinawa Christian School.

Closing Prayer: O Lord my God, give me an ever-deepening intimacy with you, and an ever-deepening trust in your unfailing love. Amen. Notes

10 SATURDAY, MAY 9

Opening Prayer: Father, you are full of compassion, I commit and commend myself unto you, in whom I am, and live, and know. Be the goal of my pilgrimage, and my Rest by the way. Let my soul take refuge from the crowding turmoil of worldly thoughts beneath the shadow of your wings; let my heart, this sea of restless waves, find peace in you, O God. Amen. - St. Augustine

Scripture: Psalm 37:1-7

Journal: What words or images in the Psalm today bring something to life within you? Why? Where is God calling you to trust? To enjoy safe pasture? To delight yourself in him? Where is he calling you not to fret?

Reflection: Without solitude it is virtually impossible to live a spiritual life. Solitude begins with a time and place for God, and Him alone. If we really believe not only that God exists but also that He is actively present in our lives - healing, teaching, and guiding - we need to set aside time and space to give Him our undivided attention. (Making All Things New by Henri J.M. Nouwen)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: Listen to God’s words of affection: “Don’t fret your way through life, but instead trust in me, dwell in the land I have given you, enjoy the safe pasture that only I can provide, delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart - because to delight in me IS the deepest desire of your heart.” Notes

11 Theme for the Week: Encounter

SUNDAY, MAY 10

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, give us eyes to see you, as you walk along with us on this journey of life. Help us to pay careful attention to the people and the words and the events that cause our hearts to burn within us. Because when our hearts are burning inside it is because, whether we realize it or not, we are somehow encountering you. Amen.

Scripture: Luke 24:13-35

Journal: What is causing your heart to burn within you these days? How is God trying to get your attention through that? What is he trying to say?

Reflection: God is always the initiator. Sometimes we do not recognize it, but that does make it any less true. In this case, Jesus had been with these journeyers long enough to where you would have thought they would have recognized his presence among them before they did. But then again, for some mysterious reason, they were being kept from recognizing him until just the right time. Finally, as he was taking, blessing, breaking, and giving the bread and the wine their eyes were opened. Maybe they recognized that familiar pattern, for he had done it a number of times before. But whatever the reason, their eyes were nonetheless opened and then he immediately vanished from their sight. At that point they realized what was going on inside of them—their hearts were burning within them. And it was a burning that could not be contained, for as soon as they recognized it they ran off to share it with their friends. That’s how this burning of God’s Spirit works. And we would do well to notice that pattern ourselves. Then maybe we would pay a little better attention as we walk through the seemingly ordinary moments of our days. Then maybe we would be able to recognize the fire going on in our souls a little sooner. Then maybe that fire would more quickly grow into an all-consuming flame. And then maybe, just maybe, that fire would more quickly and more powerfully spread to those in our lives and in our world. .

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: Set a fire down in my soul; that I can’t contain, that I can’t control. I want more of you, God. I want more of you, God. (Set a Fire by Will Reagan and United Pursuit) Notes

12 MONDAY, MAY 11

Opening Prayer: O God of Jacob, thank you that once you get your hands on us, you will not let us go until you have accomplished your purposes in us. Help us to not let go until we have wrestled away the blessing that you are dying to give us. Thank you that you care enough for us to wrestle with us; to wrestle the old name we have lived by away, and to give us a brand new name, a new identity, as your Beloved. Amen.

Scripture: Genesis 32:22-32

Journal: What part of this encounter with God speaks most deeply to you right now? In what ways are you wrestling with God these days? What do you think is God’s intent in that? How does he long to change you? How might a limp be a part of that?

Reflection:

the limp

i walk with a limp a true thing of beauty that came about when you took me to the ground wrestling and struggling when you tore me to pieces that you might make me whole

thank you for loving me too much to allow me to continue to live by a false name to continue to be someone other than the one you created me to be

that you would care enough to wound me your beloved that i might live truly and become my truest self makes this limp a true thing of beauty a living reminder of your great affection

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Bill Harding is currently a special representative for SIM in North America. God is using Bill’s gifts and rich experience in Ethiopia as a conference speaker to challenge and reaffirm the priority of world missions. Pray today for Paul’s & Grace’s son, Drew, and his family as they return to Stellenbosch, South Africa to minister with Senai Global, a non-profit connecting people with purpose.

13 Closing Prayer: O God, up until this day I have been known as Heel Grabber, Deceiver, and have lived my life in just that way. That was before you got your hands on me. That was before you wrestled my old name away and gave me a brand new one - Israel. And as I slowly limp away from this place, Peniel, I will forever remember what happened to me here. For, from this day forward, my life will never be the same. Thank you for that. Amen. Notes

14 TUESDAY, MAY 12

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, take us to the mountain with you this day that we might see your glory and be changed forever into your image. Amen.

Scripture: Mark 9:2-10

Journal: Place yourself in this scene with Jesus and his disciples. What do you see? What does it do in you? What is your response?

Refection: Sometimes it’s difficult to see clearly in the midst of our own life’s circumstances. During such times the struggle and turmoil of day-to-day existence allows us only to be able to see what is right in front of us - which can leave us both overwhelmed and paralyzed. What we need is someone that can take us up above the clouds and the chaos of this life, to higher ground where we can see everything in proper perspective. What we need is someone to take us to a place where our vision, as well as our lives, can be transformed. That is the gift Jesus gives his three closest friends on this day. He gives them the gift of the mountain top. The mountain top is the place high above the noise and hustle and bustle of the crowd. The mountain top is the place where we can see things as they really are—or better yet, as they were intended to be. On the mountain top Jesus shows the disciples himself in a way they had never seen him before. He shows them himself as he really is. It is on top of this mountain that he draws back the curtain of his humanity and gives his friends a small glimpse of his divinity - his glory. (Reflections by Jim Branch)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Bruce and Laura Harris run SEND International’s camp and conference ministry in the mountains of western Tokyo. In this ministry, their goal is to glorify God by serving the church of Jesus Christ through camping programs of evangelism and Biblical education. Pray today for Bruce and Laura as they seek to expand their outreach by offering additional evangelistic programs to new segments of the Japanese community. Outdoor and sports camps are especially effective for gathering young boys and men.

The Volunteer Ministry Center (VMC) was established in 1987 and offers specialized services to the homeless and those within our community who are in crisis. VMC’s programs support its two-fold mission of facilitating permanent supportive housing for those who are homeless and providing services to prevent homelessness. Pray today for the staff of this ministry.

Closing Prayer: Show us your glory, Lord Jesus, and let it transform us forever. Amen. Notes

15 WEDNESDAY, MAY 13

Opening Prayer: O Lord, our God, give us eyes to see you in all things; that we may constantly stand in awe of the Mystery that is animating all of life. Amen.

Scripture: Genesis 28:10-17

Journal: When was the last time you thought “Surely the Lord was in this place and I did not know it?” What keeps you from being able recognize the times when God is at work? What helps you to be able to recognize his presence and his activity in your life and world?

Reflection: “To pray is to take notice of the wonder, to regain a sense of the mystery that animates all beings, the divine margin in all attainments.” Prayer is “our” humble “answer” to the inconceivable surprise of living. It is all we can offer in return for the mystery by which we live. (Man’s Quest for God by Abraham Joshua Heschel)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Steve Hoke works with national church denominations and mission organizations in 25 countries and North America in the area of leader development and strategic life coaching. Steve asks that we pray for God to send forth apostolic leaders-laborers into the harvest.

16 THURSDAY, MAY 14

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to encounter you in such a way that it changes everything about us, both this day and every day. Amen.

Scripture: Acts 9:1-19

Journal: What do you notice about Paul in the scripture for today? What do you notice about Ananias? Which one do you relate to the best? When did you have your life transforming encounter with Jesus? What was it like? What did God do in you? How was your life different afterwards? How does that encounter effect your life today? Was there and Ananias somehow involved in that process?

Reflection: When we come to this particular place in scripture it is easy to allow the conversion of Paul to consume all of our energy and attention, and rightly so because it was truly a world changing encounter. But I think we miss something significant if we don’t give some thought and attention to the life and role of Ananias as well. Because I have a suspicion that very few of us will ever be called upon to be a Paul, but quite possibly many of us will be called to be an Ananias. On the surface, compared to Paul’s, Ananias’ life and role and ministry seems relatively minor. All he really did was pay attention to God, listen when He spoke, and respond to God in the specific ways that God was calling him to. He went only to one man, prayed, laid his hands on him, and touched him in a way that allowed him to see again. Amazing to say the least, but not big (in terms of numbers), not flashy, and not even noticeable. There was no fame, no fanfare, and no applause. In fact, no one (other than Paul) probably even knew about it. Ananias was not called to touch thousands upon thousands - that was Paul’s job. Ananias was not called to do anything particularly heroic, again, that was Paul’s calling. Ananias was called to touch one. Specifically, all he was called to do was pay attention, listen, and go to the one to which God had called him to speak. And when he got there he was simply to speak the words God had given him, touch his eyes, and allow him to see again. I guess that’s why the name Ananias means “he whom Jehovah has graciously given.” What a great name. Ananias was God’s gracious gift - to Paul, and ultimately to all the rest of us as well. Now I’ll have to admit that through the years I have always carried this sense within me that in ministry I was never quite doing enough. As hard as I tried, I was simply not heroic, not spectacular, and definitely not impacting thousands upon thousands. In short, I felt guilty that I was not a Paul. And somewhere deep down inside, I think I thought that I should be. But here, in this passage, God told me some amazing, and incredibly freeing news. You do not have to be a Paul, you are my Ananias. Well, you know what I mean, not literally his Ananias, but the life and the role and the ministry he has called me to is more similar to that of Ananias than that of Paul. Almost as if God was saying, “Be who I have made you to be.” How incredibly freeing. No guilt. No should. No false pressure. Just paying attention to Him, listening, going to the one he calls me to go to, placing my hands on him, telling him what God has said to me, and helping in the process of him seeing in a new way. Thanks be to God!

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: Father, help me to always be who and what you have called me to be. Because, at the end of all things, you are not likely to ask me, “Why were you not Paul, or Peter, or Moses, or John?” but instead, “Why were you not Jim?” In your name and for your glory I pray. Amen.

17 Notes

18 FRIDAY, MAY 15

Opening Prayer: Lord, teach me to listen. The times are noisy and my ears are weary with the thousand raucous sounds which continuously assault them. Give me the spirit of the boy Samuel when he said to Thee, “Speak, for thy servant heareth.” Let me hear Thee speaking in my heart. Let me get used to the sound of Thy voice, that its tones may be familiar when the sounds of earth die away and the only sound will be the music of Thy speaking voice. Amen. (The Pursuit of God by A. W. Tozer)

Scripture: 1 Samuel 3:1-11

Journal: What does God’s voice sound like? How do you know when he is speaking to you? When was a time where you felt like, in your Spirit, that you had clearly heard from God? What did he say? How did Samuel finally figure out God was calling him? Who is an Eli in your life?

Reflection: There are four ways in which He reveals His will to us - through the Scriptures, through providential circumstances, through the convictions of our own higher judgment, and through the inward impressions of the Holy Spirit on our minds. Where these four harmonize, it is safe to say that God speaks. For I lay it down as a foundation principle, which no one can gainsay, that of course His voice will always be in harmony with itself, no matter in how many different ways He may speak. The voices may be many, the message can be but one. If God tells me in one voice to do or to leave undone anything, He cannot possibly tell me the opposite in another voice. If there is a contradiction in the voices, the speakers cannot be the same. Therefore my rule for distinguishing the voice of God would be to bring it to the test of this harmony. (The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: Speak, O Lord, as we come to You, to receive the food of Your holy word. Take Your truth, plant it deep in us; shape and fashion us in Your likeness, that the light of Christ might be seen today, in our acts of love and our deeds of faith. Speak, O Lord, and fulfill in us all your purposes, for Your glory. (Speak O Lord by Stuart Townend, Keith Getty) Notes

19 SATURDAY, MAY 16

Opening Prayer: May we be forever mindful today, O God, that you are in your dwelling place. Give us full knowledge and awareness of your saving presence, a presence that surrounds us at all times and reveals itself in love, compassion, and truth. Make yourself known to us today so we may dwell in you and you in us. Amen. (A Guide to Prayer for All Who Walk with God by Rueben P. Job, Norman Shawchuck, and John Mogabgab)

Scripture: Exodus 3:1-12

Journal: What do you think God is trying to say to you today through this story? How might you be more attentive today for burning bushes in the midst of your daily routine?

Reflection: Isn’t it interesting that God waited until Moses had gone over to look at the bush before he called out to him from the midst of it? I mean, what if Moses would not have turned aside and come over to see this strange sight? What then? Would God never have spoken to him? Would he have missed his chance at this incredible encounter with God? It kind of highlights the importance of paying attention and tuning aside doesn’t it? And I love that God calls to Moses from inside the bush. God calls to him from within a created thing. How fun is that? It makes me wonder, “Where else might He be? What things this day, or this moment, is He hiding inside of, just waiting to call out to me the minute I turn aside and go over to find Him?” Could it be that everything in creation holds the possibility of such an encounter? Could it be that if I pay careful attention I might find Him within most of the places and conversations and tasks and circumstances that I find myself in today? And could it be that I might ndfi Him hiding even in the midst of the hard things of this life? Perhaps God even calls to me - to us - from within our sorrow and pain, all we need to do is look for Him. For as soon as we do, we are likely to hear our names upon his lips and have to take off our shoes because we are standing on holy ground.

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

J & M are now in their third year of serving in Creative Access using the platform of micro finance lending to engage in church planting with holistic development. They have sought to be deeply immersed in the language and culture and continue their work with a micro finance company. Pray today for good health for M and their new son to be born in July. They are hoping to live temporarily in Knoxville from June to August.

YOKE mentors middle school children by building friendships with Christian adults through clubs, camps, and Kid Time (hanging out with kids in their world). Currently YOKE reaches out to nearly 20,000 students at 26 middle schools located in Anderson, Blount, Grainger, Jefferson, and Knox counties. Pray today for all of the Yoke students who will soon begin their summer breaks.

Closing Prayer: My God, in these quiet moments I caught a glimpse of your vision for me. Inspire me, my God, to carry into the everydayness of my life all to which I aspire at such a moment as this. May my faith have feet and hands, a voice and a heart, that it may minister to others - that the gospel I profess may be seen in my life. Amen. - Norman Shawchuck Notes

20 Theme for the Week: Sent

SUNDAY, MAY 17

Opening Prayer: Almighty God, cause your good gifts to flow in and through my life and ministry this day and always. Amen. (A Guide to Prayer by Rueben P. Job and Norman Shawchuck)

Scripture: Matthew 28:16-20

Journal: What does the call to go and make disciples look like in your life today? Who are you going to these days?

Reflection: The main place you do the work of God is as you go along. It doesn’t have to be in high-profile, important positions. It will happen, if it happens at all, in the routine, unspectacular corners of your life. As you go along. (Love Beyond Reason by John Ortberg)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Darlene Johnson has been a member of MTW’s church-planting team in Nagoya, Japan, since 2000. She teaches conversational English and evangelistic Bible studies and is involved in choral and instrumental music ministry. Pray today for several women that Darlene is meeting with regularly, that they will recognize their spiritual need. Pray that the Lord will guide their conversations. Pray also for her friend, Yuri, who is studying the Bible with her and attending church.

Closing Prayer: Go forth now as God’s servant. Remember God’s presence often and draw strength from the knowledge that the One who calls and sends also sustains. Amen. (A Guide to Prayer by Rueben P. Job and Norman Shawchuck) Notes

21 MONDAY, MAY 18

Opening Prayer:Help us to spread your fragrance everywhere we go. Flood our souls with your Spirit and life. Penetrate and possess our whole being so utterly that our lives may only be a radiance of yours. Shine through us and so be in us that every soul we come I contact with may feel your presence in our soul. Let them look up and see no longer us but only You. Stay with us and then we shall begin to shine as you shine, so to shine as to be light to others. The light, O Jesus, will be all from you. None of it will be ours. It will be you shining on others through us. Let us thus praise you in the way you love best by shining on those around us. Amen. (The Daily Prayer of Mother Teresa)

Scripture: John 20:19-23

Journal: What does it mean to be sent by God? What does the phrase “as the Father has sent me, so I am sending you” do within you? What does it mean for you today?

Reflection: God wants not only to be God for us, but also to be God with us. That happens in Jesus, the Emmanuel who walks with us, talks with us, and dies with us. In sending Jesus to us, God wants to convince us of the unshakable fidelity of the divine love. Still there is more. When Jesus leaves he says to us, “I will not leave you alone, but will send you the Holy Spirit.” The Spirit of Jesus is God within us. Here the fullness of God’s faithfulness is revealed. Through Jesus, God gives us the divine Spirit so that we can live a God-like life. The Spirit is the breath of God. It is the intimacy between Jesus and his Father. It is the divine communion. It is God’s love active within us. This divine faithfulness is the core of our witness. By our words, but most of all by our lives, we are to reveal God’s faithfulness to the world. (Here and Now by Henri J.M. Nouwen)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: Dear Jesus, Help me to realize the many voices of hunger, the many sounds of thirst, the many cries of loneliness, the many callings of sickness and nakedness and imprisonment. Help me to hear in all of them something of You calling to me to become more than I am. More understanding. More compassionate. More involved. More like You. (Reflections on the Word by Ken Gire) Notes

22 TUESDAY, MAY 19

Opening Prayer: Heavenly Father, as the day dawns and calls me to my labors I ask you to enable me to gladly do the work to which you beckon me. May I do it as a servant of Christ doing the will of God from my heart. Amen (Disciplines for the Inner Life by Bob Benson and Michael W. Benson)

Scripture: Matthew 10:1-20

Journal: What does it mean to be sent? What words or phrases in this passage help capture the nature of our mission and our calling?

Reflection: The more I think about the meaning of living and acting in the name of Jesus, the more I realize that what I have to offer others is not my intelligence, skill, power, influence, or connections, but my own human brokenness through which the love of God can manifest itself. The celebrant in Leonard Bernstein’s Mass says: “Glass shines brighter when it’s broken...I never noticed that.” This, to me, is what ministry and mission are all about. Ministry is entering with our human brokenness into communion with others and speaking a word of hope. This hope is not based on any power to solve the problems of those with whom we live, but on the love of God, which becomes visible when we let go of our fears of being out of control and enter into His presence in shared confession of weakness. The great paradox of ministry, therefore, is that we minister above all with our weakness, a weakness that invites us to receive from those to whom we go. The more in touch we are with our own need for healing and salvation, the more open we are to receive in gratitude what others have to offer us. (Gracias! by Henri J.M. Nouwen)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Mike and Stephanie are working with a project called LEARN (Leadership Education and Resource Network) based in Beirut, Lebanon. The project’s aim is to provide high quality, interactive Biblical training via Internet to Arabic-speakers wherever they are found. Pray today for both Mike and Stephanie that they would model a joyful and content relationship to the students where they work and others they will encounter. Pray for daily filling of the Spirit, eyes to see and a heart to embrace all the Lord is doing.

Closing Prayer: Lord, take my lips and speak through them; take my mind, and think through it; take my heart, and set it on fire. Amen. (Little Book of Prayers by W. H. Aitken) Notes

23 WEDNESDAY, MAY 20

Opening Prayer: Lord, deliver me from the small loyalties of habit or tradition that would keep me from larger loyalties of the spirit. Let me so incline myself to you that your presence in my life determines both what I think and what I do. Through Jesus, who understood the deeper meaning of freedom. Amen.( A Devotional Guide to the Gospels by John Killinger)

Scripture: Acts 1:6-11

Journal: What is the relationship between being empowered and being sent? Shouldn’t the two of these always go hand-in- hand? What is your sense of being empowered by God to do his work? What does this look like?

Reflection: Transformation and intimacy both cry out for ministry. We are led through the furnace of God’s purity not just for our own sake but also for the sake of others. We are drawn up into the bosom of God’s love not merely to experience acceptance but also so we can give His love to others. The world writhes under the pain of its arrogance and self-sufficiency. We can make a difference, if we will. In earlier days, we tried to serve out of our spiritual bankruptcy, and we failed. We now know that ministry must flow out of abundance. Bernard of Clairvaux writes, “If then you are wise, you will show yourself rather as a reservoir than a canal. For a canal spreads abroad water as it receives it, but a reservoir waits until it is filled before overflowing, and thus communicates, without loss to itself, its superabundant water. In the Church at the present day, we have many canals, few reservoirs.” We have determined to be reservoirs. (Prayer by Richard J. Foster)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: Father, I abandon myself into your hands; do with me what you will. Whatever you may do, I thank you: I am ready for all, I accept all. Let only your will be done in me, and in all your creatures. I wish no more than this, O Lord. Into your hands I commend my soul; I offer it to you with all the love of my heart, for I love you, Lord, and so need to give myself, to surrender myself into your hands, without reserve, and with boundless confidence, for you are my Father. - Charles de Foucald Notes

24 THURSDAY, MAY 21

Opening Prayer: Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love; For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; it is in dying that we are born again to eternal life. - St. Francis of Assisi

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8

Journal: What does it look like to do ministry the way it is pictured in these verses? Who has invested in you in this way?

Reflection: More and more, the desire grows in me simply to walk around, greet people, enter their homes, sit on their doorsteps, play ball, and be known as someone who wants to live with them. It is a privilege to have the time and the freedom to practice this simple ministry of presence. Still, it is not as simple as it seems. My own desire to be useful, to do something significant, or be a part of some impressive project is so strong that soon my time is taken up by meetings, conferences, study groups, and workshops that prevent me from walking the streets. It is difficult not to have plans, not to organize people around the urgent cause, and not to feel that you are working directly for social or spiritual progress. But I wonder more and more if the first thing shouldn’t be to know people by name, to eat and drink with them, to listen to their stories and tell your own, and to let them know with words, handshakes, and hugs that you do not simply like them, but truly love them. (Gracias! by Henri J.M. Nouwen)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Bobby and Teresa LaDage are working with Redeemer City to City (the church planting arm of Redeemer Church in NYC) envisioning, equipping, and mentoring church planters and their wives in order to see gospel-centered churches reach the major cities of Eastern and Central Europe. Pray today for the church planters in Krakow after they attended a recent meeting where a vision was cast for more churches and ideas were shared for how the existing churches can unite together in loving their city.

Closing Prayer: Today, O Lord - let me put right before interest; let me put others before self; let me put things of the Spirit before things of the body; let me put the attainment of noble ends before the enjoyment of present pleasures; let me put principle above reputation; let me put you before all else. Amen. (A Diary of Private Prayer by John Baillie) Notes

25 FRIDAY, MAY 22

Opening Prayer: Keep me from being an ineffective, ordinary Christian; challenge me to be among those who are ready to fling their lives away for Jesus Christ, to be utterly careless of what happens to me in order that he may be glorified. I pray in his name. Amen. (Jesus Teaches on Prayer by Ray C. Stedman)

Scripture: Acts 8:26-40

Journal: Who is God calling you to walk alongside these days? How is he calling you to be more like Philip?

Reflection: The fundamental building blocks of the kingdom are relationships. Not programs, systems, or productivity. But inconvenient, time-consuming, intrusive relationships. The kingdom is built on personal involvements that disrupt schedules and drain energy. When I enter into redemptive relationships with others, I lose much of my “capacity to produce desired results with a minimum expenditure of energy, time, money, or materials.” In short, relationships sabotage my efficiency. A part of me dies. Is this perhaps what our Lord meant when He said we must lay down our lives for each other? (Theirs is the Kingdom by Robert D. Lupton)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

John and Kathy Lesondak are church planters who work across denominational lines in Slovakia to encourage and enable pastors in their work. John founded the Kosice Fine Arts Center in 2013. Kosice was a “Culture Capital City of Europe” for 2013 along with Marseilles, France. Pray today for the young people in the Ukraine who attended recent workshops led by the Lesondaks where they were challenged to be engaged in the cultural mandate to redeem any area of culture that God has brought them into.

26 SATURDAY, MAY 23

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to live a life of such deep union with you that it simply pours forth from every part of our lives. That is what true witness is all about. Amen.

Scripture: Colossians 4:2-6

Journal: How are your prayer and your gratitude and your attentiveness and your witness all tied together? What does a life full given to God and to his service look like?

Reflection: Ministry is the least important thing. You cannot not minister if you are in communion with God and live in community. A lot of people are always concerned about:” How can I help people? Or help the youth come to Christ? Or preach well?” But these are basically nonissues. If you are burning with the love of Jesus, don’t worry: everyone will know. They will say,” I want to get close to this person who is so full of God.”(from an interview with Henri J.M. Nouwen in Christianity Today, October 3, 1994) God wants not only to be God for us, but also to be God with us. That happens in Jesus, the Emmanuel who walks with us, talks with us, and dies with us. In sending Jesus to us, God wants to convince us of the unshakable fidelity of the divine love. Still there is more. When Jesus leaves he says to us, “I will not leave you alone, but will send you the Holy Spirit.” The Spirit of Jesus is God within us. Here the fullness of God’s faithfulness is revealed. Through Jesus, God gives us the divine Spirit so that we can live a God-like life. The Spirit is the breath of God. It is the intimacy between Jesus and his Father. It is the divine communion. It is God’s love active within us. This divine faithfulness is the core of our witness. By our words, but most of all by our lives, we are to reveal God’s faithfulness to the world. (Here and Now by Henri J.M. Nouwen)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: We beseech Thee, O Lord, let our hearts be graciously enlightened by Thy holy radiance, that we may serve Thee without fear in holiness and righteousness all the days of our life; that so we may escape the darkness of this world, and by Thy guidance attain the land of eternal brightness; through Thy mercy, O blessed Lord, Who doest live and govern all things, world without end. Amen. - Sarum Breviary Notes

27 Theme for the Week: Questions

SUNDAY, MAY 24

Opening Prayer: O God, our Father, Creator of all that is, give us the courage to wrestle with the questions you ask us rather than jumping to some immediate answer - thereby cutting off any possibility of real growth or struggle. Help us stay in the question long enough to hear what it is you have for us there. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Scripture: John 1:35-42

Journal: What are you seeking?

Reflection: It seems like we are people always in search of answers, which, in and of itself, is not an entirely bad thing. But I think the problem with always being in search of answers is that sometimes it makes us miss a really good question. An easy answer stops the conversation, whereas a question keeps us in it longer. A good question can keep us seeking - in a great way - for a long, long time. Jesus was great at asking questions. And when we let his questions find their way into us, without trying to rush too quickly to an answer, something beautiful happens. Take the question he asks here in the first chapter of John for example, “What are you seeking?” What a great question! Especially given the context. These men had been drawn out into the desert because of the ministry and message of John the Baptist. What was it, exactly, that caused them to journey to such an obscure place, to listen to such a strange man? Why had they ventured out to the desert? What were they looking for? What were they hoping for? What, indeed, were they seeking? And one of the most beautiful things about the questions Jesus asks is that they are timeless. They are not only relevant to the people he originally asked them to, they are relevant to us as well - in our context. So, as a result, allow yourself today to go out to the desert with Andrew and Simon Peter. Allow yourself to see Jesus turn your direction and ask. “What are you seeking?” What is your answer?

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Heath and Angela Many are now serving at Tenwek Hospital, a Christian mission hospital in rural Kenya, as medical missionaries in their respective fields (surgery and obstetrics/gynecology). Pray today actively and strategically for God’s will and power to be present in their ministry. Pray also for CSPC member Claire O’Kelley who is now working with the Manys.

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, let us truly hear these questions you ask us, and let them touch us at our deepest core. May they help us to discover what is really going on in the depths of our hearts. Amen. Notes

28 MONDAY, MAY 25

Opening Prayer: It seems to me Lord that we search much too desperately for answers when a good question holds as much grace as an answer. (Seasons of the Heart by Macrina Wiederkehr)

Scripture: John 5:1-9

Journal: Do you want to get well?

Reflection: You are so young, so before all beginning, and I want to beg you, as much as I can, dear sir, to be patient with all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves like locked rooms and like books that are written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer. (Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: Most High, glorious God, enlighten the darkness of my heart, and give me right faith, certain hope, and perfect charity, wisdom and understanding, Lord, that I may carry out your holy and true command. Amen. - St. Francis of Assisi Notes

29 TUESDAY, MAY 26

Opening Prayer: O Lord Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!

Scripture: Mark 10:46-52

Journal: What do you want me to do for you?

Reflection: A possibility I would like to suggest is this: live with the questions the Lord asks. Take up a Bible and open to the Gospels. Look for the questions Jesus asks of us: Who do you say that I am? What do you want? Are you not worth more than many sparrows? Why do you not believe? Living with these, one after the other-and there are many in the Gospels - can bring us to wholly other, much richer perspective on our lives, maybe to seeing our lives the way God sees them, shot through with light, the joy, the fullness of the risen life of Christ. (Living in the Question by M. Basil Pennington)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: Look upon us, O Lord, and let all the darkness of our souls vanish before the beams of thy brightness. Fill us with holy love, and open to us the treasures of thy wisdom. All our desire is known unto thee, therefore perfect what thou hast begun, and what thy Spirit has awakened us to ask in prayer. We seek thy face, turn thy face unto us and show us thy glory. Then shall our longing be satisfied, and our peace shall be perfect.- St. Augustine Notes

30 WEDNESDAY, MAY 27

Opening Prayer: O God of peace, who has taught us that in returning and rest we shall be saved, in quietness and in trust shall be our strength: by the power of your Spirit lift us, we pray, to your presence, where we may be still and know that you are God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (The Book of Common Prayer)

Scripture: Mark 8:27-30

Journal: Who do you say that I am?

Reflection: “Why do you weep when you pray?” Moshe asked me, as though he had known me a long time. “I don’t know why,” I answered, greatly disturbed. The question had never entered my head. I wept because - because of something inside me that felt the need for tears. That was all I knew. “Why do you pray?” he asked me, after a moment. Why did I pray? A strange question. Why did I live? Why did I breathe? “I don’t know why,” I said, even more disturbed and ill at ease. “I don’t know why.” After that day I saw him often. He explained to me with great insistence that every question possessed a power that did not lie in the answer. “Man raises himself toward God by the questions he asks Him,” he was fond of repeating. “That is the true dialogue. Man questions God and God answers. But we don’t understand His answers. We can’t understand them. Because they come from the depths of the soul, and they stay there until death. You will find the true answers Eliezer, only within yourself!” “And why do you pray, Moshe?” I asked him. “I pray to the God within me that He will give me the strength to ask Him the right questions.” (Night by Ellie Wiesel)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: Lord I so want to make all of me ready and attentive and available to you. Please help me to clarify and purify my intentions. I have so many contradictory desires. I get preoccupied with things that don’t really matter or last. I know that if I give you my heart whatever I do will follow my new heart. In all that I am today, all that I try to do, all my encounters, reflections, even the frustrations and failings and especially in this time of prayer, in all of this, may I place my life in your hands. Lord I am yours, make of me what you will. - Ignatius of Loyola Notes

31 THURSDAY, MAY 28

Opening Prayer: You, O Christ, are my wealth. All those things I thought I couldn’t live without “dissolve” in a glance from you. They are nothing when considered in the larger light of your intimate presence. How difficult it has been to come to this moment! The moment of letting go! I, who have learned so well to hoard, grasp, clutch, and control! Now I want only to be grasped by you. All my possessions are empty when they become obstacles to my union with you. O Glance of God, prepare my heart for the Great Surrender. Enable me to surrender my ego self so that I may put on Christ. Then I will begin enjoying heaven on earth. Amen. (Abide by Macrina Wiederkehr)

Scripture: John 21:15-19

Journal: Do you truly love me more than these?

Reflection: I don’t know Who - or what - put the question. I don’t know when it was put. I don’t even remember answering. But at some moment I did answer Yes to Someone - or Something - and from that hour I was certain that existence is meaningful and that, therefore, my life in self-surrender, had a goal. (Markings by Dag Hammarskjold)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

J. and C. are working in a Creative Access country for World Outreach. J. is developing an entry platform using sustainable technologies that will provide income and economic development among the people they are ministering to. Pray today for wisdom and that J’s time in the U.S. would be effective in getting funds raised for the next phase of the project or possibly the hatchery build itself.

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, you know everything; you know that I love you. Help me to love you more and more. Amen. Notes

32 FRIDAY, MAY 29

Opening Prayer: Here, Lord, I abandon myself to you. I have tried in every way I could think of to manage myself, and to make myself what I know I ought to be, but have always failed. Now I give it up to you. Do take entire possession of me. Work in me all the good pleasure of your will. Mold and fashion me into such a vessel as seems good to you. I leave myself in your hands. Amen. (The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith)

Scripture: John 13:1-15

Journal: Do you understand what I have done for you?

Reflection: There are questions, lots of questions. And it is good to live in the question. A pat answer is closed, it is finished; that’s it. It goes nowhere and leaves little room for hope. A question, the mystery, opens the space for us. It is full of possibility. It gives hope of life and even more abundant life. Our faith, solid as it might be is full of questions. And therefore full of life and hope. (Living in the Question by M. Basil Pennington)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

33 SATURDAY, MAY 30

Opening Prayer: O Lord my God, how incredibly tragic that we went from naked and unashamed to I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid. O how far the fall. Forgive us. Renew us. Restore us. Have mercy on us, O Lord. Amen.

Scripture: Genesis 3:1-13

Journal: Where are you?

Reflection: Did God not know where Adam was? Of course he did. After all, he’s God, right? Why then the question? Most likely because God wanted Adam to know where Adam was. God wanted Adam to recognize that just moments before that first bite was taken, he and his new wife stood before God (and each other) naked and unashamed. And now, as a result of their choice, everything had changed. In the blink of an eye they had gone from totally known and totally loved to fearful, hiding, and filled with shame. God knew it oh too well, he just wanted Adam to know it too. Knowing where you are is a very important part of any journey. Just try using a map to find a desired destination without knowing your starting point. It just doesn’t work. It is the same with the spiritual journey. In order to get where we long to go, we must know where we are. That’s why God asked Adam, and that’s why God asks us, “Where are you?” Where are you these days? What is the state of your life? What is the state of your soul? And where do you think God wants to take you?

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: Late have I loved you, O Beauty, so ancient and so new, late have I loved you! And behold, you were within me and I was outside, and there I sought for you, and in my deformity I rushed headlong into the well-formed things that you have made. You were with me, and I was not with you. - St. Augustine Notes

Opening Prayer: O Lord, my God, protect me from ever having a tepid form of devotion to you. Guard me from having a lukewarm heart. Keep me from ever putting my spiritual life on cruise-control. By your Spirit create a burning desire for you deep in my soul; one that controls and determines the way I live my life. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

Scripture Reading: Revelation 3:14-22

Journal: How are you like the church at Laodicea? What parts of this letter speak to your heart? What disrupts you? What challenges you? What is your spiritual temperature right now?

Reflection: The church at Laodicea was tepid. They had allowed their wealth and prosperity to lull them to sleep spiritually. Or, to use the metaphor the book of Revelation itself uses, they had become lukewarm. And lukewarm-ness is a trait that God doesn’t care for at all. Come to think of it, nobody cares for it. Because being lukewarm wreaks of apathy. It has no backbone to it, no commitment, no passion, and no zeal. Which is one of the things God asks the church to become— zealous. The word zealous in the Greek is zēloō, which means “to boil.” God longs for their hearts to boil with love for him. In other words, God is telling them to turn up the heat of their affection for him; be lukewarm no longer. The image of stove comes to mind immediately. God is saying, “Right now your passion and desire for me is about a four or five (out of ten). Is that good enough for you? Because it is not good enough for me. I didn’t create you to be just a four or five - turn up the heat. I want more for you and I want more from you, don’t settle for less.” I think that’s why I love this passage. It is an invitation. God is inviting me into a deeper, more intimate, more passionate relationship with him. God wants my inner life to boil with affection and desire for him. The reality is that we all boil inside for something. There is something in our lives that is getting our passion, that is on the front burner. It might be work, it might be family, it might be a significant relationship, it might be wealth (like it was for the Laodiceans), or it might even be ministry. Something is on the front burner of our lives, receiving all of the heat of our passions and desires that only God deserves. Our challenge is to take the time and space to figure out just what that is, to name it, and to return (repent) him to his rightful place on the front burner of our lives. One of the ways we do that is given right in the text; by simply opening the door to him, the One who knocks and knocks. We must consistently open the door of our hearts and souls, and invite him into our days and our lives, to spend intimate time with us around our inner table, feasting on the Bread of Life. He will not intrude. He will wait (and knock) until space has been made and the door has been opened and he has been welcomed in. May we all hear the knock and open the door each day to make space and time for him.

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

F. & S. are working alongside Arab believers toward the goal of seeing churches planted for those who do not have a church. Their main focus is to work with, mobilize, resource and train nationals for this purpose. Pray today for F. as he seeks to know who God wants them to work with in the region. There are a number of opportunities. Pray for discernment in shared vision and how best to use the internet-based teaching materials to serve the church.

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, turn up the heat of my inner fires for you. Let my life boil with affection and desire for you and you alone. Amen. Notes

2 MONDAY, JUNE 1

Opening Prayer: O Lord, our God, forgive us when we run off and chase lovers other than you. Forgive us when we have left you, or first and truest love. Help us to repent and to return to the only true Lover of our souls. Amen.

Scripture Reading: Revelation 2:1-7

Journal: How are you like the church at Ephesus? How do the words to the church at Ephesus speak to your heart? What ways do these words disturb you? How do they challenge you? What does it look like to keep Jesus as your “first love?”

Reflection: It is amazing how easily love can turn into duty if we are not careful to keep the fires of romance alive deep in our hearts. Not that duty is a bad thing mind you, but if that’s all we’ve got, it is far from the passionate love that is what our hearts most deeply long for in relationship; particularly in our relationship with God. I wonder if that’s what happened to the church at Ephesus? I wonder if over time their relationship with God has turned from loving romance to routine duty. I wonder where, when, and why they just started going through the motions rather than allowing themselves to be seized by the power of the Great Affection. Don’t get me wrong, duty is very definitely a significant part of the commitment of love, but if our affections are not engaged as well, it will quickly digress into something not resembling love at all. It seems like that’s what God was asking of the church at Ephesus. He wanted not only their actions, but their affections. He wanted their hearts, not just their behavior. For he knew if he had their hearts, their behavior would follow. He wanted the attention and affection and passion and intensity with them that he’d had “at first.” He wanted them to return to the days when all they could do was think about him and long for him and yearn to be with him in an intimate embrace. So he called upon them to repent - which does not seem like a particularly romantic word, but is - and return to their Lover of their souls, who continually longs for intimate union with his creation.

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Dan and Shelly Owens live in Atlanta where Dan works with Sixty Feet. This organization focuses on ministry in Uganda in three categories: relief, rehabilitation or development. The Owens left Atlanta this year and moved their family to Uganda. Pray today for all of them as they settle into their new home.

Closing Prayer: “I see what you’ve done, your hard, hard work, your refusal to quit. I know you can’t stomach evil, that you weed out apostolic pretenders. I know your persistence, your courage in my cause, that you never wear out. “But you walked away from your first love—why? What’s going on with you, anyway? Do you have any idea how far you’ve fallen? A Lucifer fall! “Turn back! Recover your dear early love. No time to waste, for I’m well on my way to removing your light from the golden circle. “You do have this to your credit: You hate the Nicolaitan business. I hate it, too. “Are your ears awake? Listen. Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches. I’m about to call each conqueror to dinner. I’m spreading a banquet of Tree-of-Life fruit, a supper plucked from God’s orchard.” (Revelation 2:2-7, The Message) Notes

3 TUESDAY, JUNE 2

Opening Prayer: Lord, awaken me, you whose love burns beyond the stars; light the flame of my lantern that I may always burn with love. (A Traveler Toward the Dawn by John Eagan)

Scripture Reading: Revelation 3:1-6

Journal: How are you like the church at Sardis? How do the words to the church at Sardis speak to your heart today? How do the inspire you? How do they disrupt you? How do you need to “wake up?” What is dead in you that needs to be revived?

Reflection: A reputation is a powerful thing. Because a reputation (good or bad) is often not reality, but only someone’s impression of reality. And in our day and age - as well as that of the church at Sardis apparently - impression is everything. If you can create and maintain the impression you are hoping for then who cares what the reality is, right? Thus, impression becomes all about reputation management. What people think about you becomes more important than what the truth about you really is. As long as you can keep up the charade you are good to go. But keeping up the charade can be exhausting and darn near impossible over time. Eventually someone is going to find out the ugly truth. There is always that one person in any crowd that is adept at spotting a phony. Someone who is somehow magically or supernaturally able to see right through the façade - right down to the core. And when this happens we are horrified. Because somehow our greatest fear - and maybe, at the same time, our deepest longing - comes true, we are exposed. That’s how the church at Sardis must’ve felt. They had worked and worked at maintaining a good reputation, even though they knew deep in their hearts that there was no life in their souls. And here comes Jesus into the midst of the pretense, calling their bluff, and tearing their finely crafted costume to smithereens. At that point they must have been in scramble mode. I mean, what do you do? Deny it? Attack? Rationalize? Or do you resort to attack? What is the best strategy for damage control? How can we spin this so that our reputation - which we have worked so hard on - still comes out intact? Or maybe there is another solution. Maybe we do exactly what Jesus is suggesting. Maybe we admit the truth. Maybe we come clean and stop trying to fool ourselves - an others. Maybe we take it as a wake-up call to start living an authentic life with God. Maybe we repent. Maybe we change our minds, our way of thinking, and begin to see everything differently. Maybe we realize that reality is more important than reputation and we start trying to be authentic people in Christ; more concerned with how we’re loving than with what people are thinking.

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

H. & L. serve in Asia by providing strategic leadership for colleagues serving in several major urban centers in Asia. Their role involves encouraging and coaching these co-workers in their ministries, as well as networking with others to make sure they have the resources and training that they need for their respective ministries. Pray today for H. & L. as they have recently returned to Hong Kong after some time in the U.S.

Logan and Melissa Keck are planting Christ the King, JP/Roxbury in Boston. Pray with them today for encouragement during the summer months when attendance can be low. Pray that they would see consistency in attendance and tithing and that they would even see growth as new people are reached in the neighborhood. Pray also for Melissa’s pregnancy that everything will continue to go well.

Closing Prayer: Most Holy God, wake me up from my soul’s deep slumber and bring my life under your complete control. By your grace, awaken me daily to the reality of your presence within and around me. And, by the power of your Spirit, make me responsive to your will and your direction. Amen. Notes

4 5 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3

Opening Prayer: My God, let me know and love you, so that I may find my happiness in you. Since I cannot fully achieve this on earth, help me to improve daily until I may do so to the full. Enable me to know you ever more on earth, so that I may know you perfectly in heaven. Enable me to love you ever more on earth, so that I may love you perfectly in heave. In that way my joy may be great on earth, and perfect with you in heaven. O God of truth, grant me the happiness of heaven so that my joy may be full in accord with your promise. In the meantime let my mind dwell on that happiness, my tongue speak of it, my heart pine for it, my mouth pronounce it, my soul hunger for it, my flesh thirst for it, and my entire being desire it until I enter through death in the joy of my Lord forever. Amen. - St. Augustine

Scripture: Revelation 2:12-17

Journal: What name do you think will be written on your white stone? What name do you long to be on it? How does it make you feel that God has a name picked out specifically for you? What other things said to the church at Pergamum speak to your heart or life right now?

Reflection: One of the constant struggles in the life of faith is to pay attention to the right voices and ignore the wrong ones. That would be especially true if you lived in a place like Pergamum. It was the heart of Enemy territory. The capital city of Evil. It was a place of indulgence, immorality, and deception. It was a place where the wrong voices abounded. And one of the chief strategies of the Enemy is to try and make us believe things about ourselves and about our God that simply aren’t true. In an environment such as this it is vital to hold fast to the truth, lest we get sucked into one of these deceptive ways of thinking. For the truth is our greatest defense against the deceptions of the Enemy. In fact, John tells us in one of his earlier writings that when we come to know the truth, the truth will set us free (John 8:32). Maybe that’s why in this passage Jesus uses the image of a double-edged sword (his word) as the means by which he will wage war against the Enemy. His truth is our main offensive weapon. It is the thing we can use to destroy the lies of the Deceiver and hold fast to the truth of our Creator. When we hold fast to the truth about our God and about ourselves we will be free men and women. That truth being that our God is so filled with love for us that he has a special name picked out for each one of us. A pet name, if you will. It is a name of deep affection that will bear our true identity. One that will immediately let us know how incredibly valuable we are to Him and how extravagantly loved we are by Him. It is a name written on a white stone that he will share with us when we are united with him in the heavenly realms for all of eternity. It a name that is the truest expression of who we are in him. It is a name that is just too good to be true, yet it is both too good and too true. And I am convinced that when we hear it, a deep “yes” will rise up from the core of our being. I can’t wait.

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: O Lord, our God, thank you that you have a name picked out especially for us. One that has been hand- picked by you with us specifically and uniquely in mind. When I am tempted to believe the lies about who you are and who I am in you, give me a little hint about that name; that I might know the truth that will set me free. The truth that you love me more than I could dream about in my wildest dreams. In Christ. Amen. Notes

6 THURSDAY, JUNE 4

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, the cost of following you is indeed high. Forgive us when we try to rationalize or water down that call. Help us to have the courage to truly follow you no matter where it might lead, no matter what it might cost. In your name and for your glory. Amen.

Scripture: Revelation 2:8-11

Journal: How are you like the church at Smyrna? How do the things said to that church speak to something in your heart or life today? How is it an encouragement to you in whatever you may be suffering these days? What is your biggest trial or tribulation right now? How is God working in and through it?

Reflection: The cost of following Jesus is high. It is easy to lose sight of that fact in the country and the culture we live in. For most of us following Jesus in America has cost us very little, especially compared to those who live in other parts of the world. It seems that our culture is much like the one of the church in Laodicea rather than Smyrna. That is probably why we can tend to be a little on the lazy and lukewarm side in our journey of faith; we have gotten far too comfortable. So it is a little hard for us to imagine what it would be like to get a letter from Jesus telling us, “Do not fear what you are about to suffer.” That would get our attention, wouldn’t it? How would you deal with that news? What would it do within you? Would it cause you immediate distress or resolve? Would it make you determined to stand firm in the midst of the coming trial, or try to figure out how to escape or avoid it in any way you could? Would it cause your faith and trust in Jesus to be strengthened, or would it cause you to question the goodness of his heart? What if following Jesus was to cost you everything? It does you know. What is your reaction to that? You have to wonder how the church in Smyrna received this hard and challenging word, as well as the call that followed, “Be faithful unto death and I will give you the crown of life.” I’d like to believe that they handled it with all of the courage and resolve that Jesus hoped they would, realizing that this world was not their home, but only a temporary stop on the road to eternity. Realizing that their life was not about them, but about God’s Kingdom and his glory. Resolving that no cost was too great to pay because of their immense love for their Lord and Savior, Jesus. What about us? How have we somehow escaped the notion that following Jesus costs us everything? What has following Jesus cost you lately? How have you responded to that? Are you willing to give everything to him the way the church in Smyrna was being called to?

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Joe and Cindy Platillero proclaim the transforming presence of Jesus Christ through Biblical teaching and practical training to all who come through their doors. Their main ministry is through the Torchbearer Center where they have camps, conferences, and a small Bible School during the winter. Pray for them today as they focus on the local church and the church throughout Europe.

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you that you are the first and last, who died and came to life again. Give us the strength and the courage to be faithful to you in all things. Amen. Notes

7 FRIDAY, JUNE 5

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, you whose eyes are like a flame of fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze, you who searches the mind and the heart, may we always hold fast to your ways and your standards, and never let the culture around us determine what we will do or how we will think. Let our thoughts and our deeds, Lord Jesus, always be determined by you and you alone. In your name. Amen.

Scripture: Revelation 2:18-29

Journal: How are you like the church at Thyatira? What does the vision of Jesus as having “eyes like a flame of fire” and “feet like burnished bronze” do within you? How does the message to the church at Thyatira speak to your life right now? Are there things I tolerate in myself that cause God great sadness?

Reflection: Being tolerant is generally thought of as a positive virtue in this day and age. And in terms of being loving, caring, and accepting of those around us, that would seem to be a good and right thing. After all, didn’t Jesus eat with tax gatherers and sinners? Wasn’t it Jesus who said, “It is no the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matthew 9:12-13) Jesus seemed very at home with, and embracing of, people from all walks of life, people who were lost in an abundance of ways. So we too, as his people, should always have a loving openness to people in this broken and hurting world. But here in the letter to the church at Thyatira there is a different kind of tolerance that Jesus gives a pretty strong warning against. It seems that the people of this church were subtly being seduced into thinking that certain practices were okay, when the truth of the matter was that these very people and practices, that they thought would have little to no impact on their own individual or corporate journey, actually would impact it significantly…over time. Thus, the message of Jesus to the church at Thyatira seems pretty simple, “Watch out what you tolerate, because, in the end, it can lead you miles away from your desired destination.” Oh it might not seem like a big deal at first. In fact, it could be a very subtle thing, only one or two degrees different from the intended course. The problem is that one or two degrees difference, over time, amounts to a pretty significant difference in the long run. In fact, it is an easy way to get lost. And Jesus doesn’t want us lost, he wants us home. Therefore, he warns the church—not just the one at Thyatira, but of every time and every place - what an enormous impact tolerating a few things can have on life and journey with him.

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

8 SATURDAY, JUNE 6

Opening Prayer: O God, God, my Father, I have no words, no words by which I dare express the things that stir within me. I lay bare myself, my world, before you in quietness. Brood over my spirit with your great tenderness and understanding and judgment, so that I will find, in some strange new way, strength for my weakness, health for my illness, guidance for my journey. This is the stirring of my heart, O God, my Father. Amen.( The Growing Edge by Howard Thurman)

Scripture: Revelation 3:7-13

Journal: How are you like the church at Philadelphia? How does the message to that church speak to you? How does it encourage you? How does it challenge you? Is there an open door before you these days? Where is it and what would it look like to walk through it?

Reflection: Nothing is more inviting than an open door; especially a door that has been opened by God. And that is the image we have before us today. God has set an open door before us, which no one is able to shut. No one! What does that mean? What is this mysterious door? And what is the invitation that this open door beckons us to? The church at Philadelphia was a delight to God. It was small in number (and apparently in power), but large in stature. In fact it is the only church mentioned in these seven letters that God had absolutely no criticism of. In fact, even in the midst of significant trial and opposition God commended them for keeping his word and not denying his name. My guess is that this is where the open door comes in. It is the open door of ministry opportunity. The same door that Paul writes about, and requests prayer for, in Colossians and 1 and 2 Corinthians. Somehow their faithfulness to Christ, even in the midst of strong opposition, had proven them worthy of such a door of opportunity being held constantly open for them. As in, “The man who is faithful in the little things will also be faithful in the big things.” (Luke 16:10, JBP)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Carlos and Sandy Rios are planting Rivers of Grace Bible Church in the San Andres area of Guadalajara, Mexico. The church is growing and many new families have begun attending. Pray for the Rios and their church as they are involved in many evangelistic opportunities this summer.

Cru, formerly known as Campus Crusade for Christ, is a campus organization that seeks to share the gospel with students through relationships, small group studies and larger events like retreats and mission trips. John Strange leads Cru at the University of Kentucky and was our guest at this month’s Global Mission Conference. Pray for today John, his wife Geralyn and their family.

Closing Prayer: Come, Lord, and speak to my heart. Communicate to it your holy will, and mercifully work within it both to will and to do according to your good pleasure. Amen. - Thomas A Kempis Notes

9 Theme for the Week: Hard

SUNDAY, JUNE 7

Opening Prayer: “All shall be well, and all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well.” - Julian of Norwich

Scripture: Matthew 7:13-14

Journal: Where in life right now are you choosing the easy way? What would it look like to choose the hard way instead? How have you seen the hard way lead to life recently?

Reflection: It’s amazing how addicted I’ve become to ease. And it’s even more amazing how that addiction doesn’t seem to alarm me the way it should. Maybe that’s why this reminder from Matthew is so helpful. It reminds me that if ease is my number one goal and pursuit--be it in my marriage, or my friendships, or my job, or my parenting, or my ministry, or even in my spiritual journey--then I are heading toward destruction. Oh maybe not destruction in the “eternal destination” sense of the word (after all, I’ve entered by the narrow gate, right? Now I must choose to walk in the hard way), but destruction of all the things I hold most near and dear. The bottom line is that choosing the easy way tends to lead to destruction, or, at the very least, disintegration. Be it destruction of my marriage, or my friendships, or my community, or even my very soul. If I am constantly choosing the easy way then I am never pressing past what is easiest into what is best. And what is best is seldom easy, but almost always hard, or at least much harder. Why do I tend to settle for what is easiest rather than pursuing what is best? Why do I continually settle for less than all God has for me and all he desires me to become? For it is the hard way that leads to life. It is the choice to constantly be engaging others rather than sitting back. It is the choice to constantly be moving toward those in my life and world rather than retreating in fear or apathy. It is the choice to drop the mask and come out of hiding rather than continuing to pretend and act and perform. It is the choice to continually be vulnerable, genuine, and honest rather than to opt for shallowness, fearfulness, and self-protection. It is the choice to continually be willing to risk rather than playing it safe. The choice to continually love rather than manipulate. All of this is hard. Yet it is the hard way that leads to life. So the choice I have before me today is to choose one or the other - the easy way or the hard way. And although the easy way might seem more attractive in the short run, it is hardly ever the best way in the grand scheme of eternity. Today, let us take the road less traveled. Let us enter by the narrow gate. Let us walk the harder, but way better, way. It is the way of Jesus. It is the way to Jesus, the way, the truth, and the life.

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

M. is living in an area in Southeast Asia where the Tai Lue, an unreached people group, live. She is trusting that God will open doors for the gospel and empower local brothers and sisters to make disciples among them. Pray today for three local men who go to different areas during the week to share the Good News. Thank God for the love and boldness of these men and pray that the groups they meet with will all grow close with God and learn to lead themselves and others, going out to impact their communities.

Closing Prayer: Breathe in me O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy. Act in me O Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy. Draw my heart O Holy Spirit, that I love but what is holy. Strengthen me O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy. Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy. Amen. - St. Augustine Notes

10 MONDAY, JUNE 8

Opening Prayer: O Lord, our God, challenge us with your word this day. Let us listen to it with the ear of our hearts and wrestle with its truth. Let us submit to it that it may accomplish your purposes within us. Let us take care to heed it, even if it be a hard word, that we may always choose to follow you and thus, have life. Amen. .

Scripture: John 6:48-69

Journal: What hard word has been given to you lately? Are there any hard truths that Jesus has been trying to teach you? What are they? What has your response been?

Reflection: Difficulty either seems to bring out the best or the worst in people. Either they rise to the occasion and meet difficulty with renewed strength, determination, and resolve; or they head for the hills. In this case the difficulty was in the form of a teaching; something that Jesus was saying that sounded pretty outlandish: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.” But why should they think it is so outlandish? In this life we feed on all kinds of things. We feed on success, attention, and affirmation. We feed on position, power, and prestige. We feed on popularity, possessions, and performance. And here Jesus comes along and tells us: “You must feed on me to have any life in you.” And yes, it is a hard teaching. It is hard to turn from all of the people and the things and the places we feed, and turn only to Jesus. It is so hard, in fact, that at times we simply refuse to do it. We hear his call and yet we run off to our old familiar feeding places and gorge ourselves on food that cannot satisfy. For only his flesh is real food and only his blood is real drink - our souls can live on nothing else. What will we do with this hard message today? Will we turn to him? Or will we head for the hills?

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Mostafa and Mona Sharkawy’s main area of work is the U.K., serving among Arab Muslims. Their goals are to see Arabic churches arise from Muslim background believers, to see new generations of leaders from Muslim believers, and to teach and prepare them for future ministry. Pray today for Mostafa who will start his Master of Arts in Theology degree with the Evangelical Presbyterian Seminary in Egypt in September.

The Refugee Ministry at CSPC coordinates the church’s effort of welcoming and offering a holistic ministry to refugees of various cultural and linguistic backgrounds that are arriving in Knoxville. Pray today for the summer ESL camp for refugee children which begins tomorrow! If you can help, even if just for one day, please contact Almaz at [email protected].

Closing Prayer: “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live. (Isaiah 55:1-3) Notes

11 TUESDAY, JUNE 9

Opening Prayer: Lord, gives us the courage and the perspective to count it all joy when we face hard times; knowing that through them you are going to do a great work in us. One that will make us more into the people you long for us to be. Amen.

Scripture: James 1:2-4

Journal: What is your normal mindset when you go through trying times? How is it possible to count it all joy? How is God at work in your life right now in a hard, but good way?

Reflection: There is a distinct difference between joy and happiness. Happiness is mostly circumstantial; when suffering comes, happiness hits the road. But joy is much deeper, more substantial. Joy is not dependent on conditions being favorable. In fact, joy is something that is able to endure the presence of pain and still abide. The word joy comes from the Greek word chara which means a deep and sustaining gladness. This gladness is able to see the bigger picture and to trust in the sacred heart of the One who can bring beauty from ashes and victory from the jaws of defeat. So when James tells us to count it all joy when we face trials of many kind, he is not telling us we need to be happy about it. He is telling us to trust in the end result. He is telling us that beneath the sorrow or the suffering or the pain is always a Hand that is working in us to make us more and more into the people he desires for us to be. This joy holds an unfailing trust in his unfailing love; trust that regardless of the situation or the circumstances, he is always up to something good. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: God of life and death, teach us to hold out for a deeper life, for the prayerful consciousness that enables us to transcend our petty needs for security and self-image, so that we may be free to rest in communion with you. We do want life, but we want the Big Life, which includes you and everything else too. Amen. Notes

12 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10

Opening Prayer: O Lord, our God, in all things help us to trust in you. Help us to have faith that we can always trust your heart, even when we can’t see your hand. Amen.

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:3-9

Journal: What kinds of things are testing the quality of your faith these days? How are you holding up?

Reflection: The quality of our faith - or genuineness, as Peter calls it - only comes to the surface when it is refined by fire. That is when we can tell what we are really made of. That is when our faith is proven either real or artificial. Anyone can claim to have faith when everything is going well, right? But it is only when the heat is turned up and the flames of trial are leaping to new heights - when we are truly tested - that what is really within us begins to show itself. What comes to the surface in these moments will tell us a lot about who we really are. And when the trials come, will we be full of faith or riddled with doubt? Will we be able to trust or controlled by fear? Will we have an outlook of hopefulness or an attitude of despair? Simply put, trials are meant to test us. Which is probably why the word used here (for trial in the Greek) is peirasmos, which means an experiment. Trials are an experiment, meant to show us - as well as the world - the true substance of what lies within.

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: Almighty God, Lord of the storm and of the calm, of day and night, of life and death; grant to me so to have my heart stayed upon your faithfulness, your unchangingness and love, that whatsoever betides me, I may look upon you with untroubled eye. I ask it for thy mercy’s sake. Amen. (Little Book of Prayers by George Dawson) Notes

13 THURSDAY, JUNE 11

Opening Prayer: O ever present God, strengthen my will, that I may become increasingly watchful, alert to all that would impede my knowing, ever, how near you are. O most near God, teach me to pray, enable me to lean into your presence, and to keep my mind and heart attached to you. For you are the source of life and health, the hope of all who pass through affliction. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Amen. - Scott Cairns (from God for Us)

Scripture: Romans 5:3-5

Journal:What is suffering producing in you these days? What have the greatest times of pain produced in you throughout your lifetime?

Reflection: Why do you want to shut out of your life any uneasiness, any misery, any depression, since after all you don’t know what work these conditions are doing inside you? Why do you want to persecute yourself with the question of where all this is coming from and where it is going? Since you know, after all, that you are in the midst of transitions and you wished for nothing so much as to change. If there is anything unhealthy in your reactions, just bear in mind that sickness is the means by which an organism frees itself from what is alien; so one must simply help it to be sick, to have its whole sickness and to break out with it, since that is the way it gets better. - Rainer Maria Rilke

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Vitaly and Oksana Voinov live in Moscow, Russia. Vitaly is working with the Institute for Bible Translation (IBT) in Russia/ CIS as IBT’s director. IBT has been serving the non-Slavic peoples of the former Soviet Union for four decades by translating the Holy Scriptures - Bibles, New Testaments, individual Bible books, and illustrated Children’s Bibles. Pray today for the successful reinvigoration of the Abaza and Balkar translation projects.

Closing Prayer:

Extinguish my eyes, I’ll go on seeing you. Seal my ears, I’ll go on hearing you. And without feet I can make my way to you, without a mouth I can swear your name.

Break off my arms, I’ll take hold of you with my heart as with a hand. Stop my heart, and my brain will start to beat. And if you consume my brain with fire, I’ll feel you burn in every drop of my blood. - Rainer Maria Rilke Notes

14 FRIDAY, JUNE 12

Opening Prayer: O Lord God Almighty, only in your economy would it be possible for something to be hard, yet good. As a matter of fact, you often use the hardest things of this life to teach us the deepest truths about your character, your sovereignty, and your love. Help us to hold always to the hope that with you there is always good to be found somewhere, even in the midst of the hard. Amen.

Scripture: Psalm 119:71-72

Journal: What things in your life right now are hard, but good? How are they hard? How are they good? What good fruit are they producing in you?

Refection: “I tell you he is the King of the wood and the son of the great Emperor-beyond-the-Sea. Don’t you know who is the King of Beasts? Aslan is a lion – the Lion, the great Lion.” “Ooh!” said Susan. “I’d thought he was a man. Is he – quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.” “That you will, dearie, and no mistake,” said Mrs. Beaver; “if there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they’re either braver than most or else just silly.” “Then he isn’t safe?” said Lucy. “Safe?” said Mr. Beaver; “don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? Of Course he isn’t safe. But he is good. He’s the King, I tell you.” (The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Andy and Bev Warren serve with an MTW team that is involved in HIV/AIDS work and church planting through the Ethiopia Aids Care and Treatment (ACT) Project. The project targets slum communities in Addis Ababa which contain the neediest people in the community - large percentages of women with small children. In recent years the project has served more than 500 AIDS-affected families, reaching more than 1,200 people. Pray today for the Warrens and their new granddaughter Clare who was scheduled to be born on June 4 in Philadelphia and could be facing some serious medical concerns. Pray also for Andy and Bev who are planning to return to Ethiopia in late July.

Closing Prayer: Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on me. Help, O God, my unbelief. Heal, O Lord, my wounded soul. Raise me up from sin and death. Recover for me, O Lover of Mankind, exceeding joy in pleasing You, my God. Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on me. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, And to the Holy Spirit, both now, and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. - Scott Cairns (from God for Us) Notes

15 SATURDAY, JUNE 13

Opening Prayer: O Lord, help us to not lose heart when times get hard, but instead help us to cling tightly to you. By your Spirit guard us, protect us, and renew us. Help us to realize that these light and momentary struggles are achieving for us and eternal weight of glory that is beyond all comparison. Help us, O Lord, when things look bleak, to always keep our eyes firmly fixed on you - the unseen God - rather than on the visible circumstances around us. In the name and power of Jesus we pray. Amen.

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Journal: In what ways are you most tempted to lose heart these days? What is the usual cause? How do you feel like your “outer self” is wasting away? How is your “inner self” being renewed day by day? What does it specifically mean for you, this week, to fix your eyes on the unseen rather than what is seen?

Reflection: Long you must suffer, knowing not what, until suddenly out of spitefully chewed fruit your suffering’s taste comes forth in you. Then you will love almost instantly what’s tasted. No one will ever talk you out of it.- Rainer Maria Rilke

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Volunteers provide weekly English classes at CSPC for those who need to improve their language skills. Classes meet on Thursdays in the morning and in the evening. There is an optional Bible study held after the morning classes. The ESL students and teachers hold holiday parties, go on outings and picnics, and do other fun things together. Pray today for volunteers and leaders who will return to teaching ESL in the fall.

Closing Prayer: So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.(2 Corinthians 4:16-18, The Message) Notes

16 Theme for the Week: Story

SUNDAY, JUNE 14

Opening Prayer: O Jesus, speak to me during this time about the story you are telling, the story I was made for. Open my eyes, Lord, to the ways that story is being told - and lived - in the events and circumstances of this day. Show me how all that happens to me this day echoes your larger Story if only I will keep my heart focused on you. In your name I pray. Amen.

Scripture: Galatians 1:11-24

Journal: How is God calling you into his larger story today? How is God revealing his Son to you, or in you, these days? Why do you think Paul went into Arabia? How might God be calling you to do the same? What do you think it was like when Paul and Peter finally got together? What stories can you imagine them telling each other?

Reflection: Immediately after my calling - without consulting anyone around me and without going up to Jerusalem to confer with those who were apostles long before I was - I got away to Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus, but it was three years before I went up to Jerusalem to compare stories with Peter. (Galatians 1:16-18, The Message) I love that the first thing Paul and Peter did when they got together, for the very first time, was tell stories. Can you imagine being a fly on the wall? There is something about the telling of our stories (or of God’s story in us) that is very rich and life giving; it’s almost like the stories must be told in order to have their fully desired effect in our hearts and lives and souls. And the funny thing is that I’m not sure who they have the bigger impact on, the hearer or the teller. Obviously there is something wonderful about hearing stories of how God grabbed someone’s heart or made someone whole; but there is also this strange and wonderful dynamic that takes place in the heart of the teller even as the story is being told. It is as if somehow it is continuing to move and to grow in his heart and soul even as he shares what he has seen or heard. Do you know what I’m talking about? It’s those times when you are in the middle of telling some incredible story of God’s Spirit and God’s work, and you actually begin to hear what you are saying - and be completely captured by it. It is almost as if you didn’t completely realize what all was going on until you began to tell it, and as you opened your mouth it is almost as if the story began telling itself and was just using your mouth as its vehicle. After all, it is not your story, or even mine (or theirs for that matter), but the story of God. It is His, and something about its quality tells us that. Somehow if the story was only about me, or about you, it wouldn’t carry the same weight, it wouldn’t have the same impact. It would fall lifeless to the ground and die - so many of my stories have suffered that fate through the years simply because I didn’t yet understand that the story wasn’t about me, but about Him. Stories about Him have life, they live on and produce their fruit long after their telling. And it is a beautiful thing.

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Eric and Beth Yodis are facilitating church planting in eastern Ukraine. Because of the war there, Eric and Beth have recently be staying in the U.S. but are planning to return to the Ukraine soon. Eric and Beth are returning this month to the Ukraine to help with church planting in Kiev. Pray for them as they travel and get back to work in the country that they love.

Closing Prayer: Father, write yourself upon my heart and life - that I may be an open book about you, so that others might read of your unending love on every page. In the name of Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. Amen. Notes

17 MONDAY, JUNE 15

Opening Prayer: O Lord, our heavenly Father, thank you that when you see us coming your direction your heart skips a beat within you. Thank you that it brings a smile to your lips and deep joy to your heart. Thank you that your heart is so full of love that it will not allow your feet to be still, but that you run to meet us. And thank you that when you finally get to us, you wrap your arms of affection around us, embrace with your love, and kiss us. If we ever doubt the way that you feel about us, we need to look no further than this picture. Thank you that you love us so much. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

Scripture: Luke 15:11-32

Journal: Where do you see yourself in this story? What is God trying to say to you about your own story? About the story he is longing to write in you? What is he trying to say to you about his immense affection for you?

Reflection: Of the six million species on the planet, only man makes language. Words. What’s more - in evidence of the Divine - we string these symbols together and then write them down, where they take on a life of their own and breathe outside of us. Story is the bandage of the broken. Sutures of the shattered. The tapestry upon which we write our lives. Upon which we lay the bodies of the dying and the about-to-come-to-life. And if it’s honest, true, hiding nothing, revealing all, then it is a raging river and those who ride it find they have something to give - that they are not yet empty. Critics cry foul, claiming the tongue is a bloody butcher that blasphemes, slices, slanders, and damns - leaving scars, carnage, the broken the beaten. Admittedly, story is a double-edged scimitar, but the fault lies not in the word but in the hand that wields the pen. Not all stories spew, cower, and retreat. Some storm the castle. Rush in. Stand between. Wrap their arms around. Spill secrets. Share their shame. Return. Stories birth our dreams and feed the one thing that never dies. (Unwritten by Charles Martin)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

J & F live and work in one of the poorest and most heavily populated states in their country. They are seeking to make a difference in this state in both physical and spiritual realms. They have launched a micro-finance business that is creating self-sustaining means of support for churches and church plants as well as continuing to provide funds for the installation of hand pumps to provide clean water to needy areas of the state. Pray for J & F during these months of intense heat and as they travel in July to check up on relief efforts from the recent earthquakes.

Closing Prayer: I am sure that there is in me nothing that could attract the love of One as holy and as pure as You are. Yet You have declared Your unchanging love for me in Christ Jesus. If nothing in me can win Your love, nothing in the universe can prevent You from loving me. Your love is uncaused and undeserved. You are Yourself the reason for the love wherewith I am loved. Help me to believe the intensity, the eternity of the love that has found me. Then love will cast out fear; and my troubled heart will be at peace. Trusting not in what I am but in what You have declared Yourself to be. Amen. (The Knowledge of the Holy by A. W. Tozer) Notes

18 TUESDAY, JUNE 16

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to be completely captured by the depth and wonder of what you did for me on the cross. Help it to let me know how extravagant the love you have for me really is. The depth of your love and your forgiveness is completely overwhelming. Thank you. Amen.

Scripture: Luke 7:36-50

Journal: Do you feel like you have been forgiven much, or forgiven little? What does his forgiveness do within you? What response does it cause to rise up from within you? Where do you find yourself in this story? How does it speak to your own?

Reflection: The rabbis guide their people with stories; ministers usually guide with ideas and theories. We need to become storytellers again, and so to multiply our ministry by calling around us the great witnesses who in different ways offer guidance to doubting hearts. One of the remarkable qualities of the story is that it creates space. We can dwell in a story, walk around, find our own place. The story confronts but does not oppress; the story inspires but does not manipulate. The story invites us to an encounter, a dialog, a mutual sharing. A story that guides is a story that opens a door and offers space in which to search and boundaries to help us find what we seek, but it does not tell us what to do or how to do it. The story brings us into touch with the vision and so guides us. Elie Wiesel writes, “God made man because he loves stories.” As long as we have stories to tell to each other there is hope. (The Living Reminder by Henri J. M. Nouwen)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, that you that every one of us has been forgiven much. Therefore, help us each to love much. In your name and for your sake. Amen. Notes

19 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17

Opening Prayer: Write your blessed name, O Lord, upon my heart, there to remain, so indelibly engraved that no prosperity, no adversity, shall ever move me from your love. ~Thomas a Kempis

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 3:1-4

Journal: What is the letter of your life saying about Jesus these days? Are you living a good story these days? Why or why not?

Reflection: “You’re writing another book about yourself?” Jordan asked. He was sitting at the counter in the kitchen eating a bowl of cereal. He had his laptop open and was choosing the starting lineup for his college fantasy basketball team. He’d been playing the game for a year and finally had a division one team. He said he was going to start his best defense, because defense wins championships. “I’m not writing a book. I’m not talking about a book. I’m talking about me. I don’t think I’m telling a good story.” “I think you tell good stories. Lots of people think so.” “I tell good stories in books. I don’t live good stories.” Jordan poured more milk in his cereal. He was looking at me while pouring the milk. He was squinting his eyes a little and furrowing his brow. He stopped pouring the milk. He kept looking at me for ten seconds or more, like he was studying me. “You’re right,” he finally said. “You aren’t living a good story.” “That’s what I was saying.” “I see,” he said. “What do I do about that?” “You’re a writer. You know what to do.” “No, I don’t.” Jordan looked at me with his furrowed brow again. “You put something on the page,” he said. “Your life is a blank page. You write on it.” (A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Jeff and Ellen work among unreached people groups in two restricted access countries of Southeast Asia catalyzing Church Planting Movements. Pray today for new workers to join Mekong Ministries to reach unreached people groups. The Black Hmong and Dong are the two groups they urgently need workers for. Pray today for the work amongst the Tai Lue in China as people are being trained to evangelize and share their testimonies.

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, make me a beautiful letter from you, open and available for all to read. Continue to write your good story within me. For your glory. Amen. Notes

20 THURSDAY, JUNE 18

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to love you with all that is within me. Be the center of my universe and enable my whole life to revolve around you. I love you, O Jesus, my Lord and Savior. Amen.

Scripture: John 21:1-18

Journal: Where do you find yourself in this story? How does it speak to your own?

Reflection: The first time he saw her was across a bonfire at a friend’s house after a football game. She was there with a friend of a friend and caught his eye right off the bat. As a matter of fact, he just couldn’t take his eyes off of her. It wasn’t just because she was beautiful - which she absolutely was - but it was so much more than that. It was more of a quality about her: the way she smiled, the way she laughed, the way she carried herself. She had it, whatever it was. And whatever it was, it came from somewhere deep within her; almost as if there was an inner well bubbling up from her very heart and soul. He could see it in everything she did: in the way she listened, and in the way she talked, and in the way she cared for people - treating them as if they were the only person in the world at that moment. There was just something about her; a depth and beauty that he had never seen in anyone else. It took him about thirty minutes, but he finally worked up the nerve to go over and talk to her. And when he did, it was like talking to someone he had known all of his life, the conversation was so easy and comfortable - so good. He got her number and asked if he could give her a call sometime, and when she said yes something leapt deep within him. Well one call led to another, and another, and before he knew it he had asked her out. Their first date was the most amazing he’d ever had, not so much because of what they did, but because of the way she seemed to bring out the very best in him. It was almost like he had come home, to a home he had never known before but had been searching for his entire life. In fact the only word that could come close to describing the way she made him feel was full; she just brought him to life inside. Well one date turned into three, and then to five, and before he knew it they had been dating for six months. It was different than any relationship he’d ever had. They talked for hours at a time about things that really mattered; no games, no pretense, no drama. And the most amazing thing was that they were also able to just be together without feeling the need to talk at all; comfortable with just being together in silence. He had never felt that way with anyone before - much less a girl. This relationship was just different, in the very best sense of the word. One night, as winter was turning to spring, they were lying on the trampoline in her back yard looking up at the stars and enjoying just being together, when she asked him a question: “What do you think it means to be in love?” The question surprised him with its innocence and honesty. It wasn’t something that he had not wondered about himself from time to time; especially since he had met her. For a moment he was silent, not really knowing what to say, until he uttered the classic male response, “Uh, I don’t know.” He then quickly recovered by adding, “What does it mean to you?” She thought for a moment, looking far off into the stars, and said, “I think it means that you are willing to give that person, and that person alone, all of you, every bit of yourself, your whole heart - no holding back. When I tell someone I love them it means that I am committing my entire heart, soul, and life to them completely…forever. And if they want to be with me, if they are really in love with me, I expect them to do the same.” As she spoke, he knew at his core that what she was saying was right and true, it was the kind of love he most deeply longed for and dreamt about, but something about it scared him to death. Was he really capable of loving someone like that? Did he really have what it takes? Was he willing to enter into that type of relationship with someone…forever? Something in him desperately wanted to believe he could, and something in him wanted to run away. Then she turned to him with one of the purest and most innocent looks he had ever seen; so pure and innocent that he knew he was not worthy of it. And as her eyes looked deeply into his, she uttered the words, “I love you.” He was in complete shock. She immediately put her hands to his lips and said, “Don’t say a word. I don’t want you to say anything right now. I just wanted you to know how I feel.” A few minutes later he was in his car on the way home, trying to process all that had just happened. It was so confusing, so scary. He didn’t know what to say or what to do, so he made his typical decision…he did nothing. He didn’t text. He didn’t call. He didn’t go to see her. He was paralyzed. Before he knew it a week had gone by and he still hadn’t communicated with her at all. He just didn’t know what to say, so he said nothing. It had now been two weeks since the conversation on the trampoline, and he was out with some friends at an outdoor concert downtown, when he ran into an old girlfriend. In fact, she was the girl he had been dating before he went to that fateful bonfire. This old girlfriend was nothing particularly special. He didn’t love her. He never had, but she was easy - comfortable to be around and never really demanding anything of him. From the day he broke up with her she had wanted

21 to get back together; always promising him that if he would start seeing her again she would not require or expect anything of him. In fact, she would allow him to go wherever he wanted and do whatever he desired…even go out with other girls. She just wanted to get back together; and told him that again on this night. So now he had a decision to make: to go with the one that brought him to life like no one ever had but demanded all of his love in return, or go with the one that he didn’t love, but was easy to date and demanded nothing from him. A couple more weeks went by and he was sitting at the mall thinking about all that had happened over the past eight months, when suddenly he got a text from her. It said: “i still luv u. i can forgive and forget the past, but nothing has changed. i still want all of you, or nothing at all.” As soon as he finished reading the text he looked up and there she was, standing right in front of him. She looked deeply into his eyes and asked him THE question, “Do you love me?” I would love to tell you what he said to her, but I can’t. Only you can do that, because he is you. That’s what this story is really all about - you and God. The God who is wildly and passionately in love with you, the God that made you for relationship with himself, stands before you this day and asks you that very same question. Do you truly love me? You are my Beloved, am I yours? His love is totally free, but loving him back requires all of your heart and soul. So what’s your answer?

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: O Jesus, you are my life, you are my Beloved, you are my everything. I love you. Amen. Notes

22 FRIDAY, JUNE 19

Opening Prayer: Thank you, O Lord, that your story brings us to life. When we remember who you are, and all that you have done in our lives, our mouths are filled with laughter and our hearts are filled with songs of joy. Thank you, O Lord, for all of the blessings you have so graciously poured out upon us. Amen.

Scripture: Psalm 126:1-6

Journal: What has God done in the past that helps you to trust that he will indeed show up in the future? How does remembering the things God has done give you a current sense of joy? How does it help you dream? What do you dream of in your relationship with him?

Reflection: When we submit our lives to what we read in Scripture, we find that we are not being led to see God in our stories but our stories in God’s. God is the larger context and plot in which our stories find themselves.- Eugene Peterson

Every Christian story needs sharing. We require a few other persons to whom we can tell our stories. Every story is different. Every story is the same. How are we to know that what we feel is legitimate and healthy? How are we to know that our story is not a fragment of abnormal psychology? Tell the story. In telling we recognize the common plot of God’s grace setting us apart, personally calling us and revealing his Son to us. We also recognize the great care with which he respects and uses every individual feature of our bodies and minds so that each story is totally fresh and original. - Eugene Peterson

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Ron and Amy Barber have been living near Auckland, New Zealand where Ron has been teaching church planting, cultural anthropology and global theology at Eastwest College of Intercultural Studies. Pray today for the students in the anthropology class that he is teaching as they share their experiences from all over the world.

Closing Prayer: It seemed like a dream, too good to be true, when God returned Zion’s exiles. We laughed, we sang, we couldn’t believe our good fortune. We were the talk of the nations - God was wonderful to them!” God was wonderful to us; we are one happy people. And now, God, do it again - bring rains to our drought-stricken lives so those who planted their crops in despair will shout hurrahs at the harvest, so those who went off with heavy hearts will come home laughing, with armloads of blessing. (Psalm 126, The Message) Notes

23 SATURDAY, JUNE 20

Opening Prayer:Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! (Psalm 107:1-3, 8)

Scripture: Psalm 107

Journal: Which of the stories contained in Psalm 107 seems most like your current story? How? Write a Psalm to God this morning giving thanks for your current story.

Reflection:

Some set out on a journey to who knows where, they set sail on the winds of God’s breath. They weren’t sure where they were going or when they would get there, but they knew it would be good when they arrived. They saw things along the way that they never thought possible and discovered truths of the heart that had been buried within them for a long, long time. What they saw and discovered changed them into something that more closely resembled who they really were. And they realized that this journey was not about arriving, but becoming indeed a journey that would last a lifetime. And in the end would bring them to the discovery of the truth that was whispered into them from before the foundations of the world. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, for he knows us intimately and longs to reveal to us that which is most true about who we really are.

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

R. and G. are serving at a sanitorium for chest diseases and a children’s home, focusing on bringing holistic healthcare to the semi-nomadic people of an area in the Middle East. R. is a dentist and G. is a teacher and artist. Pray today for God’s movement through them to their patients and also for nurses who speak Arabic to join them in their work.

Closing Prayer: Let us give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men. For, in his great passion for us, he will not allow us to settle for less than the beauty and delight he had in mind for us when he dreamt us into being. Amen. Notes

24 Theme for the Week: More

SUNDAY, JUNE 21

Opening Prayer: Lord God, asking for more of you seems like such a dangerous request. In fact, if you indeed give us what we are asking for, it will probably wreck our lives as we now know them. But our desire for more of you is also the deepest longing of our hearts. So regardless of the outcome, O Lord, give us more of you than we have right now. Fill us to overflowing with your power and your presence and your love—and we will never be the same. Through Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.

Scripture: John 10:10

Journal: Where are you yearning for more right now? Where and how are you longing for more of God? What would this

Reflection:

Breathing Under Water

I built my house by the sea. Not on the sands, mind you; not on the shifting sand. And I built it of rock. A strong house by a strong sea. And we got well acquainted, the sea and I. Good neighbors. Not that we spoke much. We met in silences. Respectful, keeping our distance, but looking our thoughts across the fence of sand. Always, the fence of sand our barrier, always, the sand between.

And then one day, - and I still don’t know how it happened - the sea came. Without warning.

Without welcome, even Not sudden and swift, but a shifting across the sand like wine, less like the flow of water than the flow of blood. Slow, but coming. Slow, but flowing like an open wound. And I thought of flight and I thought of drowning and I thought of death. And while I thought the sea crept higher, till it reached my door. And I knew then, there was neither flight, nor death, nor drowning. That when the sea comes calling, you stop being neighbors Well acquainted, friendly-at-a-distance neighbors, And you give your house for a coral castle, And you learn to breathe underwater. - Sr. Carol Bieleck, RSCJ

25 Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

George and Kathy Cail live in North Carolina where George works in the curriculum department of a ministry called TEN3 (Transformational Education Network - Discipling to the Third Generation). Pray for George and Kathy and their work with TEN3. Pray also for them as they grieve the recent death of Kathy’s father who had devoted much of his adult life to Bible translation.

Closing Prayer: Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. (Romans 11:33-36) Notes

26 MONDAY, JUNE 22

Opening Prayer: O God, our Father, the One from whom all fatherhood in heaven and on earth derives its name, we thank you that you want fullness for us. And not merely all the fullness we can hold, but you long for us to be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. That is more fullness than we dare image, ask for, or dream about. Thank you that that’s your deepest desire for us in Christ. We pray in his name. Amen.

Scripture: Ephesians 3:14-21

Journal: What word best describes your life with Christ right now: dwelling, rooted, or filled? How are each of these three words taking shape in your inner life right now? What is the relationship between the three?

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit - not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength - that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:14-19, The Message) Notes

27 TUESDAY, JUNE 23

Opening Prayer: Lord God, how our hearts long for more of you; for more love, for more power, for more depth and quality in our relationship with you and in our relationships with those in our lives and world. For too long we have been content with less than what you desire for us. May that never be the case again. O God, let us drop all our guards and our pretenses and let us come face-to-face with you, the Lover of our souls. May we know your love that surpasses knowledge and be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Amen.

Scripture: John 17:20-23

Journal: What does it mean to live your life in God? What would that look like?

Reflection: God wants more for us. Yep, you read that right - for us. It is easy to believe that God wants more of us and from us, which are both true. But ultimately God also wants more for us. It’s as simple as that. And the main thing God wants for us is intimate union with himself. God wants us to live in him. It’s all over the pages of scripture; look no further than the upper room discourse (chapters 14-17 of John) to see exactly what I’m talking about:

Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me...” (John 14:10-11)

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. (John 15:4)

Now remain in my love. (John 15:9)

...that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one; I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. (John 17:21-23)

As Thomas Merton so beautifully pointed out in Thoughts in Solitude, God’s desire is not that we live merely for him, or even with him, but to live in him. That is the kind of relationship he most desires with each of us. Anything short of that is settling for less than what God created us for. So let us not stop short of God’s deepest desire. Let us always press on for more—to live our lives in him. Let us live in loving, intimate union with he who made us for himself. Let us live in the abundance of his great affection. After all, that’s what union with him is really all about.

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Habitat for Humanity builds and sells single-family homes to qualified low and very-low income families by developing partnerships with businesses, organizations, churches, foundations and individuals who help build the homes. Pray today for the new homeowners who have recently moved into homes built during the April Blitz.

Closing Prayer: O God, may we always live in the abundance of your great affection. Through Christ. Amen. Notes

28 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24

Opening Prayer: O God, thank you that your great affection is a river of delights from which we can drink without end. Help us to live in your love all the minutes of this day. Amen.

Scripture: Psalm 36:5-10

Journal: What words or images in this Psalm make life well up within you? How does it meet you in your places of deepest longing? Do you really believe that this is what God wants for you? Will you feast? Will you drink? What is your response to His invitation today?

Reflection: How do you explain the unexplainable? It seems like that is a problem God often runs into. Not necessarily a problem for him, after all, he’s God. But more a problem for us as we attempt to get our minds and hearts around things that are so much bigger than we dare dream about. I think that’s why God often speaks in the language of metaphor. He gives us visual images that we can understand to try and help us begin to fathom things we can’t. His love, being a classic example. Since we are finite, how can we possibly understand a love that’s infinite? Since we are conditional, how can we begin to comprehend a love that is unconditional? God uses many different words and images to describe his great affection. Here in Psalm 36 the main word he uses is chesed, which highlights the eternal nature of his love. It is often translated as his “steadfast” or “unchanging” love. It is a love that is almost exclusively used to describe the way that only God can love. It is a love that is not going anywhere. It is a love that will never fail, never waver, never run dry. Thus, the image of a river. A river from which God invites to drink, that we might know the depths of his delight

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

A. and B. are serving in a Creative Access country. Their family is building friendships and seeing them mature as A. continues to teach at a local university and serve the teachers and students there. Pray today for this family as they travel to the U.S next month to stay for 6 months. Pray also for when they return to the mission field that they will be able to find housing.

Closing Prayer: O God, your love is a raging river. Sweep us away in the torrents of your great affection. Through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen. Notes

29 THURSDAY, JUNE 25

Opening Prayer: You called, You cried, you shattered my deafness. You sparkled, you blazed, You drove away my blindness. You shed your fragrance, and I drew in my breath, and I pant for You. I tasted and now I hunger and thirst. You touched me, and now I burn with longing for your peace. - St. Augustine

Scripture: John 4:1-30

Journal: Where do you find yourself in this story? What are you thirsty for these days? How are you trying to satisfy that thirst? What well are you constantly running to in order to draw water?

Reflection: Like the woman at the well, sooner or later, perhaps in a quiet, reflective moment, we must all come to terms with the honest truth that we were looking for more than we’ve found thus far. We certainly don’t resemble the Samaritan woman. We keep our marriages to a minimum, and we hold down respectable jobs and pay our bills on time. We may look pretty respectable and orthodox. But still our souls are very thirsty. Perhaps your prayer life has dried up, or in spite of your best efforts you still are not making much of a difference in anyone’s life, or maybe you’ve lost all the joy, all the passion, in your life. You have the same sadness buried in your soul as all those Samaritans had. You may have a head full of knowledge about God, but you still yearn to experience something sacred, something that will at long last calm the ache from deep within. As this story unfolds, take your place next to this Samaritan woman. It’s part of my pastoral calling to look closely at the lives of those who go to church. They all clean up pretty nicely on Sunday morning. But just below the surface of their navy-blue suits and colorful dresses lie souls that are not nearly so tidy. On a typical Sunday in our church, I sit facing the congregation while the choir sings the anthem before the sermon. I gaze into the faces of people I know and love. I see the elder whose marriage is hanging on by a thread. Next to him is the Sunday school teacher whose daughter was arrested last week for driving under the influence of alcohol. Two pews behind them is the church’s newest widow, who is wondering how she will survive sitting in church alone for the first time in forty years. She happens to be sitting next to a young couple who desperately want to be parents, but not a single one of the fertility treatments seem to be helping. The details may change as I look from face to face, but the essential story remains the same. They are all thirsty. My job is to remember that what we are struggling with is not just our families and jobs. No, the stakes are much higher than that. The real struggle is with our parched souls. We were created with a need to satisfy our physical thirst, and every morning of our lives we are reminded of this thirst. But this physical thirst is a symbol, maybe even a sacrament, that points to the deeper spiritual thirst of the soul. So also is our longing for better families and more satisfying jobs a symbol of our deeper yearning to be a part of the family and mission of God. We simply cannot satisfy the thirst of our souls by pouring on new relationships, experience, achievements, or careers. As the Samaritan woman discovered, it doesn’t matter how many times we may try to rearrange our relationships and reorder our lives. Until we find relief for the soul, everything else will be nothing more than a distraction - a very temporary one at that - from our fundamental craving for living water. Most of us haven’t gone through five spouses, but we have gone through jobs, five moves, five weight-loss programs, or five churches - and still the insatiable thirst continues. We will never find what we are looking for in the things we pick up along the way. Not even the religious things. Not even important things like relationships. All of these things will leave our souls empty if we try to force them to satisfy our thirst. The true object of our search is nothing less than an encounter with the Holy One. (Sacred Thirst by M. Craig Barnes)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Hope Resource Center is a multi-faceted Christian ministry addressing such matters as sexual purity and health, unplanned pregnancy, post-abortion stress and abstinence education. Pray today for new Director Andrew Wood who began in May. Pray for Andrew, his wife Erin and their two children.

30 Closing Prayer: O God, giver of life and source of living water. Forgive me for all the places other than you that I go to satisfy the deepest longings of my heart. Help me to see what broken wells I go to each day in search of the fullness only you can provide. Allow me to quench the thirsts of my soul in You this day, and in nothing, or no one, else. Through Christ. Amen. (Beginnings by Jim Branch) Notes

31 FRIDAY, JUNE 26

Opening Prayer: Help us to catch a glimpse of you today, O God; one that will change everything about us. One that will cause our faces to shine with the light of your glory. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

Scripture: Exodus 33:7-23

Journal: Where have you seen God’s glory lately? Did you truly take time to behold what he was trying to show you? What did it do within you? How do you nurture that?

Reflection: They say that the things we spend the most time beholding are the things we ultimately end up becoming in the long run. Somehow those things that occupy our hearts and minds tend to form us in ways we are not even fully aware of. Therefore, it seems pretty important that we be very intentional about what we are beholding on a regular basis. To behold is much different from merely looking at something. It involves really seeing it; seeing far beneath the surface to the very core of a thing. I think that’s why Julian of Norwich once said: “Truth sees God, and wisdom beholds God, and from these two comes the third, and that is a marvelous delight in God, which is love.” Beholding is a spiritual practice, a discipline, a means of grace. By beholding God we are able to see him in a way that transforms us into his image. Therefore, we must take special care to make sure we are regularly beholding the One that we most deeply desire to become like. That’s probably why, years ago, Marian Scheele wrote: “When the soul is occupied with looking away from present trials into the face of Christ, and making this a regular and passionate occupation, this soul will become more tranquil and still, and therefore more able to reflect the Being it adores. This reflected glory will enable us to love our neighbor as ourselves. The only effort required is the giving up of all effort.”

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: O Eternal God! You are a deep sea, into which the deeper I enter the more I find, and the more I find the more I seek. - Catherine of Sienna Notes

32 SATURDAY, JUNE 27

Opening Prayer: God of Hospitality, I want to prepare my heart for your coming. Stay close by me as I walk through busy days. Open my eyes and ears and heart that I may see you all around me. Amen. - Beth A. Richardson

Scripture: Philippians 1:8-10

Journal: Who or what is causing your love for God to abound more and more these days? How is God at work in you, growing that love? How is that growing love expressing itself to those around you?

Reflection: To love is good, too: love being difficult. For one human being to love another: that is perhaps the most difficult of all our tasks, the ultimate, the last test and proof, the work for which all other work is but preparation. (Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke)

Perhaps all the dragons in our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us act, just once, with beauty and courage. Perhaps everything that frightens us is, in its deepest essence, something helpless that wants our love. (Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke))

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Paul and Karan Davis have been working with TEAM in France since 1978 in church-planting ministries. They have planted churches in the southern suburbs of Paris, northwestern suburbs of Lyon, and more recently in the Alps region around Albertville. Pray today for French believers living in the area who are catching the vision of starting a network of churches in and around Pontcharra. Pray also for the inaugaration of the new church building on September 19 & 20 and the curiosity that is building in their community.

Closing Prayer: So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush. Live a lover’s life, circumspect and exemplary, a life Jesus will be proud of: bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God. - The Message Notes

33 Theme for the Week: Intimacy

SUNDAY, JUNE 28

Opening Prayer: I ask You, Lord Jesus, to develop in me, Your lover, an immeasurable urge towards You, and affection that is unbounded, a longing that is unrestrained, a fervor that throws discretion to the winds! The more worthwhile our love for You, all the more pressing does it become. Reason does not make it tremble, wise judgment does not tempter it. - Richard Rolle

Scripture: Psalm 139:1-24

Journal: What words or images in this Psalm capture your heart? What challenges or disrupts you? Where are you experiencing the intimacy you were made for? What stands in the way of that?

Reflection: The story of the Sacred Romance begins not with God alone, the Author at his desk, but with God in relationship, intimacy beyond our wildest imagination, heroic intimacy. The Trinity is at the center of the universe; perfect relationship is the heart of reality. Think of your best moments of love or friendship or creative partnership, the best times with family or friends around the dinner table, your richest conversations, the acts of simple kindness that sometime seem like the only things that make life worth living. Like the shimmer of sunlight on a lake, these are reflections of the love that flows from among the Trinity. We long for intimacy because we are made in the image of perfect intimacy.( The Sacred Romance by Brent Curtis and John Eldredge)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Mark and Annemarie Dye are passionate about building Christian leaders to mobilize and equip the African Church for mission in the world. Pray today for the Dyes as they organize the UWM Africa Conference to be held this July in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.

Closing Prayer: God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand. I’m an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking. You know when I leave and when I get back; I’m never out of your sight. You know everything I’m going to say before I start the first sentence. I look behind me and you’re there, then up ahead and you’re there, too - your reassuring presence, coming and going. This is too much, too wonderful - I can’t take it all in! Is there any place I can go to avoid your Spirit? To be out of your sight? If I climb to the sky, you’re there! If I go underground, you’re there! If I flew on morning’s wings to the far western horizon, You’d find me in a minute - you’re already there waiting! Then I said to myself, “Oh, he even sees me in the dark! At night I’m immersed in the light!” It’s a fact: darkness isn’t dark to you; night and day, darkness and light, they’re all the same to you. Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb. I thank you, High God - you’re breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration - what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, the days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day. Your thoughts - how rare, how beautiful! God, I’ll never comprehend them! I couldn’t even begin to count them - any more than I could count the sand of the sea. Oh, let me rise in the morning and live always with you! And please, God, do away with wickedness for good! And you murderers - out of here - all the men and women who belittle you, God, infatuated with cheap god-imitations. See how I hate those who hate you, God, see how I loathe all this godless arrogance; I hate it with pure, unadulterated hatred. Your enemies are my enemies! Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I’m about; see for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong - then guide me on the road to eternal life. - The Message

34 Notes

35 MONDAY, JUNE 29

Opening Prayer: O God, who existed before all things, draw near to my heart today as I draw near to yours. Grant that as we are together during this time - as well as this day - I will know of your presence to the very core of my being. Let me experience the intimacy with you that I was created for. In the name of Jesus, the Word made flesh. Amen.

Scripture: Song of Songs 7:10-13

Journal: What do God’s words do within you today? Could it be that these words are for you? How do you respond?

Reflection:

O living flame of love That tenderly wounds my soul In its deepest center! Since Now you are not oppressive, Now Consummate! If it be your will: Tear through the veil of this sweet encounter!

O sweet cautery, O delightful wound! O gentle hand! O delicate touch That tastes of eternal life And pays every debt! In killing you changed death into life. O lamps of fire! In whose splendors The deep caverns of feeling, Once obscure and blind, Now give forth, so rarely, so exquisitely, Both warmth and light to their beloved.

How gently and lovingly You wake in my heart, Where in secret you dwell alone; And in your sweet breathing, Filled with good and glory, How tenderly you swell my heart with love. - John of the Cross

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Michael and Kim Essenburg have been serving at Christian Academy in Japan (CAJ), a school for missionary children (40% of student body) and children of business and professional people (60% of student body) that is located in Tokyo. They ask that you pray for effective closure to their 27.5 years of service at CAJ. They are currently in the U.S., but will be returning to Japan in July, when they will start serving at Okinawa Christian School.

KDEC or Kasr El Dobara Church is the largest evangelical church in the middle east. Started in 1948, it has grown to a membership of 8,000 members. Pray today for the ministry leaders of this church.

Closing Prayer: Lord you are my Lover, it is you whom I desire. You flow through my body like a stream, you shine on my face like the sun. Let me be your reflection.- St. Mechthildis

36 Notes

37 TUESDAY, JUNE 30

Opening Prayer: O God, you who created us naked and unashamed, you who truly knows us and truly loves us, give us the courage to live this day in love and not in fear. Give us the strength and the bravery to come out of hiding, with you and with others, and allow ourselves the possibility of the true intimacy we were made for. Amen.

Scripture: Genesis 2:18-3:13

Journal: Where has fear and hiding kept you from true intimacy in your life? What do you typically use to hide behind? What do you cover yourself with? What would it look like to live out of love and not out of fear?

Reflection: I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the whole idea of intimacy. Particularly about what it really is and how it is created and nurtured - as well as what are obstacles and hindrances to the cultivating of intimacy in relationships. I have a suspicion that, like most things, if we consider how intimacy is developed and grown between people it will help us begin to understand the dynamics and design of intimacy with God. The word intimacy comes from Latin intimus, referring to what is interior or inside. Thus intimacy happens when we reveal and expose our insides to one another. It requires mutual disclosure, by its very nature it is never a one way street. This is particularly true as we consider intimacy with God. God longs for intimacy with us, therefore He discloses or reveals Himself to us, not merely ideas or theological concepts about God, but He actually shows us Himself. He opens His infinite heart and allows us to see inside. And His desire in doing so is that it might completely capture ours in return and give us the desire and the courage to disclose ourselves to Him. Not that He needs us to do that, obviously He knows us better than we even know ourselves. Our disclosure is more about what happens in us as we open up to Him - it grows this Divine intimacy within us. Therefore, we must stay attentive to both movements; to how God is revealing and disclosing Himself to us and how we are intentionally and courageously revealing and exposing ourselves to Him - two steps in an incredibly beautiful dance.

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Leoma Gilley works for Wycliffe Bible Translators and is responsible for developing university-level, accredited training in linguistics, literacy, Bible translation, Scripture use, anthropology and language assessment (survey) to people across Africa. Pray today for Leoma as she faces uncertainty after September 30 when her office is being closed and her job in its current form ends. Pray for God to give the Area Directors and Leoma clear direction about His next steps for her work.

Closing Prayer: O Lord, our God, we were made for intimacy with you. Forgive us when we run from you, when we hide behind our fig leaves, whatever they may look like, and try to mask our real condition. You know us to the core, O God. We can’t hide from you. You know where we are without having to ask, yet you do ask because you want us to know where we are too. Lord have mercy. Amen. Notes

WEDNESDAY, JULY 1

Opening Prayer: Lord, enfold me in the depths of your heart; and there hold me, refine, purge, and set me on fire, raise me aloft, until my own self knows utter annihilation. - Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

Scripture Reading: John 17:20-26

Journal: What captures you most about Jesus’ prayer for you? What is your sense of union with God these days? How would you describe your intimacy level with him? What might help move that to deeper places?

Reflection: God dwells within you. You are yourself the tabernacle, his secret hiding place. Rejoice, exult, for all you could possibly desire, all your heart’s longing is so close, so intimate as to be within you; you cannot be without him. - John of the Cross

Some people live for God, some people live with God, some people live in God. (Thoughts in Solitude by Thomas Merton)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to never settle living for you, or even with you, when you desire us to live in you. Amen. Notes

2 THURSDAY, JULY 2

Opening Prayer: Lord God, intimacy is about connection, not just proximity. As we come to this time today, O God, help us to truly connect with you in the depths of our being, rather than merely going through the motions. It is you, O Lord, that we seek. Amen.

Scripture Reading: Psalm 131:1-3

Journal: What does the image in this Psalm do within you? How does it speak to your life? To your longings? Is this image a reality, or merely a dream? How can you become like a weaned child with its mother in your relationship with God?

Reflection: In their book The Art of Intimacy, the Malones, a father and son team, make an important distinction between closeness and intimacy. Closeness, they write, “is a very intense personal awareness of the relationship you have with another.” It’s the feeling we get when we agree with someone, when someone is like us, when we share space and emotional warmth together. Intimacy is often confused with closeness. We think we’re intimate when we’re close. That may be true, but the desire for closeness may also become a trap. It can gradually force us to deny ourselves (our true selves) and to live a lie in order to maintain the illusion of warmth and togetherness. This produces an unnatural “truce” in which our true passion is sacrificed for the sake of peace. According to the Malones, intimacy is distinguished from closeness. The word Intimacy is derived from the Latin word intima, meaning “inner” or “innermost,” and carries the idea of being in touch with our inner selves. It does not focus on the feelings of warmth or the awareness of similarity. Intimacy is the art of bringing our true selves into the relationship. (The River Within by Jeff Imbach)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Bill Harding is currently a special representative for SIM in North America. God is using Bill’s gifts and rich experience in Ethiopia as a conference speaker to challenge and reaffirm the priority of world missions. Pray today for preparation of heart and logistics for upcoming meetings in Oregon, Washington, Wyoming, Nebraska, New York and Ethiopia.

Knoxville Area Rescue Mission (KARM) provides emergency shelter and food to homeless men and women and offers recovery for those seeking a way out of drug and alcohol abuse. Pray today for CSPC volunteers participating in Come Serve With Us. They will be working with KARM on July 10, 14, 24 and 25. To find out more, go to http://cspc.net/ opportunities-to-serve.

3 FRIDAY, JULY 3

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, Thank you that you desire intimacy with us. Help us to always live in you. May we always be so intimately connected with you that we are closer to you than a vine and its branches. That way we cannot help but to bear fruit, by your power and for your glory. Amen.

Scripture: John 15:1-11

Journal: What about this image captures your heart or speaks to your soul? How is the process of abiding in him going these days? What are your typical abiding places, if not Jesus?

Reflection: Intimacy is all about connection. Nowhere do we see this more visibly portrayed that here in John 15:1-11. Jesus is speaking to his disciples in the upper room, trying to prepare them for what is to come and the ministry that will follow. He’s telling them what his deepest hopes are for their (as well as our) relationship with him in the days ahead. And just look at the picture he uses: “I want to be so intimately connected to you that we are like a vine and its branches, so connected that you cannot tell where one stops and the other begins. So intimately connected that you draw your very lifeblood straight out of me. So connected that the fullness I give to you cannot help but become fruit bursting forth all over you. That’s the way this life of the Spirit works. Fruit cannot grow apart from the vine, it must grow because of it. As you draw your life and your nourishment, your joy and your love, straight from my heart it will bring about beautiful fruit on your branches. Fruit that was intended to draw others into relationship with me. Fruit that will allow everyone who comes in contact with you to taste and see that the Lord is good.” So the mode of intimacy is connection, but the goal of intimacy is fruitfulness - for his kingdom and his glory.

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Bruce and Laura Harris run SEND International’s camp and conference ministry in the mountains of western Tokyo. In this ministry, their goal is to glorify God by serving the church of Jesus Christ through camping programs of evangelism and Biblical education. Pray today for Bruce and Laura as they are in the middle of the summer camping season. Pray also for salvation for campers during Joy Bible Camp and for God’s purposes to be fulfilled in all summer camp ministries.

Knoxville Christian Arts Ministries (KnoxCAM) is an outreach ministry directed by Dr. Jill Lagerberg. It uses the talents of singers, instrumentalists, dancers and handbell ringers. They minister primarily to prisons and the inner city. They perform up to 10 concerts each year, telling stories of God’s unfailing mercy and providence through fully integrated music dramas. Pray today for Jill’s family as her husband Gregg battles cancer that has recently been diagnosed.

Closing Prayer: O God of peace, who hast taught us that in returning and rest we shall be saved, in quietness and in confidence shall be our strength: By the might of thy Spirit lift us, we pray thee, to thy presence, where we may be still and know that thou art God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. - The Book of Common Prayer Notes

4 SATURDAY, JULY 4

Opening Prayer: O Lord, our God, give us the grace and the strength to dwell in you all the minutes of this day. Allow us the pleasure of beholding your beauty in all times and through all the circumstances that lie before us. May we continually seek your face. Amen.

Scripture: Psalm 27:1-8

Journal: What beauty have you beheld recently? How has God shown himself beautiful in your life and world? What did that do within you? How will you go about seeking his face today?

Reflection: The spiritual guidance Brother Lawrence (Practicing the Presence of God) offers is simple: the love of God is everything, a love that surrounds and enfolds us. Out of this love should proceed a rhythm of continual internal awareness of God. Our constant conversation with God helps us to remember that he is our partner in everything we do. Br. Lawrence used to say to the Lord, “So that my work will be better, Lord, work with me; receive my work and possess all my affections.” Just as two people who love each other find their days filled with thoughts of each other, so in this practice we raise our minds to remember the One who loves us most. We establish a loving, familiar union with God, who holds us in the palm of his gentle hand. The practice of the presence of God becomes a habitual state of the soul, an openness to the Divine One who surrounds us in our busy lives. (Beginning Contemplative Prayer by Kathryn J. Hermes)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Steve Hoke works with national church denominations and mission organizations in 25 countries and North America in the area of leader development and strategic life coaching. Pray today that the Spirit will guide Steve to make connections with the leaders and organizations with which to work and that he will have spiritual authority to speak into the lives of mission leaders requesting assistance.

Closing Prayer: God, I’m asking for one thing, only one thing: To live with you in your house my whole life long. I’ll contemplate your beauty; I’ll study at your feet. That’s the only quiet, secure place in a noisy world, the perfect getaway, far from the buzz of traffic. God, hold me head and shoulders above all who try to pull me down. I’m headed for your place to offer anthems that will raise the roof! Already I’m singing God-songs; I’m making music to You.- The Message Notes

5 Theme for the Week: Hunger and Thirst

SUNDAY, JULY 5

Scripture: John 4:1-26

Journal: What are you most thirsty for these days? What well are you going to in order to try and get “it?” How is that working for you? What would it mean to drink deeply of Jesus?

Reflection: “Are you thirsty?” said the Lion. “I’m dying of thirst,” said Jill. “Then drink,” said the Lion. “May I - could I - would you mind going away while I do?” said Jill. The Lion answered this only by a look and a very low growl. And as Jill gazed at its motionless bulk, she realized that she might as well have asked the whole mountain to move aside for her convenience. The delicious rippling noise of the stream was driving her nearly frantic. “Will you promise not to - do anything to me, if I do come?” said Jill. “I make no promise,” said the Lion. Jill was so thirsty now that, without noticing it, she had come a step nearer. “Do you eat little girls?” she said. “I have swallowed up girls and boys, women and men, kings and emperors, cities and realms,” said the Lion. It didn’t say this as if it were boasting, nor as if it were sorry, nor as if it were angry. It just said it. “I daren’t come and drink,” said Jill “Then you will die of thirst,” said the Lion. “Oh dear!” said Jill, coming another step nearer. “I suppose I must go and look for another stream then.” “There is no other stream,” said the Lion. (The Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Knoxville Inner City Kids Outreach (KICKO) is a para-church ministry with a mission to “Mobilize the Message of Hope” to the at-risk children in our inner-city neighborhoods. This is done through a unique program called Sidewalk SONday School. Large trucks, outfitted to take the church into these communities, allow them to share the gospel with children at multiple locations each week. This summer’s CSPC VBS mission offering was given to KICKO. VBS kids raised more than $3,000!

Closing Prayer: O God, help me to realize, both this day and every day, that the thirst that lies so deeply within me can only be quenched by you. Help me come to you this day and drink. Through Jesus. Amen. Notes

6 MONDAY, JULY 6

Opening Prayer: O God, giver of life and source of living water. Forgive me for all the places other than you that I go to satisfy the deepest longings of my heart. Help me to see what broken wells I go to each day in search of the fullness only you can provide. Allow me to quench the thirst of my soul in You this day, and in nothing or no one else. Through Christ. Amen.

Scripture: Jeremiah 2:11-13

Journal: What are your broken wells? Where are you trying to satisfy the thirst of your soul apart from Christ?

Reflection: It’s part of my pastoral calling to look closely at the lives of those who go to church. They all clean up pretty nicely on Sunday morning. But just below the surface of their navy-blue suits and colorful dresses lie souls that are not nearly so tidy. On a typical Sunday in our church, I sit facing the congregation while the choir sings the anthem before the sermon. I gaze into the faces of people I know and love. I see the elder whose marriage is hanging on by a thread. Next to him is the Sunday school teacher whose daughter was arrested last week for driving under the influence of alcohol. Two pews behind them is the church’s newest widow, who is wondering how she will survive sitting in church alone for the first time in forty years. She happens to be sitting next to a young couple who desperately want to be parents, but not a single one of the fertility treatments seem to be helping. The details may change as I look from face to face, but the essential story remains the same. They are all thirsty. My job is to remember that what we are struggling with is not just our families and jobs. No, the stakes are much higher than that. The real struggle is with our parched souls. We were created with a need to satisfy our physical thirst, and every morning of our lives we are reminded of this thirst. But this physical thirst is a symbol, maybe even a sacrament, that points to the deeper spiritual thirst of the soul. So also is our longing for better families and more satisfying jobs a symbol of our deeper yearning to be a part of the family and mission of God. We simply cannot satisfy the thirst of our souls by pouring on new relationships, experience, achievements, or careers. We will never find what we are looking for in the things we pick up along the way. Not even the religious things. Not even important things like relationships. All of these things will leave our souls empty if we try to force them to satisfy our thirst. The true object of our search is nothing less than an encounter with the Holy One.( Sacred Thirst by M. Craig Barnes)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

The Knoxville Leadership Foundation or KLF focuses on five important components of community life to ensure overall health within the city: family, youth, housing, racial reconciliation, and economic development. Chris Martin is the founder and president. KLF has a transitional housing ministry in Flenniken Landing. A recent video at reclamationstories.org tells the story of one man’s “Eviction Party.” Watch it today and pray for Tommy who now has a home of his own. Pray also for the Come Serve With Us CSPC volunteers who are serving ice cream at Flenniken Landing on July 27. To find out more, go to http://cspc.net/opportunities-to-serve.

Closing Prayer: Forgive us, O God, for forsaking you, the fountain of living water and creating for ourselves broken cisterns, cisterns that cannot hold water. Help us, O Lord, to return to you and drink from the waters of life. Amen. Notes

7 TUESDAY, JULY 7

Opening Prayer: O God of tender mercies, I know I’ve kept you at arm’s length. I’ve kept you safe in heaven. But heaven has leaned down to the earth and I’ve been touched anew. Like thirsty ground I long for you. Forgive my casualness about your Love. Forgive my shallow life. I am finished with shallowness. I used to pray that I be saved from eternal death, but now I pray to be saved from shallow living. Eternal death? Shallow living? Is there a difference? O God, deliver me from shallow living! (A Tree Full of Angels by Macrina Wiederkehr)

Scripture: John 6:25-35

Journal: How are you working for “food that perishes” these days? What does it mean to you that Jesus is the bread of life? What does it look like to feed on him today?

Reflection: All of us are willing to admit pangs of hunger and feelings of emptiness inside us. We experience half-formed dreams and vague drives for something more than human resources can promise or produce. There is in each of us a dynamic, a mystique or drive that, unless detoured by human selfishness, leads to search for God, whether we know it or not. It is this desire that carries us beyond what we can see into the darkness and obscurity of faith. It is a hunger that can be satisfied in God alone. Obviously, God does not intend to satisfy this desire completely in this world; its function is to draw us closer and closer to God who alone can give us complete satisfaction. This is the truth which St. Augustine discovered, after the discouragement of so many blind alleys: “our hearts were made for you, O God, and they shall not rest until they rest in you.” (A Reason to Live! A Reason to Die! by John Powell)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

J & M are in their third year of serving in Creative Access using the platform of micro finance lending to engage in church planting with holistic development. They have sought to be deeply immersed in the language and culture and continue their work with a micro finance company. Pray today for good health for M and their new son to be born this month. They are living temporarily in Knoxville until August. Pray also that their Hindi studies will go well in order to keep their language skills sharp while in the U.S.

Cedar Springs adopted Lonsdale Elementary in 2003. Lonsdale, with more than 400 students PreK through 5th grade, only serves the Lonsdale area. Over the years, the racial make-up of the school, whose students are 100% free lunch qualified, has changed to primarily Hispanic and African-American children. Pray today for the children that attend Lonsdale Elementary that they might have a safe, fun summer as they get ready to go back to school next month.

Closing Prayer: O God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. I am painfully conscious of my need for further grace. I am ashamed of my lack of desire. O God, the Triune God, I want to want Thee; I long to be filled with longing; I thirst to be made more thirsty still. (The Pursuit of God by A. W. Tozer) Notes

8 WEDNESDAY, JULY 8

Opening Prayer: Help us not, O Lord, spend our time and our energy working for that which is not bread and ultimately does not satisfy. But help us, O God, to come to you and eat what is good, that our souls might delight in the richest of fare. Through Jesus. Amen.

Scripture: Isaiah 55:1-5

Journal: What are spending your “labor” on these days? Is it satisfying you? What does God’s invitation to “Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare” do within you? How will you feast on him today?

Reflection: We stand in the midst of nourishment and we starve. We dwell in the land of plenty, yet we persist in going hungry. Not only do we dwell in the land of plenty; we have the capacity to be filled with the utter fullness of God (Ephesians. 3:16-19). In the light of such possibility, what happens? Why do we drag our hearts? Lock up our souls? Why do we limp? Why do we straddle issues? Why do we live feebly, so dimly? Why aren’t we saints? Each of us could come up with individual answers to all these questions, but I want to suggest here a common cause. The reason we live life so dimly and with such divided hearts is that we have never really learned how to be present with quality to God, to self, to others, to experiences and events, to all created things. We have never learned to gather up the crumbs of whatever appears in our path at every moment. We meet all of these lovely gifts only half there. Presence is what we are all starving for. Real Presence! We are too busy to be present, too blind to see the nourishment and salvation in the crumbs of life, the experiences of each moment. Yet the secret of daily life is this: There are no leftovers. There is nothing - no thing, no person, no experience, no thought, no joy or pain - that cannot be harvested and used for nourishment on our journey to God. What I am suggesting here is that everything in your life is a stepping-stone to holiness if only you recognize that you do have within you the grace to be present to each moment. Your presence is an energy that you can choose to give or not give. Every experience, every thought, every word, every person in your life is a part of a larger picture of your growth. That’s why I call them crumbs. They are not the whole loaf, but they can be nourishing if you give them your real presence. Let everything energize you. Let everything bless you. Even your limping can bless you. (A Tree Full of Angels by Macrina Wiederkehr)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Darlene Johnson has been a member of MTW’s church-planting team in Nagoya, Japan, since 2000. She teaches conversational English and evangelistic Bible studies and is involved in choral and instrumental music ministry. Pray today for several outreach activities that Darlene is involved with, including a group meeting for worship in a cafe in Nagoya, an art club for children and English classes for women.

The Love Kitchen serves Knoxville’s homeless, helpless, hopeless, hungry, and homebound by providing food and clothing. Many CSPC members volunteer there every week preparing and distributing meals. Twin sisters, Ellen and Helen, founded this kitchen. Sadly, Ellen Turner died in April. Pray today for Helen and all of the Turner family as well as the volunteers who are keeping The Love Kitchen going during this time of sorrow. Pray also for the Come Serve With Us CSPC volunteers who are working at The Love Kitchen on July 13, 23 and 30. To find out more, go to http://cspc.net/opportunities-to-serve.

Closing Prayer: Jesus, Thou Joy of loving hearts, Thou Fount of life, Thou Light of men, from the best bliss that earth imparts, we turn unfilled to Thee again. Thy truth unchanged hath ever stood; Thou savest those that on Thee call; to them that seek Thee Thou art good, to them that find Thee all in all. We taste Thee, O Thou living Bread, and long to feast upon Thee still; we drink of Thee, the Fountainhead, and thirst our souls from Thee to fill. Our restless spirits yearn for Thee, wherever our changeful lot is cast; glad when Thy gracious smile we see, Blessed when our faith can hold Thee fast. O Jesus, ever with us stay, make all our moments calm and bright; chase the dark night of sin away, shed over the world Thy holy light.- St. Bernard of Clairvaux

9 Notes

10 THURSDAY, JULY 9

Opening Prayer: Feed us this day, O God of life, with you Holy Word, that we might live not on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds from your mouth. Amen.

Scripture: Matthew 4:1-4

Journal: What is God’s word for you today? What has he given you to feed on from his mouth today?

Reflection: One of the great temptations of the spiritual life is the temptation to feed on things other than God. It was even a temptation for Jesus - amplified by the fact that he had gone without food for forty days and forty nights. “He was hungry,” the scriptures tell us, so why not take matters into your own hands and feed yourself? Because, before you know it, you will be attempting to rely on yourself for everything. Parker Palmer calls it practical atheism. “Practical” because we are not atheists theologically, I mean we believe in God, right? So what’s the problem? The problem is that, practically speaking, we just don’t live like we do. We have a tendency to do everything for ourselves. We rely on our own gifts, resources, and skills to arrange life the way we want it to be. And if we can’t, we will die trying. We are the ones who control our direction and agenda, and then whenever something goes wrong we can always come running to God for help. The simple truth is that we don’t rely on God - and his word - to feed us the way Jesus relied on him in the desert. For the most part we’ve arranged our lives in such a way that we don’t need to. If our souls get hungry we just run to the world for food, there is plenty to feed on there. For instance, we can feed on our accomplishments and achievements. We can feed on the attention and affirmation of others. We can feed on our jobs, or our skills, or our assets, or even our families. The options are endless. The only problem is that none of these things can satisfy the deepest hunger of our souls. These things were not created to fill us, which means we are never completely satisfied, and thus it keeps us always in pursuit of more. I think this is why addiction happens. The Enemy knows that if he can subtly deceive us into feeding ourselves, then he’s got us. Then there is no real reason for us to depend on God, or on his Word, for our food. I think that’s why I love this response from Jesus so much. It recognizes and reveals where true food comes from; food that can satisfy. And it gives us a beautiful example of seeing through the lies and deception of the Enemy, right to the truth, for “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: Teach me to seek you, for I cannot seek you unless you teach me, or find you unless you show yourself to me. Let me seek you in my desire, and desire you in my seeking. Let me find you by loving you, let me love you when I find you. - St. Anselm Notes

11 FRIDAY, JULY 10

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you that you offer us yourself as food for our souls. May we accept your invitation and feed on you each and every day, for nothing else will satisfy the deepest longings of our souls. Amen.

Scripture: John 6:47-59

Journal: When you hear the words “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you,” what does it do in you? How has his body and blood been real food and real drink to you?

Reflection: “Feed on him in your hearts by faith with thanksgiving,” say the words of the ancient prayer, and what rich and wonderful words they are! They are words that invite us into a holy mystery. They are words that invite us to find our soul’s deepest nourishment and sustenance in the body and blood of Jesus. The sacraments act as entry points into the type of union and communion God most deeply desires with each of us. They are physical signs that point to spiritual realities. All of which give us an inside view of God’s heart and his deep desire for relationship with us. For, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them.” Thanks be to God!

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Mike and Stephanie are working with a project called LEARN (Leadership Education and Resource Network) based in Beirut, Lebanon. The project’s aim is to provide high quality, interactive Biblical training via Internet to Arabic-speakers wherever they are found. Pray today for the recent graduates of the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary where Mike teaches as they make decisions about where they will continue their ministries.

Since 1996, the Mission of Hope has ministered to the people of various counties in Kentucky and Tennessee from which 80% of the residents no longer have jobs in the coal mining industry. In their first event in 1996 they were able to assist 150 children. This past Christmas, because of the generosity of so many people, the Mission of Hope was able to help more than 18,000 children and their families with food, clothes, toys and hygiene items. Pray today for the Come Serve With Us CSPC volunteers who will be working at Mission of Hope on July 14 packing hygiene bags. To find out more, go to http://cspc.net/opportunities- to-serve.

Closing Prayer: Loving Father, I surrender to you today with all my heart and soul. Please come into my heart in a deeper way. I say, “Yes” to you today. I open all the secret places of my heart to you and say, “Come on in.” Jesus, you are the Lord of my whole life. I believe in you and receive you as my Lord and Savior. I hold nothing back. Holy Spirit, bring me to a deeper conversion to the person of Jesus Christ. I surrender all to you: my time, my treasures, my talents, my health, my family, my resources, my work, relationships, time management, successes and failures. I release it and let it go. I surrender my understanding of how things “ought” to be, my choices and my will. I surrender to you the promises I have kept and the promises I have failed to keep. I surrender my weaknesses and strengths to you. For the sake of Jesus. Amen. Notes

12 SATURDAY, JULY 11

Opening Prayer: O Lord, I am so hungry and thirsty for you! Meet me now, during this time, and speak to the deepest places of my heart and soul. Capture me with your great love and affection that I might love those in this world freely and well. In your name, by your power, and for your glory. Amen.

Scripture: Psalm 42:1-5

Journal: How does Psalm 42 speak for your heart right now? How does it speak to your heart?

Reflection: I speak to thirsty hearts whose longings have been wakened by the touch of God within them. (Pursuit of God by A. W. Tozer) Each of us, for instance, carries around inside himself, I believe, a certain emptiness - a sense that something is missing, a restlessness, the deep feeling that somehow all is not right inside his skin. (The Magnificent Defeat by Frederick Buechner)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before him? Day and night I have only tears for food, while my enemies continually taunt me, saying, “Where is this God of yours?” My heart is breaking as I remember how it used to be: I walked among the crowds of worshipers, leading a great procession to the house of God, singing for joy and giving thanks amid the sound of a great celebration! Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again - my Savior and my God! (Psalm 42:1-5, NLT) Notes

13 Theme for the Week: The Heart

SUNDAY, JUNE 12

Opening Prayer: O God, in all ages you have imparted yourself to man and set alight the fire of faith in his heart, grant to me the faith which comes from search. Cleanse my life from all that negates and crushes faith, and fill it with the purity and honesty that foster it. Cleanse me from the evil which makes unbelief its friend, and drive it far from me, so that, being willing in all things to do your will, I may know the truth which shall set me free. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. (Daily Prayer Companion by Samuel M. Shoemaker)

Scripture: Ezekiel 11:17-21

Journal: What is the state of your heart these days? What words or images best describe it? What is God’s desire for your heart?

Refection: There is a desire within each of us, in the deep center of ourselves that we call our heart. We were born with it, it is never completely satisfied, and it never dies. We are often unaware of it, but it is always awake. It is the human desire for love. Every person on this earth yearns to love, to be loved, to know Love. Our true identity, our reason for being, is to be found in this desire. (The Awakened Heart by Gerald May)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Bobby and Teresa LaDage are working with Redeemer City to City (the church planting arm of Redeemer Church in NYC) envisioning, equipping, and mentoring church planters and their wives in order to see gospel-centered churches reach the major cities of Eastern and Central Europe. Pray today for the church planters in Krakow that the city would become a center for reaching the 8 million people who live in a 62 mile radius around it.

Closing Prayer: O Lord, have mercy on us. Change our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh. Come into the deepest parts of our being and capture us with your unfailing love that our hearts might fully belong to you and you alone. In the name of Jesus. Amen. Notes

14 MONDAY, JULY 13

Opening Prayer: O God, what can we do of ourselves if you support us not but fall into sin and offend you? Leave us not, therefore, to ourselves, but strengthen us in the inward man, that so we may at all times and in all things renounce our evil inclinations, which are incessantly endeavoring to withdraw our hearts from you. Complete your conquest and make us all your own both now and forever. Amen. (Disciplines for the Inner Life by Bob Benson and Michael W. Benson)

Scripture: Ezekiel 36:22-29

Journal: Where has your heart grown hard recently? What are the places your heart is tender? Where do you sense new life and a new spirit? Where is God at work within you these days?

Reflection: Our heart, the center of our being, has been distorted by sin and wounded by life experiences. In this condition, the light of God only made us turn away with feelings of guilt and shame. For this reason, God has to begin the lifelong process of recreating the heart so that we can have the freedom to receive His love fully and return it unconditionally. This transformation of the heart is both a prerequisite and an outcome of deepening intimacy with God. God foretold what He would do through the prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 36:26-29). As God heals our hearts, remolding us the way we were intended to be (a heart of flesh), we learn to trust His love and forgiveness, to open ourselves freely to Him, and to discern His presence. We begin to gain the ability to see and hear at a heart level. (Mansions of the Heart by R. Thomas Ashbrook)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

John and Kathy Lesondak are church planters who work across denominational lines in Slovakia to encourage and enable pastors in their work. John founded the Kosice Fine Arts Center in 2013. Kosice was a “Culture Capital City of Europe” for 2013 along with Marseilles, France. Pray today for John and Kathy and the opportunities that they are having to have meaningful conversations with members of their community about faith.

Closing Prayer: Almighty and eternal God, so draw our hearts to you, so guide our minds, so fill our imaginations, so control our wills, that we may be wholly yours, utterly dedicated to you; and then use us, we pray, as you will, and always to your glory and the welfare of your people; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. (Disciplines for the Inner Life by Bob Benson and Michael W. Benson) Notes

15 TUESDAY, JULY 14

Opening Prayer: Dear Jesus, I ask you to come and lead me on this journey for my heart and for yours. Be my Guide, and help me recover the lost life of my heart. When I am confused, grant me clarity and insight. When I am fearful and tempted to give up or check out, grant me courage to press on. When I am impatient or distracted, bring me back to what matters most. When I am hurting, comfort me. But in all, I pray you to restore me to fullness of the heart you set within me. In your name I pray. Amen. (The Sacred Romance Workbook by John Eldredge)

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:9-13

Journal: What are the things that have captured your heart? How are you giving yourselves to those things? How has God captured your heart? How aware are you of the “eternity” he has placed in your heart? How are you giving yourself to him these days?

Reflection: For the child, newborn, is a natural spy. Only his inherent limitations impede him from consuming all the clues of the universe fitted to his perceiving capacities. Sent here with the mission of finding the meaning buried in matter, of locating the central intelligence, he goes about his business briskly, devouring every detail within his developing grasp. He is devoted to discovery, resists sleep in order to consume more data. Never again will he seek to unearth the treasure buried in the field with such single-mindedness. He has to learn the world from scratch, but the task seems nothing but a joy. Yet gradually, over time, something goes wrong. The spy slowly begins to forget his mission. He spends so much time and effort learning the language, adopting the habits and customs, internalizing the thought patterns flawlessly, that somehow, gradually, imperceptibly, he becomes his cover. He forgets what he’s about. He goes to school, grows up. He gets a job, collects his pay, buys a house, waters the lawn. He settles down and settles in. He wakes up each morning with the shape of his mission, what brought him here in the first place, grown hazier, like a dream that slides quickly away. He frowns and makes an effort to remember. But the phone rings or the baby cries, and he is distracted for the rest of the day. Perhaps he forms a resolution to remember; still he seems helpless to keep the shape, the color of his mission clear in his mind. Then one morning he wakes up and only yawns. It must be there somewhere, buried in the brain cells, but at least superficially the memory is erased. The spy goes native.( And the Tress Clap Their Hands by Virginia Stem Owens)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Josh and Jenny M. are working with the RAK Church Plant in the United Arab Emirates. The RAK Evangelical Church has now been formally constituted as a church with about 40 members. They continue raising funds for the building on the land the Lord has provided. By God’s grace, they hope to break ground on the building later this year. Pray for their patience as they continue to raise funds.

PALM (Preparing Arab-World Leaders for Ministry) is Arab World Media’s discipleship and theological training ministry. It provides high quality leadership and discipleship training materials in Arabic, Kabyle and French. It is an excellent way to meet the need for training in leadership and ministry among Muslim background believers throughout North Africa, Middle East and Arabian Peninsula. Our March mission conference guest Belkacem Guermouche works with PALM Algerian. Pray for him today.

Closing Prayer: You, O Lord, set eternity in our hearts and lit the fire of faith deep in our souls. Help us now, we pray, to be all that you created us to be - living expressions of your unbridled creativity and unfailing love. Amen. Notes

16 WEDNESDAY, JULY 15

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, may we always know that before anything else you want our love. You desire us to love you with everything in our being. You desire us to love you above and beyond anything else in all creation. And you want that love for you to determine everything else that we do. Help us to hear (Hear, O Israel) and heed your call today. Amen.

Scripture: Mark 12:28-34

Journal: What do the words of Jesus do within you this day? How do they capture you? How do they inspire you? How do they disrupt you? How do they challenge you? What does it mean to love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength? How does that enable you to love your neighbor as yourself?

Reflection: There is a secret place. A radiant sanctuary. As real as your own kitchen. More real than that. Constructed of the purest elements. Overflowing with the ten thousand beautiful things. Worlds within worlds. Forests, rivers. Velvet coverlets thrown over featherbeds, fountains bubbling beneath a canopy of stars. Bountiful forests, universal libraries. A wine cellar offering an intoxication so sweet you will never be sober again. A clarity so complete you will never again forget. This magnificent refuge is inside you. Enter. Shatter the darkness that shrouds the doorway… Believe the incredible truth that the Beloved has chosen for his dwelling place the core of your own being because that is the single most beautiful place in all of creation. - Teresa of Avila

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Heath and Angela Many are now serving at Tenwek Hospital, a Christian mission hospital in rural Kenya, as medical missionaries in their respective fields (surgery and obstetrics/gynecology). Pray today for Angela who has recently taken on the responsiblity of being the visiting staff coordinator. Pray also for Heath who is planning another surgical trip to South Sudan for late July. Please pray that all of the logistics of travel, equipment, and medicines can fall into place in time for the trip.

Closing Prayer: O God, you love us with a wild, passionate, unfailing love, and you ask that we love you with the same. Give us the grace and the courage and the strength to do just that. Through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen. Notes

17 THURSDAY, JULY 16

Opening Prayer: O God, we can’t hide from you, for you see right into our hearts. It is our hearts that you most care about. It is our hearts that you desire one hundred percent ownership of. It is our hearts that ultimately make us who we are. Therefore, O God, capture our hearts once again today and make us completely your own. Amen.

Scripture: 1 Samuel 16:1-13

Journal: What words or images are you most drawn to in this scripture? Why? What are you most disturbed by? Why? What do you spend more time and energy investing in, the outward appearance or the heart? What does God see when he looks into your heart today?

Reflection: We spend so much time and energy on the “outward things” these days, or at least I know I do. Oh not just our physical appearance, but our whole persona. It is how we are judged in this culture. And, if we’re really honest, it is how we judge as well. We care a lot about how we look, or should I say how we are perceived. We strive for success. We work for achievements. We list our accomplishments. We build our reputations. We make a name for ourselves. For us, and for our world, image matters. We define ourselves, oftentimes, by how others see us and by what they say and think about us. Which makes for a rocky and lonely ride. But aren’t you so glad that God is not like that? Aren’t you glad that God doesn’t look on the outward appearance, but looks on the heart? It is the exact opposite of what the world does. Maybe that’s why these verses can be so unsettling. God is kind of turning our normal ways of being and seeing upside down. What matters most in his economy is not the outward things, but the inward things. Because life was meant to flow from the inside out, not from the outside in. He knows that if he has captured our hearts, our lives and our behavior will take care of itself. After all, only good water can flow out of a good well. So maybe instead of spending so much time constructing my outer world, I need to invest much more time and energy on my inner one - nurturing my heart. Maybe I need come before him much more often in prayer and allow his great affection to so capture me that it affects everything I do, think, and say. Because maybe God wants my affection far more than he wants my activity. For he knows if he has my affection, he will have my behavior as well. In fact, he will have all of me. My guess is that’s what he saw in young David as he came in from tending the sheep. He saw a man after His own heart. And that’s exactly the kind of king he was looking for.

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Mark and Mary are living in a Creative Access country. Mark is working for a U.S. corporation there as a “Tent Maker.” Mark’s work gives him unparalleled access to the local population. Pray today for wisdom for Mark and Mary as they lead a growing team. Pray for unity of spirit and vision, and that the Lord would use them for his kingdom, and that the gospel would take root across the land where they live.

Closing Prayer: God of all that is good and just, grant us courage to walk the path of faith with integrity and wisdom to rely on you to guide our feet toward the level ground of vital Christian community. Test us where we think we are strong, and strengthen us where we know we are wavering. Above all, create in us pure hearts given fully to love of your truth. Amen. (A Guide to Prayer for All Who Walk with God by Rueben Job, Norman Shawchuck, and John Mogabgab) Notes

18 FRIDAY, JULY 17

Opening Prayer: Deliver us when we draw near to you, O God, from coldness of heart and wanderings of mind: grant that with steadfast hearts and kindled affections, we may worship you in Spirit and in Truth. Amen.( Venite by Robert Benson)

Scripture: Proverbs 4:20-27

Journal: What is springing up in your heart these days? What is giving you life? How will you keep your heart set on Jesus? Reflection: Indeed, if we will listen, a Sacred Romance calls to us through our heart every moment of our lives. It whispers to us on the wind, invites us through the laughter of good friends, reaches out to us through the touch of someone we love. We’ve heard it in our favorite music, sensed it at the birth of our first child, been drawn to it while watching the shimmer of a sunset on the ocean. The Romance is even present in times of great personal suffering: the illness of a child, the loss of a marriage, the death of a friend. Something calls to us through experiences like these and rouses an inconsolable longing deep within our heart, wakening in us a yearning for intimacy, beauty, and adventure. This longing is the most powerful part of any human personality. It fuels our search for meaning, for wholeness, for a sense of being truly alive. However we may describe this deep desire, it is the most important thing about us, our heart of hearts, the passion of our life. And the voice that calls to us in this place is none other than the voice of God. (The Sacred Romance by Brent Curtis and John Eldredge)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Cedar Springs partners with Redeemer City to City to plant churches in urban areas around the world. Pray for all of the church planters that are supported throughout the world.

Closing Prayer: Drive far from us all wrong desires, O God, and incline our hearts to keep your ways. Grant that having cheerfully done your will this day we may, when night comes, rejoice and give you thanks. Through the one who lives a reigns with you and your Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (Venite by Robert Benson) Notes

19 SATURDAY, JULY 18

Opening Prayer: God unto whom all hearts are open and unto whom every will speaks, and from whom no secret thing is hidden, I pray You to cleanse the intent of my heart with the ineffable gift of Your grace, that I might perfectly love You, and worthily praise You. Amen. (The Cloud of Unknowing)

Scripture: Jeremiah 29:10-14

Journal: What do the words of Jeremiah do within you today? What makes you come alive? What challenges you? What does it look like to seek the Lord with all your heart? Where are you in that process?

Reflection: Prayer is not real unless it comes from the heart. “The heart” is a phrase that is strongly emphasized in the Bible. It is a picture of the heart of human personality, the place where all our attitudes, drive and motivation come from. The heart is the core of our being. Prayer starts with the heart, because God longs to relate to us at every level of our being. This includes our feelings, our mind, our imagination, our love, our memory, our will. God seeks to know us intimately for all that we are. This is why prayer focuses on the very core of our being, inside the heart. John Chrysostom, the great preacher in the fourth-century church, said, “Find the door of your heart, and you will discover that it is the door of the Kingdom of God.” (The Transforming Power of Prayer by James Houston)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Tom Matthews serves as a translation consultant to Bible translation teams from multiple people groups in northern Tanzania and Kenya. Some of the groups are minimally reached for Christ and some are dominated by Islam. Pray today for Tom and Juanita for Godly wisdom in all aspects of their jobs. They also ask that you pray for the final checking on the Gospel of John with the Burunge team and Acts with the Zinza team.

20 Theme for the Week: Treasure

SUNDAY, JULY 19

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, our eternal treasure, be our one desire, be the first of all our affections, be the center of our lives. May all we do, think, and say revolve always only around you. Amen.

Scripture: Matthew 6:19-21

Journal: What does your life tend to revolve around these days? What does that tell you about where you heart is? What does that tell you about what you treasure?

Reflection: Typically, you can tell what’s most important to a person by the way they spend their time. Whatever that thing is that gets the majority of our time, energy, and attention has a really good chance of being the thing that we treasure the most. Oh, we can try to convince ourselves, and our world, otherwise, but when it comes right down to it, we know it’s true. Jesus knew it too. He realized that the things that our lives tend to revolve around are the things that have our hearts. And the things that have our hearts are the things, like it or not, that are our treasure. So we have to pay careful attention to what our lives (and our use of time) are telling us. What does the way I live my life say about what is really important to me? Where does most of our time, effort, and energy get invested? What does that say about what I really treasure? Who, or what, has my heart right now? Is that person, or thing, treasure that will last? What does it look like to treasure Jesus above all else?

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

J. and C. are working in a Creative Access country for World Outreach. J. is developing an entry platform using sustainable technologies that will provide income and economic development among the people they are ministering to. Pray today for wisdom as they have their second meeting with a large international conservation organization about a possible partnership in one location.

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us treasure you above all else. Amen. Notes

21 MONDAY, JULY 20

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, you are indeed the treasure hidden in a field. Help me to seek and search and dig and hunt until I finally find you today. And when I do, capture my heart and soul completely with your beauty and majesty in a way that totally reorders my priorities, as well as my life. Amen.

Scripture: Matthew 13:44

Journal: Do you really believe that the Kingdom of God is like treasure? Like treasure hidden? What will you do to seek and search for that treasure today? What treasure does God have for you? How is he your treasure today?

Reflection: The kingdom of heaven is like treasure. What an incredible statement! Of all the pictures that come to mind when I hear about the kingdom of heaven, the picture of a priceless, matchless treasure is not typically one of them. Why is that? What do I really think the kingdom of heaven is like? And how does what I think the kingdom of heaven is really like shape my life and my belief? I have a suspicion that if I really believed the kingdom of heaven was like treasure, I would live my life much differently. At least that’s what history would lead me to believe. Just take a look at those who found it: the guy in the field, Zacchaeus, James and John, and Peter and Andrew, Paul, just to name a few. It seems that something deeply significant happens within a person when they really discover the beauty and the majesty - the breathtaking quality - of this treasure. What comes to your mind when you hear the phrase the kingdom of heaven? And what comes to your mind when you think of treasure? What do you treasure? What is your treasure? It seems like a pretty significant question. In fact, both Matthew and Luke go as far as to tell us (like we saw yesterday) that where our treasure is, there our hearts will be also. So I guess it is something we should spend some time considering. I’ve been thinking a lot about treasure these days, particularly as it relates to the kingdom of heaven. Mostly because of this parable. And the more I think about it, the more it seems like once I am truly convinced that life with God (the kingdom of heaven) is like treasure - the most valuable, beautiful, captivating treasure I could ever hope to discover in my wildest dreams - it completely changes everything. My heart is totally and completely captured by its (His) beauty; and I will do anything, and give up anything and everything, to possess it. That’s the way it was for the man in the story at least. And that’s the way it could be for us too. At least that seems to be one of the main things Jesus is trying to communicate by telling the story in the first place; that the kingdom of heaven is like treasure. But it’s not just like treasure, it’s like treasure hidden. Now there’s an interesting twist. Why in the world would God want this treasure to be hidden? But we all know from experience that it indeed is. We all know thousands of people personally who have never found it. In fact, they don’t even know (or care) that it’s buried and waiting to be found. The only answer I can come up with is that there must be something in the seeking. And not only in the seeking for the very first time, but in the seeking each and every day after that as well. That means that the why of the hiddenness may not be quite as important as the fact that it is, indeed, hidden. For if it is, indeed, hidden then that must be the very nature of this treasure - always hidden, waiting to be found. And if that is the very nature of this treasure, then I need to constantly be on the lookout for it. If there is buried treasure waiting to be found, I need to constantly be seeking, and searching, and digging to unearth it, each minute of each and every day. Whether it be in a conversation, or a situation, or a circumstance, or a hardship, or a wound, or even in Scripture - or in my time with Him each day - I must constantly be digging in search of the treasure hidden in the field. It is there, just waiting to be found. And when I begin to approach life in this way it will radically change everything. I will be completely sold out (like the man in the parable), giving up anything and everything, in order to take possession of this immeasurably valuable treasure, constantly making it my very own.

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Pete and Ruth Mitchell are church planters in Marseille under the auspices of Mission to the World (MTW) and in collaboration with the Eglise Réformée Evangélique de France (French Reformed Evangelical Church). Pete’s role is that of team leader. The Mitchells have recently moved to Toulouse to plant a new church. Pete recently presented plans for the church plant in West Toulouse to the National Evangelism Committee of the French denomination UNEPREF. Pray today that plans to hire a French church planter in 14 months will be approved.

Safe Families for Children is an innovative collaboration between area churches, volunteers and child care professionals designed to support at-risk children and parents in need. Pray today for new host families in the Tri-Cities area. For more information, contact Janet Cockrum at [email protected].

22 Closing Prayer: Teach me to seek you, for I cannot seek you unless you teach me, or find you unless you show yourself to me. Let me seek you in my desire, and desire you in my seeking. Let me find you by loving you, let me love you when I find you. - St. Anselm. Notes

23 TUESDAY, JULY 21

Scripture: Matthew 13:52

Journal: What is God doing within you these days? What is in your storehouse right now? What treasures has God placed there in order for you to pass them along to others?

Reflection: A significant part of this life of faith, it seems, is being good stewards of those things God is doing (and has done) within us. Matthew, in fact, refers to them as treasures, new and old, stored up in the storehouse (of our souls). They are not the result of our own wisdom or insight or giftedness or favor, but things God, for some unknown reason, has chosen in his kindness to give to us. They are his gracious gifts that are intended to do something beautiful deep within us, but also to be brought out of the storehouse at the appropriate time and shared with whoever God brings across our paths. Therefore, we should always be aware of, and paying careful attention to, the things God is doing within us, because they are the very things he desires to use to show others the beauty of his Kingdom.

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: O God, Lord of all, you place your treasures within us and call us to be good stewards of their infinite beauty. Give us the grace and the wisdom to know how to care for this treasure, and where, when, and how to pass it along. Amen. Notes

24 WEDNESDAY, JULY 22

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you that you have placed your treasure within us, these broken clay jars, that your glory might shine through the cracks of our brokenness and reveal to the world your immeasurable beauty. Amen.

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:7

Journal: Where has God shown up in your brokenness lately? Where has his treasure been evident in your “clay jar” life? How?

Reflection: The contrast is pretty remarkable when you think about it; treasure in jars of clay. I mean, who does that? Who would put something of infinite value inside a container that is beaten, broken, and tattered? I’ll tell you who. God, that’s who! Because somehow the beauty of the treasure becomes most evident when it shines through the cracks of our shattered and broken lives. He can take the bruised, the battered, and the discarded people and things of this life and turn them into something that is amazingly beautiful once again - only because of the priceless treasure he puts within us. That’s just the way he works. He is the God who brings beauty from ashes, who brings life from death, who brings peace from chaos, and who brings wholeness from brokenness. He is the God who turns ordinary fishermen into martyrs, who takes lepers and makes them clean, who takes prostitutes and makes them saints. And I am so glad! Aren’t you?

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

F. & S. are working alongside Arab believers toward the goal of seeing churches planted for those who do not have a church. Their main focus is to work with, mobilize, resource and train nationals for this purpose. Pray today for business needs and wisdome on how to use them to minister to the needs of people. Pray also for someone to direct the Arabic training company and grow it so that it can be a blessing to more people.

At The Restoration House (TRH), they are working to help restore single mothers and their children back to God’s good intent for their lives. Through transformational housing, team mentoring, and service planning, TRH is helping single mother families end cycles of poverty and distress. Pray today for the Come Serve With Us CSPC volunteers who are working at TRH on July 31. To find out more, go to http://cspc.net/opportunities-to-serve.

Closing Prayer: Lord God, thank you that you care enough for us to place your treasure inside of us. May people not see us, but the beauty of the treasure we hold. Amen. Notes

25 THURSDAY, JULY 23

Opening Prayer: O Lord my God, give me an ever-deepening intimacy with you, and an ever-deepening trust in your unfailing love. Amen.

Scripture: Luke 2:19

Journal: What have you treasured and pondered lately? How often do you treasure and ponder God? Take a minute and ponder what he is doing in you - treasure it. It will have a significant effect on your day, as well as your life.

Reflection: What makes you the best version of yourself? For me I think it has a lot to do with these two words: treasuring and pondering. When I am taking time to ponder what God is doing within and around me, and to treasure whatever that may be - as well as, more importantly, treasuring the One who is doing these things - then I tend to be my very best self. The word used here for treasure in the Greek is syntereo, which means “to attend to with great care.” It gives the impression that you completely realize that you’re holding something of immense value in your hands (or in your heart), so you take the very best care of it you possibly can. You marvel at it, you behold its beauty, you gaze upon it, you are fully captured by it. And the word for ponder is symballo, which means “to bring together in one’s mind.” It is to think deeply about, to reflect upon, to consider the value and the implications of. The two really go hand-in-hand. The saints and the poets throughout history have used different words and images to capture these two concepts, as well as to help us understand how to practice them. Julian of Norwich once wrote: “Truth sees God, and wisdom beholds God, and from these two comes the third, and that is a marvelous delight in God, which is love.” And A. W. Tozer wrote: “Faith is the gaze of the soul upon a saving God.” Mother Teresa once said, “By contemplation the soul draws directly from the heart of God the graces which the active life must distribute.” And finally, author Marian Scheele once wrote, “When the soul is occupied by looking away from present trials into the face of Christ, and making this a regular and passionate occupation, this soul will become more tranquil and still, and therefore more able to reflect the Being it adores.” My guess is that how well we are doing at treasuring and pondering will directly affect the quality and depth of our lives. Therefore the question becomes: “How am I doing at treasuring and pondering what God is up to within me and around me these days?” Which then begs the question, “What is God up to within me and around me these days?” Unless we make some time and space to consider these questions, and to treasure and ponder the answers, we will never really stand a chance of being the very best version of ourselves - the version that God dreamt us to be. And that doesn’t just carry implications for us, but implication for those God has called us to as well. We must be very good stewards of whatever God is doing in and around us because that very treasure is not only what God has given to nurture and feed our souls, but also the treasure he has given us to give away to those in our lives and world. I think that’s what Jesus was getting at when he said in Matthew: “Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.” (Matthew 13:52) So today, let us all treasure and ponder. Because as we treasure and ponder our great God we will find that we are the ones treasured and pondered by the One who loves us, treasures us, and delights in us more than we dare ask or imagine. Thanks be to God!

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Dan and Shelly Owens live in Atlanta where Dan works with Sixty Feet. This organization focuses on ministry in Uganda in three categories: relief, rehabilitation or development. The Owens left Atlanta earlier this year and moved their family to Uganda. Pray today for all of them as they serve there.

Closing Prayer: O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger. When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than

26 the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas. O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! - Psalm 8:1-9 Notes

27 FRIDAY, JULY 24

Opening Prayer: Into Your hands, we commit our spirits; for you have redeemed us. Keep us as the apple of Your eye, and hide us in the shadow of your wings. Lord, have mercy; Christ, have mercy. (Venite by Robert Benson)

Scripture: Psalm 17:6-8

Journal: Do you really think God sees you as the apple of his eye? Why or why not? Is it possible that God actually treasures you? What would it look like for you to live as God’s treasured possession?

Reflection: The shoe has been squarely on the other foot this week, but now the tables turn a bit and we see that not only is God our treasure, but we are his. Hard to believe isn’t it? No matter how hard it might be to get our heads around this unbelievable fact, it is still true. And when we start to truly believe it, and start to live like it is true, it changes everything. No longer are we only pushed toward change by inner conviction, but we are also pulled into change by His great affection. And that pull is a powerful one. That pull is able to give us the life with God that we most deeply long for and have always dreamt about. It is able to give us the power and the strength to become all that he imagined us to be from the very beginning. It is the pull of his great affection that reorders all of the other (lesser) affections in our lives and makes us long for his love, his power, and his will in our lives. You are the apple of his eye. Believe it!

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

H. & L. serve in Asia by providing strategic leadership for colleagues serving in several major urban centers in Asia. Their role involves encouraging and coaching these co-workers in their ministries, as well as networking with others to make sure they have the resources and training that they need for their respective ministries. Pray today for H. & L. as they have recently returned to Hong Kong after some time in the U.S.

Closing Prayer: Lord you are my Lover, it is you whom I desire. You flow through my body like a stream, you shine on my face like the sun. Let me be your reflection. - St. Mechthildis Notes

28 SATURDAY, JULY 25

Opening Prayer: My God, I wish to give myself to thee. Give me the courage to do so. - Francois Fenelon

Scripture: Philippians 3:7-12

Journal: What words in this passage inspire you? What words encourage you? What words disturb you? What words challenge you? What would it look like to give yourself completely to God?

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

CSPC member Clayton Wood is the director of Thrive Lonsdale. This organization challenges inner-city youth with the love of Jesus Christ to serve others and reconcile by creatively meeting their spiritual, educational, and recreational needs through Bible study, tutoring, mentoring and outings. Pray for the Come Serve With Us CSPC volunteers who are doing yard work and clean up with Thrive Lonsdale today! To find out more, go to http://cspc.net/opportunities-to-serve.

Closing Prayer: One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock. - Psalm 27:4-5 Notes

29 Theme for the Week: Chosen

SUNDAY, JULY 26

Opening Prayer: Almighty God, you have created us, called us, chosen us to be your people. We wait now to receive your word of guidance and blessing. Grant unto us ears to hear, eyes to see, and faith to respond to your love and leadership. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. (A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and Other Servants by Rueben P. Job and Norman Shawchuck)

Scripture: Ephesians 1:3-14

Journal: How does it make you feel to know that God has chosen you to be his very own? What does it do within you? What is your response to his grace and love?

Reflection: This longing that wells up in us, though, does not spring into existence on its own. “God is always previous,” is the way the theologian Von Hugel put it. “You would not have called to me unless I had been calling to you,” is the way Aslan put it, the lion in the Narnia Chronicles who called Edmund and three other children from England into the magical land of Narnia. The way the apostle John put it was, “We love because he first loved us.” Maybe, too, that is why we long. “God’s yearning for us stirs up our longing in response,” says Howard Macy in Rhythms of the Inner Life. God’s initiating presence may be ever so subtle - an inward tug of desire, a more-than-coincidence meeting of words and events, a glimpse of the beyond in a storm or a flower - but it is enough to make our heart skip a beat and to make us want to know more.” (Windows of the Soul by Ken Gire)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Joe and Cindy Platillero proclaim the transforming presence of Jesus Christ through Biblical teaching and practical training to all who come through their doors. Their main ministry is through the Torchbearer Center where they have camps, conferences, and a small Bible School during the winter. Pray for them today as they focus on the local church and the church throughout Europe.

Closing Prayer: How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He’s the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son. Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we’re a free people - free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth. It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone. - The Message Notes

30 MONDAY, JULY 27

Opening Prayer: You, O Lord, are the fountain of life, and the source of all goodness; You made all things and filled them with Your blessing. Thanks be to God. Amen.( Venite by Robert Benson)

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:1-10

Journal: What does it mean that you are part of a chosen people? A royal priesthood? A holy Nation? A people belonging to God? What do those truths do within you? How do they fit together?

Reflection: “Come here,” said the Lion. And she had to. She was almost between its front paws now, looking straight into its face. But she couldn’t stand that for long; she dropped her eyes. “Human Child,” said the Lion. “Where is the Boy?” “He fell over the cliff,” said Jill, and added, “Sir.” She didn’t know what else to call him, and it sounded cheek to call him nothing. “How did he come to do that, Human Child?” “He was trying to stop me from falling, Sir.” “Why were you so near the edge, Human Child?” “I was showing off, Sir.” “That is a very good answer, Human Child. Do so no more. And now” (here for the first time the Lion’s face became a little less stern) “the Boy is safe.” I have blown him to Narnia. But your task will be the harder because of what you have d on e .” “Please, what task, Sir?” said Jill “The task for which I called you and him here out of your own world.” This puzzled Jill very much. “It’s mistaking me for someone else,” she thought. She didn’t dare to tell the Lion this, though she felt things would get into a dreadful muddle unless she did. “Speak your thought, Human Child,” said the Lion. “I was wondering - I mean - could there be some mistake? Because nobody called me and Scrubb, you know. It was we who asked to come here. Scrubb said we were to call to - to Somebody - it was a name I wouldn’t know - and perhaps the Somebody would let us in. And we did, and then we found the door open.” “You would not have called to me unless I had been calling to you,” said the Lion. “Then you are Somebody, Sir?” said Jill “I am.” (The Silver Chairby C. S. Lewis)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Steve and Ruth Porter center their ministry around Steve’s dentistry at the Miango Dental Clinic in Nigeria. Their goal is to provide high quality dentistry, a winsome witness, sound teaching, and a compassionate outreach to those in need. They minister to local pastors, teachers, and other church employees, offering their services for the cost of the materials they use. Pray today for the Porters as they hopefully have just returned to Nigeria. There were many complications with their return regarding their visas and a major change in health insurance.

Closing Prayer: Thank you, O Lord, that you have made us a chosen people, a royal priesthood, and a holy nation. Thank you that we belong to you, so that we might declare your praises. Thank you that you brought us out of the darkness and into the wonderful light. May we always remember that, and live our lives in grateful response to your mercy and love. Amen. Notes

31 TUESDAY, JULY 28

Opening Prayer: Lord God, you have proclaimed that we are chosen, holy, and dearly loved. Help us to dare to believe that it is really true. And help us to live as if we believe that it is really true. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Scripture: Colossians 3:12-14

Journal: Do you believe that you are chosen by God? Do you believe that you are holy? Do you really believe that you are dearly loved? What is your life like in response to that?

Reflection: To live a spiritual life, we have to claim for ourselves that we are “taken” or “chosen.” Let me try to expand a bit on these words. When I know that I am chosen, I know that I have been seen as a special person. Someone has noticed me in my uniqueness and has expressed a desire to know me, to come closer to me, to love me. When I write to you that, as the Beloved, we are God’s chosen ones, I mean that we have been seen by God from all eternity and seen as unique, special, precious beings. It is very hard for me to express well the depth of the meaning of the word “chosen” has for me, but I hope you are willing to listen to me from within. From all eternity, long before you were born and became a part of history, you existed in God’s heart. Long before your parents admired you or your friends acknowledged your gifts or your teachers, colleagues and employers encouraged you, you were already “chosen.” The eyes of love had seen you as precious, as of infinite beauty, as of eternal value. When love chooses, it chooses with a perfect sensitivity for the unique beauty of the chosen one. (Life of the Beloved by Henri J. M. Nouwen)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Carlos and Sandy Rios are planting Rivers of Grace Bible Church in the San Andres area of Guadalajara, Mexico. The church is growing and many new families have begun attending. Pray for the Rios and their church as they are involved in many evangelistic opportunities this summer.

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to live today as if I believed I was your beloved, and help me also to live today as if I believed that all of those I come into contact with are dearly loved by you as well. Amen. Notes

32 WEDNESDAY, JULY 29

Opening Prayer: Lord God, thank you that you chose us in order that we might bear fruit, fruit that would last. Help us to ever and always remain in you so that that might indeed be the case. Amen.

Scripture: John 15:9-17

Journal: How well are you abiding in his love these days? What kind of fruit is that producing in you? What does the knowledge that we were chosen in order to bear fruit do within you?

Reflection: I have always enjoyed the part of the prayer that suggests to us that we are taken by God, that we are chosen. “You did not choose me, I chose you,” we are told Jesus said to His friends once, and I claim it for myself as often as I feel I can get away with it. I remind myself of the hope of it when the darkness comes, and celebrate the astonishment of it when the Light is all around me. (Living Prayer by Robert Benson)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

M. is living in an area in Southeast Asia where the Tai Lue, an unreached people group, live. She is trusting that God will open doors for the gospel and empower local brothers and sisters to make disciples among them. Pray today for three local men who go to different areas during the week to share the Good News. Thank God for the love and boldness of these men and pray that the groups they meet with will all grow close with God and learn to lead themselves and others, going out to impact their communities.

Closing Prayer: Thank you, O God, that were chosen for much bigger reasons than we will ever fully understand. We were chosen in order to be a part of a much bigger story; the story of others coming to discover their own wonderfully mysterious chosenness. Thanks for making us a part of this eternal work. Amen. Notes

33 THURSDAY, JULY 30

Opening Prayer: Thank you, O Sovereign Lord, for always being at work in our lives - even in the midst things that might seem to have no redeeming value. Thank you that you are a God who is mysteriously and covertly always working for our good, regardless of how things might appear. And thank you that nothing can ever separate us from your unfailing love that is in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Scripture: Romans 8:28-39

Journal: How is God at work in your life these days? How is that a part of the process of conforming you to the image of his Son? What confidence or hope does it give you to know that nothing can ever separate you from his love?

Reflection: When you lose touch with your chosenness, you expose yourself to the temptation of self-rejection, and that temptation undermines the possibility of ever growing as the Beloved….When we claim and constantly reclaim the truth of being chosen ones, we soon discover within ourselves a deep desire to reveal to others their own chosenness. (Life of the Beloved by Henri J. M. Nouwen)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Mostafa and Mona Sharkawy’s main area of work is the U.K., serving among Arab Muslims. Their goals are to see Arabic churches arise from Muslim background believers, to see new generations of leaders from Muslim believers, and to teach and prepare them for future ministry. Pray today for Mostafa who will start his Master of Arts in Theology degree with the Evangelical Presbyterian Seminary in Egypt in September.

YOKE mentors middle school children by building friendships with Christian adults through clubs, camps, and Kid Time (hanging out with kids in their world). Currently YOKE reaches out to nearly 20,000 students at 26 middle schools located in Anderson, Blount, Grainger, Jefferson, and Knox counties. Pray today for the Yoke volunteers as they prepare to reach new students when school starts back next month.

Closing Prayer: Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?” For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. (Romans 11:33-36) Notes

34 FRIDAY, JULY 31

Opening Prayer: Lord God, thank you that you have invited us to your heavenly feast. May we accept that invitation with gratitude and humility, dress ourselves in our best wedding attire, and join in the great celebration. Amen.

Scripture: Matthew 22:1-14

Journal: Where do you find yourself in the context of this parable? What does the story touch inside of you? What disturbs you? Why? How do you respond to it?

Reflection: Whether a man arrives or does not arrive at his own destiny - the place that is peculiarly his - depends on whether or not he finds the Kingdom within and hears the call to wholeness - or holiness, as another might say. The man who hears that call is chosen. He does not have to scramble for a place in the scheme of things. He knows that there is a place which is his and that he can live close to the One who will show it to him. Life becomes his vocation. (Journey Inward, Journey Outward by Elizabeth O’Connor)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure. - Revelation 19:6-8 Notes

Opening Prayer: O gracious and holy Father, give us wisdom to perceive You, intelligence to understand You, diligence to seek You, patience to wait for You, eyes to behold You, a heart to meditate on You, and a life to proclaim You, through the power of the Spirit of Jesus Christ our Lord. - Benedict of Nursia

Scripture: Matthew 20:1-16

Journal: Who can you relate to most in the parable? Why? How does this story speak into your life right now?

Reflection: I don’t know about you, but I can really relate to the guys standing in the marketplace late in the afternoon still waiting to get picked. It just wreaks of neighborhood baseball games doesn’t it? The big, the strong, the skillful, the athletic going in the first round, while the rest of us wait our turn to finally be deemed good enough to participate. I love that the kingdom of God is not like that. At least that seems to be one of the many things Jesus is getting at in this parable. The kingdom of God is not just for the strong and the skilled and the popular. It is not just for those who look like they have it all together. But instead, it is for the least and the last and the marginal and the throwaways. God, it seems, doesn’t keep score. He doesn’t grade us as the world does, by appearance and performance. As a matter of fact, his heart seems to be draw in a very special way to the folks on the bottom rung of the ladder. He sees right through all of the superficial exterior, straight to the heart. And I am so glad. There is something really wonderful about a master who pays the last and the least the very same amount he pays the best and the brightest. There is something about a master like that I’m really drawn to. It gives me hope that even if I’m never really great at anything in the eyes of the world, I can still be great in the mind and heart of God.

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

2 Theme for the Week: Calling

SUNDAY, AUGUST 2

Opening Prayer: Help me, Oh God, to listen to what it is that makes my heart glad and to follow where it leads. May joy, not guilt, Your voice, not others, Your will, not my willfulness, be the guides that lead me to my vocation. Help me to unearth the passions of my heart that lie buried in my youth. And can help me to go over that ground again and again until I can hold in my hands, hold and treasure, Your calling on my life. Amen. (Windows of the Soul by Ken Gire)

Scripture: 1 Samuel 3:1-11

Journal: What is God trying to say to you these days? Where is he calling to you? Who is he calling you to be? What is he calling you to do?

Reflection: I wish that I might emphasize how a life becomes simplified when dominated by faithfulness to a few concerns. Too many of us have too many irons in the fire. We get distracted by the intellectual claim to our interest in a thousand and one good things, and before we know it we are pulled and hauled breathlessly along by an over- burdened program of good committees and good undertakings. I am persuaded that this fevered life of church workers is not wholesome. Undertakings get plastered on from the outside because we can’t turn down a friend. Acceptance of service on a weighty committee should really depend upon an answering imperative within us, not merely upon a rational calculation of the factors involved. The concern-oriented life is ordered and organized from within. And we learn to say “No” as well as “Yes” by attending to the guidance of inner responsibility. Inner simplicity needs to be expressed not merely in dress and architecture and the height of tombstones, but also in the structure of a relatively simplified and coordinated life-program of ministry responsibilities. And I am persuaded that concerns introduce that simplification, and along with it that intensification which we need in opposition to the hurried, superficial tendencies of our age. (A Testament of Devotion by Thomas Kelly)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Vitaly and Oksana Voinov live in Moscow, Russia. Vitaly is working with the Institute for Bible Translation (IBT) in Russia/CIS as IBT’s director. IBT has been serving the non-Slavic peoples of the former Soviet Union for four decades by translating the Holy Scriptures - Bibles, New Testaments, individual Bible books, and illustrated Children’s Bibles. Pray today for IBT’s publishing department as they work to juggle several Bible printing projects.

Young Life Tennessee seeks to pursue and befriend lost or disinterested teenagers to introduce them to Jesus, share the gospel, and help them grow in their faith. Pray today for the staff of Young Life in Knoxville as they prepare for school to start back.

Closing Prayer: Speak O Lord, for your servant is listening. Help me to hear your voice and to obey whatever it is that you are calling me to. Amen. Notes

3 MONDAY, AUGUST 3

Opening Prayer: Steer the ship of my life, good Lord, to your quiet harbour, where I can be safe from the storms of sin and conflict. Show me the course I should take. Renew in me the gift of discernment, so that I can always see the right direction in which I should go. And give me the strength and the courage to choose the right course, even when the sea is rough and the waves are high, knowing that through enduring hardship and danger in your name we shall find comfort and peace.- Basil of Caesarea

Scripture: Jeremiah 1:1-19

Journal: Who has God formed you to be? What has he formed you to do? What do you think is his calling on your life? What distracts or prevents you from being/doing that?

Reflection: When we are younger and are wrestling with choices about the future, we are very often asked, and ask ourselves: “What are you going to do when you grow up?” It is the wrong question. What we are going to do is not who we are. When it was time for me to make choices, I should have been wrestling with another question. I should have been asking, “Who am I going to be when I grow up?” What I then went on to do with that should have been a reflection of who I was to be, a reflection of the word that was whispered into me. I should have been looking for work to do that would sustain and nurture who I am (who I be, if you will). I was then, and am still, the only person on earth who has any clue at all what was whispered into me in the depths of my mother’s womb. Everyone else is just guessing, and their guesses are a lot less well informed than mine. God whispered the word Robert into me, and no one else. If I cannot hear that word, no one can. If I do not hear that word, no one will. If I do hear it and fail to act upon it, no one will be the word called Robert that God spoke. (Between the Dreaming and the Coming True by Robert Benson)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Andy and Bev Warren serve with an MTW team that is involved in HIV/AIDS work and church planting through the Ethiopia Aids Care and Treatment (ACT) Project. The project targets slum communities in Addis Ababa which contain the neediest people in the community - large percentages of women with small children. In recent years the project has served more than 500 AIDS-affected families, reaching more than 1,200 people. Pray today for Andy and Bev who have recently returned to Ethiopia from some time in the U.S. They will be looking for a new house, getting ready for their niece, Glory, to join them for a few months and planning for a gathering of MTW missionaries in September. Find out more about the Ethiopia ACT Project by going here: http://reclamationstories.org/ethiopia-act-project.

Closing Prayer: O Lord, my God, help me to know who it is that you long for me (and created me) to be. And then help me to know what it is that you long for me (and created me) to do as a result of that. Help me to live the life you most deeply long for me to live. In the name of Jesus. Amen. Notes

4 TUESDAY, AUGUST 4

Scripture: Luke 5:1-11

Journal: What was God calling Simon Peter and his friends to do? What would they be leaving behind? What was their main vocation from then on? How does this speak to what God is calling you to do?

Reflection: Vocare, to call, of course, and a man’s vocation is a man’s calling. It is the work that he is called to in this world, the thing that he is summoned to spend his life doing. We can speak of a man’s choosing his vocation, but perhaps it is at least as accurate to speak of a vocation’s choosing the man, of a call’s being given and a man’s hearing it. And maybe that is the place to start: the business of listening and hearing. A man’s life is full of all sorts of voices calling him in all sorts of directions. Some of them are voices from inside and some of them are voices from outside. The more alive and alert we are, the more clamorous our lives are. Which do we listen to? What kind of voice do we listen for? (The Hungering Dark by Frederick Buechner)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

5 WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5

Opening Prayer: Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ where I lie, Christ where I sit, Christ where I arise, Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of every one who speaks to me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me. Salvation is of the Lord. Salvation is of the Christ. May your salvation, Lord, be ever with us. - St. Patrick

Scripture: Luke 5:27-32

Journal: If you were Levi, what would make you want to follow Jesus? What made you want to follow Jesus? How has that calling impacted your life?

Reflection: I am always amazed when I read the story of Matthew, the wealthy tax collector - a man who had it made. Sure, Matthew was hated and feared by many, but he had it all - power, great wealth, and the support of the state. Jesus walked by and casually said to Matthew, “Follow me.” Ridiculous. Who in Matthew’s position would respond to some vagabond? But Matthew does exactly that! He immediately left his wealth and power and followed Jesus. What happened? I’ll tell you what happened. Matthew was called. Every bone in his body, every part of his being stood on tiptoe when the Master spoke those words. “Follow me!” Matthew’s ears tingled with excitement, his heart thundered with anticipation, his mind was filled with electricity. He had been called. He didn’t know it until that moment, but he had been waiting all his life to hear those words. May God capture our unspoken dreams. May Jesus speak those words that make our soul stand on tiptoe. May each of us find our calling in Jesus. (from The Back Door out of The Door, March/April, 1994... by Mike Yaconelli)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Eric and Beth Yodis are facilitating church planting in eastern Ukraine. Eric and Beth have recently returned to the Ukraine to help with church planting in Kiev. Pray for them as they get settled and renew their work in the Ukraine.

Closing Prayer: Living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him forever in the next. Amen. - Reinhold Niebuhr Notes

6 THURSDAY, AUGUST 6

Opening Prayer: O God of peace, who hast taught us that in returning and rest we shall be saved, in quietness and in confidence shall be our strength: By the might of thy Spirit lift us, we pray thee, to thy presence, where we may be still and know that thou art God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. - The Book of Common Prayer

Scripture: Luke 19:1-10

Journal: What do you think made Zacchaeus climb the tree? What must have been going on in his heart and soul? What do you think went on in him when Jesus called his name? What goes on in you when you realize that God calls your name?

Reflection: We skip down the hallways of our youth, you and I, stopping now and then to catch our breath. And every now and then we catch something else. A glimpse of the future. Our future. A glimpse we caught when we came across a window suddenly flung open in front of us, its gossamer curtains lifted by the breeze redolent with the future, filling our lungs with refreshing air and our heart with hopeful dreams. At that window we hear something like somebody calling our name, only in a language we can’t quite understand, so we don’t recognize who it is who is calling us or to where we are being called. But we recognize the name. Even in a foreign language, names translate closely to the original. Whoever it is calling us is calling us by our true name. Whispering to us a secret. Telling us who we are. And showing us what we will be doing with our lives if only we have eyes to see, the ears to hear, and the faith to follow. (Windows of the Soul by Ken Gire)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

J & F live and work in one of the poorest and most heavily populated states in their country. They are seeking to make a difference in this state in both physical and spiritual realms. They have launched a micro-finance business that is creating self-sustaining means of support for churches and church plants as well as continuing to provide funds for the installation of hand pumps to provide clean water to needy areas of the state. Pray for continued growth in the leadership of their microfinance program and the many families being helped through loans to women.

Closing Prayer: Thank you, O Lord, that you are a God who knows our name. In fact, you are a God who knows us inside and out. You know every single thing about us, and yet you love us anyway, and you call us into an intimate, loving, transforming relationship with you. Thank you that you want relationship with us. Amen. Notes

7 FRIDAY, AUGUST 7

Scripture: John 1:35-42

Journal: What are you seeking? What do you think God is seeking from you? What do you think God is seeking for you?

Reflection: But how is one to find his true place in life? Is there any means whereby you may discover what it really is that God wishes you to do? You may feel inclined to say: “Even if it be true that God has some splendid thing that he wishes for me to do, and to be, how can I possibly find out what it is?” Perhaps you may even be tempted to add: “I am very plain, everyday sort of person; my circumstances are extremely restricted; the conditions of my life are just drab and commonplace. How then can there be something wonderful, beautiful, splendid awaiting me? Or, even if there were, how could I possibly get to know about it?” And the answer is Divinely simple - already in your past life from time to time, God himself has whispered into your heart just that very wonderful thing, whatever it is, that he is wishing you to be, and to do, and to have. And that wonderful thing is nothing less than what is called Your Heart’s Desire. Nothing less than that. The most secret, sacred wish that lies deep down at the bottom of your heart, the wonderful thing that you hardly dare to look at, or to think about—the thing that you would rather die than have anyone else know of, because it seems so far beyond anything that you are, or have at the present time, that you fear that you would be cruelly ridiculed if the mere thought of it were known - that is just the very thing that God is wishing you to do or to be for him. And the birth of that marvelous wish in your soul - the dawning of the secret dream - was the Voice of God himself telling you to arise and come up higher because he had need of you. (Your Heart’s Desire by Emmet Fox)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: Christ Jesus, by your Spirit you come and kindle a burning light in us.

We know well that it is not we who create this source of light, but you, the Risen Lord. To all of us, you give the one thing that matters and which is hidden from our own eyes: a peaceful trust in God and also poverty in spirit, so that with a great thirst for the realities of God, we may take the risk of letting you accompany us, O Christ, and of accompanying, in our turn, those whom you entrust to us. - Brother Roger Notes

8 SATURDAY, AUGUST 8

Opening Prayer: Disturb us, Lord, when we are too pleased with ourselves, when our dreams have come true because we dreamed too little, when we arrived safely because we sailed too close to the shore. Disturb us, Lord, when with the abundance of things we possess we have lost our thirst for the waters of life; having fallen in love with life, we have ceased to dream of eternity and in our efforts to build a new earth, we have allowed our vision of the new Heaven to dim. Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly, to venture on wilder seas where storms will show Your mastery; where losing sight of land, we shall find the stars. We ask you to push back the horizons of our hopes; and to push back the future in strength, courage, hope, and love. This we ask in the name of our Captain, who is Jesus Christ. - Sir Francis Drake

Scripture: Acts 9:1-31

Journal: What have been the moments in your life in which God has clearly called you to follow him in a very specific way? What was that like? What did it lead to? Do you feel specifically directed by God, and his call, now? Why or why not? What do you think God is calling you to these days?

Reflection: Deep in our hearts, we all want to find and fulfill a purpose bigger than ourselves. Only such a larger purpose can inspire us to heights we know we could never reach on our own. For each of us the real purpose is personal and passionate: to know what we are here to do. Soren Kierkegaard wrote in his journal: “The thing is to understand myself, to see what God really wants me to do; the thing is to find the truth which is true for me, to find the idea for which I can live and die.” (The Call by Os Guinness)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Jeff and Ellen work among unreached people groups in two restricted access countries of Southeast Asia catalyzing Church Planting Movements. Pray today for new workers to join Mekong Ministries to reach unreached people groups. The Black Hmong and Dong are the two groups they urgently need workers for. Pray today also for the Bald Headed Lahu in China as government persecution is holding them back.

Closing Prayer: Father, you alone know what lies before me this day, grant that in every hour of it I may stay close to you. Let me today embark on no undertaking that is not in line with your will for my life, nor shrink from any sacrifice which your will may demand. Suggest, direct, control every movement of my mind; for my Lord Christ’s sake. Amen. (A Diary of Private Prayer by John Baillie) Notes

9 Theme for the Week: Compassion

SUNDAY, AUGUST 9

Opening Prayer: Loving Father, teach me to love and care for those that need you today. Those who are passed over and do not feel love unless I love them for you. May Christ’s love for others be felt through me today. In your name and by your power I pray these things. Amen. (Disciplines for the Inner Life by Bob Benson)

Scripture: Matthew 9:35-38

Journal: What goes on in your heart when you see people in great need? What went on in the heart of Jesus? How do we cultivate a heart of compassion for others?

Reflection: If someone asked you if you were compassionate, you might readily say yes. Or at least, “I believe so.” But pause to examine the word compassion and answering gets more complicated. For the word comes from roots that mean literally to “suffer with”; to show compassion means sharing in the suffering “passion” of another. Compassion understood in this way asks more from us than a mere stirring of pity or a sympathetic word. To live with compassion means to enter others’ dark moments. It is to walk into places of pain, not to flinch or look away when another agonizes. It means to stay where people suffer. Compassion holds us back from quick, eager explanations when tragedy meets someone we know or love. (Turn My Mourning Into Dancing by Henri J. M. Nouwen)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: Our Father, here I am, at your disposal, your child, to use me to continue your loving the world, by giving Jesus to me and through me, to each other and the world. Let us pray for each other as we allow Jesus to love in us and through us with the love with which His Father loves him. (Seeking the Heart of God by Mother Teresa) Notes

10 MONDAY, AUGUST 10

Opening Prayer: Dear Jesus, Help me to realize the many voices of hunger, the many sounds of thirst, the many cries of loneliness, the many callings of sickness and nakedness and imprisonment. Help me to hear in all of them something of You calling to me to become more than I am. More understanding. More compassionate. More involved. More like You. (Reflections on the Word by Ken Gire)

Scripture: Matthew 15:32-39

Journal: Where do you find yourself in the scripture today? How is compassion showing itself in your life these days? What opportunities do you have regularly to show compassion?

Reflection: One of the ways Christ said He speaks to us is through those who are hungry and thirsty, through those who are strangers and those who need clothes, through those who are sick and in prison. And what does He say to us through them? “Please give me something to eat.” “I’m so thirsty.” “I’m so very lonely. Please stay a while and talk with me.” “Please don’t stare. I’m embarrassed enough as it is.” “Please don’t be afraid of me. I’m sick, that’s all. And I need help.” “I am isolated from everyone in this prison. Please come and visit me.” Just as there are needy people on the street, there are needy people at the office...the factory...in the classroom...and at home. “I am hungry,” they are saying, and maybe what they are hungry for is just a crust of human kindness. “I am thirsty,” they are saying, and maybe what they are thirsty for is someone who will refresh them with a smile or a pat on the back or an e-mail of encouragement. “I am lonely,” they are saying, and maybe what they are lonely for is someone who will befriend them, understand them, have lunch with them, and listen to them. Behind all of those voices of hunger and thirst, of loneliness and nakedness, of sickness and imprisonment, behind all of those voices is His voice calling us out of ourselves to Himself. (Windows of the Soul by Ken Gire)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Ron and Amy Barber have been living near Auckland, New Zealand where Ron has been teaching church planting, cultural anthropology and global theology at Eastwest College of Intercultural Studies. Pray today for the Barbers as they travel to the U.S. in September to begin a transition to move and begin work in a similar position at IGSL in the Philippines.

11 TUESDAY, AUGUST 11

Opening Prayer: Dear Jesus, Help us to spread your fragrance everywhere we go. Flood our souls with your Spirit and life. Penetrate and possess our whole being so utterly that our lives may only be a radiance of yours. Shine through us and so be in us that every soul we come I contact with may feel your presence in our soul. Let them look up and see no longer us but only You. Stay with us and then we shall begin to shine as you shine, so to shine as to be light to others. The light, O Jesus, will be all from you. None of it will be ours. It will be you shining on others through us. Let us thus praise you in the way you love best by shining on those around us. Amen. (The Daily Prayer of Mother Teresa)

Scripture: Matthew 25:31-46

Journal: Where do you see the least of these around you? What are you doing to be Jesus to them? Because in some mysterious way, what we do to them, we do to Jesus.

Reflection: The work we do is only our love for Jesus in action. And that action is our wholehearted and free service - the gift to the poorest of the poor - to Christ in the distressing disguise of the poor. If we pray the work... if we do it to Jesus if we do it for Jesus if we do it with Jesus... that’s what makes us content That is why I feel the Missionaries of Charity are real contemplatives in the heart of the world I do this because I believe I am doing it for Jesus. I am very sure that this is his work I am very sure. I am very sure that it is he and not me. (Seeking the Heart of God by Mother Teresa)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

R. and G. are serving at a sanitorium for chest diseases and a children’s home, focusing on bringing holistic healthcare to the semi-nomadic people of an area in the Middle East. R. is a dentist and G. is a teacher and artist. Pray today for God’s movement among R. & G. and their patients as they love them and share the gospel with them.

Bridges International serves the needs of international students adjusting to living and studying at the University of Tennessee. Pray today for the international students on campus that they may understand the love of Jesus as they prepare for the fall semester. Pray also for new international students who are on the UT campus for the first time that they can be reached by this ministry.

Closing Prayer: Lord God, we confess: our lifestyles are too busy, our focus self-centered, and our world is consumed with fear, greed, and pride. Sometimes, Lord, we react to the pains of others with a flippant “who cares?” Yet, in our more receptive times, when Your Voice calls to our innermost beings, we know with absolute certainty two things we desperately need: To be loved…and to love. Hear us, Lord, grateful, thankful to experience occasional breakthrough moments of unconditional love. Be with those whose hearts are broken, demoralized by life’s blows; those who mirror to us that unfairness and suffering is not lightened by pat answers or avoidance, but is made bearable because of fellow travelers who truly do care, and show it. Walk with us, God. Our trek is not always easy, our vision shortsighted, our love often hidden. May we seek the deeper places where our compassion, our joy reflect You, the God who is Love.

Amen. - Virgil Fry

12 Notes

13 WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12

Opening Prayer: Spirit of Wisdom, may we bear your love for humanity by bringing good news to the poor. Acting according to your will, we will come to know your reign, where all will be seated at your heavenly banquet. Let us bring food to the hungry, healing to the violated, and presence to the lonely. Teach us to shine like the stars in our relationship with God, with our neighbor, and with all of creation. Lead us in promoting peace and integrity through our everyday challenges. May your comforting embrace bring us compassion for others. Amen. - William Purcell

Scripture: Luke 4:14-21

Journal: What does it look like in your life to bring the good news to the poor? To proclaim liberty for the captives and recovery of sight to the blind? What does it look like to set at liberty those who are oppressed and proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor? What does Jesus want this to look like in our lives?

Reflection: The question is not: How many people take you seriously? How much are you going to accomplish? Can you show results? But: Are you in love with Jesus? Perhaps another way of putting the question would be: Do you know the incarnate God? In our world of loneliness and despair, there is an enormous need for men and women who know the heart of God, a heart that forgives, that cares, that reaches out and wants to heal. In that heart there is no suspicion, no revenge, no resentment, and not a tinge of hatred. It is a heart that wants only to give love and receive love in response. It is a heart that suffers immensely because it sees the magnitude of human pain and the great resistance to trusting the heart of God who wants to offer comfort and hope. (In the Name of Jesus by Henri J. M. Nouwen)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: Lord, please open my eyes. Please let me see those around me that are in need of my compassion. Compel me to listen to them, to hear their needs. Give me the heart to be interested in their troubles and provide for me the means to help them. I want to be compassionate. I want to be like you that had so much compassion for the world that you sacrificed your Son on a cross for us. I want to have that kind of heart for the world that I will do all I can to be a voice for the oppressed, a giver to the poor, an encouragement for the disabled. Amen. - Kelli Mahoney Notes

14 THURSDAY, AUGUST 13

Opening Prayer: Lord, open our eyes that we may see you in our brothers and sisters.

Lord, open our ears that we may hear the cries of the hungry, the cold, the frightened, the oppressed. Lord, open our hearts that we may love each other as you love us. Renew in us your spirit. Lord, free us and make us one. Amen. - Mother Teresa

Scripture: Micah 6:6-8

Journal: What does it look like to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God? How is God calling you to do that today? In the future?

Reflection: Love is one of the most misused words in our language. It is unfortunate that a word so precious has become so abused. Love is a Word that can become flesh in each of our lives. This fleshed-out Word of Love is a mystery. It is the Mystery of God living and acting in our lives. It is the Mystery of God ministering through our touch, and though our voice. It is God seeing through our eyes. Love is blind, we like to say, but no; Love is not blind. The ego is blind. All it can see is itself. But Love is not blind. Love is pure vision! God, seeing through us! The more we will notice a great healing taking place in the world. (Seasons of the Heart by Macrina Wiederkehr)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: Lord God, give me a willing and compassionate heart, that I might be your instrument of peace and love in a world filled with pain and despair. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen. Notes

15 FRIDAY, AUGUST 14

Opening Prayer: O God, we get it wrong so often, majoring on things that are not majors to you. Help us to hear your word and your voice today, reminding us what you really want from us. And then help us to do it. Amen.

Scripture: Isaiah 58:6-12

Journal: What do you think God really wants from you? How do these verses speak to that?

Reflection: The hardest thing about really seeing and really hearing is when you really have to do something about what you’ve seen and heard. - Frederick Buechner

Compassion is the sometimes fatal capacity for feeling what it’s like to live inside somebody else’s skin. It is the knowledge that there can never really be any peace and joy for me until there is peace and joy finally for you too. (A Room Called Remember by Frederick Buechner)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

T works with the SEED Company (an affiliate organization of Wycliffe Bible Translators) in their mission to promote and accelerate Bible translation that is being done by indigenous churches and organizations in their home countries. As a Field Coordinator, T seeks to form and foster relationships with these partners by acting as a liaison between them and SEED Company. The vision of SEED Company is to see God’s Word available in languages where it currently is not. Pray today for T, L and their family and for the new translation project for the Huntang people.

Closing Prayer: Lord God, send us into the world today as your agents of peace and love. Help us to care for those who are in desperate need of care. Help us to feed the hungry and comfort the afflicted and clothe the naked. Help us to fast from “self ” and feast on You. In the name of Jesus. Amen. Notes

16 SATURDAY, AUGUST 15

Scripture: John 13:1-17

Journal: Do you understand what I have done for you? What does it look like in your life to be a foot-washer? How will you follow his example? How will that happen today?

Reflection: This is the Season of Love. What happens in us is the miracle of discovering our potential to care for others. And so, we become foot-washing, water-walking, healing, beatitude people. Our lives begin to bless. We are compelled to respond to the Word of God, to speak in the Holy Name, to live out our ministry of love. We are fragile vessels whose love often gets tired. We need to be converted over and over again. And so, the healing act of our growth continues. We empty ourselves that we may be filled. We uproot that we may proclaim. We take off our masks. We call forth gifts. We bless. We wash feet. And somewhere between the shedding of our masks and the foot-washing, we discover that it is not so much what we do that touches lives as who we are becoming. And so we rest in the truth that what is most important is not how much of ourselves we leave with others, but how much we enable others to be themselves. (Seasons of the Heart by Macrina Wiederkehr)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

A. and B. are serving in a Creative Access country. Their family is building friendships and seeing them mature as A. continues to teach at a local university and serve the teachers and students there. Pray today for this family as they have recently traveled to the U.S. to begin a home stay until next February. They will be based in Birmingham, Alabama.

Closing Prayer: Christ has no body now on earth but yours; yours are the only hands with which he can do his work, yours are the only feet with which he can go about the world, yours are the only eyes through which his compassion can shine forth upon a troubled world. Christ has no body now on earth but yours. - Teresa of Avila Notes

17 Theme for the Week: Intention

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16

Scripture: Psalm 90:1-17

Journal: Are you living the life God most wants to live in you? If not, why not? What does it mean to ask God to number our days?

Reflection: How do we go about living the life that we most deeply long to live? How do we live a life of depth and quality with God, which will lead to a life of depth and quality with our families and our friends and our world? It doesn’t just happen, say the saints and the poets, it takes some reflection and intention and desire. “We fool ourselves if we think that such a sacramental way of living is automatic,” Richard Foster once wrote. “This kind of living communion does not just fall on our heads. We must desire it and seek it out. We must order our lives in particular ways.” Call it Christian practice, call it spiritual disciplines, or call it means of grace, but somehow we have to prayerfully consider how to move in the direction of the life we think God most wants to live in us. The church fathers called that somehow a Rule of Life. St. Benedict’s rule is the most famous example. It involves identifying what we most want our lives to be about - in St. Benedict’s case, prayer - and then figuring out, as best we can, how we will move in the direction of making that life a possibility; creating space and time for that life to be able to happen. The happening of it is ultimately up to God, but making the space and the time is our part. We must listen and pray and plan and order our lives in certain ways, so that at the end of our days we don’t find ourselves wondering how we’ve somehow missed it. St. Benedict wrote a rule to order his life, and the life of his community, around the practice of prayer; in his heart and soul he knew that everything else must revolve around that. Everything else would involve the things that were necessary to make a life of prayer possible: in order to pray we must eat, and in order to eat we must work, and in order to work we must rest, all in order that we might pray. A holistic approach to life for sure - spiritual, physical, vocational, and relational. His rule became the simple rhythm that his community lived by. If we are serious about living the life we most deeply long to live, it must be the same for us. It won’t just fall on our heads either. We must begin to live our lives purposefully and intentionally. What is the old adage? “If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time.” We must begin to live by a thoughtful and prayerful rule as well. (Becoming by Jim Branch)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Logan and Melissa Keck are planting Christ the King, JP/Roxbury in Boston. Pray that they would see consistency in attendance and tithing and that they would even see growth as new people are reached in the neighborhood. Pray also for Melissa’s pregnancy that everything will continue to go well for Melissa and the baby (a girl!).

Closing Prayer: I ask you, Lord Jesus, to develop in me, your lover, an immeasurable urge towards you, an affection that is unbounded, longing that is unrestrained, fervor that throws discretion to the winds! The more worthwhile our love for you, all the more pressing does it become. Reason cannot hold it in check, fear does not make it tremble, wise judgment does not temper it. (The Fire of Love by Richard Rolle) Notes

18 MONDAY, AUGUST 17

Opening Prayer: Holy and Infinite God, full of mystery and the source of all life and love, let me walk with you this day in all that I do. Give me the grace and the strength to move toward you in any and every way possible; both in faith and in practice. And, at the end of this day, may I love you more intimately, know you more deeply, and follow you more closely than I did at its beginning. In the name of your Son Jesus. Amen.

Scripture: 1 Timothy 4:6-16

Journal: What does it mean to train yourself for the purpose of godliness? What does that look like in your life?

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: O God, my Father, help me always to fix my hope firmly on you, the Living God. Help me to live a life that is totally immersed in you, and in the things and the practices that will train me to be more and more like you. For your Kingdom and for your glory. Amen. Notes

19 TUESDAY, AUGUST 18

Opening Prayer: Lord God, place a fire deep down in my soul, a fire that constantly makes me yearn for more and more of you. Help me to never settle for any less than that. Help me never to settle for a boring, mundane, half-hearted, lukewarm spiritual existence when you desire so much more for me than that. Through Jesus. Amen.

Scripture: 2 Peter 1:3-11

Journal: Do you have a plan for your spiritual growth? What is it? What will keep your faith from becoming ineffective or unfruitful?

Reflection: It is unlikely that we will deepen our relationship with God in a casual or haphazard manner. There will be a need for some intentional commitment and some reorganization in our own lives. But there is nothing that will enrich our lives more than a deeper and clearer perception of God’s presence in the routine of daily living. (Ways of Prayer: Designing a Personal Rule by William O. Paulsell, Weavings, Sept./Oct. 1987)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Paul and Karan Davis have been working with TEAM in France since 1978 in church-planting ministries. They have planted churches in the southern suburbs of Paris, northwestern suburbs of Lyon, and more recently in the Alps region around Albertville. Pray today for French believers living in the area who are catching the vision of starting a network of churches in and around Pontcharra. Pray also for the inauguration of the new church building on September 19 & 20 and the curiosity that is building in their community.

Closing Prayer: Father, You alone know what lies before me this day. Grant that in every hour of it I may stay close to you. Let me today embark on no undertaking that is not in line with your will for my life, nor shrink from any sacrifice which your will may demand. For my Lord Christ’s Sake. Amen. (A Diary of Private Prayer by John Baillie) Notes

20 WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19

Opening Prayer: Lord, I am yours; I do yield myself up entirely to you, and I believe that you do take me. I leave myself with you. Work in me all the good pleasure of your will, and I will only lie still in your hands and trust you. Amen. (The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith)

Scripture: Colossians 2:6-7

Journal: What does it look like to walk in God? How does that take place? What does it look like to be rooted and built up in him? How will you make that a possibility in your daily life?

Reflection: I had come to wonder sometimes at the lack of depth in my prayer. I began to worry, too, at the sense of imbalance in my life and at the lack of centeredness as well. I began to wonder if those things had a connection to my prayer. I began to realize that the longing that I had, and have, for the presence of God could no longer be filled by a few stolen moments of extemporaneous prayer. I began to have a sneaking suspicion that prayer was a larger and deeper and richer and more astonishing thing than I had known before. I began to desire a way of life that was more like the lively and reasonable sacrifice that is called for by the words of the Eucharist. Although my life had been spent largely in the church and around people of faith, I had had a growing sense that I could go no deeper in my journey without some manner of instruction and experience in some ways of prayer other than the one I already knew. “We fool ourselves if we think that such a sacramental way of living is automatic,” wrote Richard Foster once, in a book about prayer and discipline. “This kind of living communion does not just fall on our heads. We must desire it and seek it out. We must order our lives in particular ways.” (A Good Life by Robert Benson)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Mark and Annemarie Dye are passionate about building Christian leaders to mobilize and equip the African Church for mission in the world. Pray today for the Dyes as they have recently traveled to the U.S. for a 5-month home ministry stay.

21 THURSDAY, AUGUST 20

Opening Prayer: Father of all humanity, you call your children to walk in the light of Christ. Free us from darkness and keep us forever in the radiance of your truth, until we come at last to live with you on high. We pray this in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. (The Little Book of Hours)

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 7:17

Journal: What is the life the Lord has assigned to you? What does it look like to live that life with intention and purpose?

Reflection: More recently I’m beginning to understand that, in my life with God, the word discipline means the endeavor to create space in my life in which God can act. Discipline means being intentional about preventing everything in my life from being filled up. The diligent watchfulness guards my soul from intrusions that crowd out God. Marking off space for God to be at work is a challenge because God likes doing things with me that I hadn’t counted on. He likes to decide the agenda rather than docilely going along with my carefully scripted list of activities. If I leave God too little space, the desires God has for me and for our time together simply don’t happen. This is the why of solitude with God. I simply make room for God to do what only God is able to do. Yet the excuses I make (to myself and to others) for not making this space are endless. Why would I want to cheat myself out of God’s deepest longing for me? Is it because I don’t trust God? Is it because I’m addicted to being in charge? Is it because I’m simply afraid to let go and rest in the silence of God’s presence? If I am ever to enjoy a rhythm of solitude and silence, I will always need to exert some effort. However, the effort is not to be building outwardly but to protect that little cell of my heart, the part of me where God and I get to be together - to protect it and then to find the solitude where God will enter and spend time with me.( Running on Empty by Fil Anderson)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Michael and Kim Essenburg served for many years at Christian Academy in Japan (CAJ), a school for missionary children (40% of student body) and children of business and professional people (60% of student body) that is located in Tokyo. They have recently moved to Okinawa to serve at Okinawa Christian School. Please pray for them as they get settled and prepare for the new school year.

Cru, formerly known as Campus Crusade for Christ, is a campus organization that seeks to share the gospel with students through relationships, small group studies and larger events like retreats and mission trips. John Strange leads Cru at the University of Kentucky. Pray for today for the staff of Cru on this campus as they prepare to welcome students for the fall semester.

Closing Prayer: O Jesus, our redemption, love, and desire, may your love constrain you to pass over our evils, sparing us, and having answered our prayer, may you satisfy us with your face. Amen. (The Little Book of Hours). Notes

22 FRIDAY, AUGUST 21

Opening Prayer: O God, center our lives ever and always only around you. In the name and power of Jesus. Amen.

Scripture: Acts 2:42-47

Journal: What was the early church’s life centered around? How? What is your life centered around? What does God want your life to be centered around? What does that look like? What practices does that involve?

Reflection: When most of us think of the word balance, we think of a life with equal amounts (or right amounts) of everything - a life in which our work and play and family and friendships and faith all receive comparable amounts of attention and energy. In the spiritual life, however, the word balance must be defined differently. As a matter of fact the word balance might not be the most appropriate word to use at all - the word centered might be more accurate. Because in the life of faith, balance means having Christ as the center around which everything else revolves. Thus, life is only balanced when everything is centered on Christ. Christ is the hub of the wheel; the focal point of our lives that allows life to function the way it was created to function. So the question becomes not “Do I have enough of God in my life?” but “Is Christ the center of my life? What does my life revolve around? And what are the things that I need to make a regular part of my life in order to keep Jesus in the center?” The answer to these questions will determine a lot as we try to live the life God most wants us to live.

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Leoma Gilley works for Wycliffe Bible Translators and is responsible for developing university-level, accredited training in linguistics, literacy, Bible translation, Scripture use, anthropology and language assessment (survey) to people across Africa. Pray today for Leoma as she faces uncertainty after September 30 when her office is being closed and her job in its current form ends. Pray for God to give the Area Directors and Leoma clear direction about His next steps for her work. She currently plans to take a 3-month sabbatical from October – December 2015.

Closing Prayer: Lord God, show us those things that need to be a regular part of our lives as we try to live them in you. Show us the rhythms and the practices that will grow and nurture the life of your Spirit within us and among us. Amen. Notes

23 SATURDAY, AUGUST 22

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to never lose sight of the one thing because of the many things. We get so distracted and anxious at times. Help us always to choose the better part; the part that will not (and cannot) be taken from us - you! Amen.

Scripture: Luke 10:38-42

Journal: What has you worried and upset these days? What things are distracting you from Jesus? Do you really believe that he is the better part?

Refection: Most of our conflicts and difficulties come from trying to deal with the spiritual and practical aspects of our life separately instead of realizing them as parts of a one whole. If our practical life is centered on our own interests, cluttered up by possessions, distracted by ambitions, passions, wants and worries, beset by a sense of our own rights and importance, or anxieties for our own future, or longings for our own success, we need not expect that our spiritual life will be a contrast to all this. The soul’s house is not built on such a convenient plan: there are few soundproof partitions in it. Only when the conviction - not merely the idea - that the demand of the Spirit, however inconvenient, comes first and IS first, rules the whole of it, will those objectionable noises die down which have a way of penetrating into the nicely furnished oratory, and drowning all the quieter voices by their din. (The Spiritual Life by Evelyn Underhill)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

The Refugee Ministry at CSPC coordinates the church’s effort of welcoming and offering a holistic ministry to refugees of various cultural and linguistic backgrounds that are arriving in Knoxville. Pray today for the students who attended this summer’s ESL camp. If you can help with ongoing ministry to them, please contact Almaz at [email protected].

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, may we never miss the important by being consumed with the urgent. Give us the strength and the wisdom to always choose the good part - sitting at your feet and listening to what you say. Amen. Notes

24 Theme for the Week: Repentance

SUNDAY, AUGUST 23

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to see our lives today as you see them. Help us to see what you celebrate and help us to see what breaks your heart. Give us the courage and the strength to come face-to-face with the whole truth. And help us to turn away from our sin and turn towards you. Have mercy on us. Amen.

Scripture: Mark 1:1-8

Journal: How does John the Baptist’s message speak to you today? What nerve does it strike? Where in your life are you in need of repentance?

Reflection: Repentance, then, meant reorienting one’s life around this reality. It meant repenting of the old ways of obstruction and joining in the great paving of the path, in demolishing of every man-made impediment between God and God’s people, and in the celebrating of God’s wild, uninhibited presence filling every corner of the earth. It meant getting baptized in rivers and getting out of God’s way. (Searching for Sunday by Rachel Held Evans)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Bill Harding is currently a special representative for SIM in North America. God is using Bill’s gifts and rich experience in Ethiopia as a conference speaker to challenge and reaffirm the priority of world missions. Pray today for Bill as he will be in Ethiopia for the first two weeks of September. A Christian businessman will join him to evaluate how best to digitally resource Bible schools in Ethiopia.

The CSPC Special Needs Ministry reaches out to families touched by a disability and offers support to those who are constant caregivers. Opportunities for respite care are given to these families by loving, trained volunteers who offer their services several times a year through a program called Buddy Blast. This involves a variety of activities such as play time in the gym, movies, crafts and games. The next Buddy Blast will be on September 12. Pray today for Knoxville families who are touched by a disability and for the volunteers at CSPC who lovingly reach out to them. If you would like to volunteer, contact Lynda Elder at [email protected].

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you that Mark begins his gospel with a call to repentance. Therefore, we cannot avoid or deny how significant it is in the life of faith. Give us a clear view today, Lord Jesus, of what repentance needs to look like in our lives. In your name and for your glory we pray. Amen. Notes

25 MONDAY, AUGUST 24

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us hear your words this day: “The time is fulfilled, the kingdom is at hand; repent and believe the gospel.” And give us the grace and the strength to do just that. Amen.

Scripture: Mark 1:14-15

Journal: What does the word repent mean to you? Why do you think it is usually tied to the word believe? What does repentance look like in your life right now? What do you need to turn away from? How is God calling you to turn toward him?

Reflection: Biblically speaking, to repent doesn’t mean to feel sorry about, to regret. It means to turn, to turn around 180 degrees. It means to undergo a complete change of mind, heart, direction. Turn away from madness, cruelty, shallowness, blindness. Turn toward the tolerance, compassion, sanity, hope, justice that we all have in us at our best. (Secrets in the Dark: A Life in Sermons by Frederick Buechner)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: Turn us away, O God, from our self-centered patterns, agendas, and plans. Turn us away from our pride and arrogance and control. Turn us away from all of the attitudes and behaviors that ultimately lead to sin and death. And turn us back towards you once again, our good and holy God; that we might be conformed to the image of your Son more and more each day. Amen. Notes

26 TUESDAY, AUGUST 25

Opening Prayer: O Lord, allow your word this day to open us up to whatever you long to do within us. Let it cut us to the heart and make us more into the people you desire us to be. Amen.

Scripture: Acts 2:37-41

Journal: What has cut you to the heart lately? Why and how? Did it bring you to the point of repentance? What did that look like?

Reflection: Repentance is not an emotion. It is not feeling sorry for your sins. It is a decision. It is deciding that you have been wrong in supposing that you could manage your own life and be your own god; it is deciding that you were wrong in thinking that you had, or could get, the strength, education and training to make it on your own; it is deciding that you have been told a pack of lies about yourself and your neighbors and your world. And it is deciding that God, in Jesus Christ, is telling you the truth. Repentance is a realization that what God wants from you and what you want from God are not going to be achieved by doing the same old things, thinking the same old thoughts. Repentance is a decision to follow Jesus Christ and become his pilgrim in the path of peace. (A Long Obedience in the Same Direction by Eugene Peterson)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Steve Hoke works with national church denominations and mission organizations in 25 countries and North America in the area of leader development and strategic life coaching. Pray today for Steve as he makes new connections with the leaders and organizations that he will have spiritual authority to speak into the lives of mission leaders requesting assistance.

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, give us the strength and the courage to follow you more closely - whatever that may look like - from this day forward. Amen. Notes

27 WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26

Opening Prayer: Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. (Psalm 51:1-4)

Scripture: Psalm 51:1-19

Journal: What words or images can you relate to or identify with most from this Psalm? What speaks to your heart? What speaks for your heart?

Reflection: Fallen man is not simply an imperfect creature who needs improvement; he is a rebel who must lay down his arms. Laying down your arms, surrendering, saying you are sorry, realising that you have been on the wrong track and getting ready to start life over again from the ground floor - that is the only way out of our ‘hole’. This process of surrender - this movement full speed astern - is what Christians call repentance. Now repentance is no fun at all. It is something much harder than merely eating humble pie. It means unlearning all the self-conceit and self-will that we have been training ourselves into for thousands of years. (Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. (Psalm 51:7-12) Notes

28 THURSDAY, AUGUST 27

Opening Prayer: Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin. (Psalm 32:1-5)

Scripture: Psalm 32:1-11

Journal: What are the results of having an unrepentant heart? What happens when we turn to God in confession, asking for forgiveness? How is that a part of the process of repentance? Where does this need to happen in your heart or life?

Reflection: To repent is to adopt God’s viewpoint in place of your own...In itself, far from being sorrowful, it is the most joyful thing in the world, because when you have done it you have adopted the viewpoint of truth itself and you are in fellowship with God. - William Temple

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Kevin and Leilani Humble are church planters in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. In 2013 they moved to this province that has ten unreached people groups - some of which have zero believers and no one reaching them with the gospel. They are seeking to build Church Planting Movement hubs. Pray today for the Bungku people that God will prepare workers for their harvest, and call people to reach their own people groups with the gospel.

Volunteers provide weekly English classes at CSPC for those who need to improve their language skills. Classes meet on Thursdays in the morning and in the evening. There is an optional Bible study held after the morning classes. The ESL students and teachers hold holiday parties, go on outings and picnics, and do other fun things together. Pray today for volunteers and leaders who will return to teaching ESL in the fall.

Closing Prayer: You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. (Psalm 32:7) Notes

29 FRIDAY, AUGUST 28

Opening Prayer: Oh Lord Jesus, make me happy enough in you to avoid sin, and wise enough in you to avoid danger, that I may always do what is right in your sight. In your name I pray, Amen. - Tim Keller

Scripture: Joel 2:12-148

Journal: What do you think is the purpose of repentance? What is it designed to accomplish within us? How is God longing for you to return to him?

Reflection: Martin Luther opened the Reformation by nailing the “Ninety-five Theses” to the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. The very rstfi of the theses stated that “our Lord and Master Jesus Christ . . . willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.” On the surface this looks a little bleak. Luther seems to be saying Christians will never make much progress in life. That, of course, wasn’t Luther’s point at all. He was saying that repentance is the way we make progress in the Christian life. Indeed, pervasive, all-of-life-repentance is the best sign that we are growing deeply and rapidly into the character of Jesus. Consider how the gospel affects and transforms the act of repentance. In “religion,” the purpose of repentance is basically to keep God happy so he will continue to bless you and answer your prayers. This means that religious repentance is selfish, self-righteous, and bitter all the way to the bottom. In the gospel, however, the purpose of repentance is to repeatedly tap into the joy of our union with Christ to weaken our impulse to do anything contrary to God’s heart. - Tim Keller

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

J & M are in their third year of serving in Creative Access using the platform of micro finance lending to engage in church planting with holistic development. Pray today for good health for M and their new son. They are living temporarily in Knoxville until M and the baby can travel. Pray also that their Hindi studies will go well in order to keep their language skills sharp while in the U.S.

Closing Prayer: May we return to you, O God, from our many wanderings. May we return to you, O God - each and every day - with all our hearts. May we return to you with fasting and mourning and weeping. May we rend our hearts, instead of our garments, and return to you, O God. Amen. Notes

30 SATURDAY, AUGUST 29

Opening Prayer: Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! (Psalm 139:23-24)

Scripture: Psalm 139:23-24

Journal: Hold yourself completely open before God today. Allow him free reign within you. Allow him to search the depths of your heart. Allow him to show you what he finds. Write about that in your journal.

Reflection: To repent is to come to your senses. It is not so much something you do as something that happens. True repentance spends less time looking at the past and saying, “I’m sorry,” than to the future and saying, “Wow!” (Wishful Thinking by Frederick Buechner)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Darlene Johnson has been a member of MTW’s church-planting team in Nagoya, Japan, since 2000. She teaches conversational English and evangelistic Bible studies and is involved in choral and instrumental music ministry. Pray today for Yuri, Etsuko, and Yoko, three women that Darlene meets with for Bible study, that they will become followers of Jesus.

The vision of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) is to see the world impacted for Jesus Christ through the influence of athletes and coaches. Their mission is to present to athletes and coaches, and all whom they influence, the challenge and adventure of receiving Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, serving Him in their relationships and in the fellowship of the church. Pray today for all of the FCA leaders in Knoxville and the student athletes as they begin the fall semester.

Closing Prayer: Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I’m about; see for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong - then guide me on the road to eternal life. - The Message Notes

31 Theme for the Week: The Will

SUNDAY, AUGUST 30

Opening Prayer: God unto whom all hearts are open and unto whom every will speaks, and from whom no secret thing is hidden, I pray You cleanse the intent of my heart with the ineffable gift of Your grace, that I may perfectly love You, and worthily praise You. Amen. - The Cloud of the Unknowing

Scripture: Romans 12:1-2

Journal: What has had a transforming impact on your will these days? How?

Reflection: To do for yourself the best that you have it in you to do - to grit you teeth and clench your fists in order to survive the world at its harshest and worst - is, by that very act, to be unable to let something be done for you and in you that is more wonderful still. The trouble with steeling yourself against the harshness of reality is that the same steel that secures your life against being destroyed secures your life also against being opened up and transformed by the holy power that life itself comes from. (The Sacred Journey by Frederick Buechner)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

32 MONDAY, AUGUST 31

Opening Prayer: Lord God, may your will be accomplished in and through my life this day. By the power of your Spirit and in the name of your Son I pray. Amen.

Scripture: Romans 8:28-30

Journal: How is the process of being conformed to the image of his son going? How are you more like Jesus than you were a year ago? What is a specific area that is still in need of being conformed to his image/will?

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Mike and Stephanie are working with a project called LEARN (Leadership Education and Resource Network) based in Beirut, Lebanon. The project’s aim is to provide high quality, interactive Biblical training via Internet to Arabic-speakers wherever they are found. Pray today for the recent graduates of the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary where Mike teaches as they make decisions about where they will continue their ministries. Pray also for Mike and Stephanie as they prepare to return to Lebanon after some time visiting family in the U.S.

Closing Prayer: Father, conform us to the image of your son Jesus; that the world might know that we belong to you. Amen. Notes

Opening Prayer: My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone. (Thoughts in Solitude by Thomas Merton)

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8

Journal: What parts of your life do you think please God these days? Which parts do not? What does it mean that God’s will is that we would be sanctified? What does that word mean to you? How do you think that happens? What would it look like to please God in all things today?

Reflection: Our progress in holiness depends on God and ourselves—on God’s grace and our will to be holy. We must have a real living determination to reach holiness. That means I will despoil myself of all that is not God, I will strip my heart of all created things; I will live in poverty and detachment; I will renounce my will, my inclinations, my whims and fancies, and make myself a willing slave to the will of God. (A Gift for God by Mother Teresa)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Tim and Barbie K. are currently working to translate the Bible into the “Makori” language. Their goal is to see a “Makori” church effectively using its own translation. Pray today for their family as they just recently moved to another town. Pray that they will be able to get moved in, organized, and able to start work quickly.

Closing Prayer: O Lord, my God, sanctify me through and through. For it is the only hope I have of becoming who you made me to be. Amen. Notes

2 WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2

Opening Prayer: Your will, O Lord, and not my own. Your life, O God, both in and through me. Your Kingdom come, O King of kings. Make me wholly yours. Amen.

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

Journal: Which of these comes easiest for you: rejoice always, pray continually, or in all things give thanks? Which is the most difficult? Why? How do you tend the inner fires of God’s Spirit? What area of life is most in need of attention in order for you to be sanctified through and through? How do you respond to the phrase “He will do it?” What does that do within you? Why?

Reflection: Faith knows no boundaries between the will of God and all of life. (A Man’s Quest for God by Abraham Joshua Heschel)

We are no more to think “What should I do?” but “What would the Living One have me do?” - George MacDonald

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Bobby and Teresa LaDage are working with Redeemer City to City (the church planting arm of Redeemer Church in NYC) envisioning, equipping, and mentoring church planters and their wives in order to see gospel-centered churches reach the major cities of Eastern and Central Europe. Pray today for Bobby and Teresa they travel to Ukraine, Poland and Russia in September.

Closing Prayer: Take Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will, all that I have and possess. Thou hast given all to me. To Thee, O Lord, I return it. All is Thine, dispose of it wholly according to Thy will. Give me Thy love and thy grace, for this is sufficient for -me. Ignatius of Loyola Notes

3 THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3

Opening Prayer: My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.

Scripture: Matthew 26:36-46

Journal: Where in your life are you choosing his will? Where in your life are you choosing your own? How does it make you feel to pray the prayer Jesus prays here? Are you willing? Is there a “cup” before you in life right now from which God is calling you to drink?

Reflection: A few hours before Jesus is hanging on the cross in agony, he is in agony praying in Gethsemane. The two agonies are the same Agony. The agony is given a name: “this cup.” A cup holds a liquid that is drunk. The peculiar property of the cup is that we hold it with our hands, put it to our lips, tip it into our mouths, and swallow the contents. It requires a coordinated, willing spirit, accepting and receiving. It requires taking the contents into our entire digestive system, distributing them throughout the muscles and bones, red blood cells and nerve ganglia. The cup is a container from which we take something that is not us into our lives so that it becomes us, enters into our living. The cup that Jesus holds in his hands in Gethsemane that night is God’s will—God’s will to save the world in a final act of sacrificial love. The cup that Jesus drinks is a sacrificial death in which Jesus freely takes sin and evil into himself, absorbs it in his soul, and makes salvation out of it—drinks it down as if from a cup. Jesus’ name is, translated into English, “Yahweh saves.” As Jesus drinks the cup, he becomes his name. This is, of course, sheer and unfathomable mystery. It is mystery unexplained, but it is not an obscure mystery. It has many witnesses: poets and farmers, singers and parents who give witness that the willingness to die is an act of acceptance and an embrace of life. (Tell it Slant by Eugene Peterson)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

John and Kathy Lesondak are church planters who work across denominational lines in Slovakia to encourage and enable pastors in their work. John founded the Kosice Fine Arts Center in 2013. Kosice was a “Culture Capital City of Europe” for 2013 along with Marseilles, France. Pray today for John and Kathy and the opportunities that they are having to have meaningful conversations with members of their community about faith.

Closing Prayer: My Father, if this cup cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.

Notes

4 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4

Opening Prayer: O God, your will is to mold me into the image of your Son. Your will is to do great things in and through me. Your will is about what is being accomplished in my soul. Close the gap, O Lord, between my will and Thy will. Amen.

Scripture: Luke 11:14-28

Journal: Where do you feel like a house divided? Where are the divisions in your life and heart?

Reflection: Do you ever sense that there is a divide within you? I know I do. At times it’s worse than others, but it is almost always there. And I do not have to go far before I realize that this is not a good thing. Just take a look at the verses above. They seem to bring us face-to-face with the question, “Where am I divided within?” For any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined. Where am I living a divided life? For a house divided against itself will fall. Is there a gap between what I long for and dream about versus the life I am actually living? Why is that? Is there a different me for the different contexts of my life? Do my spiritual life and my personal life and my vocational life and my family life and my private life all flow from the same well, or are they isolated from each other and separate? If so, I suppose I need to hear this statement from Jesus again: “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall.” Is there a gap between my spiritual life and my practical life? Is my life a bunch of separate parts, or one continuous whole? Am I living a divided life or a unified life? Because Jesus sure seems to be advocating a unified life. And finally, how large is the gap between my will and Thy will? And why, for the most part, is that okay with me? Maybe I need to hear the words once again, “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall.” Jesus wants so much more for me than that. In fact, he prayed that I would experience so much more than that: “I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. (John 17:22-23) Somehow a unified life matters to God, because God, at his very core, is a God of mysteriously wonderful unity. And he wants us to enter into that unity. So when we live divided lives, we are not living the lives he made us to live. We are not living lives of integrity, which is when all parts of our lives say the same thing—the thing they were created to say. Yet, still somehow we continue to live divided lives. Maybe that’s because when we keep our “worlds” apart it gives us at least the illusion of autonomy, control, and independence. Evelyn Underhill said it so well when she said: “Most of our conflicts and difficulties come from trying to deal with the spiritual and practical aspects of our life separately instead of realizing them as parts of a one whole. If our practical life is centered on our own interests, cluttered up by possessions, distracted by ambitions, passions, wants and worries, beset by a sense of our own rights and importance, or anxieties for our own future, or longings for our own success, we need not expect that our spiritual life will be a contrast to all this. The soul’s house is not built on such a convenient plan: there are few soundproof partitions in it. Only when the conviction—not merely the idea—that the demand of the Spirit, however inconvenient, comes first and IS first, rules the whole of it, will those objectionable noises die down which have a way of penetrating into the nicely furnished oratory, and drowning all the quieter voices by their din.” (The Spiritual Life by Evelyn Underhill) O God, eliminate the gaps and divisions within me, and within my life. Make my life one unified whole instead of a bunch of isolated individual parts; that I may be one, and that we may be One. Make me undivided. Amen.

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Josh and Jenny M. are working with the RAK Church Plant in the United Arab Emirates. The RAK Evangelical Church has now been formally constituted as a church with about 40 members. They have recently celebrated the ground breaking for the church buliding! To find out more, go to the Reclamation Stories blog and watch a video: http://reclamationstories.org/ groundbreaking-rak

Closing Prayer: O God, eliminate the gaps and divisions within me, and within my life. Make my life one unified whole instead of a bunch of isolated individual parts; that I may be one, and that we may be One. Make me undivided. Amen.

5 SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5

Scripture: Luke 5:1-11

Journal: What is Jesus telling you to do these days that, on the surface of it, doesn’t seem to make much sense? Is there any way (or place) he is telling you to put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch? Will you?

Reflection: It just didn’t make any sense. I mean, they had fished all night long—professional fishermen, mind you—and had caught nothing. Nothing. Not a single thing! All of their effort and all of their toil and all of their skill had produced zero results. And now Jesus comes along and tells them to put out into deep water and let down their nets for a catch. Oh sure. Easy for him to say. He hadn’t just spent the entire night continuously tossing nets into a seemingly fishless sea. And who was he to tell them how to fish anyway? He was a carpenter for crying out loud! But you have to love their response: “Because you say so, we will let down our nets.” It doesn’t make any sense. I’m tired, I’m worn out, I’m exhausted. I’ve been at this for a long, long time. I’m at the end of my rope. And I don’t understand how this could possibly do any good. I’d really just like to give up—call it a day. But because you say so, I will let down my nets. Where in your life are you feeling that way? Where has living by your agenda, your own adequacies, and relying on your own skills left you empty? Are you ready now to listen to him? Are you ready now to do things his way—whatever that might mean? Are you ready to “let go and let God,” as the old saying goes? Ask God what that looks like in your life and world today. You might be surprised at the results.

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Heath and Angela Many are now serving at Tenwek Hospital, a Christian mission hospital in rural Kenya, as medical missionaries in their respective fields (surgery and obstetrics/gynecology). Pray today for Angela who has recently taken on the responsiblity of being the visiting staff coordinator. Pray also for Heath who is planning another surgical trip to South Sudan for late July. Please pray that all of the logistics of travel, equipment, and medicines can fall into place in time for the trip.

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to do your will, to follow your call, even when it doesn’t seem to make any sense. Amen. Notes

6 Theme for the Week: Wonder

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6

Opening Prayer: O Divine Voice, You sing and the universe comes into being; O Divine Breath, You breathe and all things spring to life; O Divine Word, You call and creation is sustained; O Divine Flesh, You are born among us, and the Creator is clothed in creation; O Divine Spirit, You contain all that has been formed; O Divine Life, You are the pulse of all that is; and so in faithful expectation, in wonder and celebration we gather to remember this mystery: in you all things live and move and have being, in all things, you live and move and express your Divine artistry; and so we join with creation in the eternal song of worship and devotion. Amen. - Brian McLaren

Scripture: Psalm 77:11-20

Journal: When you read the words, I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old, what comes to mind? Where have you experienced wonder lately? When is the last time you were overwhelmed by God’s deeds, or by his character?

Reflection: I guess, if you really thought about it, a good definition for the word wonder might be anything that makes you say, “Wow!” And wow is a really great word. Think back to the last time you said it. What were the circumstances? What happened within you? What fruit did it produce? According to Anne Lamott the word wow is one of the three great words of prayer—along with help and thanks. I don’t know about you, but I don’t say wow nearly enough. And I have a suspicion that it’s most often because I’m not paying attention. My guess is that if I was really paying attention I would see a lot to wow about—both big things and small things. I’m usually okay at noticing the big things—usually—but I could use significant help in noticing the small things. One summer while I was working at a Young Life camp, I was taking my normal early morning stroll to the dining hall when I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. Something was fluttering. At first I thought it was a bunch of butterflies, but when I stopped and looked closer I noticed that dancing atop the red and pink wildflowers that I passed on my daily trek were at least thirty goldfinches. It was absolutely beautiful—a definite wow moment. As I stood there in wonder, taking it all in, another one of the camp staff, who was driving by in a golf cart, stopped to ask me why I was standing in the middle of the road. When I showed him what I was looking at he was immediately captured as well. “I wonder how many days this has been going on and I have just driven right by without noticing it?” he wondered. And for a long time we just watched in silence. Moments of wonder are all around us if we are paying attention. And many, even this very day, will pass us by without our noticing. Where might God be inviting you to stop and take a look at what he is doing today? Where is God showing up regularly, just hoping that someday you might slow down enough to pay attention and be caught up in wonder? Whatever you do, pay attention to the little things. Because when you do you will find that the little things are not really little things at all, but invitations to stop and say, “Wow!”

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Mark and Mary are living in a Creative Access country. Mark is working for a U.S. corporation there as a “Tent Maker.” Mark’s work gives him unparalleled access to the local population. Pray today for wisdom for Mark and Mary as they lead a growing team. Pray for unity of spirit and vision, and that the Lord would use them for his kingdom, and that the gospel would take root across the land where they live.

Habitat for Humanity builds and sells single-family homes to qualified low and very-low income families by developing partnerships with businesses, organizations, churches, foundations and individuals who help build the homes. Pray today for the new homeowners who have recently moved into homes built earlier this year.

Closing Prayer: Lord God, author, creator, sustainer, artist, poet, and giver of life; help us to pay attention this day to all of the people and the places and the things that could cause us to stop and say “Wow” if we would just give them the chance. Amen.

7 Notes

8 MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7

Opening Prayer: O God, restore our faith, revive our hope, rekindle our love, and hear our prayer; for we offer it in Christ’s name. Amen. - Brian McLaren

Scripture: Psalm 89:1-18

Journal: What words or images in this Psalm cause wonder to well up within you? What about God’s character stands out most to you? What about his creation takes your breath away? Where have you seen his wonder?

Reflection: What can we say beyond Wow, in the presence of glorious art, in music so magnificent that it can’t have originated solely on this side of things? Wonder takes our breath away, and makes room for new breath. That’s why they call it breathtaking. (Help, Thanks, Wow by Anne Lamott)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: O gracious and Holy Father, give us wisdom to perceive You, intelligence to understand You, diligence to seek You, patience to wait for You, eyes to behold You, a heart to meditate on You, and a life to proclaim You, through the power of the Spirit of Jesus Christ our Lord. - Benedict of Nursia Notes

9 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8

Opening Prayer: Lord, you know me better than I know myself. Your Spirit pervades every moment of my life. Thank you for the grace and love you shower on me. Thank you for your constant, gentle invitation to let you into my life. Forgive me for the times I have refused that invitation, and closed myself off from you. Help me in the day to come, to recognize your presence in my life, to open myself to you, to let you work in me, to your greater glory. Amen. (The Spiritual Exercises by St. Ignatius)

Scripture: Psalm 139:1-24

Journal: What comes alive in you as you read this Psalm today? How do you feel about the fact that God knows you inside and out? What about the fact that there is nowhere you can flee from his presence? How does the way God made you capture your heart with love and affection for him?

Reflection: I was sitting with some friends a few months ago talking about what it meant that we are created in the image of God. We looked at Psalm 139 and were taking in the beauty of God’s intricate and intentional design of each of us—not just our bodies, but our hearts, souls, minds, and spirits as well. We were realizing together that each one of us began as an idea in the mind and heart of God—a dream, if you will—that brought a smile to His face and joy to His heart. And as we talked about this incredible mystery, we began to wonder out loud why it is that if indeed we were dreamt into being by such a loving and imaginative Creator, why each one of us feels like it is such a distant reality, if a reality at all. Why is it so hard for us to believe that we are God’s masterpiece? Why is it so difficult to convince ourselves that each and every one of us is a uniquely beautiful expression of His power, love, and creativity? Why is it so much easier to believe that we are no good, nothing special, worthless? I read recently about a painting by Leonardo da Vinci that for centuries was believed to have been lost, but has now been discovered in Florence, Italy covered over by the painting of other artists. Currently experts are working—carefully yet diligently—to cut through the layers of paint that have been applied on top of the da Vinci throughout the centuries in an effort to get down to the original masterpiece; one that is the direct work of the hands of the master. Can you imagine? A masterpiece covered-over by years and years of other people’s splatterings? Can you imagine painting over the top of a da Vinci? Who would do such a thing? And why? But the more I thought about it, the less far-fetched it seemed. As a matter of fact, the more it sounded like exactly what happens to each of us every day if we aren’t paying careful attention. Each day we allow so many things—the comments, opinions, and impressions of others, as well as the woundedness, insecurity, and pain of our own hearts—to paint over the top of the beautiful masterpiece God has created us to be. His image within us—that was meant to be an expression of his heart and his character—has been tarnished and painted over time after time after time. So much so that many of us have completely lost touch with the fact that we were created in His image to begin with. What we need is a daily reminder, a daily work of recovery. One to help us remember that in spite of all the layers of whatever has accumulated upon us through the years, covering up the beautiful work of the Master’s hands, the truth remains that, at our core, we are still a fearfully and wonderfully made creation of the great Artist of all things. Now there’s something that is worthy of wonder.

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Tom Matthews serves as a translation consultant to Bible translation teams from multiple people groups in northern Tanzania and Kenya. Some of the groups are minimally reached for Christ and some are dominated by Islam. Pray today for Tom and Juanita as Tom begins work this month with DOOR (Deaf Opportunity Outreach). They are translating literally hundreds of biblical portions in order to equip Christ’s church for the deaf. Tom will be leading workshops for them.

Closing Prayer: Lord God, when you created each of us it was with a wow in your heart. Forgive us that we have made ourselves into so much less than that. It is hard for us to believe that we were ever worthy of being said wow over, but each of us is a work of Divine artistry—a masterpiece. Help us to recapture our wow. For your glory. Amen.

10 Notes

11 WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9

Opening Prayer: Father, you are full of compassion. I commit and commend myself unto you, in whom I am, and live, and know. Be the Goal of my pilgrimage, and my Rest by the way. Let my soul take refuge from the crowding turmoil of worldly thoughts beneath the shadow of your wings; let my heart, this sea of restless waves, find peace in you, O God. Amen. - St. Augustine

Scripture: Mark 4:35-41

Journal: What about Jesus amazes you? When was the last time he caused you to say Wow? What are the storms in your life right now? How does he offer you peace in the midst of them?

Reflection: The disciples are fighting for their lives, doing everything they can just to stay afloat. But the storm is winning and they are just about to go down. You can hear the fear and doubt in their voices, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are perishing?” For they know that without help from a greater source they are toast. And just as their desperation reaches its height, Jesus comes to the rescue with a few simple words, “Peace! Be still!” And suddenly the wind stops and there is a great calm. Chaos turns into peace in the blink of an eye. “Why are you so afraid?” Jesus asks with a hint of a smile growing on his lips. And then, as he lies down to continue his nap, “Where’s your faith?” And the disciples are filled with wonder. “Whoa!” they respond. “What the heck just happened here? Who is this that even controls the winds and the waves?” Life seems so fragile at times. One minute the sun is shining and all is well with the world. And the next all hell breaks loose—storms, waves, chaos, desperation, pain—and we’re hanging on for dear life, bailing water like crazy just trying to stay afloat. “Where are you Jesus? Are you asleep? Don’t you care?” In these moments it is so easy to forget just who it is that is in our boat, and once again to be reminded that the One who made us—fearfully and wonderfully—and the One who loves us more than we can ever ask or imagine is indeed with us; even if the wind and waves and the fear and the doubt prevent us from being able to see him at the moment. He is the One who is able to give us peace in the midst of our chaos. He is the One with the power to help and to heal. He is the One who is able to utter the words, “Peace! Be still!” Whoa.

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: I now realize, God, how much You have given me. So much that was beautiful and so much that was hard to bear. Yet whenever I showed myself ready to bear it, the hard was directly transformed into the beautiful. And the beautiful was sometimes much harder to bear, so overpowering did it seem. To think that one small human heart can experience so much, oh God, so much suffering and so much love, I am so grateful to You, God for having chosen my heart, in these times, to experience all the things it has experienced. (An Interrupted Life: The Diaries of Etty Hillesum) Notes

12 THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10

Opening Prayer: Thank you, Lord Jesus, that people were constantly amazed by you. Forgive us when, in the midst of our daily routines, we lose sight of the wonder. Amen.

Scripture: Mark 2:1-12

Journal: What has Jesus done in you recently that has left you amazed? In what ways do you feel paralyzed? How can Jesus speak into that? What does being healed of that paralysis look like? What does it look like for you to pick up your mat and go home?

Reflection: What a story! Put yourself in the scene somewhere. Where do you find yourself? Can you imagine being one of the guys carrying the mat? What do you think it would’ve been like? What do you think their main motivation was? They must have cared deeply for their paralyzed friend to have dreamt up such a scheme. We are not told how many of them there were in total, but we are told that only that four of them were carrying him. Did they switch off? Or did these four carry him the whole way? I wonder how far it was. I’ll bet it was exhausting. And can you imagine getting to the house and realizing that you couldn’t get inside? What then? I wonder who had the idea of going to the roof. And how did the homeowner feel about that when he saw pieces of his roof falling to the floor inside? And after all of the hurdles were cleared, and their friend finally lay at Jesus’ feet, I wonder how they felt when they heard him say the words, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”? Did they think to themselves (or say out loud, for that matter), “It’s his legs. The problem is with his legs.” But Jesus knew better. Jesus knew that the real problem was much deeper than his legs, because his paralysis was only a symptom of a much larger issue—as it is with each of us. Our paralysis, most likely, is not physical like this particular man’s, but it is no less a reality. Our paralysis is most likely emotional and, ultimately, spiritual. But at the root of this paralysis, as with the man in Mark 2, lies the issue of sin. The two are intimately linked. I do not know what your paralysis looks like, it is a little different for everyone it seems, but I am pretty aware of my own. I usually only recognize it after it is a good bit down the road; after the gravitational pull of the old self towards darkness, sadness, loneliness, and depression has been going on for a little while and I am beginning to feel a little stuck. It is a downward spiral really, but a slow one that I do not recognize until a good bit of life and energy has already been drained out of me. And maybe the most telling sign is a feeling that I have lost some sense of being able to “Get up.” It’s like something has grabbed hold of me and is weighing me down, and “getting up” (whatever that may look like) feels like an almost impossible task. And it only seems to gain momentum: the longer it lasts, the stronger it seems to become. Luckily Jesus knows the link between, “Your sins are forgiven” and “Get up, take your mat and walk.” He knows that the deeper issue must be taken care of before the more surface issues can be resolved. He says to me, “Son, your sins are forgiven” just the way he did to the paralyzed man. He reminds me that, first and foremost, I am his son and he loves me immensely. This knowledge empowers me by speaking to the true self that he created me to be. This truth cuts right to my core, reminding me of who I truly am, as well as who I am not. His love and his forgiveness then offer me the strength and ability to do what he desires for me the most: Get up, take up my mat and walk. It is as if he were saying to me: “Do not sit any longer in this helpless paralysis, for I have given you my love and my forgiveness, which breaks the chains of your stuckness and allows you the ability to rise and leave the mat, and the paralysis, behind and walk in newness of life.” Therefore I must listen to his call daily to do just that. I must respond. I must consistently choose, by his power, to “Get u p.” In the process, I also need to pay careful attention to the typical patterns of my heart and soul, and constantly be asking myself several diagnostic questions: When am I at my best spiritually? When I am thriving spiritually, what factors are consistently present? When am I at my worst? And what factors contribute most significantly to that? What are my warning signs that I am slipping into darkness and spiritual paralysis? What are the things I must do regularly to create the space that helps keep me (by God’s grace) in a good spiritual place? And then, maybe at the end of the day, I too will hear his call. I too will be raised to new life. I too will get up, take my mat and walk out in full view of them all. And then everyone will be amazed and praise God saying, “We have never seen anything like this!” Thanks be to God!

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

13 in West Toulouse to the National Evangelism Committee of the French denomination UNEPREF. Pray for ministry plans that are in place for September including a new English program, and three evangelistic seminars in West Toulouse.

Closing Prayer: Lord, open our eyes that we may see You in our brothers and sisters. Lord, open our ears that we may hear the cries of the hungry, the cold, the frightened, the oppressed. Lord, open our hearts that we may love each other as You love us. Renew in us Your Spirit. Lord, free us and make us one. Amen. - Mother Teresa Notes

14 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11

Opening Prayer: O God of wonder, you made all things, measured the waters in the hollow of your hand, and marked off the heavens with its breadth; who is like you? Lift up our eyes, O Lord, and let us look to the heavens. You created all of this. You bring out the starry host and call each one by name. Fill us with wonder this day, that we might praise you the way you alone deserve to be praised. Amen.

Scripture: Isaiah 40:9-31

Journal: What causes you to marvel at God? When you look around his creation, what fills you with wonder? How does it inspire your faith? What does that do to your soul? What is your response to God today?

Reflection: In life one cannot awaken often enough the sense of a beginning within oneself. There is so little external change needed for that since we actually transform the world from within our hearts. If the heart longs for nothing but to be new and unlimited, the world is instantly the same as on the day of its creation and infinite.( The Poet’s Guide to Life: The Wisdom of Rilke)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: Let me know you, O Lord, who knows me; let me know you as I am known. Enter into my soul and fit it for yourself so that you may have it and hold it without spot or wrinkle. This is my hope. Amen.- St. Augustine Notes

15 SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12

Opening Prayer: O my soul, bless God! God, my God, how great you are! Beautifully, gloriously robed, dressed up in sunshine, and all heaven stretched out for your tent. You built your palace on the ocean deeps, made a chariot out of clouds and took off on wind-wings. You commandeered winds as messengers, appointed fire and flame as ambassadors. You set earth on a firm foundation so that nothing can shake it, ever. You blanketed earth with ocean, covered the mountains with deep waters; then you roared and the water ran away—your thunder crash put it to flight. Mountains pushed up, valleys spread out in the places you assigned them. You set boundaries between earth and sea; never again will earth be flooded. You started the springs and rivers, sent them flowing among the hills.(The Message)

Scripture: Psalm 104:1-35

Journal: Write a psalm to God this morning, telling him why you think he is very great.

Reflection: It’s the very nature of wonder to catch us off guard, to circumvent expectations and assumptions. Wonder can’t be packaged, and it can’t be worked up. It requires some sense of being there and some sense of engagement. - Eugene Peterson

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

F. & S. are working alongside Arab believers toward the goal of seeing churches planted for those who do not have a church. Their main focus is to work with, mobilize, resource and train nationals for this purpose. Pray today for business needs and wisdom on how to use them to minister to the needs of people. Pray also for someone to direct the Arabic training company and grow it so that it can be a blessing to more people.

KDEC or Kasr El Dobara Church is the largest evangelical church in the middle east. Started in 1948, it has grown to a membership of 8,000 members. Pray today for the ministry leaders of this church.

Closing Prayer: May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works—he who looks at the earth, and it trembles, who touches the mountains, and they smoke. I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the Lord. Praise the Lord, my soul. Praise the Lord. Notes

16 Theme for the Week: Rest

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13

Opening Prayer: Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. Amen.

Scripture: Psalm 62:1-12

Journal: What is the state of your soul these days? In what ways do you attempt to find rest? How does your soul find rest? What does this Psalm tell you about how souls rest is found?

Reflection: Only in God alone can my fearful and insecure heart and soul find rest. All else, everything but Him, is simply shifting sand, shaky ground—temporal, transient, fragile. He alone is my rock, my refuge, and my fortress. O how I long for a life rooted in Him, built upon Him, where I will never be shaken. But unfortunately, the fact of the matter is that this very day—maybe even this very minute—I will be shaken, probably often. I will be assaulted and thrown down, probably not in body, but definitely in heart and in spirit. Somewhere along the way today I will begin to believe that I actually am just a leaning wall or a tottering fence—frail, fragile, on the verge of collapse, not enough. Somewhere along the way today I will listen to the lies and start to believe them. Somewhere along the way I will attach (the Hebrew word for trust means to attach) myself to something other than God alone—a conversation, an affirmation, a conflict, a negative comment, an achievement, an interaction—and I will be dragged around by it, knocked off balance, blown by the wind, uprooted. At that point I will—actually He will—have to remind, and try again to convince, myself of the truth. Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken. I’ll have to listen carefully to his voice, rather than the host of others that rattle around within me. And I will have to decide whether or not I will really believe the truth he tells me: My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge. And as I listen once again to His voice, and His Word, something will begin to grow within me—trust. Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart to Him, for God is our refuge. And with this I will be able, by his strength and grace, to cut the cords of all the things that I’ve attached myself to other than him and attach (trust) myself to him once again, my strong and loving Creator. Thanks be to God!( Pieces II by Jim Branch)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Dan and Shelly Owens live in Uganda where Dan works with Sixty Feet. This organization focuses on ministry in Uganda in three categories: relief, rehabilitation or development. Pray today for their family as they serve there.

Closing Prayer: O God, full of compassion, I commit myself to you, in whom I am, and live and know. Be the goal of my pilgrimage and my rest by the way. Let my soul take refuge from the crowding turmoil of worldly thought beneath the shadow of your wings. Let my heart, this sea of restless waves, find peace in you, O God. Amen.- St. Augustine Notes

17 MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14

Opening Prayer: Lord God, my Heavenly Father, help me to know, to the core of my being, that I am your beloved. And help that knowledge to allow me to rest in you and not in what I can earn or achieve or accomplish. Help me, this day, to rest my head between your strong and protective shoulders. Amen.

Scripture: Deuteronomy 33:12

Journal: Where do you find rest? What does it take for you to truly rest? How does knowing that you are his beloved give you rest? How will you rest between his shoulders today?

Reflection: I’ve never really thought of myself as much of a gardener, and still don’t really. But I have discovered an undeniable interest in planting things and watching them grow. And not just any things, but beautiful things, flowers mostly. I guess that’s the difference between a gardener and a farmer—gardeners plant flowers and farmers plant vegetables. I’m definitely a flower guy, which quite honestly is a little hard to admit. The words flower and guy don’t particularly go hand-in-hand in my mind, but I really like them nonetheless—more and more as I get older. It’s kind of like watching birds, it is something I could’ve never imagined enjoying back in my younger days, but as I have gotten older I have discovered I really like it. Well, this new-found interest in gardening has begun to work its way out into my life, and particularly into my yard. In fact, I have this space in my backyard that I absolutely love. I call it my spot. It is a peaceful and quiet place that I escape to from time to time for silence and solitude. And, as a result, it is a space that I take special care of, a space I am very intentional about, one that I try to plant beautiful things in—two azalea bushes a couple of years ago, two small dogwood trees last year, roses and rhododendron this year. Add to that a couple of chairs, a fire pit, a bird feeder, and two bluebird houses and there you have it. The other day, as I was creating a little flowerbed to plant some of these beautiful things in, I began to realize that what I was doing in my yard was really what I most deeply desire to do with my life—to plant something beautiful within the hearts and souls of those that God brings across my path. Not something of me, mind you, nothing that I have created or dreamt up, but something of God, something beautiful that He has planted within me. Maybe that’s really what ministry is all about, listening deeply to Him, recognizing the beautiful things He is planting within us, and offering those things to folks in our lives and world. And maybe the only question I really need to pay attention to is: “God, what beautiful thing— that you have planted in me—do you want me to plant into this dear one that is sitting with me at the moment?” That’s where the Deuteronomy passage comes in. Moses is at the end of his life and mission. He has finished his race and has passed the baton of leadership on to Joshua. Now all that is left for him to do is utter his final words. Can you imagine the care and the prayer and the thought and the intention he put into the process of choosing the words he—and more appropriately God—wanted ringing in the ears of the nation of Israel at this key moment in their life and history. You can almost see the smile on his face as he thinks of each tribe individually, considers the state of their hearts, and carefully composes his hopes and dreams for each of them. And after all the thinking and the considering and the hoping and the dreaming and the praying, he gathers the entire nation together in order to give each of them a blessing. And what a blessing it is! In fact, as he blesses each tribe, it’s hard not to get the image of him simply trying to plant something beautiful within their hearts and souls, something that will bring life and bear fruit for years and years to come, something that will help them be exactly what both Isaiah and Jeremiah imagined—a well-watered garden. And maybe that’s all a blessing is anyway—planting something beautiful in a heart or soul. And maybe that’s exactly what a blessing was intended to do in the first place—to create life and bear fruit. So he plants the words of blessing in the soil of their souls, and prays that it will begin to take root. And what rich and beautiful words they are…“Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders.” And the garden of God’s delight becomes, a little at a time, more and more beautiful.

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

H. & L. serve in Asia by providing strategic leadership for colleagues serving in several major urban centers in Asia. Their role involves encouraging and coaching these co-workers in their ministries, as well as networking with others to make sure they have the resources and training that they need for their respective ministries. Pray today for discussions on developing more of a ministry strategy for their city.

18 Keymedia uses television, radio, the Internet and printed literature as well as local missionaries, in their Arabic and Muslim target countries, for the key purpose of planting churches and discipling local believers to take the gospel to their nation’s people. Pray today for those who are planting churches as a result of this organization.

Closing Prayer: Father, grow in me this day a deep knowledge of your incredible love and affection. Let its roots go deep into the soil of my soul and take residence there. That I may rest in you and in your love at all times, in all places, and in every circumstance. Amen. Notes

19 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15

Opening Prayer: Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly. - (Matthew 11:28-30, The Message)

Scripture: Matthew 11:28-30

Journal: In what ways are you weary and burdened? What does it mean to take Christ’s yoke upon you? How will that give rest to your soul?

Reflection: I don’t know about you, but the very sound of these words does something deep within me. They make something come to life. They make my soul stand on tip toe. They cause something to leap deep inside. I guess it is because my soul longs for true rest. The word used here for rest is anapauo, which means to cause or permit one to cease from any movement or labor in order to recover and collect his strength. How’s that for a definition? Our souls also long to be filled. Therefore, our lives are one long movement in the direction of pursuing our deepest longings. The problem is that we stop too soon—too near the top. When we taste something that tastes good to our soul, we assume that that is what our soul was made to be filled with. And so there we go, charging off in the direction of that person or that thing, trying to extract something from them that they were never fully intended to give us. C. S. Lewis said it so well when he said: “The books or the music in which we thought the beauty was located will betray us if we trust to them; it was not in them, it only came through them, and what came through them was longing. These things—the beauty, the memory of our own past—are good images of what we really desire; but if they are mistaken for the thing itself they turn into dumb idols, breaking the hearts of their worshippers. For they are not the thing itself; they are only the scent of a flower we have not found, the echo of a tune we have not heard, news from a country we have never yet visited.” (Weight of Glory by C. S. Lewis) In other words, the deepest and most wonderful things of this life were never intended to fully satisfy us, but to point us forward—to God. We also stop too soon in our definition of rest. Most often, when we hear the word rest we think of bodily rest, and rightly so because that is a significant part of the picture. Bodily rest is important and effects everything else about us. But it is, however, only a part of a much bigger picture. For the rest that Jesus is talking about here is much deeper. Jesus is offering us soul rest. Our soul is the deepest part of us. It is our essence, who we really are inside, our innermost being. And it was made to be filled and brought to life by God and God alone: And the Lord God formed man out of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. (Genesis 2:7) That is the part of us to which Jesus is offering rest. Deep soul rest that gives us the freedom from running around desperately trying to have our longings met by people and things that were never intended to fully meet those longings. So when Jesus invites us to, Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, he is offering us an invitation to leave behind all of the ways we are trying to perform (weary), and to let go of the heavy load of trying to achieve (burdened). He invites us to stop chasing after recognition and affirmation and connection and security—from anyone and anything under the sun—and turn to him. He is inviting us to take up his yoke. He is inviting us to have all of the deepest longings of our hearts and souls met in him, no more running or posturing or jockeying. That is what will give us real soul rest. So come.

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: May you experience grace—God acting in your life, in your thoughts, in your feelings, in your rest. May his face shine upon you. May his shining face lift up over you as you lie down, as you sleep, and give you the thoughts you need to have. The blessing of the Trinity rest upon you and everything you are and do. Let it be so. Amen.( Living in Christ’s Presence by Dallas Willard)

20 Notes

21 WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16

Opening Prayer: Set our hearts at rest in your presence, O God, that we might live in quietness and trust forever. May your righteousness offer us peace and confidence, and enable us to abide with you in the secure dwellings you promise for your people. Amen.

Scripture: Isaiah 32:16-18

Journal: What is the relationship between righteousness, peace, and rest? Are those three things part of your current inner reality? Why do you say that? Can you rest in the righteousness of Jesus?

Reflection: I can never fully rest in Jesus if I am constantly trying to fill my soul with the affirmation and admiration of others. It will wear me down and wear me out. Rest only comes when I am not dancing for others anymore, not jockeying for position in their hearts and minds. Rest only comes when, by God’s grace and power, the chains are broken that bind me to the care of what others think and say, and I am able to fully attach myself (my value and my worth) to him, and him alone. Only then can I truly rest. And only then can I truly love.

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Joe and Cindy Platillero proclaim the transforming presence of Jesus Christ through Biblical teaching and practical training to all who come through their doors. Their main ministry is through the Torchbearer Center where they have camps, conferences, and a small Bible School during the winter. Pray for them today as they focus on the local church and the church throughout Europe.

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, it is not what I do that gives me rest, but who you are. Help me to always remember that. It is your righteousness that gives me peace. It is your righteousness that offers me quietness and trust. It is your righteousness that offers me rest. Thank you! Amen. Notes

22 THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17

Opening Prayer: Thank you, O Lord, that our salvation is not up to us. Thank you that we can’t make it happen, but only you can. It is all about your power working within us. Thank you that all we need to do is return to you—not once, not twice, but always again. And thank you that as we are faithful to return to you, you are faithful to give us rest in the finished work of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Scripture: Isaiah 30:15

Journal: What do you tend to rely on for your salvation? How do you live with the sense that everything is up to you? What is the effect of that in your life? How does that keep you from being able to rest? How do you need to return to God?

Reflection: I made a realization not too long ago, and the more I think about it, the more significant it seems to be. It involves a shift deep within me, one that has to do with the age-old tension between doing and being. For most of my life—and even more so, honestly, in my Christian life—I have constantly felt the pressure to try and make things happen. It is a mode of operation (a way of thinking and believing) that is very subtle, and seems noble and right at first glance, but one that is incredibly deceptive and has an enormous effect on how you go about living your life, particularly your life with God. At its heart, it says: “Everything is up to me.” But recently I have noticed a change, one that has shifted me from the pressure of doing to the freedom of being. A realization that I do not have to make things happen, in fact I cannot make anything of true value happen, that is all up to God. He is the One in charge of salvation and growth and transformation, not me. He is the One that causes the heart to change, the seed to grow. What I have noticed is that when I finally let go of the need to make things happen, somehow mysteriously (and miraculously) things just begin to. Things just come to be. These days I often find myself looking around in amazement and surprise at the fruitfulness and the beauty springing up all around me, as well as deep within me, and ask myself, “How did that happen?” It is simply extraordinary. So what are we to do, sit idly by and never do anything? Not at all. What we are to do is to try and learn the lesson God was trying to teach Israel in Isaiah 30. They were the same as us. In Isaiah 30 they were under attack, their world filled with fear and chaos. But instead of turning to God, the One who knows them best and loves them most, the One who longs to save them, they panic. They take matters into their own hands and run off in another direction altogether, trying to insure and secure their salvation. In fact, they turn to Egypt (of all places) and beg Pharaoh to come to their rescue. Because when it came right down to it, when they were desperate for something or someone to set their world right again, their true beliefs came out. Instead of turning to God, they tried to make things happen for themselves. So God came to them and reminded them of what life with him is really all about. Your salvation will be found in returning and rest. Don’t try to take matters into your own hands, don’t carry out plans that are not mine (Isaiah 30:1). Turn back to me: once, twice, and always again. For when you turn (or return) to me, you will find rest, because I am the Sovereign God, the only One that can truly save you, the only One worthy of your trust. Find your rest in me, trust quietly in Me, for I am in control. So a shift is required, in them and in us. A shift very much like my own. A shift from trying to make things happen to turning constantly to God and trusting Him to work and to act. A shift that helps us begin to understand that the significant elements of life with our God are not do this and do that, but returning and rest, quietness and trust. Those are the bricks to build our spiritual house (lives) out of. Because when you turn constantly to me, I will be the One to make things happen... like you never imagined. So don’t just do something, stand there. (Pieces II by Jim Branch)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Steve and Ruth Porter center their ministry around Steve’s dentistry at the Miango Dental Clinic in Nigeria. Their goal is to provide high quality dentistry, a winsome witness, sound teaching, and a compassionate outreach to those in need. They minister to local pastors, teachers, and other church employees, offering their services for the cost of the materials they use. Pray today for the Porters as they continue work at the dental clinic. They are still waiting for the PVC pipe and the connections for the suction unit.

23 Knox County CAC is a public agency serving the citizens of Knoxville and Knox County. Cedar Springs is partnering with CAC Homeward Bound Emergency Transitional Housing Project (ETH). The program helps specific groups find housing: (1) Families with children that cannot find shelter space, (2) Seniors that cannot get into shelter or who are too frail for existing shelter, (3) Individuals with an already established housing plan. Pray today for the staff of CAC as they seek to find housing for these individuals.

Closing Prayer: God, the Master, The Holy of Israel, has this solemn counsel: “Your salvation requires you to turn back to me and stop your silly efforts to save yourselves. Your strength will come from settling down in complete dependence on me—the very thing you’ve been unwilling to do. (The Message) Notes

24 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18

Opening Prayer: Father God, I come into your presence so aware of my human frailty and yet overwhelmed by your love for me. I thank you that there is no human experience that I might walk through where your love cannot reach me. If I climb the highest mountain you are there and yet if I find myself in the darkest valley of my life, you are there. Teach me today to love you more. Help me to rest in that love that asks nothing more than the simple trusting heart of a child. In Jesus name, Amen. - anonymous

Scripture: Jeremiah 6:16

Journal: What words from Jeremiah 6:16 are you really drawn to? Which ones are you resistant to? How frequent are the practices of standing, looking, asking, and walking in your daily life with God? How does that process enable you to find rest for your soul? How and are you resistant to it? Why?

Reflection: Within these 33 words of Jeremiah 6:16 is a wonderful pattern that shows us what it looks like to simply live one life with God- wherever we go, whoever we are with, whatever we do. In fact, it is a pattern I have adopted over the past few years that seems to make good and fruitful space for the Spirit of God to speak and to lead and to guide in all areas of my life and ministry, if I will continually live from it. It all starts with stand. In other words start by stopping. Stand. Be still. Be present - fully present. First to God within you, and then to God around you. In other words, show up. I believe it was Woody Allen that once said, “Eighty percent of life is just showing up.” Show up with God and show up with others. That’s where it all starts. Next comes look. Stand at the crossroads and look. Pay attention. Look for God. Look deeply for him in whatever, or whoever, might be in front of you at the moment. Look past the surface. Look into the depths. Search. Seek. Seek him in all things. Then comes ask. Specifically, ask God. Ask God, “What are you up? What are you up to within me? What are you up to around me? What are you up to in this particular circumstance? What are you up to in the life of the person in front of me?” Ask. Ask for the ancient paths. The ancient paths are those well-worn paths that lead straight to the heart of God. Those paths that multitudes of other saints, poets, and pilgrims have traveled well before us. In fact, whenever we see someone walking deeply and intimately with God we need to take note because that person has found these ancient paths, and watching them can show us the way into the heart of God. Solitude, silence, prayer, scripture, etc., these things, indeed, are a significant part of the good way. And notice that, up until now, we still have not moved. We are still in one place (stand, look, ask), seeking God’s heart, mind, and direction. And it is not an easy thing to do because our default mode of operation is movement. Our norm is don’t just stand there, do something. We tend to operate (whether we like to admit it or not) out of a “ready, fire, aim” mentality. Which, in all likelihood, leads to a significant amount of wasted motion. Our default, it would seem, needs to change more to a “don’t just do something, stand there” mindset. And finally, once we have stood and looked and asked, it is time to move. Walk in it is the phrase Jeremiah uses. Walk in the good way, whatever that may mean. For, once we have received our direction and guidance from God, it is time to enter into whatever he is doing. It is time to move toward him (and his work) whatever that may look like. Sometimes it will mean speaking a word he has given us to speak and sometimes it will mean keeping our mouths shut. Sometimes it will mean simply being present and sometimes it will mean reaching out to embrace. But whatever it is, we can be sure of its power, substance, and authenticity because it has come directly from his heart and not merely our own. And the result of all of this is incredible: you will find rest for your souls. No longer will we be exhausted and overwhelmed, but we will be energized and engaged by the winds of God’s Spirit. We will no longer be living a life divided into a million-and-one pieces, but a unified life that is filled peace because we are just trying to do the one thing—be totally his. Thanks be to God!

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Carlos and Sandy Rios are planting Rivers of Grace Bible Church in the San Andres area of Guadalajara, Mexico. The church is growing and many new families have begun attending. Pray for the Rios as they travel through the U.S. this month and next on home assignment.

25 Knoxville Inner City Kids Outreach (KICKO) is a para-church ministry with a mission to “Mobilize the Message of Hope” to the at-risk children in our inner-city neighborhoods. This is done through a unique program called Sidewalk SONday School. Large trucks, outfitted to take the church into these communities, allow them to share the gospel with children at multiple locations each week. Pray today for all of the families who will encounter KICKO this Fall.

Closing Prayer: O Lord, our God, give us the courage to stand and to look and to ask and to walk, that we might be led completely by you—and find rest. Amen. Notes

26 SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19

Opening Prayer: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him forever in the next. Amen. - Reinhold Niebuhr

Scripture: Psalm 91:1-2

Journal: How does dwelling in God give rest to your soul? How do you need God to be your refuge and fortress these days? Your refuge from what? How is that “storm” keeping you from resting in him?

Reflection: We mostly spend our lives conjugating three verbs: to Want, to Have, and to Do. Craving, clutching, and fussing, on the material, political, social, emotional, intellectual—even on the spiritual—plane, we are kept in perpetual unrest: forgetting that none of these verbs have any ultimate significance, except so far as they are transcended by and included in, the fundamental verb, to Be: and that Being, not wanting, having and doing, is the essence of a spiritual life. (The Spiritual Life by Evelyn Underhill) To want, to have, to do, or to be. To which of these will the majority of my energy go today? And which of them is really worth my energy and attention anyway? I have a suspicion that unless all of the others (want, have, do) flow out of that deep inner place of being—particularly being with Jesus and being in Jesus—then all of them will amount to nothing of Kingdom value or Kingdom significance in the long run. All must flow from that place where Jesus resides deep in my soul; call it dwelling, call it abiding, call it whatever you wish, but the bottom line is that it is all about being.

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

M. is living in an area in Southeast Asia where the Tai Lue, an unreached people group, live. She is trusting that God will open doors for the gospel and empower local brothers and sisters to make disciples among them. Pray today for three local men who go to different areas during the week to share the Good News. Thank God for the love and boldness of these men and pray that the groups they meet with will all grow close with God and learn to lead themselves and others, going out to impact their communities.

Closing Prayer: Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; our God is merciful. The Lord preserves the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me. Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. - Psalm 116:5-7 Notes

27 Theme for the Week: Home

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20

Opening Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, Thank you that here and there you have shown me glimpses of heaven, however briefly. Now and then you have sent me echoes of it, however faintly. And that once in a while you have allowed it to touch me, however gently. Those glimpses, those echoes, those touches have awakened my longing for home, and for each one of those awakenings, I thank you. Thank you that I have a room in your Father’s house. A place just for me. Thank you for all you have done to ready it for my arrival. For all the longings that lead me there and for all the reminders that let me know that this is not my home, I thank you, O Lord. Remind me often, for so often I forget, that the very best of homes here on earth is just a shadow of the home waiting for me in heaven. (Moments with the Savior by Ken Gire)

Scripture: John 13:31-14:4

Journal: How do you feel when you arrive home after a long and tiring journey? What are the joys of being home? How does it make you feel to know that Jesus has made a home for us with him? How does it make you feel to know that he has prepared a place for you? How does that help you with all that faces you today?

Reflection: For now, our life is a journey of high stakes and frequent danger. But we have turned the corner; the long years of exile are winding down as we are approaching home. There is no longer any question as to whether we will make it and if it will be good when we get there. “I am going to prepare a place for you,” Jesus promised. “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me” (John 14:2-3). One day soon we will round a bend in the road and our dreams will come true. We really will live happily ever after. The long years of exile will be swept away in the joyful tears of our arrival home. Every day when we rise, we can tell ourselves, My journey today will bring me closer to home; it may be just around the bend. All we long for we shall have; all we long to be, we will be. All that has hurt us so deeply—the dragons and nits, the Arrows and false lovers, and Satan himself—they will all be swept away. Then real life begins. (The Sacred Romance by Brent Curtis and John Eldredge)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Mostafa and Mona Sharkawy’s main area of work is the U.K., serving among Arab Muslims. Their goals are to see Arabic churches arise from Muslim background believers, to see new generations of leaders from Muslim believers, and to teach and prepare them for future ministry. Pray today for Mostafa who will start his Master of Arts in Theology degree with the Evangelical Presbyterian Seminary in Egypt this month.

Cedar Springs adopted Lonsdale Elementary in 2003. Lonsdale, with more than 400 students PreK through 5th grade, only serves the Lonsdale area. Over the years, the racial make-up of the school, whose students are 100% free lunch qualified, has changed to primarily Hispanic and African-American children. Pray today for the children that attend Lonsdale Elementary that they might have a great Fall semester.

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you that this world is not my home. Thank you that you have a home prepared for me that is far more than I could ever ask for or imagine—more than I could dream about in my wildest dreams. Thank you that one day you will take me there to be with you forever. Amen. Notes

28 MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21

Opening Prayer: Thank you, Lord Jesus, that one day you will make all things new. Thank you that one day you will do away with sorrow and suffering and pain, and you yourself will dwell with us in joy for all eternity. O how we long for that day. O how we yearn to be home. Come, Lord Jesus! Amen.

Scripture: Revelation 21:1-7

Journal: What are you longing to have made new these days? What will it be like when every tear is wiped away? Where and how are you longing for home these days? What do you imagine it to be?

Reflection: John says someday God will wipe away your tears. The same hands that stretched the heavens will touch your cheeks. The same hands that formed the mountains will caress your face. The same hands that curled in agony as the Roman spike cut through will someday cup your face and brush away your tears. Forever…. I’ll be home soon. The plane will land. I’ll walk down the ramp and hear my name and see my children’s faces. I’ll be home soon. You’ll be home soon, too. You may not have noticed it, but you are closer to home than ever before. Each moment is a step taken. Each breath is a page turned. Each day is a mile marked, a mountain climbed. You are closer to home than you’ve ever been. Before you know it, your appointed arrival time will come; you’ll descend the ramp and enter the City. You’ll see the faces that are waiting for you. And, maybe, just maybe—in the back, behind the crowds—the One who would rather die than live without you will remove his pierced hands from his heavenly robe and applaud. (Applause of Heaven by Max Lucado)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

The Love Kitchen serves Knoxville’s homeless, helpless, hopeless, hungry, and homebound by providing food and clothing. Many CSPC members volunteer there every week preparing and distributing meals. Pray today for all of the people who will receive meals from The Love Kitchen this week that they may understand the love of God for them through this ministry.

Closing Prayer: O Jesus, fountain of Eternal Life, your heart is a glowing furnace of Love. You are my refuge and my sanctuary. O my adorable and loving Savior, consume my heart with the burning fire with which yours is enflamed. Pour out on my soul those graces which flow from your love. Let my heart be united with yours. Let my will be conformed to yours in all things. May your will be the rule of all my desires and actions. Amen. Notes

29 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22

Opening Prayer: O Lord, thank you that you rejoice over us with gladness because of your Son, our Savior, Jesus. Quiet us, this day, with your love, O Lord, that we may hear the song of affection that you sing constantly over us. Thank you that one day you will gather us and bring us home, that we might hear that song from your very lips for all eternity. Amen.

Scripture: Zephaniah 3:14-20

Journal: What do you think about a God who would sing over you? Do you believe you are worth being sung over? Do you believe that you bring deep joy to the heart of God? Do you believe that he desires to spend all of eternity rejoicing over you in happy song?

Reflection: There are many great pictures of God’s great affection for us in the Bible, but maybe none sweeter than the one in Zephaniah 3:16-17. It tells us that God is so delighted to be in relationship with us that it brings a song to his lips and joy to His heart. Is that not INCREDIBLE! The God of the universe is so pleased that we have come home to him that he bursts into song. Eugene Peterson said it so well in The Message: “Cheer up! Don’t be afraid! For the Lord your God has arrived to live among you. He is a mighty savior. He will rejoice over you with great gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will exult over you by singing a happy song.” (Zephaniah 3:16-17) Knowing him and following him is a lifelong process—one that is not easy and will not make all of our problems go away. But it is, nonetheless, a process that offers us a real, loving, intimate relationship with the Living God—one that will bring a richness and a peace, a fullness and a depth to our lives that we never imagined. One that is a foreshadowing, a tiny taste, of what it will be like for all eternity. (Beginnings by Jim Branch)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: Lord God, give me ears to hear your heavenly song, that it might so capture me with love for you that it changes everything about the way I live my life, both in this world and the next. Amen. Notes

30 WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you that because of your cross we are now able to join you in Paradise. O how we long for that day. Help that longing to be what guides our steps and our efforts this day for your Kingdom. Amen.

Scripture: Luke 23:32-43

Journal: Put yourself in the scene. Imagine being each of the thieves. As you see Jesus dying on the cross, what is your response? What do his words “Today you will be with me in Paradise” do within you?

Reflection: Jesus called it Paradise. The Greek word is paradeisos, which comes from a Persian word meaning a garden or well-watered preserve. It is a place of beauty, a place of life, a place of abundance, a garden of both pleasure and delight. The early church Fathers equated it to the place our first parents dwelt before the fall, yet not of this world but somehow above and beyond it. That’s a pretty magnificent place. But the place might not be the most magnificent part of what Jesus says. For he goes on to say, “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” I think all too often we get caught up in the what of heaven and miss out on the who. We get so sidetracked trying to imagine what heaven will be like that we miss the best part; we will be with Jesus—the Creator and Lover of our souls—for all eternity. Therefore, it is Paradise not because of what is there, it is Paradise because of who is there.

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Vitaly and Oksana Voinov live in Moscow, Russia. Vitaly is working with the Institute for Bible Translation (IBT) in Russia/ CIS as IBT’s director. IBT has been serving the non-Slavic peoples of the former Soviet Union for four decades by translating the Holy Scriptures - Bibles, New Testaments, individual Bible books, and illustrated Children’s Bibles. Pray today for IBT’s publishing department as they work to juggle several Bible printing projects.

Since 1996, the Mission of Hope has ministered to the people of various counties in Kentucky and Tennessee from which 80% of the residents no longer have jobs in the coal mining industry. In their first event in 1996 they were able to assist 150 children. This past Christmas, because of the generosity of so many people, the Mission of Hope was able to help more than 18,000 children and their families with food, clothes, toys and hygiene items. Pray today forMission of Hope as they reach out to children this Fall with school supplies, backpacks and more.

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you that you promise us Paradise—life with you forever. Thank you that you are the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. Thank you that you will quench our thirsty hearts and souls. Thank you that you will give us drink from the wells of the water of life. Thank you that we will be able to drink of you for all eternity. Amen. Notes

31 THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24

Opening Prayer: O Lord, our God, thank you for your word. Thank you for the book of Revelation. Thank you for the beauty and majesty of heaven, and that one day we will go there to be with you for all eternity. Help us to keep heaven in our minds and hearts, that the vision of it might encourage us to live and love well on this earth—to be little “tastes of heaven” for all we come in contact with—and to yearn for our future home in a way that keeps us from getting too attached to the things of this world. Amen.

Scripture: Revelation 21:9-27

Journal: What do you dream heaven will be like? How does that help you to live fully in the here and now? How does that give you hope for the future?

Reflection: If our pictures of heaven are to move us, they must be moving pictures. So go ahead—dream a little. Use your imagination. Picture the best possible ending to your story you can. If that isn’t heaven, something better is. When Paul says, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9), he simply means we cannot out-dream God. What is the end of our personal journeys? Something beyond our wildest imagination. (The Sacred Romance by Brent Curtis and John Eldredge)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Andy and Bev Warren serve with an MTW team that is involved in HIV/AIDS work and church planting through the Ethiopia Aids Care and Treatment (ACT) Project. The project targets slum communities in Addis Ababa which contain the neediest people in the community - large percentages of women with small children. In recent years the project has served more than 500 AIDS-affected families, reaching more than 1,200 people. Pray today for Andy and Bev as they are looking for a new house, getting ready for their niece, Glory, to join them for a few months and planning for a gathering of MTW missionaries this month. Find out more about the Ethiopia ACT Project by going here: http://reclamationstories.org/ethiopia-act-project.

Closing Prayer: Hallelujah! The Master reigns, our God, the Sovereign-Strong! Let us celebrate, let us rejoice, let us give him the glory! The Marriage of the Lamb has come; his Wife has made herself ready. She was given a bridal gown of bright and shining linen. The linen is the righteousness of the saints. (Revelation 19:6-8, The Message) Notes

32 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, may your Kingdom come and your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. It is all about your Kingdom and your rein, Lord Jesus. Help us to never forget that. Amen.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:50-58

Journal: What is our true home? Do you see heaven as our home, or God as our home? What is the difference? How do these verses challenge you? How do they comfort you? How do they inspire you? How do they change your thinking?

Reflection: The Christian doctrine of suffering explains, I believe, a very curious fact about the world we live in. The settled happiness and security which we all desire, God withholds from us by the very nature of the world: but joy, pleasure, and merriment He has scattered broadcast. We are never safe, but we have plenty of fun, and some ecstasy. It is not hard to see why. The security we crave would teach us to rest our hearts in this world and pose an obstacle to our return to God: a few moments of happy love, a landscape, a symphony, a merry meeting with our friends, a swim or a football match, have no such tendency. Our Father refreshes us on the journey with some pleasant inns, but will not encourage us to mistake them for home. (The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, you who will one day redeem all things, in light of that redemption help us to be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in your work, knowing that in you our labor is never in vain. Amen. Notes

33 SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you that one day you will come back for us and take us home to be with you. We are not too sure of the hows and wheres and whens of that coming, but we are sure that one day it will happen. And since that great day will happen, let us live each day between now and then with the full knowledge that you, Lord Jesus, are our true home. May we live our lives, both now and forever, with you. Amen.

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Journal: How do these words encourage you? How might they offer encouragement to others in your life and world?

Reflection: There are two realities to which you must cling. First, God has promised that you will receive the love you have been searching for. And second, God is faithful to that promise. So stop wandering around. Instead, come home and trust that God will bring you what you need. Your whole life you have been running about, seeking the love you desire. Now it is time to end that search. Trust that God will give you that all-fulfilling love…Just stop running and start trusting and receiving. Home is where you are truly safe. It is where you can receive what you desire. You often need human hands to hold you there so you don’t run away again. But when you come home and stay home, you will find the love that will bring rest to your heart. (The Inner Voice of Love by Henri J. M. Nouwen)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: O Waker of the Dead, awaken me. Find the faith in my soul that’s as dead as night; find the hope in my heart that’s as dry as dust; find the love in my spirit that’s so fast asleep. Peer beneath the shroud of my life and awaken me. Look deeply, Jesus. Find the child there, find the dreamer there, find the lover there. Awaken me. You’re the one who has conquered the grave, you’re the one who has tasted new life. Help me die to the dying life, and be born to the life that never dies, by entering the mystery of your love right here, right now, today. (A Heart Exposed by Steven James) Notes

34 Theme for the Week: Disciple

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, somewhere along the line we have lost sight of what you truly desire for us. Somewhere along the line we have come to believe that all we need to do is raise a hand, or walk an aisle, or pray a prayer and you will be pleased. But help us, Lord Jesus, to know that what you really want from us and for us is so much more than that. What you really desire is that we follow you—wherever you lead, whatever you ask, whatever the cost. Give us the courage and the strength to do that. Amen.

Scripture: Mark 8:34-38

Journal: What does it mean for you to be Jesus’ disciple? How is he asking you to follow him these days?

Reflection: We are on the verge of a time when the church is going to be able to make some decisions. For long periods in the history of the church, as in the history of Israel, there were no significant decisions that could have been made. I think we have been through a pretty tough patch with the church, and I try never to criticize the church, because I know who is in charge of it. But sometimes we need to be conscious of where we are coming from and where we are going. We are coming into a time when many churches and Christians who are in leadership positions will be able to say it’s all about discipleship and transformation into Christlikeness. Now, if you read the New Testament or even the Old Testament, you might have come to that conclusion already. It is hard to avoid, but circumstances in history have a way of claiming us and not letting us see what’s actually happening. We have been through a period when the dominant theology simply had nothing to do with discipleship. It had to do with proper belief, with god seeing to it that individuals didn’t go to the bad place, but to the good place. But that developed in such a way that the predominant thought is that a person can have the worst character possible and still get into the good place if he believed the right thing. This disconnection became increasingly burdensome to the church itself until we came to the point that, as is widely discussed, there is not a clear difference between Christians and those who aren’t Christians. Now, that is due partly to the fact that Christian teaching has thoroughly penetrated ordinary society. Many people who are not part of the church and who are not followers of Christ by their own conscious intentions wind up living a kind of halfway, limp way of living out what Jesus taught and who he was. And it is a familiar fact that the world likes to beat the church with the church’s own stick and to criticize it in terms of what Jesus himself taught. We have perhaps had enough of that, and there are indications that we are ready for a change. That change will make a startling difference in our world, because Jesus’ intention for his people from the beginning, and indeed from long before that in God’s covenant relationship with the people of Israel, was world revolution. If you read the Great Commission, you may not realize it is about world revolution. If you think it is about planting churches, as important as that may be, if you think it is about evangelization, as that is often understood—no, no, it is about a world revolution promised through Abraham, come to life in Jesus and living on in his people up to today. That is what our hearts hunger for, even when we don’t know how to approach it or how to go about it. (Living in Christ’s Presence by Dallas Willard)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

J & F live and work in one of the poorest and most heavily populated states in their country. They are seeking to make a difference in this state in both physical and spiritual realms. They have launched a micro-finance business that is creating self-sustaining means of support for churches and church plants as well as continuing to provide funds for the installation of hand pumps to provide clean water to needy areas of the state. Pray for continued growth in the leadership of their microfinance program and the many families being helped through loans to women. Also please pray for an English club that J leads.

35 PALM (Preparing Arab-World Leaders for Ministry) is Arab World Media’s discipleship and theological training ministry. It provides high quality leadership and discipleship training materials in Arabic, Kabyle and French. It is an excellent way to meet the need for training in leadership and ministry among Muslim background believers throughout North Africa, Middle East and Arabian Peninsula. Our 2015 mission conference guest Belkacem Guermouche works with PALM Algerian. Pray for him today.

Closing Prayer: May you experience grace - God acting in your life, in your thoughts, in your feelings, in your rest. May his face shine upon you. May his shining face lift up over you as you lie down, as you sleep, and give you the thoughts you need to have. The blessing of the Trinity rest upon you and everything you are and do. Let it be so. Amen.( Living in Christ’s Presence by Dallas Willard) Notes

36 MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, make us your disciples, that we may make disciples by your grace and power. Amen.

Scripture: Matthew 28:16-20

Journal: What is the relationship between being a disciple and making disciples? How are both processes going in your life and ministry these days?

Reflection: It is to a group of disciples that we now turn in the second passage, right at the end of the gospel of Matthew (Matthew 28:18-20). It is called the Great Commission, but when you look at it closely, you might want to call it the Great Omission, because what Jesus said to do here is rarely done. Here is what Jesus is saying: I have been given say over everything in heaven and on earth. As you go, make disciples. Immerse them together in the presence of the Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Yes, baptize them in the name, but, dear friends, that doesn’t just mean getting them wet while you say those names. It means to immerse them in Reality. After you have done that, teach them in a way that they actually do what Jesus said. That is the process of spiritual formation. And what comes out at the end is the joy of living in the easy yoke, for you find that to do what Jesus said is the easy and strong way to live forever and in time. Look at those passages again. First, Jesus said, “I have been given all authority.” In other words, “I have been given say over everything.” We are not sent out without equipment. We are sent out with all the equipment we can possibly use, and as we go, we make disciples. I think the best way of translating this is “As you go, make disciple.” This presents making disciples as a kind of side effect, and that is really important to understand in relation to making disciples. In life, some things that can be pulled cannot be pushed, and some things that can be pushed cannot be pulled. Making disciples is a matter of pulling people, of drawing them in through who we are and what we say. Disciples are those who have been so ravished with Christ that others want to be like them. Others look at those disciples’ life in the kingdom of God and they say, “This is the best thing I ever saw in my life. I must have that.” (Living in Christ’s Presence by Dallas Willard)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, so often we have heard the phrase, “It takes one to know one.” Help us to know that in the case of discipleship, “It takes one to make one.” How can we ever expect to make disciples—which is the mission you have called us to here on earth—if we are not disciples ourselves? Help us, Lord Jesus, to be ravished by you. Help us to become fully yours; that we might be fully a part of the work you have called us to do. In your name we pray. Amen. Notes

37 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29

Opening Prayer: I bind unto myself today the power of God to hold and lead, His eye to watch, His might to stay, His ear to hearken to my need: the wisdom of my God to teach, His hand to guide, His shield to ward; the Word of God to give me speech, His heavenly host to be my guard. Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort me and restore me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ in the hearts of all that love me, Christ in the mouth of friend and stranger. I bind unto myself the Name, the strong Name of the Trinity, by invocation of the same, the Three in One, and One in Three, of Whom all nature hath creation; Eternal Father, Spirit, Word: praise to the Lord of my salvation, salvation is of Christ the Lord. Amen. - St. Patrick

Scripture: Colossians 2:6-7

Journal: What is God growing in you these days? How well is it taking root within you? What does it look like to continue to “walk in” it?

Reflection: Everything is gestation and then bringing forth. To let each impression and each germ of a feeling come to completion wholly in itself, in the dark, in the inexpressible, the unconscious, beyond the reach of one’s own intelligence, and await with deep humility and patience the birth-hour of a new clarity: that alone is living the artist’s life: in understanding as in creating. There is here no measuring with time, no year matters, and ten years are nothing. Being an artist means, not reckoning and counting, but ripening like the tree which does not force its sap and stands confident in the storms of spring without the fear that after them may come no summer. It does come. But it comes only to the patient, who are there as though eternity lay before them, so unconcernedly still and wide, I learn it daily, learn it with pain to which I am grateful: patience is everything! (Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Jeff and Ellen work among unreached people groups in two restricted access countries of Southeast Asia catalyzing Church Planting Movements. Pray today for new workers to join Mekong Ministries to reach unreached people groups. The Black Hmong and Dong are the two groups they urgently need workers for. Pray today also for the Bald Headed Lahu in China as government persecution is holding them back.

Closing Prayer: God, go with us. Help us to be an honor to the church. Give us the grace to follow Christ’s word, to be clear in our task and careful in our speech. Give us open hands and joyful hearts. Let Christ be on our lips. May our lives reflect a love of truth and compassion. Let no one come to us and go away sad. May we offer hope to the poor, and solace to the disheartened. Let us so walk before God’s people, that those who follow us might come into his kingdom. Let us sow living seeds, words that are quick with life, that faith may be the harvest in people’s hearts. In word and in example let your light shine in the dark like the morning star. Do not allow the wealth of the world or its enchantment flatter us into silence as to your truth. Do not permit the powerful, or judges, or our dearest friends to keep us from professing what is right. Amen. (Searching for Sunday by Rachel Held Evans) Notes

38 WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, there are so many things and people and demands that are pressing on our lives these days that at times we can lose track of the fact that what life is really all about is “walking in a way that pleases you.” Help us to remember that today. And help us to walk deeply with you. Amen.

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:1

Journal: What occupies most of your time and attention these days? What are you “doing so more and more?” Is that leading toward Jesus? What does it mean for you—specifically, in your life right now—to walk in a way that pleases Jesus?

Reflection: Authentic transformation is possible if we are willing to do one thing and that is to arrange our lives around the kind of practices and life Jesus led to be constantly receiving power and love from the Father. (The Spirit of the Disciplines by Dallas Willard)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Cedar Springs partners with Redeemer City to City to plant churches in urban areas around the world. Pray for all of the church planters that are supported throughout the world.

Closing Prayer: Lord, you will have to be our teacher, because the dignity has been drained out of us in so many ways. We have been treated like dirt, and that has stuck on us. We’ve put ourselves against standards of our own making, because we thought it would give us worth. Please touch each person with how unique they are in your eyes and how their dignity in your eyes is so great that you will not even override them; you will woo them and pursue them and help them to accept that you are seeking them and you will allow yourself to be found by them if they simply cry out for help. I pray that great freedom will come across them because of their awareness of where they stand in your kingdom. That will make Jesus very happy, and the angels in heaven will jump up and down. And so we say, “Let it be so,” and that’s what we mean by amen. Amen. (Living in Christ’s Presence by Dallas Willard) Notes

39 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1

Opening Prayer: Help us, O Lord, to plant ourselves deeply in you, that we might be firmly rooted in your love, constantly drawing life-giving nourishment from your word, causing our leaves to always be green, and bearing fruit aplenty on our vines. For your glory. Amen.

Scripture: Psalm 1:1-6

Journal: What image are you most drawn to is this passage? Why? What image are you most disturbed by? Why? What words or images are most descriptive of your life these days?

Reflection: You’re capable of walking in all the things that Jesus said to do. There isn’t anything that you can’t do by the grace of God if you are willing to go through the process of finding the roots of the behavior and changing the roots. If you are stuck on changing behavior, you’ll kill yourself, and everyone else will hate you, because you’ll be a miserable person. You’ll fail. They’ll say, “Aha!” But we can learn all the things Jesus taught if we go to the roots of the behavior. Eventually, that means finding those areas of spirit, mind, soul, where the sources of the behavior come from. And it isn’t just all negative. I wish I had time to talk about positive things like the great Psalm 119: “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. . . .Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:11, 105). We’re talking about knowledge. We’re talking about learning what is the truth and living in that. When we do that positively, we’re back to the Psalm 1 man. The Psalm 1 man’s roots have gone down into the richness of the kingdom of God, and because of that, he brings forth fruit. (Living in Christ’s Presence by Dallas Willard)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Ron and Amy Barber have been living near Auckland, New Zealand where Ron has been teaching church planting, cultural anthropology and global theology at Eastwest College of Intercultural Studies. Pray today for the Barbers as they arrived in the U.S. last month to begin a transition to move and begin work in a similar position at IGSL in the Philippines.

Closing Prayer: Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly. For the Lord watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction. (Psalm 1:1-6, NLT) Notes

2 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, when we see you as you really are, and see ourselves as we really are, we have no choice but to cry out like Simon Peter: “Depart from me for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” Because when we see your beauty and your greatness, we are completely captured and completely overwhelmed. All we want to do from that moment on is to become more and more like you, leaving all else behind to follow you and to catch men - that is true discipleship. Amen.

Scripture: Luke 5:1-11

Journal: What words in this passage speak most to your life right now? Can you relate to Simon Peter? How? What does it mean for you to put out into the deep? What response arises in your soul as you watch the scene unfold? What does it mean in your life to catch men?

Reflection: There are three beautiful movements in this story that give a great picture of true discipleship. First, there is an invitation to put out into the deep. In the life of faith, God is always inviting us to deeper and deeper places with him. His desire is that we move further and further into him. We must leave the shallows where we are the ones in control, where we set the agenda and direction, where we only have to trust in ourselves. And we must venture into the deep, where we can’t reach the bottom, where we can’t control or manage or determine our circumstances, where we are in way over our heads. The deep is a place of total surrender, total trust, and total dependence. It is also the place of genuine encounter. For in the deep we encounter God in a transforming way. When Peter obeys Jesus’ call to put out into the deep he makes a realization, which is the second movement in the process. When Simon Peter puts out into the deep he encounters Jesus in a way he never would have otherwise. And when he genuinely encounters Jesus it completely changes the way he sees everything. Simon Peter’s eyes are opened and he sees how big and awesome and beautiful Jesus really is. And, as a result, he is completely captured and completely overwhelmed by what he sees. His response tells it all, “Depart from me for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” At this point Peter doesn’t refer to Jesus as Master, the way he did before he ventured to the deep, but now he calls him Lord, for he realizes that one who could do something so amazing and miraculous must be the One to whom all things belong. And when Peter sees how big and awesome and beautiful Jesus is, it immediately causes him to see how small and frail and broken he is himself. As a result, a deep humility is born within him. And humility is some of the best possible soil for the life of the Spirit to grow, because humility breaks us open. Humility totally destroys pride. Pride separates and humility unites. Pride judges and humility loves. Pride breeds condescension and humility breeds acceptance. This work of humility - this realization of who Jesus is and who we are - gets us ready for the final movement of the passage and that is a vocation. Jesus redefines Peter’s vocation, as well as our own. No longer is he a fisherman; that is not his real job. His real job from now on is to catch men. As a result of our encounter with Jesus in the deep our whole lives are reoriented according to his kingdom and his purposes. The question is no longer, “Where does Jesus fit into my life?” but, “where do I fit in Jesus’ kingdom and purposes, and what he is doing in the world?” Thus we, as these new disciples did, pull our boats up on shore, whatever they may be, leave everything behind, and follow him. That is true discipleship.

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

R. and G. are serving at a sanitorium for chest diseases and a children’s home, focusing on bringing holistic healthcare to the semi-nomadic people of an area in the Middle East. R. is a dentist and G. is a teacher and artist. Pray today for God’s movement among R. & G. and their patients as they love them and share the gospel with them.

Closing Prayer: Give us the courage to follow you, Lord Jesus, wherever you may lead and whatever it may cost. Make us true disciples. Amen.

3 Notes

4 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to be willing to follow you completely - no ifs, ands, or buts. Amen.

Scripture: Luke 9:57-62

Journal: Which of these three men can you relate to best? What, if anything, keeps you from being “all in” with Jesus? What is your definition of discipleship? By that definition, how is it going for you?

Reflection: This is the story of three would-be disciples. We know little to nothing about any of them, but each gives us great insight into what it means to truly follow Jesus. Each clearly shows us that being a disciple is not something we can do lightly or casually, or even partially. Each shows us that in true discipleship we do not get to call the shots. We do not get to choose the criteria, or set the agenda, or determine the terms; that job belongs only to Jesus. He is the one that sets the standard for what true discipleship really is - and his demands are pretty high. He will not settle for only part-time allegiance. He will not occupy any place but the top spot on our priority list. He will not settle for just being one of many affections, he must be our first and truest affection. He will either be Lord of all, or not at all. He demands everything; no ifs, ands, or buts. Thus, the call to be his disciple is a call to leave everything behind and follow him.

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

George and Kathy Cail live in North Carolina where George works in the curriculum department of a ministry called TEN3 (Transformational Education Network - Discipling to the Third Generation). Pray for George and Kathy as George travels to California this month to participate with a colleague in a workshop for repurposing laptops and sharing about TEN3.

Safe Families for Children is an innovative collaboration between area churches, volunteers and child care professionals designed to support at-risk children and parents in need. Pray today for a young mom with a baby born with a severe birth defect and the host family helping her prepare for the newborn to possibly die. For more information, contact Janet Cockrum at [email protected].

Closing Prayer: I will sing of your love and justice; to you, Lord, I will sing praise. I will be careful to lead a blameless life - when will you come to me? I will conduct the affairs of my house with a blameless heart. I will not look with approval on anything that is vile. I hate what faithless people do; I will have no part in it. The perverse of heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with what is evil. Whoever slanders their neighbor in secret, I will put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, I will not tolerate. My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; the one whose walk is blameless will minister to me. No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence. Every morning I will put to silence all the wicked in the land; I will cut off every evildoer from the city of the Lord. (Psalm 101:1-8) Notes

5 Theme for the Week: Pray

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4

Scripture: Colossians 4:2-6

Journal: What things are you devoted to (or continuing steadfastly, ESV) these days? What would it look like to be devoted to prayer? What words describe your prayer life right now? How do the words watchful and thankful strike you? What would it look like to be watchful and thankful in prayer?

Reflection: Many a one has turned from his inner chamber, under bitter self-accusation that he has prayed so little, and has resolved for the future to live in a different manner. Yet no blessing has come - there was not the strength to continue faithful, and the call to repentance had no power, because his eyes had not been fixed on the Lord Jesus. If he had only understood he would have said: “Lord, Thou seest how cold and dark my heart is: I know that I must pray, but I feel that I cannot do so; I lack the urgency and desire to pray.” He did not know that at that moment the Lord Jesus in His tender love was looking down upon him and saying: “You cannot pray; you feel that all is cold and dark: why not give yourself over into my hands? Only believe that I am ready to help you in prayer; I long greatly to shed abroad My love in your heart, so that you, in the consciousness of weakness, may confidently rely on Me to bestow the grace of prayer. Just as I cleanse you from all other sins, so also will I deliver from the sin of prayerlessness - only do not seek the victory in your own strength. Bow before Me as one who expects everything from his Savior. Let your soul keep silence before Me, however sad you feel your state to be. Be assured of this - I will teach you how to pray. (The Prayer Life by Andrew Murray)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: “Lord, Thou seest how cold and dark my heart is: I know that I must pray, but I feel that I cannot do so; I lack the urgency and desire to pray.” Have mercy on me, O Lord. Teach me how to pray. Amen. Notes

6 MONDAY, OCTOBER 5

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, instead of the many things that we tend to be filled with, let us be filled with prayer, that we might know your peace which surpasses all understanding. Amen.

Scripture: Philippians 4:4-9

Journal: When you are filled with anxiety and worry what do you do? What would it look like to be filled with prayer instead of filled with anxiety? How is your sense of joy and peace nourished by prayer? What else is nourished within you by prayer? How will you keep your soul nourished in the days ahead?

Reflection: It is not part of the life of a natural man to pray. We hear it said that a man will suffer in his life if he does not pray; I question it. What will suffer is the life of the Son of God in him, which is nourished not by food, but by prayer. When a man is born from above, the life of the Son of God is born in him, and he can either starve that life or nourish it. Prayer is the way the life of God is nourished. (My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: Fix our hearts and minds, Lord God, on whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, whatever is excellent and worthy of praise; that you might be with us, O God of Peace. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen. Notes

7 TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6

Opening Prayer: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Scripture: Luke 11:1-13

Journal: What part(s) of the Lord’s Prayer speak to your own practice of prayer these days? What parts of it are present and meaningful in your practice? What parts of it are absent? How is God calling you to pray these days?

Reflection: “Our Father which art in heaven!” To appreciate this word of adoration aright, I must remember that none of the saints had in Scripture ever ventured to address God as their Father. The invocation places us at once in the center of the wonderful revelation the Son came to make of His Father as our Father too. . . .The words are the key to the whole prayer, to all prayer. It takes time, it takes life to study them; it will take eternity to understand them fully. The knowledge of God’s Father-love is the first and simplest, but also the last and highest lesson in the school of prayer. It is in the personal relation to the living God, and the personal conscious fellowship of love with Himself, that prayer begins. It is in the knowledge of God’s Fatherliness, revealed by the Holy Spirit, that the power of prayer will be found to root and grow. (With Christ in the School of Prayer by Andrew Murray)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

A. and B. are serving in a Creative Access country. Their family is building friendships and seeing them mature as A. continues to teach at a local university and serve the teachers and students there. Pray today for this family as they have recently traveled to the U.S. to begin a home stay until next February. They are based in Birmingham, Alabama.

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, reveal me to the Father. Let His name, His infinite Father-love, the love with which He loved Thee, according to Your prayer, be in me. Then shall I say aright, “My Father!” Then shall I apprehend Your teaching, and the first spontaneous breathing of my heart will be: “My Father, Your Name, Your Kingdom, Your Will.” Amen.( With Christ in the School of Prayer by Andrew Murray) Notes

8 WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7

Scripture: Luke 18:1-8

Journal: Where in your life does the reminder to always pray and never lose heart hit home? Where in your life are you tempted to lose heart these days? How does the story of the widow and the judge speak to you?

Reflection: The blessing of such persevering prayer is unspeakable. There is nothing so heart-searching as the prayer of faith. It teaches you to discover and confess, and to give up everything that hinders the coming of the blessing, everything there may not be in accordance with the Father’s will. It leads to closer fellowship with Him who alone can teach us to pray, to a more entire surrender to draw near under no covering but that of the blood and the Spirit. It calls for a closer and more simple abiding in Christ alone. Christian, give God time. He will perfect that which concerns you. Let it be thus whether you pray for yourself or for others. All labor, bodily or mental, needs time and effort: we must give up ourselves up to it. Nature discovers her secrets and yields her treasures only to diligent and thoughtful labor. However little we can understand it, in the spiritual farming it is the same: the seed we sow in the soil of heaven, the efforts we put forth, and the influence we seek to exert in the world above, need our whole being: we must give ourselves to prayer. But let us hold firm the great confidence that in due season we will reap if we don’t give up.( With Christ in the School of Prayer by Andrew Murray)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to always pray and never lose heart. Amen. Notes

9 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8

Opening Prayer: Father, what can I say in this hour but to cry out as these disciples cried out, “Lord, teach me how to pray. Teach me my need. Tear away this veil from my eyes that makes me think I have any adequacy in myself. . . . Give me rather, this conscious sense of dependence, this awareness that nothing I do will be of any value apart from a dependence upon you. In Jesus’ name, Amen. (Jesus Teaches on Prayer by Ray Stedman)

Scripture: Luke 18:9-14

Journal: What is the relationship between true prayer and humility? Where, and how, is prayer bearing that fruit in you? Which of the two men is most descriptive of your heart and prayer these days?

Reflection: Here is the path to the higher life: down, lower down! Just as water always seeks and fills the lowest place, so the moment God finds men abased and empty, His glory and power flow in to exalt and to bless.( Humility by Andrew Murray)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: God, be merciful to me, a sinner! Notes

10 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, so much of life with you, and being transformed by you, depends on our willingness and urgency to be in constant prayer. A life of depth and quality with you, and with others, is just not possible apart from that. O God, give us the grace and the strength - and even the desire - to be in constant communion with you in prayer. Amen.

Scripture: Romans 12:9-13

Journal: Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer, which one of those is most descriptive of your life these days? Which one are you most drawn to? Most in need of? Most challenged by?

Reflection: Prayer is the cultivation of a grace-filled relationship with God. We begin experiencing ourselves and the world not as a problem to be solved, but as a reality in which God is acting. (Working the Angles by Eugene Peterson)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Paul and Karan Davis have been working with TEAM in France since 1978 in church-planting ministries. They have planted churches in the southern suburbs of Paris, northwestern suburbs of Lyon, and more recently in the Alps region around Albertville. Pray today for French believers living in the area who are catching the vision of starting a network of churches in and around Pontcharra. A new church building was dedicated last month that is generating some interest in their community.

Closing Prayer: Lord, I know not what I ought to ask of Thee; Thou only knowest what I need; Thou lovest me better than I know how to love myself. O Father! Give to Thy child that which he himself knows not how to ask. I dare not ask either for crosses or consolations; I simply present myself before Thee, I open my heart to Thee. Behold my needs which I know not myself; see and do according to Thy tender mercy. Smite, or heal; depress me, or raise me up; I adore all Thy purposes without knowing them; I am silent; I offer myself in sacrifice; I yield myself to Thee; I would have no other desire than to accomplish Thy will. Teach me to pray. Pray Thyself in me.- Francois Fenelon Notes

11 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to see, and to be fully aware of the fact, that the spiritual life is indeed a battle. And not just any battle, but a battle against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore, Mighty Jesus, help me to put on the full armor of God as I wage war with these enemy forces. And help me to pray, at all times and in all places, so that you might be the one fighting for me and with me - securing my certain victory in this battle for my heart and soul. Thank you that you have already won the battle for me and that I am already more than conqueror in you. Thank you Lord Jesus!

Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-20

Journal: How is the battle going? Are you taking up the full armor of God? What are you missing? Where does prayer fit for you in the battle imagery?

Reflection: We see repeatedly in Scripture that prayer is a walkie-talkie for warfare, not a domestic intercom to increasing our conveniences. And one of the reasons prayer malfunctions in the hands of so many Christian soldiers is that they have gone AWOL. (Desiring God by John Piper)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Mark and Annemarie Dye are passionate about building Christian leaders to mobilize and equip the African Church for mission in the world. Pray today for the Dyes while they are in the U.S. for a 5-month home ministry stay.

Closing Prayer: Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:57-58) Notes

12 Theme for the Week: Union

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11

Opening Prayer: Let me know you, O Lord, who knows me; let me know you as I am known. Enter into my soul and fit it for yourself so that you may have it and hold it without spot or wrinkle. This is my hope. Amen.( Confessions by St. Augustine)

Scripture: John 17:20-26

Journal: Do you realize that Jesus is praying for you in this passage? What does his prayer for you do within you? What words or images make something come alive in you? What does it look like to become one with Jesus?

Reflection: one full of myself may it never be but only you my dear jesus as rain falling into a pond becomes one no longer any rain only the pond as a stream flowing into the sea becomes one no longer any stream only the sea as light coming into a room from two windows becomes one no longer windows only light may i melt into you so that there is no more me but only you my beloved jesus

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

13 Closing Prayer: And God said to the soul, “I desired you from before the world began. I desire you now as you desire me. And where the desires of two come together, there Love is perfected. - Mechtild of Magdeburg Notes

14 MONDAY, OCTOBER 12

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, give me your mind today. Infuse me with your life and goodness and compassion. Let your love compel me, let your voice guide me, and let your Spirit renew me. Amen.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 2:9-16

Journal: What does it mean to you to have the mind of Christ? How does that happen?

Reflection: True union can quite be achieved with the favor of our Lord, if we endeavor to attain it by not following our own will but submitting it to whatever is the will of God. . . .The union in which we resign our wills to the will of God. O, how much to be desired is this union! Happy the soul that has attained it. (Interior Castle by Teresa of Avila)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Leoma Gilley works for Wycliffe Bible Translators and is responsible for developing university-level, accredited training in linguistics, literacy, Bible translation, Scripture use, anthropology and language assessment (survey) to people across Africa. Pray today for Leoma as she begins a 3-month sabbatical from October – December 2015. Her office was recently closed and her job in its current form ended. Pray for God to give the Area Directors and Leoma clear direction about His next steps for her work.

Closing Prayer: O Jesus, transform my heart into your heart and my mind into your mind. Change me from deep within. Give me more peace and less anxiety. Make me more rooted and less reactive. O Jesus, fill me so full of your love, that there would be no room in me for anything else. Make us one. Amen. Notes

15 TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you that what you offer us is far more than a distant, formal acquaintance. You desire so much more for us and from us. You desire an intimate, passionate connection - a deep knowing. Thank you that what you really want is for us to abide in you, that what you really desire is intimate union. And thank you that you will settle for nothing less, help that to be true of us as well. Amen.

Scripture: John 15:5-11

Journal: How would you describe you current relationship with Jesus? What do you think he wants for you? What would it look like to abide in him? How will you take him up on that invitation today?

Reflection: When we truly abide in Christ, when our union with Him is complete, then His desires and ours are one. (An Autobiography of Prayer by Albert E. Day) Some people live for God, some people live with God, some people live in God. Those who live for God, live with other people and live in the activities of their community. Their life is what they do. Those who live with God also live for Him, but they do not live in what they do for him, they live in what they are before him. Their life is to reflect Him by their own simplicity and by the perfection of His being reflected in their poverty. Those who live in God do not live with other men or in themselves still less in what they do, for He does all things in them. (Thoughts in Solitude by Thomas Merton)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Paul G. is the International Director of Training for Christar and also serves as an Internet pastor. Paul and Nancy founded an NGO, The Oomit Corporation (“Oomit” means “hope”), to work in Central Asia with special needs children. Oomit brings the light of Jesus to a spiritually dark place so that families might have hope. Pray today for provision for Paul and Nancy and for those whom they are training. YOKE mentors middle school children by building friendships with Christian adults through clubs, camps, and Kid Time (hanging out with kids in their world). Currently YOKE reaches out to nearly 20,000 students at 26 middle schools located in Anderson, Blount, Grainger, Jefferson, and Knox counties. Pray today for the Yoke volunteers as they reach students this semester.

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to learn how to truly abide in you, that we might know that deep union with you for which we were made. Amen. Notes

16 WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14

OpOpening Prayer: O Lord, you’re beautiful. Your face is all I seek. For when your eyes are on this child, your grace abounds to me. - Keith Green

Scripture: Psalm 27:4-8

Journal: What people or things do you catch yourself gazing at? What goes on in your heart when you gaze? When was the last time you gazed upon the beauty of the Lord? What effect did that have on your soul? Gaze upon him in prayer right now.

Reflection: Last spring I had a dear friend come to town to spend some time helping me and a group of my friends here in Knoxville reflect on and discuss the idea of cultivating intimacy in our relationship with Jesus. The discussion took place in two parts. First, with a large group of people on a Friday night in a kind of “question and answer” format. And then, for a good bit of the next day, in a smaller group context that was much more quiet and reflective. During the Friday night session, as people were just beginning to arrive at the venue, I was standing with my friend talking about our hopes for the evening ahead, when all of the sudden my wife walked into the room. Now, I’ll have to admit that often times I catch myself just staring at her, amazed at who she is and what she means to me. Well, apparently this was one of those times because my friend stopped talking and just began to look at me with a big grin on his face. When I finally noticed that he was not talking anymore, but was watching me and my reaction to my wife walking into the room, I began to grin myself and replied, “What?” I knew he had caught me. “Oh nothing,” he said, “I was just enjoying the way you look at your wife. As a matter of fact, you weren’t just looking at her, it was something way more than that.” And indeed it was. As we continued standing there together we both just smiled. Because that look, and the heart behind it, was the very thing we were going to be talking about in the hours and minutes that followed. That look is the stuff intimacy is made of. That look is the way God looks at us; and the way he longs for us to look back at him. In fact, it is more than a look, it is a gaze. How can we learn to gaze at God, and be gazed upon by him? If we can learn the answer to that question, I have a suspicion that intimacy between us will never be an issue again. If you look up the word gaze in the dictionary you will find that it means to look intently and longingly, with great pleasure and wonder. It is the kind of look David talked about in Psalm 27:4 when he said, “One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in his temple.” If we could only learn to gaze at Jesus, and watch Jesus as he gazes at us, I believe it would change everything about our relationship with him. But how do we learn to do that? The best answer I can give goes right back to that room as my wife walked in. Maybe the best thing I can do is to think about the way(s) I look at my wife; how I think about her, what it does to my heart within me, and how it makes me feel about her. When I gaze at Carol it can be in so many different ways. At times I catch myself gazing at her as a wife and being overwhelmed with how incredible a wife she really is - especially being married to a guy like me. She is so loving and gentle and kind. I’m not sure I have ever met a person as genuinely kind as she is. At other times I can find myself gazing at her as a mother, being overcome with how well she loves and cares for and prays for and sacrifices for our kids. At times I gaze at her as a friend, loving how easily and often she laughs and smiles, how safe and free the space she offers me is, how easy she is to be with and how delightful she is to be around, as well as how she is so “for me” in everything I do. And the list just goes on and on. I could just as easily tell you how I gaze at her as a lover (with beauty beyond all I have ever seen...but we will keep this G-rated), or as a worker, or as a daughter, or as a sister - all of which she is incredible at! All of this offers me a great picture of what it means to gaze at Jesus. I need to spend time gazing at Jesus in the same way: Jesus as friend, Jesus as brother, Jesus as teacher, Jesus as lover - not to mention Jesus as Savior, Jesus as Redeemer, Jesus as Suffering Servant, or Jesus as King of kings and Lord of lords. The other day, for example, my reading for the day was in John 10 and I had the opportunity to gaze at Jesus as the Good Shepherd; tenderly loving, gently leading, faithfully providing and protecting, constantly calling my name as he leads and guides. The possibilities are endless. The point is that if we want true intimacy with Jesus, I think that we will have to become good at the art of gazing. For when we do, and we get good at the art of watching him gaze at us in return, intimacy will be the natural result. So, by all means, may we do exactly what David writes about in Psalm 27 and constantly make space and time to gaze on the beauty of the Lord.

17 Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Bill Harding is currently a special representative for SIM in North America. God is using Bill’s gifts and rich experience in Ethiopia as a conference speaker to challenge and reaffirm the priority of world missions. Pray today for Bill and Grace as Bill travels to speak at several mission conferences this Fall.

Closing Prayer: O Lord Jesus, allow the gaze of my soul to fall upon you this day, that it might capture my heart with love for you - forever. Amen. Notes

18 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15

Opening Prayer: I feel your love as you hold me to your sacred heart, my beloved Jesus, my God, my Master, but I feel, too, the need I have of your tenderness, and your caress because of my infinite weakness. - Charles De Foucauld

Scripture: Isaiah 62:5

Journal: How do you think God looks at you? When he looks at you, what do you imagine is the expression on his face? What are the thoughts in his heart? Do you find it hard to believe that God looks at you with more love and passion and desire than a bridegroom looks at his bride? Well he does. Imagine him looking at you that way right now. What does it do within you?

Reflection: Union is when we live in the great affection of our God.

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Bruce and Laura Harris run SEND International’s camp and conference ministry in the mountains of western Tokyo. In this ministry, their goal is to glorify God by serving the church of Jesus Christ through camping programs of evangelism and Biblical education. Pray today for Bruce and Laura as they prepare for the responsibilities and opportunities of their ministry this year.

Closing Prayer: Jesus, you are our bridegroom who is so full of love and affection and desire for us that it pours forth from your heart, through your eyes and your voice, and into our very souls. It just seems too good to be true. How could you possibly look at me like that? But it is - both too good and too true. Hallelujah! Notes

19 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16

Opening Prayer: Thank you, O Lord, that you rejoice over us with gladness, singing a joyful song. May we always hear that song of deep love and affection, and allow our souls - and our very lives - to sing our song of love to you in return. Amen.

Scripture: Zephaniah 3:14-20

Journal: What words or images capture your heart in this passage? Why? What does it do within you to know that the God of all creation sings a song over you? It is a song of love. It is a song of homecoming. Can you imagine that song right now? Can you hear it as he sings it over you? Listen to the song of God over you today and find yourself in total harmony and peace with it.

Reflection: The only true joy on earth is to escape from the prison of our false self and to enter into union with the Life who dwells and sings within the essence of every creature and in the core of our own souls. (New Seeds of Contemplation by Thomas Merton)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Steve Hoke works with national church denominations and mission organizations in 25 countries and North America in the area of leader development and strategic life coaching. Pray today for Steve for renewed energy and focus as he steps back into the Fall rhythm of daily, weekly and monthly coaching and supervising calls with CRM’s staff and team leaders around the world.

Closing Prayer: Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. For the Lord will remove his hand of judgment and disperse the armies of your enemy. And the Lord himself, the King of Israel, will live among you! At last your troubles will be over - you need fear no more. On that day the announcement to Jerusalem will be, “Cheer up, don’t be afraid. For the Lord your God has arrived to live among you. He is a mighty Savior. He will give you victory. He will rejoice over you with great gladness; he will love you and not accuse you.” Is that a joyous choir I hear? No, it is the Lord himself exulting over you in happy song. (TLB) Notes

20 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17

Opening Prayer: Thank you, Lord Jesus, that you have brought us home. Thank you that because of you we are able to move from slaves to sons and daughters. Thank you, O God, that you have sent the Spirit of your Son to live within us, that we might be one with you. And thank you, Lord Most High, that you are now, not only our Great and Mighty God, but also our Abba. Amen.

Scripture: Galatians 4:4-7

Journal: How do you typically see yourself in relation to God? How do these passages change that? What does it meant to move from slave to son? What does it mean to you that God has sent the Spirit of his Son into your heart?

Reflection: The great image the journey home into the heart of God the journey into the inner life of the Trinity the journey to ecstatic Beautifying Vision we are made for ecstasy, nothing less each moment of closeness to God, only a preview of what’s ahead Total intimacy - we shall see him as he is Total love - with your whole heart’s intensity Total joy - cascading all over you And this forever… a few months - and then the traveler toward the dawn dawn breaking love as I travel the wandering comet finally captured by the gravity of the sun - plunging into its fiery depths - to full union. (A Traveler Toward the Dawn: The Spiritual Journal of Father John Eagan edited by William J. O’Malley)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Hugo and Jackie are from South Africa and have two children, Marlena and John. Hugo has been the leader of a media ministry and has also been providing oversight to the PALM ministry (Preparing Arab World Leaders for Ministry) for the last few years. Their mission is to engage young people of the Arab world through new media to facilitate church planting movements in partnership with local churches. Pray today for the production of an evangelism series in animation and the production of a discipleship series hosted by a Muslim Background Believer from the Arabian Peninsula.

Closing Prayer: O Lord, my God, eliminate the divisions within me, as well as the divisions in my life. Make me one - a whole instead of a lot of separate parts - that we may be one. Your will, O God, is to bring me into conformity with the image of your Son. Close the gap, O Lord, between Thy will and my will. Make us one. Amen. Notes

21 Theme for the Week: Distractions

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 18

Opening Prayer: Lord, what are you doing in me today? Whatever it is, help me to be open and receptive to it. Give me the grace to be able to see you and hear you, for in your presence is the fullness of joy. Amen.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:1-14

Journal: What helps you to stay focused on the life God has called you to live? What most often distracts you from that? How do you deal with those distractions?

Reflection: Most of our conflicts and difficulties come from trying to deal with the spiritual and practical aspects of our life separately instead of realizing them as parts of a one whole. If our practical life is centered on our own interests, cluttered up by possessions, distracted by ambitions, passions, wants and worries, beset by a sense of our own rights and importance, or anxieties for our own future, or longings for our own success, we need not expect that our spiritual life will be a contrast to all this. The soul’s house is not built on such a convenient plan: there are few soundproof partitions in it. Only when the conviction—not merely the idea—that the demand of the Spirit, however inconvenient, comes first and IS first, rules the whole of it, will those objectionable noises die down which have a way of penetrating into the nicely furnished oratory, and drowning all the quieter voices by their din. (The Spiritual Life by Evelyn Underhill)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: Lord, let me at least remain open to your initiative; let me wait patiently and attentively for that hour when you will come and break through all the walls I have erected. Teach me, O Lord, to pray. Amen. (A Cry for Mercy by Henri J. M. Nouwen) Notes

22 MONDAY, OCTOBER 19

Scripture: Proverbs 3:1-18

Journal: What words from Proverbs 3 speak to something in your heart or life these days? Where is God asking you to trust him with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding? What is your greatest distraction from being able to do that?

Reflection: Moods are worth my attention. I am discovering during these first weeks in Genesee that I am subject to very different moods, often changing very quickly. Feelings of depressive fatigue, of low self-esteem, of boredom, feelings also of anger, irritation, and direct hostility, and feelings of gratitude, joy, and excitement-they can all be there, sometimes even during one day. I have the feeling that these quickly changing moods show how attached I really am to the things given me: a friendly gesture, pleasant work, a word of praise, a good book, etc. Little things can quickly change sadness into joy, disgust into contentment, and anger into under-standing or compassion. Somewhere during these weeks I read that sadness is the result of attachment. Detached people are not the easy victims of good or bad events in their surroundings and can experience a certain sense of equilibrium. I have the feeling that this is an important realization for me. When my manual work does not interest me, I become bored, then quickly irritated and sometimes even angry, telling myself that I am wasting my time. When I read a book that fascinates me, I become so involved that time runs fast, people seem friendly, my stay here worthwhile, and everything one big happy event. Of course both “moods” are manifestations of false attachments and show how far I am from a healthy form of “indifference.” Thinking about all of this, I guess my main problem still is that I have not really made prayer my priority. Still the only reason that I am here - I mean the only reason I should be here - is to learn to pray. But, in fact, much of what I am doing is motivated by many other concerns: getting back in shape, learning some skills, knowing more about birds and trees, getting to know interesting people, and picking up many ideas and experiences for future teaching. But if prayer were my only concern, all these other things could be received as free gifts. Now, however, I am obsessed by these desires which are false, not in themselves, but by their being in the wrong place in the hierarchy of values. That, I guess, is the cause of my moodiness. For the time being it seems so important to be at least aware of it. (The Genesee Diary by Henri J. M. Nouwen)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

J & M are in their third year of serving in Creative Access using the platform of micro finance lending to engage in church planting with holistic development. They recently welcomed new son and are in the process of returning to their country. Pray for an upcoming trip this month for a global meeting among the different affiliates.

Closing Prayer: Lord, you know me better than I know myself. Your Spirit pervades every moment of my life. Thank you for the grace and love you shower on me. Thank you for your constant, gentle invitation to let you into my life. Forgive me for the times I have refused that invitation, and closed myself off from you. Help me in the day to come, to recognize your presence in my life, to open myself to you, to let you work in me, to your greater glory. Amen. (The Spiritual Exercises by St. Notes

23 TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, so many things and events and circumstances in this life tempt me to lose my focus and take my eyes off of you. And when I do that, I sink. Lord Jesus, help me not to get distracted by the wind and the waves, but help me to keep my eyes firmly focused on you. Amen.

Scripture: Matthew 14:22-33

Journal: Where do you find yourself in this story? What storms in your life right now are causing you to take your eyes off of Jesus and instead focus on the wind and the waves?

Reflection: The soul must just leave itself in the hands of God, and do what he wills it to do, completely disregarding its own advantage and resigning itself as much as it possibly can to the will of God. - Teresa of Avila It seems that when we are somehow able to keep our eyes focused on Jesus in this crazy life of faith, we are able to keep things in perspective for the most part. Yet, when we begin to look around us and focus on the wind and the waves instead, things can get pretty dicey really quick. We, like Simon Peter, begin to sink into the sea of our fear and our doubt and our anxiety and our despair. It seems that as long as we spend our lives focused on our circumstances, we are in for a pretty wild ride. But if somehow we can - by God’s grace and guidance - train ourselves to keep our eyes focused on Jesus, in all things and at all times, we can be certain that though the winds may blow and the waves may crash over us, Jesus always has us in his strong and loving hands. Thanks be to God!

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Darlene Johnson has been a member of MTW’s church-planting team in Nagoya, Japan, since 2000. She teaches conversational English and evangelistic Bible studies and is involved in choral and instrumental music ministry. Pray today for Yuri, Etsuko, and Yoko, three women that Darlene meets with for Bible study, that they will become followers of Jesus.

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, though the winds may blow and the waves may crash over us, hold us safe in your strong and loving hands, this day and every day. Amen. Notes

24 WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, it so easy in this life to be hindered and entangled by things that don’t ultimately matter, by things that don’t ultimately lead to life. Help us therefore, Lord Jesus to run with endurance and wisdom the race you have set before us and to keep our eyes fixed on you, the author and perfecter of our faith. Amen.

Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-3

Journal: What things are hindering you or weighing you down these days? What things have wrapped themselves around you or entangled you as you try to follow Jesus? How will you fix your eyes on Jesus in a way that helps you overcome these obstacles and run the race he has set before you?

Reflection: Years ago I had a friend who made the Olympic Team in the 100-meter hurdles. I mean this guy could run - and still can, although he is now in his early fifties. Once I asked him how he was able to run the hurdles so fast and, seemingly, so effortlessly. He talked about practice, preparation, and working hard at it, but he also talked about how the movements became so familiar and natural to him over time. He was actually able to knock a quarter that had been placed on the top of each hurdle off of the hurdle with his leg without touching the hurdle itself. Is that not amazing? I told him that if I tried that, I would kill myself hitting the hurdle. He said, “You can’t focus on the hurdle, you have to focus on the finish line. If you focus on the hurdle, you hit the hurdle.” To this day I remember that little piece of wisdom because it is not only true on the track, but also in life. If we are consumed by the hurdles, we will never get over them; they will only seem to grow larger and larger. We must keep our eyes focused on the good part - that which is excellent, i.e., on the finish line - on Jesus (see Hebrews 12:1-2). (Becoming by Jim Branch)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

25 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22

Opening Prayer: Lord, you know me better than I know myself

Your Spirit pervades every moment of my life. Thank you for the grace and love you shower on me. Thank you for your constant, gentle invitation to let you into my life. Forgive me for the times I have refused that invitation, and closed myself off from you.

Help me in the day to come, to recognize your presence in my life, to open myself to you, to let you work in me, to your greater glory. Amen. - Ignatius of Loyola

Scripture: Luke 10:38-42

Journal: How can you relate to Martha these days? What has you distracted? What has you worried and upset inside? How do you choose the one thing (the good portion) in the midst of that?

Reflection: Wherever there is something in our life that is not conformed to the image of Christ, there is a place where we are incapable of being all God wants us to be with others … a place where our life with others is hindered and limited and restricted in its effectiveness and in its fullness … a place where our life will tend to become disruptive and even destructive to others. We can never be all God wants us to be with others as long as that point of unlikeness to the image of Christ exists within us. - M. Robert Mulholland, Jr.

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: Lord, help me to be watchful for your presence in my life and your movement in my world. Help me to not get distracted by the obligations, demands, and activities of this day, but help me to be attentive and alert to you and your greater purposes for my life. Amen. (Watch and Wait by Jim Branch) Notes

26 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23

Opening Prayer: Help me, O God, to surrender my life completely to your control and command. Give it both a plan and pattern that constantly reminds me of your presence and consistently makes me more responsive to your will. For the sake of Jesus, your Son. Amen.

Scripture: James 1:2-4

Journal: How do trials or hard circumstances typically affect you? How do they distract you? What trials or difficult circumstances are you currently experiencing? What do you think God is trying to do in you as a result of them?

Reflection: “Think glorious thoughts of God - and serve him with a quiet mind!” And it is surely a fact that the more glorious and more spacious our thoughts of Him are, the greater the quietude and confidence with which we do our detailed work will be. Not controversial thoughts, or narrow conventional thoughts, or dry academic thoughts, or anxious worried thoughts. All these bring contraction instead of expansion to our souls; and we all know that this inner sense of contraction or expansion is an unfailing test of our spiritual state. (The House of the Soul and Concerning the Inner Life by Evelyn Underhill)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Tim and Barbie K. are currently working to translate the Bible into the “Makori” language. Their goal is to see a “Makori” church effectively using its own translation. Pray today for their family as they just recently moved to another town. Pray that they will be able to get moved in, organized, and back to work quickly.

Closing Prayer: Father, thank you that, as difficult as some days can be, we can always live with the assurance that somehow you are mysteriously using these struggles to mold us into your image, for your glory. May we always fix our eyes firmly on you, rather than the ever-changing circumstances around us. Amen. Notes

27 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24

Scripture: Psalm 46:1-11

Journal: What words or images in this Psalm speak to something in your life or heart these days? Why? What do you think God is trying to say to you today?

Reflection: This kind of silence cannot be hurried or forced; it does not come through effort. Instead, it must be allowed to happen. This is like eating an artichoke. It must be done a leaf at a time, down to the heart. If one tries to take a single bite, all he gets is a mouth full of thistles. One has to set aside time for silence and then turn toward it with composure, letting go of immediate things a little at a time in order to enter a world where dreams and also energy for life are born. (The Other Side of Silence by Morton T. Kelsey)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Bobby and Teresa LaDage are working with Redeemer City to City (the church planting arm of Redeemer Church in NYC) envisioning, equipping, and mentoring church planters and their wives in order to see gospel-centered churches reach the major cities of Eastern and Central Europe. Pray today for Bobby and Teresa that they will be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s guidance as they meet with pastors, church planters and their wives.

Closing Prayer: You alone, Almighty God, bring order to the unruly wills and affections of sinners; may we love what you command, and desire what you promise, we pray, so that, among the swift and varied changes of this world, our hearts may be fixed where true love may be found. In the name of the one who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (Daily Prayer by Robert Benson) Notes

28 Theme for the Week: Anxiety

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25

Opening Prayer: O God, who is willing and able to assist me, what grounds have I not to place my whole confidence in you, to throw myself into the arms of your providence, and wait the effects of your bounty? You have care of all. I will therefore give myself up entirely to you, live always in your presence, and ever guide myself by your fear and love. This is the grace I now ask of you, the God of my heart, and my portion forever. Grant me to weigh well and to follow your admonition: “Be not solicitous, for your heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of all these things.” Amen. (The Book of Common Prayer)

Scripture: Matthew 6:25-34

Journal: What things in life tend to cause you the most anxiety? How do you typically deal with that anxiety? What would it look like to give it all to God?

Reflection: To preserve peace in the time of trouble our will must remain firm in God and be ever directed towards him, that is, we should be disposed to receive all things from the hand of God, from His justice, and from His bounty, with humble submission to His blessed will. Good and evil, health and sickness, prosperity and adversity, consolations and dryness, temptation and tranquility, interior sweetness, trials, and chastisements, all should be received by the soul with humility, patience, and resignation, as coming to us by the appointment of God. This is the only means of finding peace in the midst of great troubles and adversities. (Imitation of Christ by Thomas A Kempis)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

John and Kathy Lesondak are church planters who work across denominational lines in Slovakia to encourage and enable pastors in their work. John founded the Kosice Fine Arts Center in 2013. Kosice was a “Culture Capital City of Europe” for 2013 along with Marseilles, France. Pray today for John and Kathy as they are in the midst of the flood of refugees arriving from Syria and are working with others to show the love of God to them in the turmoil and uncertainty. They have been sharing reports with us. You can find out more here: http://reclamationstories.org/europe-refugee-crisis-part-1

Closing Prayer: Here, Lord, I abandon myself to you. I have tried in every way I could think of to manage myself, and to make myself what I know I ought to be, but have always failed. Now I give it up to you. Do take entire possession of me. Work in me all the good pleasure of your will. Mold and fashion me into such a vessel as seems good to you. I leave myself in your hands. Amen. (The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith) Notes

29 MONDAY, OCTOBER 26

Opening Prayer: O living and eternal God, you are more ready to give than we to ask. Grant us a new vision of yourself, that seeing you as you are, we may desire you, and desiring you, may surrender our lives to you. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, One God forever and ever. Amen. (The Little Book of Hours)

Scripture: Philippians 4:4-9

Journal: What is the relationship between anxiety and prayer in your life? What does God desire for it to be? How do we move from one to the other?

Reflection: All growth in the spiritual life is connected with the clearer insight into what Jesus is to us. The more I realize that Christ must be all to me and in me, that all in Christ is indeed for me, the more I learn to live the real life of faith, which, dying to self, lives wholly in Christ. The Christian life is no longer the vain struggle to live right, but the resting in Christ and finding strength in Him as our life, to fight the fight and gain the victory of faith.( With Christ in the School of Prayer by Andrew Murray)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Josh and Jenny M. are working with the RAK Church Plant in the United Arab Emirates. The RAK Evangelical Church has now been formally constituted as a church with about 40 members. They have recently celebrated the ground breaking for the church buliding! To find out more, go to the Reclamation Stories blog and watch a video: http://reclamationstories.org/ groundbreaking-rak. Josh and Jenny welcomed their four child last month! Pray for their family as they adjust and for good health for Jenny and baby.

30 TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27

Opening Prayer: O God, our loving Father, let me rest in the silence and security of your strong and loving arms this day. Help me to trust you completely - and to be occupied with nothing else but you. Let me find my hope in you, both now and forevermore. Amen.

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:6-11

Journal: Where do you usually cast your anxiety? What is the typical result? What does it mean to cast all of our anxieties on him? Do you really believe he cares? Do you really believe he can be trusted with them?

Reflection: And remember, there are two things which are more utterly incompatible than even oil and water, and these two are trust and worry. Would you call it trust if you should give something into the hands of a friend to attend to for you, and then should spend your nights and days in anxious thought and worry as to whether it would be rightly and successfully done? And can you call it trust, when you have given the saving and keeping of your soul into the hands of the Lord, if day after day, and night after night you are spending hours of anxious thought and questionings about the matter? When a believer really trusts anything, he ceases to worry about that thing which he has trusted. And when he worries, it is plain proof that he does not trust. (The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Heath and Angela Many are now serving at Tenwek Hospital, a Christian mission hospital in rural Kenya, as medical missionaries in their respective fields (surgery and obstetrics/gynecology). Pray today for Angela who has recently taken on the responsiblity of being the visiting staff coordinator. The Manys were featured recently in a video on the Reclamation Stories blog. You can watch it here: http://reclamationstories.org/life-in-africa/

Closing Prayer: O Christ Jesus, when all is darkness and we feel our weakness and helplessness, give us the sense of your presence, your love, and your strength. Help us to have perfect trust in your protecting love and strengthening power, so that nothing may frighten or worry us, for, living close to you, we shall see your hand, your purpose, your will through all things. - St. Ignatius Notes

31 WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28

Opening Prayer: Lord, when I am tempted to look at circumstances, and allow them to determine how I live my days, turn my heart and my mind toward you and allow me to consider the lilies of the field and the birds of the air and to know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that if you feed the birds of the air and clothe the lilies of the field, you will most certainly care for me, your beloved. Amen.

Scripture: Luke 12:22-34

Journal: What things make you most anxious about your life these days? What happens when you consider the ravens or the lilies? What does it look like to seek him in the midst of your worry?

Reflection: You find no difficulty in trusting the Lord with the management of the universe, and all the outward creation, and can your case be any more complex or difficult than these. That you need to be anxious or troubled about His management of you? Away with such unworthy doubtings! Take your stand on the power and trustworthiness of your God, and see how quickly all difficulties will vanish before a steadfast determination to believe. Trust in the dark, trust in the light, trust at night and trust in the morning, and you will find that the faith which may begin by mighty effort, will end sooner or later by becoming the easy and natural habit of the soul. (The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Mark and Mary are living in a Creative Access country. Mark is working for a U.S. corporation there as a “Tent Maker.” Mark’s work gives him unparalleled access to the local population. Pray today for wisdom for Mark and Mary as they lead a growing team. Pray for unity of spirit and vision, and that the Lord would use them for his kingdom, and that the gospel would take root across the land where they live.

Closing Prayer: O God, our Heavenly Father, help us to not be consumed with the worries and anxieties of this life, but to give all of our cares to you in prayer. Fix our hearts and our minds on your character and your excellence; that your peace may guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus. It is in his name that we lift up our prayers. Amen. Notes

32 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29

Opening Prayer: In Thy will, O Lord, is my peace. In Thy love is my rest. In Thy service is my joy. Thou art all my heart’s desire. Amen. (A Diary of Private Prayer by John Baillie)

Scripture: Psalm 142:1-7

Journal: How is the Lord your refuge these days? What do you need him to be your refuge from? How does this Psalm speak to something in your heart or life today?

Reflection: The story was of a poor woman who had been carried triumphantly through a life of unusual sorrow. She was giving the history of her life to a kind visitor on one occasion, and at the close the visitor said, feelingly, “O Hannah, I do not see how you could bear so much sorrow!” “I did not bear it,” was the quick reply; “the Lord bore it for me.” “Yes,” said the visitor “that is the right way. You must take your troubles to the Lord.” “Yes,” replied Hannah, “but we must do more than that; we must leave them there. Most people,” she continued, “take their burdens to Him, but they bring them away with them again, and are just as worried and unhappy as ever. But I take mine, and I leave them with Him, and come away and forget them. And if the worry comes back, I take it to Him again; I do this over and over, until at last I just forget that I have any worries, and am at perfect rest.” (The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Martyn and Elissa live in a Creative Access country as “Tent Makers.” Martyn’s work gives him unparalleled access to the local population. Pray today for growth of Martyn’s business so that it can better support them and so that it can open more doors for ministry.

Closing Prayer: O God, who hast been the Refuge of my fathers through many generations, be my Refuge today in every time and circumstance of need. Be my Guide through all that is dark and doubtful. Be my Strength in time of testing. Gladden my heart with Thy peace, through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.( A Diary of Private Prayer by John Baillie) Notes

33 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30

Opening Prayer: O God, my loving Father, you are my refuge and my portion. Let me rest in the safety and security of your strong and loving arms this day. Help me to trust you completely - and to be occupied with nothing else but you. Let me find my hope in you, both now and forevermore. Amen.

Scripture: Psalm 16:1-11

Journal: What seems most relevant to your life right now: portion, cup, lot, boundary lines, or inheritance? How does this Psalm speak to you in that area? How is it comforting? How is it disrupting? What is God’s invitation to you today?

Reflection: The man who prays raises the question of what the limits of hope may be. Prayer is his way of declaring that the boundaries of life and the limits of hope cannot be drawn with the crayons of time and space. The man who prays pushes hope into areas where men who never dream never venture. And so it is not difficult for him to believe.( Without Darkness by Anthony Padovano)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Tom Matthews serves as a translation consultant to Bible translation teams from multiple people groups in northern Tanzania and Kenya. Some of the groups are minimally reached for Christ and some are dominated by Islam. Pray today for Tom and Juanita as there are security issues at the school where Juanita teaches. Pray also for Tom who is traveling this month.

Logan and Melissa Keck are planting Christ the King, JP/Roxbury in Boston. Pray that they will continue to see growth in the church. They have recently begun their second year as a congregation and have begun a Fall series on Jeremiah. Their members are being encouraged to bring friends and neighbors to services.

Closing Prayer: Keep me safe, O God, I’ve run for dear life to you. I say to God, “Be my Lord!” Without you, nothing makes sense. And these God-chosen lives all around - what splendid friends they make! Don’t just go shopping for a god. Gods are not for sale. I swear I’ll never treat god-names like brand-names. My choice is you, God, first and only. And now I find I’m your choice! You set me up with a house and yard. And then you made me your heir! The wise counsel God gives when I’m awake is confirmed by my sleeping heart. Day and night I’ll stick with God; I’ve got a good thing going and I’m not letting go. I’m happy from the inside out, and from the outside in, I’m firmly formed. You canceled my ticket to hell—that’s not my destination! Now you’ve got my feet on the life path, all radiant from the shining of your face. Ever since you took my hand, I’m on the right way. (The Message) Notes

34 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31

Opening Prayer: O Jesus, Good Shepherd, see us gathered from near and far, proclaiming – You are our Master, our shepherd. You call and lead us to fruitful paths of peace and contentment. In You Jesus, is sweet labor and joyful rest. Never have You abandoned us, sweet Jesus, never have you failed us. Through dark nights and difficult moments, You carry us. There is no fear when you are near. You are the Way, the Truth and the Life; without you, who can survive? O Good Shepherd, You are our only hope. Only You can make us one; only You can renew our land. Only You can lead us safely to our true home where at last, we shall see and adore You face to face forever. Amen. - Rev. Antonio Tobias

Scripture: Psalm 23:1-6

Journal: What does the image of the Lord as your shepherd do within you? How does it comfort you? How does it help you with feelings of doubt, fear, or anxiety? Will you rest in the arms of the Good Shepherd today?

Reflection: Sometimes a passage of Scripture can become so familiar that we fail to pay adequate attention to it. We fail to give it the space and the respect it needs to speak to us in a way where we can actually hear and understand what it is trying to say to us. Unfortunately, I know that I have a tendency to do this pretty regularly. As a matter of fact, not too long ago, I actually did it with these very verses. You see, I have a tendency to be a bit of a sentence finisher; not only with people, but also with God. Oh, I might not finish the sentences out loud, but I definitely do in my spirit. When a passage is very familiar to me, I have a tendency to think. “Okay, I know where this is going.” And it makes me stop listening because I already know what’s going to be said. I’m sure it drives people crazy, particularly my wife, and rightly so. Luckily, the last time I tried to do that with Psalm 23, God stopped me in my tracks. He didn’t allow me to finish his sentences for him. He had something very specific he wanted to say to me, and I am so glad. Because it was at a time when I was going through some rather uncertain and anxious circumstances and I needed to be reminded of the character and the power and the faithfulness and the trustworthiness of my God. He is my Shepherd. I have no need to want. He will provide for me, protect me, defend me, and guide me. He will make me lie down in green pastures. If I will truly believe in his desire and his ability to care for me, then I will be able to let go of my anxious, fearful, controlling behavior and have the freedom to lie down in his presence and simply trust in his love. He will lead me beside quiet waters - not chaotic, frenzied, crazy-out-of-control waters - but quiet and still waters where he will restore my soul. Every image that God gives us of himself is actually an invitation, a picture to step into. Because with just about every image of God, there is a corresponding image of ourselves. In this case, he is the shepherd and, thus, we are his sheep. So, as we face whatever fear and anxiety and uncertainty we are in the midst of at the moment, all we need to do is remember that he is our Good Shepherd. When we cry out to him we will find ourselves being held in his strong and loving arms; and being grateful that, at least this time, he didn’t allow us to finish his sentences - because ours wouldn’t have been nearly as good.

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: God, my shepherd! I don’t need a thing. You have bedded me down in lush meadows, you find me quiet pools to drink from. True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction. Even when the way goes through Death Valley, I’m not afraid when you walk at my side. Your trusty shepherd’s crook makes me feel secure. You serve me a six-course dinner right in front of my enemies. You revive my drooping head; my cup brims with blessing. Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life. I’m back home in the house of God for the rest of my life.(The Message)

35 Notes

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 1

Opening Prayer: Father and God, you know the work, the worry, and the weariness which day by day, even week after week, weigh so heavily upon my life. So often I grow faint and fearful, disturbed and doubtful. I long for rest and peace and full assurance of faith. May I so wait upon you in daily prayer and be renewed with spiritual might that I shall fight the good fight and keep the faith. For Jesus’ sake I pray. Amen. (Daily Prayer Companion by Orien W. Fifer)

Scripture: John 20:24-29

Journal: Where is doubting living in you these days? What or who are you doubting? How are you doubting God these days? What will it take for you to believe?

Reflection: Okay, I have to admit it, I tend to give Thomas a bit of a hard time. Every time I read this story I’m like, “Come on man!” Thinking that maybe somehow I would not have had the same reaction. Who am I kidding? Maybe I have a hard time relating because my particular set of doubts don’t look exactly like his. Which can lead me to believe (wrongly, I might add) that I don’t struggle with doubt. Which is a complete joke. Of course I do! In fact, when I take any time at all to venture into this fragile heart of mine I quickly realize that I am filled with doubt. My doubt, however, does not often tend to be the kind that makes me wonder if there is a God, or if he is really there. My doubt has more to do with really believing that God loves me and that I am of immense value to him. It seems that no matter how hard I try to convince myself, I just can’t become fully persuaded that it’s true. It’s the old “it’s not you, it’s me” line. My doubt seems to have more to do with how I feel about myself than how I feel about my God. A wise saint once said that the most important thing you believe about God is what you think God believes about you. That’s where the major breakdown is for me. And that sort of doubt has a significant impact on how I live my life. Since I am filled with doubt about myself and my value it can make me pretty needy inside; constantly in search of affirmation, constantly in pursuit of achievement, constantly in need of acceptance, constantly seeking significance - all in order to somehow prove to myself and to my world that I am worth loving. Thus, I am often filled with insecurity and anxiety, especially when things are not going according to plan. That makes me frustrated, critical, and defensive; often somehow making me see people as threats and competitors rather than as human beings deserving my love and compassion. And though I might not feel like my doubt is the same as that of Thomas, the words Jesus speaks to Thomas speak directly to me as well. Jim, put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. This is how much I love you. Enough to allow all of this to be done to me. How can you possibly question my love? How can you possibly question your value? Stop doubting and believe! Which brings up the same reply (as that of Thomas) from deep within me: “My Lord, and my God!” I believe. And for a while all is well in my heart and life once again. That is, until I begin to forget. That’s why I have been trying to relive this encounter several times each day—whenever doubt or fear or insecurity or anxiety or frustration begin to rear their ugly head. And when I do, I hear my Beloved Jesus once again telling me to put your finger here, see my hands, and touch my side. And once again his truth has set me free. Thanks be to God for his unfailing love and his relentless pursuit.

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Pete and Ruth Mitchell are church planters in Marseille under the auspices of Mission to the World (MTW) and in collaboration with the Eglise Réformée Evangélique de France (French Reformed Evangelical Church). Pete’s role is that of team leader. The Mitchells have recently moved to Toulouse to plant a new church. Pete recently presented plans for the church plant in West Toulouse to the National Evangelism Committee of the French denomination UNEPREF. Pray for ministry plans that include a new English program, “Speak Up,” and several evangelistic seminars in West Toulouse.

2 Closing Prayer: My Lord and my God. Help me to believe in you, even when everything within me is filled with fear and questions and doubt. Come through my locked doors and show yourself to me in a way that drives out everything but belief and love. Amen. Notes

3 MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2

Opening Prayer: Lord, I believe; help my unbelief! Amen.

Scripture: Mark 9:14-29

Journal: Where are you struggling with the tension between faith and doubt? Is there room in you for both? Where in your life are you praying the prayer, I believe; help me overcome my unbelief?

Reflection: It is the cry of each of our hearts at one time or another, if we are completely honest. It is a cry that voices the all too familiar tension between faith and doubt: “I believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” And at its core it is really a prayer, a desperate plea to God, begging him to take the tiny bit of belief that dwells within our hearts and grow it into something bigger and more substantial; something big enough and substantial enough to be trusted, to be relied upon. But logic would say, “How can both exist at the same time? Are they not mutually exclusive? Can there really be belief and unbelief in one heart simultaneously?” But our hearts know the truth, because our hearts are not bound by logic - they go far beyond. As Pascal once said so beautifully, “The heart has reasons which reason knows not of.” And anyone who knows the heart of a loving and desperate father understands exactly what Pascal (as well as the man in Mark 9) meant. It is a heart that says, “I believe. I really do. But this is my very own son; the one who means more to me than anything on earth. Therefore, please help me to not only believe, but to really trust you - even with the most important thing in my life!” (Reflections by Jim Branch)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

The Hope Center was established in 1996 to address the unmet needs of patients infected with HIV in Knox and surrounding 20 counties. Late last year, the Center moved from its location at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center to a new home, operating under the auspices of Covenant HomeCare. Pray today for these patients and their families as the holiday season begins. Closing Prayer: Lord, you know what’s going on here. You know where I’m confused and where I hurt and what I’m questioning, and what I’m wondering about. I’m captive to my past, captive to my fears, captive to my false sense of security, captive to my pride and my judgmentalism and my petty demands. You know about all the times I’ve failed to let your Spirit blow through my life. I feed on emptiness until I’m stuffed, and then I wonder why you seem so distant. From all of these chains there is freedom; from all of the cages, a key. Release me. Reveal yourself. And set me free. (A Heart Exposed by Steven James) Notes

4 TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3

Opening Prayer: Almighty God, Lord of the storm and of the calm, of day and night, of life and death; grant to me so to have my heart stayed upon your faithfulness, your unchangingness and love, that whatsoever betides me, I may look upon you with untroubled eye. I ask it for thy mercy’s sake. Amen. (Little Book of Prayers by George Dawson)

Scripture: Mark 4:35-41

Journal: What are the storms in your life right now? What doubts do these storms create within you? Does it cause you to feel like God doesn’t care? Is it hard for you to believe that Jesus can provide calm to your storm?

Reflection: Life is so fragile at times. One minute the skies are blue, the sun is shining, and all is well with the world. And the next, all hell seems to break loose - storms, waves, chaos, frenzy, pain, suffering - and we’re just hanging on for dear life, trying desperately to survive or stay afloat. And when the furious squall comes, the questions of our heart seem more numerous than the waves on the sea. What in the world is going on? Why is this happening? Why me? So, in our desperation, we turn to God. Where are you? Are you asleep? Don’t you care if we drown? All of these are gut- wrenchingly honest questions, raw and real. They are questions that we desperately need to have answered. Questions that show us what the foundation of our lives really rests upon. Questions that ultimately show us - for better or worse - what our faith is really made of. And they are questions that, depending on where we go with them and how they are answered, will determine what we truly believe about life and faith and God. Are we on our own? Do we have to fend for ourselves? Or is there really a God who cares? Is there really a God who can help us make sense out of all this? Is there really a God that can bring calm into the midst of chaos? What we find, if and when we turn to Jesus in the midst of our storms, is that he indeed is always true to his name - Immanuel - God with us. He indeed is present, and not asleep. He indeed cares for us deeply, in ways that we could never imagine. What we find out is that he, indeed, is able to bring calm into the midst of chaos, peace into the midst of upheaval. He, indeed, is God and he, indeed, can be trusted - even in the midst of the storms. Even when we feel like we are about to go down, about to drown, about to be swamped. He indeed, can rebuke the wind and the waves. He indeed, can utter the words Quiet! Be still! And he indeed, can make the wind die down and the sea become completely calm. Turn to him and see for yourself. (Reflections by Jim Branch)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

F. & S. are working alongside Arab believers toward the goal of seeing churches planted for those who do not have a church. Their main focus is to work with, mobilize, resource and train nationals for this purpose. Pray today for teachers to travel and teach and for internet ed groups to be formed to follow up the live teaching.

Cru, formerly known as Campus Crusade for Christ, is a campus organization that seeks to share the gospel with students through relationships, small group studies and larger events like retreats and mission trips. John Strange leads Cru at the University of Kentucky. Pray today for the staff of Cru and the students involved in their ministry.

Closing Prayer: Dear God, you never said it was going to be easy, you simply call us to trust you. Give us the faith necessary to do just that. Grant us the strength and the courage to choose to trust you, rather than to focus on the storms brewing around us and within us. Help us to be consumed with love for you rather than being consumed by our own fears, anxieties, and agendas. Teach us what it means to have faith; for that is the deepest desire of our hearts. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen. Notes

5 WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4

Opening Prayer: Father, you alone know what lies before me this day, grant that in every hour of it I may stay close to you. Let me today embark on no undertaking that is not in line with your will for my life, nor shrink from any sacrifice which your will may demand. Suggest, direct, control every movement of my mind; for my Lord Christ’s sake. Amen. (A Diary of Private Prayer by John Baillie)

Scripture: Genesis 18:1-15

Journal: What situations in your life make it difficult for you to believe that God is really at work? What promises of God do you have the hardest time believing? Why? How can you grow in the certainty of God’s promises?

Reflection: Questions of faith are not like riddles or crossword puzzles: with things of this sort it may take some time to find the solution, but once it’s found, everything is clear and simple. It is completely different with the faith. Here we have, not human truth which men can state and understand, but God’s truth, which goes far beyond any statement or understanding of man’s. The faith never becomes clear. The faith remains obscure. Not until we enter glory will it be otherwise: “We see now through a glass in a dark manner; but then face to face. Now I know in part; but then I shall know even as I am known” (1 Corinthians 13:12). Only when we are in glory will it be otherwise. Until then there will always be more difficulties coming up, more doubts coming up: there are bound to be. Doubt is the shadow cast by faith. One does not always notice it, but it is always there, though concealed. At any moment it may come into action. There is no mystery of faith which is immune to doubt. (That the World May Believe by Hans Küng)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: O Lord, our God, is anything too hard for you? Is anything too difficult for you to accomplish? Is anything too broken for you to make whole? Is anything too lost for you to redeem? Give us complete trust, O Sovereign Lord, in your awesome power and in your extravagant love. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen. Notes

6 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, every single day the choice is before us to either believe that you are who you say you are and to follow you, or to be filled with doubt and despair and follow our own plans, schemes, and devices. Lord Jesus, give us the grace, the strength, and the wisdom to choose you, this day and every day. Amen.

Scripture: John 6:60-69

Journal: What is a hard lesson God has been trying to teach you lately? Has it tempted you to doubt his goodness or trustworthiness? How do Peter’s words strike you today?

Reflection: A devoted Christian woman who conducted a large Bible class with zeal and success once came in trouble to her minister. In her earlier years she had enjoyed much blessing in the inner chamber, in fellowship with the Lord and His Word. But this had gradually been lost and, do what she would, she could not get it right. The Lord had blessed her work, but the joy had gone out of her life. The minister asked what she had done to regain the lost blessedness. “I have done everything,” said she, “that I can think of, but all in vain.” He then questioned her about her experience in connection with her conversion. She gave an immediate and clear answer: “At first I spared no pains in my attempt to become better, and to free myself from sin, but it was all useless. At last I began to understand that I must lay aside all my efforts, and simply trust the Lord Jesus to bestow on me His life and peace, and He did it.” “Why then,” said the minister, “do you not try this again? As you go to your inner chamber, however cold and dark your heart may be, do not try in your own might to force the right attitude. Bow before Him, and tell Him that He sees in what a sad state you are and that your only hope is in Him. Trust Him with a childlike trust to have mercy upon you, and wait upon Him. You have nothing - He has everything.” (The Prayer Life by Andrew Murray)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

H. & L. serve in Asia by providing strategic leadership for colleagues serving in several major urban centers in Asia. Their role involves encouraging and coaching these co-workers in their ministries, as well as networking with others to make sure they have the resources and training that they need for their respective ministries. Pray today for many meetings and trips that they will be involved in this month. Please pray for safety in travel, good weather, and also wisdom from the Lord as they interact with colleagues.

The Refugee Ministry at CSPC coordinates the church’s effort of welcoming and offering a holistic ministry to refugees of various cultural and linguistic backgrounds that are arriving in Knoxville. Pray today for all of the refugee families that CSPC is currently supporting. Volunteers are needed to help with the Refugee Thanksgiving Dinner on Saturday, November 14. If you can help, go to www.cspc.net/refugee-ministry and click “Volunteer Now.”

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, to whom else shall we go? You are the one that has words of eternal life. We are confident that you are the Holy One of God. Help us to always turn to you. Amen. Notes

7 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6

Opening Prayer: O God, who hast been the Refuge of my fathers through many generations, be my Refuge today in every time and circumstance of need. Be my Guide through all that is dark and doubtful. Be my Strength in time of testing. Gladden my heart with Thy peace, through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen. (A Diary of Private Prayer by John Baillie)

Scripture: Matthew 4:1-11

Journal: What do the voices of doubt that rise up in you regularly say? What ways are you most vulnerable to the attacks of the enemy? How do you combat those?

Reflection: I’ve always had a sneaking suspicion that this particular passage in Matthew is pretty significant, especially given that it has a lot to tell us about when and where and how the enemy might choose to attack. So it is probably a good idea to pay really close attention as we read it today, listening carefully to whatever God might have to say to us through it. For starters, I’ve always thought it was a bit curious that the Spirit led Jesus into the desert to be tempted. I don’t even pretend to know what all God was up to during those forty days, but it does at least give me some confidence that he was definitely up to something. And oftentimes I need that confidence, especially when I am in the midst of hard or trying circumstances. Or when I am in the midst of a desert-like experience. I need to be reminded constantly that God always has intention and is always about accomplishing his purposes, both in me and through me. And it is quite possible that those purposes can be accomplished in no other way. Obviously, Jesus knew that and trusted in the Spirit’s leading. It is also worth noting that the temptation came at the end of the forty days of desert fasting; the time when Jesus (humanly speaking) was the most vulnerable, the time when he was the most needy, if that’s even a word we can use of Jesus. At the very least it was the time when he was the most hungry. Thus, those are likely to be the very times when we really need to be “on our toes” because they are the times when the enemy is most likely to come whispering to us as well. And look at the approach Satan uses: “If you really are the Son of God...” He’s trying from the very outset to stir up doubt about identity and belonging, mission and calling, and the heart of a Father who would send his children to a place such as this. The enemy knows that if he can cause us to doubt the goodness of God’s heart, or the goodness of our own position in the heavenly family - and if he can make us question the Father’s enormous affection - then he has a foothold toward us beginning to believe his lies and his deception. “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread,” whispers the enemy. Or, in others words, “Make something food that was never intended to be food. Take matters into your own hands. Feed yourself. Be self- sufficient. After all, you’re hungry. You’ve got a right to care for your own needs.” It is a familiar mindset in our world. One that is even applauded and held up as an inspiration and an example of character and strength. But Jesus knew better. “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of G o d .’” he replied. And a beautiful reply it is. As a matter of fact, I’m not sure I fully understood the true temptation until I heard his response. “I will feed on nothing, or no one, other than God. It is on him alone that I will feed.” Bull’s eye! Direct hit! Right to the heart. Because I tend to feed on so many things other than Jesus. I feed on affirmation. I feed on achievement. I feed on attention. I feed on applause. I feed on reputation. The list goes on and on. God desires me to feed only on him, for then, and only then, will I be able to love those he has called me to love without feeding on them. Therefore, when I am hungry in the depths of my soul. When I am starving to be loved, or cared for, or noticed, or affirmed, I really need to be careful because the enemy is very subtle. And before I know it, I will stop feeding on Jesus and start feeding on the very people Jesus has called me to feed. And the kicker is that I might never know the difference until it’s almost too late; until my soul is near death, until I am starving for the bread I was truly created to eat (see John 6:48- 51), and until those that I have been called to feed have been devoured - and have also devoured me in the process - in one gigantic dysfunctional feeding frenzy.

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

8 The CSPC Special Needs Ministry reaches out to families touched by a disability and offers support to those who are constant caregivers. Opportunities for respite care are given to these families by loving, trained volunteers who offer their services several times a year through a program called Buddy Blast. This involves a variety of activities such as play time in the gym, movies, crafts and games. Pray today for Knoxville families who are touched by a disability and for the volunteers at CSPC who lovingly reach out to them. If you would like to volunteer, contact Lynda Elder at [email protected].

Closing Prayer: O Lord Jesus, Bread of Life, help me to feed on you and you alone. For man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. Amen. Notes

9 SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7

Opening Prayer: Lord God, we confess: our lifestyles are too busy, our focus self-centered, and our world is consumed with fear, greed, and pride. Sometimes, Lord, we react to the pains of others with a flippant “who cares?” Yet, in our more receptive times, when Your Voice calls to our innermost beings, we know with absolute certainty two things we desperately need: To be loved…and to love. Hear us, Lord, grateful, thankful to experience occasional breakthrough moments of unconditional love. Be with those whose hearts are broken, demoralized by life’s blows; those who mirror to us that unfairness and suffering is not lightened by pat answers or avoidance, but is made bearable because of fellow travelers who truly do care, and show it. Walk with us, God. Our trek is not always easy, our vision shortsighted, our love often hidden. May we seek the deeper places where our compassion, our joy reflect you, the God who is Love. Amen.- Virgil Fry

Scripture: Matthew 14:22-33

Journal: “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

Reflection: For the word crisis, the Chinese use a combination of two characters. These two characters are those which designate “danger” and “opportunity.” This disjunction seems to be true of every crisis. It is a turning point, and, depending on how one makes the turn, he can find danger or opportunity. The forks in the road of human life that demand decisions of us are always crossroads of danger and opportunity. As in the medical usage of this term, when a patient is pronounced “critical,” the implication is that he can move either towards life or death. In the process of faith, doubts and crises must occur. Paul Tillich points out that only through crises can faith mature. Doubt eats away the old relationship with God, but only so that a new one may be born. (A Reason to Live! A Reason to Die! By John Powell)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Joe and Cindy Platillero proclaim the transforming presence of Jesus Christ through Biblical teaching and practical training to all who come through their doors. Their main ministry is through the Torchbearer Center where they have camps, conferences, and a small Bible School during the winter. Pray for them today as they focus on the local church and the church throughout Europe.

Closing Prayer: Disturb us, Lord, when we are too pleased with ourselves, when our dreams have come true because we dreamed too little, when we arrived safely because we sailed too close to the shore. Disturb us, Lord, when with the abundance of things we possess we have lost our thirst for the waters of life; having fallen in love with life, we have ceased to dream of eternity and in our efforts to build a new earth, we have allowed our vision of the new heaven to dim. Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly, to venture on wilder seas where storms will show your mastery; where losing sight of land, we shall find the stars. We ask you to push back the horizons of our hopes; and to push back the future in strength, courage, hope, and love. This we ask in the name of our Captain, who is Jesus Christ.- Sir Francis Drake Notes

10 Theme for the Week: Believe

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8

Opening Prayer: I ask you, Lord Jesus, to develop in me, your lover an immeasurable urge towards you, an affection that is unbounded, longing that is unrestrained, fervor that throws discretion to the winds! The more worthwhile our love for you, all the more pressing does it become. Reason cannot hold it in check, fear does not make it tremble, wise judgment does not temper it. (The Fire of Love by Richard Rolle)

Scripture: John 11:38-44

Journal: When do you have the hardest time believing? What do you have the hardest time believing? If you were Martha, what would you have been thinking? What does it mean to believe Jesus is who he says he is in your life right now?

Reflection: The cave is dark and cold, filled with death and decay. After all, it’s been four days since the dead man was placed inside. There’s no more hope; that’s it! Death has had the final word. If only Jesus would’ve shown up sooner, but now what could he possibly do? Ever feel that way? Ever feel like all hope is lost; like life and health and change are not possible because of the gravitational pull of the deadness inside? Martha would have us believe that it is just too late. “Don’t open up that tomb, it’s going to stink. It is far too messy to be redeemed.” I’m so glad that Jesus didn’t share her sentiments. And I’m glad that he still doesn’t. In fact, Jesus specializes in messy. That’s because Jesus knows that for something (or someone) to be resurrected it has to die first. Why do you think he waited four days before he arrived at the tomb? Why do you think he said to Martha, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” You see, Jesus is bigger than death; be it the death of someone we love, the death of a relationship we hold near and dear, the death of a dream, or the death that lives within us on a regular basis. Death would have you believe that this is it. That’s all there is. There’s no way out of this pain and darkness and depression. You are stuck. You are trapped. Life can never be the same again. But Jesus knows better. Maybe that’s why he weeps. Maybe he is heartbroken that somewhere deep inside, we don’t truly believe that he can redeem this, whatever this may be. Maybe he is weeping over the fact that we do not really believe that he can, or will, bring life out of our unimaginable pain and brokenness. Maybe his tears come from the fact that our circumstances have made us doubt the goodness of his heart. And maybe his sadness is, somehow, related to our stuckness. Who knows? Luckily the story doesn’t end there. In fact, Jesus then calls out, “Take away the stone.” And some unknown, unseen (to us) group of people spring into action. People that are filled with the hope that this is not, indeed, the end. People that are filled with the faith to know that even though things look unredeemable, Jesus is able to breathe life into even the most dismal and hopeless and painful of circumstances. People that care so deeply for the one inside the tomb that they are standing by, willing and ready to do whatever it takes to help make that redemption possible. “He can’t get out himself,” they think, “so why don’t we help roll the stone away and just see what Jesus will do.” Truth be told, there can never be enough stone-rollers in the world. In fact, what if that’s what our churches were full of? Oh what a different world it would be! Stone-rollers don’t care about the stink. They don’t care about the mess. They don’t care about what anyone thinks. They are beyond all of that, because at some point in time someone had the courage and the grace to roll their stone away, so that they might walk out of the grave into the light of new life. And because of that, if there’s ever a time when someone needs a stone rolled away (rather than to be avoided or judged or given up on) they want to be the first in line. Being a stone-roller is a beautiful, beautiful thing. After the stone is rolled away, Jesus turns his eyes, and his heart, to his Father—the giver of all life. He knows the Father’s heart like no one else. He knows the goodness, he knows the faithfulness, he knows the love, and he knows that those standing around—particularly the family of this dead man—are doubting all of that at the moment. Maybe, somehow, they think that it was God’s hand that caused all of this pain, but Jesus knows better. He knows the heart of the Father that groans for (and with) his creation (Romans 8:26) in their most broken hours—and so he prays. He prays that they may believe; believe that he is the God of life even in the face of death, believe that they can trust his heart even when they can’t see his hand, believe that he was sent from the Father’s side to redeem the unredeemable.

11 So Jesus calls out the dead man’s name and tells him to come out. Notice he doesn’t just say Come alive, or Be healed, but Come out. Because a significant part of the new life that Jesus calls us to is leaving the tomb behind. He raises us from the dead, breathes new life into our soul, and then calls each of us to Come out. In fact, coming to life again yet choosing to remain in the tomb is not an option, yet so many people live like it is. So many people, claiming to belong to Jesus, claiming to have been raised from the dead, are still sitting in the darkness of the tomb of shame or guilt or anger or bitterness or unforgiveness or self-pity. They are still living a life that is anything but alive. They must take that step out of the tomb. Then, and only then, can the body of Christ (maybe even the same ones who rolled away the stone) come alongside them and help take off the grave clothes so they can be totally alive and totally free.

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Carlos and Sandy Rios are planting Rivers of Grace Bible Church in the San Andres area of Guadalajara, Mexico. The church is growing and many new families have begun attending. Pray for the Rios as they travel through the U.S. this month on home assignment.

Closing Prayer: O Jesus, help us to truly believe. Help us to believe that you, indeed, are the Resurrection and the Life. For if we truly believe it, then we will truly live like we believe it. Amen Notes

12 MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9

Scripture: John 1:9-13

Journal: What is the relationship between recognizing, receiving, believing, and becoming? Which one of those best describes where you are right now? Which one is most difficult for you? Why?

Reflection: Belief is such a huge factor in the process of transformation. That’s why the word is used so often in the scriptures - particularly in the gospel of John. John knew that until there was a significant change of heart and mind, there would never be a significant change in behavior. Belief, to him, was not something that could be separated from life. Unfortunately that doesn’t appear to be the case in our current culture. Through the years, we have cheapened the word belief to the point where we can say we believe something, yet it has absolutely no impact on the way we live our lives. Merely acknowledging something verbally, however, is not belief at all. True belief goes much deeper than that. (Becoming by Jim Branch)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

M. is living in an area in Southeast Asia where the Tai Lue, an unreached people group, live. She is trusting that God will open doors for the gospel and empower local brothers and sisters to make disciples among them. Pray today for M. who was recently married and for her husband G. as they begin a partnership of serving together.

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, Light of the world, help us to see you and to recognize you in the midst of this day; that we might receive the gifts of life and presence and love that you have to give us, and that we might become the people you long for us to be - sons and daughter of the Lord Most High. Amen. Notes

13 TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for showing us how much we are loved. Help us to actually believe that it’s true. Amen.

Scripture: John 3:14-17

Journal: Do you truly believe that God loves you? Do you really believe that you are his Beloved and that he delights in you? Do you really believe that you are his son or daughter? What impact does that have on your life?

Reflection:

A letter from God

You, my Beloved, have captured my heart. I am filled to overflowing with affection for you. O give me now your heart, lest mine burst within me. One more second I cannot stand Without the company of your presence, Without the warmth of your embrace. I think about you all the hours of the day, Yearning for your glance, your smile, your touch. I am totally captivated by you! O how I long for you to be Convinced of your beauty, Convinced of your strength, Convinced of your infinite value. I long for you to know the depths of my affection And the wild intensity of my passionate love. I love you, O my Beloved. You are mine. (Pieces II by Jim Branch)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Mostafa and Mona Sharkawy’s main area of work is the U.K., serving among Arab Muslims. Their goals are to see Arabic churches arise from Muslim background believers, to see new generations of leaders from Muslim believers, and to teach and prepare them for future ministry. Pray today for the Immigration Removal Center and the work that Mostafa is doing there.

Volunteers provide weekly English classes at CSPC for those who need to improve their language skills. Classes meet on Thursdays in the morning and in the evening. There is an optional Bible study held after the morning classes. The ESL students and teachers hold holiday parties, go on outings and picnics, and do other fun things together. Pray today for volunteers and leaders who are teaching ESL this semester.

Closing Prayer: Father, I love You Whom I do not know, and I embrace You Whom I do not see, and I abandon myself to You Whom I have offended, because You love in me Your only begotten Son. You see Him in me, You embrace Him in me, because He has willed to identify Himself completely with me by that love which brought Him to death, for me, on the Cross. (Thoughts in Solitude by Thomas Merton) Notes

14 WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11

Opening Prayer: I am sure that there is in me nothing that could attract the love of One as holy and as just as You are. Yet You have declared Your unchanging love for me in Christ Jesus. If nothing in me can win your love, nothing in the universe can prevent You from loving me. Your love is uncaused and undeserved. You are Yourself the reason for the love wherewith I am loved. (Knowledge of the Holy by A. W. Tozer)

Scripture: Romans 8:31-39

Journal: How convinced of God’s love are you?

Reflection: The Greek word for believe is peitho, which means to be fully persuaded of something. It is a central theme throughout all of scripture. Paul uses this word in Romans 8:38 when he talks about being absolutely convinced that nothing can ever separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. It is a word that has some substance to it, some rootedness, some resolve. It is a strong word; one that is able to withstand adverse conditions and circumstances. When we are absolutely convinced of something it goes all the way to the core of our being. When we are absolutely convinced of something we are not easily swayed or knocked off course. When we are absolutely convinced of something it always has an impact on our lives. But how does this convincing take place? How do we become absolutely convinced of something? How do we truly believe what we have received? (Becoming by Jim Branch)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: Lord God, our Heavenly Father, help us to be completely convinced of your great love and affection for us, that it might capture our hearts and change our lives. Amen. Notes

15 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12

Opening Prayer: O Thou who ordered this wondrous world, and who knowest all things in earth and heaven: So fill our hearts with trust in thee that by night and day, at all times and in all seasons, we may without fear commit all that we have and hope to be to thy never-failing love, for this life and the life to come; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. - The Book of Worship

Scripture: John 4:46-54

Journal: Where in your life do you need to take Jesus at his word? What does that look like?

Reflection: Maybe there is no better definition of the word faith than the one offered here in the fourth chapter of John. It says the royal official “took Jesus at his word.” What a great definition of faith: believing that what God has said is true. Being convinced. Convinced that he loves us the way he says he does. Convinced that he is in control and can be trusted with our lives. Convinced that he will truly care for us and those we love. Convinced. Is there a place in your life right now where you are having to walk by faith? A place where you are having to believe that God’s heart for you is good even though you have a hard time seeing it in the circumstances. What does it mean for you to “take Jesus at his word” right now? (Beginnings by Jim Branch)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: O Lord, help me to really believe. Help me to really believe your heart for me is good. Help me to really believe that nothing can separate me from your love. Help me to really believe you will do what you say you will do. Help me to take you at your word. In the name of Jesus. Amen. (Beginnings by Jim Branch) Notes

16 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13

Opening Prayer: Lord, you are able. Help me to truly believe it. Amen.

Scripture: Matthew 9:27-31

Journal: “Do you believe I am able to do this?” What is this for you right now?

Reflection: What a great question: “Do you believe I am able to do this?” It is a question that Jesus asked often in one form or another. It seems that faith and willingness were at least a help, if not a prerequisite, for healing to occur. I mean, how many times did Jesus utter the words: “Your faith has healed you,” or ask the question, “Where is your faith?” How many times in the Gospels did he stop and marvel and focus attention upon someone who had just done or said something that exhibited great faith? He even healed one man - the paralytic - because of the faith shown by his friends (Mark 2:5). Jesus obviously loved it when he looked into a heart and saw a hint (or an abundance) of belief. So faith really seems to matter to Jesus, or to at least be a significant factor in the equation. So, given that, I guess it is good for us to look deep into our hearts and answer the question as well. I guess it is good for us to stop, look into the loving eyes of our Savior, and hear him to ask us, “Do you really believe I am able to do this?” - whatever our this may be? Where in your life right now is that the burning question? Where in your life right now are you wishing and hoping and praying that Jesus might actually be able to do this? What is your answer to him today?

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Vitaly and Oksana Voinov live in Moscow, Russia. Vitaly is working with the Institute for Bible Translation (IBT) in Russia/ CIS as IBT’s director. IBT has been serving the non-Slavic peoples of the former Soviet Union for four decades by translating the Holy Scriptures - Bibles, New Testaments, individual Bible books, and illustrated Children’s Bibles. Pray today for IBT’s publishing department as they work to juggle several Bible printing projects and for the Voinov family who has been battling the flu in the last few weeks.

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to believe that you are able to do this, whatever this may be in my life at the moment. Have mercy on me. Amen. Notes

17 SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14

Opening Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, I am still so divided. I truly want to follow you, but I also want to follow my own desires and lend an ear to the voices that speak about prestige, success, popularity, pleasure, power, and influence. Help me to become deaf to those voices and more attentive to your voice, which calls me to choose the narrow road to life. I know this will be a very hard road for me. The choice for your way has to be made every moment of my life. I have to choose thoughts that are your thoughts, words that are your words, and actions that are your actions. There are no times and places without choices. And I know how deeply I resist choosing you. Please, Lord, be with me at every moment and in every place. Give me the strength and courage to live my life faithfully, so that I will be able to taste with joy the new life which you have prepared for me. Amen. (The Road to Daybreak by Henri J.M. Nouwen)

Scripture: James 2:14-26

Journal: What is the relationship between belief and behavior? What does your life say about what you believe to be true about God? How (and where) does what you say you believe need to take shape in your life these days? Where are the gaps between belief and behavior?

Reflection: Dear friends, do you think you’ll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, “Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!” and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup - where does that get you? Isn’t it obvious that God-talk without God- acts is outrageous nonsense? I can already hear one of you agreeing by saying, “Sounds good. You take care of the faith department, I’ll handle the works department.” Not so fast. You can no more show me your works apart from your faith than I can show you my faith apart from my works. Faith and works, works and faith, fit together hand in glove. Do I hear you professing to believe in the one and only God, but then observe you complacently sitting back as if you had done something wonderful? That’s just great. Demons do that, but what good does it do them? Use your heads! Do you suppose for a minute that you can cut faith and works in two and not end up with a corpse on your hands? Wasn’t our ancestor Abraham “made right with God by works” when he placed his son Isaac on the sacrificial altar? Isn’t it obvious that faith and works are yoked partners, that faith expresses itself in works? That the works are “works of faith”? The full meaning of “believe” in the Scripture sentence, “Abraham believed God and was set right with God,” includes his action. It’s that mesh of believing and acting that got Abraham named “God’s friend.” Is it not evident that a person is made right with God not by a barren faith but by faith fruitful in works? (James 2:14-24, The Message)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Andy and Bev Warren serve with an MTW team that is involved in HIV/AIDS work and church planting through the Ethiopia Aids Care and Treatment (ACT) Project. The project targets slum communities in Addis Ababa which contain the neediest people in the community - large percentages of women with small children. In recent years the project has served more than 500 AIDS-affected families, reaching more than 1,200 people. Pray today for Andy and Bev as they are looking for a new house, getting ready for their niece, Glory, to join them for a few months and planning for a gathering of MTW missionaries this month. Find out more about the Ethiopia ACT Project by going here: http://reclamationstories.org/ethiopia-act-project.

Closing Prayer: Lord God, help me to truly believe in you, even with my life! Amen. Notes

18 Theme for the Week: The Beatitudes

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15

Opening Prayer:

From the heights we leap and go To the valleys down below Always answering to the call To the lowest place of all From the heights we leap and go To the valleys down below Sweetest urge and sweetest will To go lower, lower still (Hinds’ Feet On High Places by Hannah Hurnard)

Scripture: Matthew 5:1-3

Journal: What does it mean to you to be poor in spirit? What does that look like? How might we pursue a life of being poor in spirit? What did Jesus means when he said theirs is the kingdom of heaven?

Reflection: The teaching of the Sermon on the Mount produces despair in the natural man - the very thing Jesus means it to do. As long as we have a self-righteous, conceited notion that we can carry out Our Lord’s teaching, God will allow us to go on until we break our ignorance over some obstacle, then we are willing to come to Him as paupers and receive from Him. “Blessed are the paupers in spirit,” that is the first principle in the Kingdom of God. The bedrock in Jesus Christ’s kingdom is poverty, not possession; not decisions for Jesus Christ, but a sense of absolute futility - I cannot begin to do it. Then Jesus says - Blessed are you. That is the entrance, and it does take us a long while to believe we are poor! The knowledge of our own poverty brings us to the moral frontier where Jesus works. (My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

19 Notes

20 MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to mourn over the things that break your heart, that one day we might be comforted by your Spirit and your Presence in our lives for all eternity. Amen.

Scripture: Matthew 5:4

Journal: Where are you mourning in your life right now? How are you receiving comfort from God? What do you think God wants us to mourn over?

Reflection: Digory kept his mouth very tight shut. He had been growing more and more uncomfortable. He hoped that whatever happened, he wouldn’t blub or do anything ridiculous. “Son of Adam,” said the Aslan. “Are you ready to undo the wrong that you have done to my sweet country of Narnia on the very day of its birth?” “Well, I don’t see what I can do,” said Digory. “You see, the Queen ran away and—“ “I asked, are you ready,” said the Lion. “Yes,” said Digory. He had had for a second some wild idea of saying “I’ll try to help you if you’ll promise to help about my Mother,” but he realized in time that the Lion was not at all the sort of person one could try to make bargains with. But when he had said “Yes,” he thought of his Mother, and he thought of the great hopes he had had, and how they were all dying away, and a lump came in his throat and tears in his eyes, and he blurted out: “But please, please - won’t you - can’t you give me something that will cure Mother?” Up till then he had been looking at the Lion’s great front feet and the huge claws on them; now, in his despair, he looked up at its face. What he saw surprised him as much as anything in his whole life. For the tawny face was bent down near his own and (wonder of wonders) great shining tears stood in the Lion’s eyes. They were such big, bright tears compared with Digory’s own that for a moment he felt as if the Lion must really be sorrier about his Mother than he was himself. (The Magician’s Nephew by C. S. Lewis)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: Help me O God, Give me the courage to cry. Help me to understand that tears bring freshly washed colors arching across the soul colors that wouldn’t be there apart from the rain. Help me to see in the prism of my tears, something of the secret of who I am. Give me the courage not only to see what those tears are revealing but to follow where they are leading. And help me to see, that where they are leading me is home… (Windows of the Soul by Ken Gire) Notes

21 TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17

Opening Prayer: Lord, give us to learn from Christ to be gentle and lowly in heart, that we may find rest for our souls; and that herein the same mind may be in us that was also in Christ Jesus. Lord, conceal pride from us, and clothe us with humility; and put upon us the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in your sight is very precious. Amen. - Matthew Henry

Scripture: Matthew 5:5

Journal: What does the word meek mean to you? Do you see it as a positive or a negative word? Why? Why do you think Jesus calls us to be meek? What does that look like?

Reflection: “Blessed are you.” No stranger words ever startled the ears of the poor, the humble, the meek, the mourning. What had been considered a curse is proclaimed a blessing! A living death is called “a more abundant life.” Bad news becomes “Good news.” The beatitudes are Jesus’ self-portrait, the most personal description we have of Him in the Gospels. They are the timeless image of Christ. (Surprised by the Spirit by Edward Farrell)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

J & F live and work in one of the poorest and most heavily populated states in their country. They are seeking to make a difference in this state in both physical and spiritual realms. They have launched a micro-finance business that is creating self-sustaining means of support for churches and church plants as well as continuing to provide funds for the installation of hand pumps to provide clean water to needy areas of the state. Pray for continued growth in the leadership of their microfinance program and the many families being helped through loans to women. Also, please pray for team members who are having difficulties getting back into the country due to issues with visas and border crossings.

Closing Prayer: My Father, for the truth Jesus gave me concerning your Kingdom, I express my moving thanks. Be in me increasingly that your Kingdom, your rule, may guide my decisions, inspire my will, and determine my actions. Amen. (Deep is the Hunger by Howard Thurman) Notes

22 WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18

Scripture: Matthew 5:6

Journal: What is your soul hungry and thirsty for these days? What is the level of your hunger and thirst for righteousness? Do you realize that that is the deepest longing of your soul? What does it look like for Jesus to satisfy that hunger/thirst?

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

23 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, full of mercy and grace, thank you that you are our merciful and faithful high priest (Hebrews 2:17). Thank you that you do not treat us as our sins deserve, but pour out your divine mercy upon us instead. Therefore, may we always do the same. May we be merciful as you are merciful, because when we are being merciful, we are being like you. Amen.

Scripture: Matthew 5:7

Journal: How aware are you of your need for mercy? What impact does that have on your ability to be merciful? What does it look like to be merciful? Is that a word you would use to describe your life and relationships? If not merciful, what word would you use to describe the general attitude of your heart in relation to others?

Reflection: O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner. I am impressed by my own spiritual insights. I probably know more about prayer, meditation and contemplation than most Christians do. I have ready many books about the Christian life, and have even written a few myself. Still, as impressed as I am, I am more impressed by the enormous abyss between my insights and my life. It seems as if I am standing on one side of a huge canyon and see how I should grow toward you, live in your presence and serve you, but cannot reach the other side … where you are. I can speak and write, preach and argue about the beauty and goodness of the life I see on the other side, but how, O Lord, can I get there? Sometimes I even have the painful feeling that the clearer the vision, the more aware I am of the depth of the canyon. Am I doomed to die on the wrong side of the abyss? Am I destined to excite others to reach the promised land while remaining unable to enter there myself? Sometimes I feel imprisoned by my own insights and “spiritual competence.” You alone, Lord, can reach out to me and save me. You alone. I can only keep trying to be faithful, even though I feel faithless most of the time. What else can I do but keep praying to you, even when I feel dark; to keep writing about you, even when I feel numb; to keep speaking in your name, even when I feel alone. Come, Lord Jesus, come. Have mercy on me, a sinner. Amen. (A Cry for Mercy by Henri Nouwen)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Jeff and Ellen work among unreached people groups in two restricted access countries of Southeast Asia catalyzing Church Planting Movements. Pray today for new workers to join Mekong Ministries to reach unreached people groups. The Black Hmong and Dong are the two groups they urgently need workers for. Pray today for the new churches started among the Tai Lue in Laos and that they will birth new churches this year.

Closing Prayer: Blessed be the Lord! For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him. The Lord is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed. Oh, save your people and bless your heritage! Be their shepherd and carry them forever. - Psalm 28:6-9 Notes

24 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20

Opening Prayer: I beg of You, my Lord, to remove anything which separates me from You, and You from me. Remove anything that makes me unworthy of Your sight, Your control, Your reprehension; of Your speech and conversation, of Your benevolence and love. Cast from me every evil that stands in the way of my seeing You, hearing, tasting, savoring, and touching You; fearing and being mindful of You; knowing, trusting, loving, and possessing You; being conscious of Your presence and, as far as may be, enjoying You. This is what I ask for myself and earnestly desire from You. ~Peter Faber

Scripture: Matthew 5:8

Journal: What does it mean to be pure in heart? Why do you think the pure in heart will see God? What is it about purity of heart that allows someone to see God? Could it be because when we are pure in heart there is nothing to hinder our vision of him?

Reflection: The Beatitudes are foundational attitudes of the spiritual life and they give form to it as a whole. They are responses to the human aspiration to experience the blessed life, or what St. Catherine of Genoa calls the “instinct for beatitude.” They are invitations from a personal God to each of us as persons, calling us to the destiny of peace and joy. These eight attitudes involve all that we have been, all that we are, all that we shall become. They communicate a living expression of the divine direction of each human life. The Beatitudes preserve the wisdom of the formation tradition, a wisdom we can rely upon in the ebb and flow of changing times. They provide a solid foundation on which to build our life of faith. When we live the Beatitudes in and with the Lord, we become liberated persons in the fullest sense. We follow the path of purgation until, with Jesus, we are filled with the peace of surrender to the Father and led by his Spirit to new depths of intimacy with the Indwelling Trinity. These ways of going to God offer us a truly holistic pattern of formation that involves our entire existence from birth to death and beyond. (Blessings That Make Us Be by Susan Annette Muto)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Habitat for Humanity builds and sells single-family homes to qualified low and very-low income families by developing partnerships with businesses, organizations, churches, foundations and individuals who help build the homes. Pray today for this organization as they prepare for homes to be built in 2016.

Closing Prayer: O Lord my God, give me a pure heart; purge me of everything that would stand in the way of my ability to see you and to know you. A Notes

25 SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, Prince of Peace, help me this day to experience the peace that only you can give, so that I may help spread that peace, and pass that peace, and make that peace wherever I may go. For when peacemaking becomes my vocation, then I can rest in your presence and your peace as your son. Amen.

Scripture: Matthew 5:9

Journal: What is a peacemaker? What does it look like in our world? Why do you think peacemakers will be called sons of God? Could it be because that is what their Father looks like? What would it look like in your life to be a peacemaker? What are the situations in your life that need someone to speak, or make, or bring peace?

Reflection: What we are called to is a life of peacemaking in which all that we do, say, think, or dream is part of our concern to bring peace to this world,” he explained. “Just as Jesus’ command to love one another cannot be seen as a part-time obligation, but requires our total investment and dedication, so too Jesus’ call to peacemaking is unconditional, unlimited, and uncompromising. None of us is excused! Peacemaking is a full-time vocation that includes each member of God’s people. (Peacework by Henri Nouwen)

Peacemaking belongs to the heart of our Christian vocation. Peacemaking is a full-time task for all Christians. Peacemaking has become the most urgent of all Christian tasks. (Peacework by Henri Nouwen)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Ron and Amy Barber have been living near Auckland, New Zealand where Ron has been teaching church planting, cultural anthropology and global theology at Eastwest College of Intercultural Studies. Pray today for the Barbers as they are in the U.S. beginning a transition to move to the Philippines to begin work in a similar position at IGSL

Closing Prayer: Oh Lord God, Today I am called to be a peacemaker, but I am unfit for the task. By nature I am a peace- faker and a peace-breaker, so I myself need help. Others ask me to understand and guide them, but my ears are dull, my eyes are dim, and I lack the wisdom they need. But you, Lord, have all they need, so I come to you for supply. Make me fit for your purposes, so I might serve them and honor you. Cleanse me from my own sin so I will not add to their problems; take the logs from my eyes, so I can remove the specks from theirs. Fill me with your Spirit so they may benefit from your fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Give me wisdom from above so I might be pure and peace-loving, considerate and submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. - Ken Sande Notes

26 Theme for the Week: Commitment

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22

Opening Prayer: Write your blessed name, O Lord, upon my heart, there to remain so engraven that no prosperity, no adversity, shall ever move me from Your love. Amen. (Little Book of Prayers by Thomas A Kempis)

Scripture: Luke 10:57-62

Journal: What does it mean to be fully committed to Jesus? What was the issue with each of the three would be followers? How can you relate to each of them? What is God saying to you through them?

Reflection: A man says to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus tells him that they won’t be staying in the best hotels. Apparently that had never occurred to the man. We never hear from him again. Jesus then says to a second man, “Follow me.” This man agrees but insists on conditions. He has something important that he has to do first. Jesus dismisses him. Following Jesus isn’t something we put off until we have first done what we want to do. Then a third man steps up and says that he is ready to follow Jesus - but not quite yet. Jesus says, in effect, “Never mind. It’s now or never.” It turns out that the man is not ready after all. Jesus has barely begun his journey through Samaria to Jerusalem before he has picked up three followers. But they haven’t gone a dozen paces before each of them has dropped out. We get the message: following Jesus doesn’t take place on our terms. We follow Jesus on his terms. (Tell It Slant by Eugene Peterson)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

R. and G. are serving at a sanitorium for chest diseases and a children’s home, focusing on bringing holistic healthcare to the semi-nomadic people of an area in the Middle East. R. is a dentist and G. is a teacher and artist. Pray today for God’s movement among R. & G. and their patients as they love them and share the gospel with them.

Closing Prayer: My God, I wish to give myself to thee. Give me the courage to do so. - Francois Fenelon Notes

27 MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23

Scripture: Mark 10:17-31

Journal: Where do you find yourself in this story? Where is God asking you to release something that is significant to you and follow him? What is your response?

Reflection: It’s a really good question actually. One that each and every one of us, if we’re completely honest, has had run through our minds a time or two. What do I have to do to get to heaven? What’s it really going to take to get me in? Maybe the rich young man was looking for a minimum requirement, or maybe he was hoping for a response that indicated he (being healthy, wealthy, and wise) was already in, I’m not sure. But I do know that he did not get the answer he expected. I really believe that deep in his own heart and soul he was thinking that surely he, of all people, was going to be okay. I mean if he wasn’t in, who was? Even the disciples were thinking that. But the ways, and the words, of God are never so predictable. Jesus looks deeply into the young man’s heart and quickly puts his finger and on the real issue. He immediately identifies the main area of belief that needs to be brought to light and dealt with before faith could become a real possibility for this young, wealthy, and powerful man. “What’s it going to take? Everything! Everything you’ve got. I want it all.” And that is what Jesus requires of each of us as well. Simply put, there’s no such thing as coming to Jesus half way. It’s all or nothing. There is no minimum investment, no minimum requirement. He wants all of us - all of our heart, all our life, all of our attention, and all of our affection. He wants to be our treasure, not one of many treasures. He calls us, as he did the rich young ruler, to leave everything behind and come and follow him. This rich man walked away sad, unwilling to allow Jesus to be his all. What is about you? (Reflections by Jim Branch)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

George and Kathy Cail live in North Carolina where George works in the curriculum department of a ministry called TEN3 (Transformational Education Network - Discipling to the Third Generation). Pray for George and Kathy as they consider a return to Burkina Faso (thecountry in West Africa where they lived and ministered for 20 years).

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, be my all. You will settle for nothing less. Help me let go of everything that might pull, hinder, or distract me from giving my full affection to you. Amen. Notes

28 TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24

Opening Prayer: O Jesus, who has taught us that not all those who say Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but only such as do the will of you Father, whose lives correspond with their belief, grant us a truly Christian spirit, a Christina heart, and guide us in the paths of a Christian life. Grant that I may become detached from all things and in all things seek you alone. Grant that I may direct all my knowledge, my whole capacity, all my happiness, and all my exertions, to please you, to love you, and to obtain your love for time and eternity. Amen. (The Imitation of Christ by Thomas A Kempis)

Scripture: Matthew 7:21-27

Journal: What does commitment to Jesus really consist of? What does it really look like? Where are you in your commitment to Jesus? Where is he drawing you deeper?

Reflection: No man ever receives a word from God without instantly being put to the test by it. We disobey and then wonder why we don’t go on spiritually. (My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers)

When Jesus brings a thing home by His word, don’t shirk it. If you do, you will become a religious humbug. Watch the things you shrug your shoulders over, and you will know why you do not go on spiritually. First go - at the risk of being thought fanatical you must obey what God tells you. (My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, give us the strength, the courage, and the wisdom to not only call you Lord, Lord, but also to do what you say. Help us to be doers of the word and not merely hearers who deluded ourselves. Amen. Notes

29 WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25

Opening Prayer: Lord, take my lips and speak through them; take my mind, and think through it; take my heart, and set it on fire. Amen. (Little Book of Prayers by W. H. Aitken)

Scripture: Psalm 31:1-5

Journal: What do the words into your hands I commit my spirit mean to you today? What does it mean to commit your spirit to God? How do you need God to be your rock, refuge and fortress right now?

Reflection: This abandonment is the very heart and essence of Christian prayer, and it has nothing in common with strategy and second-guessing. It is the pray-to-win mentality turned inside out, and yet it is not a pray-to-lose mentality. It is prayer that has moved beyond intending, directing, steering, second-guessing God. It is the dancer moving completely in the rhythm of the partner, prayer that is utterly freeing because it is completely at one. Utterly beyond asking, beyond the anger that rattles heaven’s gate. Prayer that does not plead, wants nothing for itself but what God wants, it is the will-not- to-will, rooted in grace, that makes it possible to be abandoned, free, and then (by some further miracle) able to act with a semblance of coherence and freedom even when completely surrendered to and possessed by the loving will of God. And it is this abandonment that is meant when we are told to drop our nets and follow him; to pause not to bury our dead fathers or tell our wives we will be traveling for a while; it is in this abandonment that we sell all. (Clinging - The Experience of Prayer by Emilie Griffin)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

T works with the SEED Company (an affiliate organization of Wycliffe Bible Translators) in their mission to promote and accelerate Bible translation that is being done by indigenous churches and organizations in their home countries. As a Field Coordinator, T seeks to form and foster relationships with these partners by acting as a liaison between them and SEED Company. The vision of SEED Company is to see God’s Word available in languages where it currently is not. Pray today for one of T's partners in Asia who tragically lost his son during a time when he was away from home working with a translation team. Please pray for comfort and hope for this family.

30 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26 - Thanksgiving Day

Opening Prayer: We thank you, most Loving God, that you have chosen us to be your very own. We thank you for your presence and your promises and your provision that you pour out upon us each and every day. We are so grateful, O God, for your good gifts and your abundant grace, which we do not deserve. And most of all we thank you, Lord God, for Jesus, your Son and our Savior. Amen.

Scripture: Psalm 118:1-29

Journal: What are you thankful for this day? Write a thank you letter to God today telling him all of the things you are thankful for.

Reflection: For if you go poking about the world, intent on keeping the candle of consciousness blazing, you must be ready to give thanks at all times. Discrimination is not allowed. The flame cannot gutter and fail when a cold wind whistles throughout the house. Thanksgiving, thanksgiving. All must be thanksgiving. It took thirty-eight thousand Levites to give thanks to God in David’s day; every morning and every evening the shifts changed. Four thousand were needed just to carry hacked carcasses of cattle, and another four thousand were needed to sing about it. The place reeked of blood, was soaked in blood. The priests stood around gnawing and chewing and giving thanks. They did not cross-stich their gratitude on samplers to frame and hang on the wall. They wrote their thanks in blood on the doorposts every year. Thanksgiving is not a task to be undertaken lightly. It is not for dilettantes or aesthetes. One does not dabble in praise for one’s own amusement, nor train the intellect and develop perceptual skills to add to his repertoire. We’re not talking about the world as a free course in art appreciation. No. Thanksgiving is not a result of perception; thanksgiving is the access to perception. (And the Tress Clap Their Hands by Virginia Stem Owens)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

A. and B. are serving in a Creative Access country. Their family is building friendships and seeing them mature as A. continues to teach at a local university and serve the teachers and students there. Pray today for this family as they are in the U.S. for a home stay until next February. They are based in Birmingham, Alabama.

KDEC or Kasr El Dobara Church is the largest evangelical church in the middle east. Started in 1948, it has grown to a membership of 8,000 members. Pray today for the ministry leaders of this church.

Closing Prayer: Thank God because he’s good, because his love never quits. Tell the world, Israel, “His love never quits.” And you, clan of Aaron, tell the world, “His love never quits.” And you who fear God, join in, “His love never quits.” Blessed are you who enter in God’s name - from God’s house we bless you! God is God, he has bathed us in light. Festoon the shrine with garlands, hang colored banners above the altar! You’re my God, and I thank you. O my God, I lift high your praise. Thank God - he’s so good. His love never quits! (Psalm 118:1-4, 26-29, The Message) Notes

31 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27

Scripture: John 6:41-67

Journal: Why do you think that many of his “disciples” thought that the hard teaching was too much and decided no longer to follow Jesus? What do you think was so hard about it? Is there a hard teaching that Jesus is trying to communicate to you these days? What is hard about following him right now? What is your response to his question?

Reflection: Meister Eckhart wrote: “There are plenty to follow our Lord half-way, but not the other half. They will give up possessions, friends, and honors, but it touches them too closely to disown themselves.” It is just this astonishing life which is willing to follow Him the other half, sincerely to disown itself, this life which intends complete obedience, without any reservations, that I would propose to you in all humility, in all boldness, in all seriousness. I mean this literally, utterly, completely, and I mean it for you and for me - commit your lives in unreserved obedience to Him. (A Testament of Devotion by Thomas R. Kelly)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

L. and E. serve in a Creative Access country. L. is working to make evangelical literature available to the nations so that people can come to Christ. Pray today for new believers. The biggest struggle is for them to read God’s word daily and get connected to a local fellowship. Please continue to pray for their whole family in the loss of E.’s mother in late September.

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to be more committed to your kingdom and your glory than I am to my own. Give me the strength and the courage to choose your hard and demanding way, rather than a life of ease and comfort. Help me to feed on you, rather than feeding on the things this world has to offer. Amen. Notes

32 SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 28

Scripture: Joshua 24:14-24

Journal: How do the words of Joshua 24 speak to your life today? What disturbs you? What encourages you? What challenges you? What invites you?

Reflection: We, who have heard the call of our God to a life of entire consecration and perfect trust, must do differently from all this. We must come out from the world and be separate, and must not be conformed to it in our characters or in our lives. We must set our affections on heavenly things and not on earthly ones, and must seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, surrendering everything that would interfere with this. We must walk through the world as Christ walked. We must have the mind that was in Him. As pilgrims and strangers, we must abstain from lusts of the flesh that war against the soul. As good soldiers of Jesus Christ, we must disentangle ourselves from the affairs of this life as far as possible, that we may please Him who hath chosen us to be soldiers. We must abstain from all appearance of evil. We must be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ’s sake, hath forgiven us. We must not resent injuries or unkindness, but must return good for evil, and turn the other cheek to the hand that smites us. We must take always the lowest place among our fellow-men; and seek not our own honor, but the honor of others. We must be gentle and meek and yielding, not standing up for our own rights but for the rights of others. We must do all that we do for the glory of God. And, to sum it all up, since he who hath called us is holy, so must we be holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, “Be ye holy, for I am holy.” (The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: Most Holy God, you demand our all, let us give you nothing less than that, by the power of your Spirit working within us. Amen. Notes

33 Theme for the Week: Aware

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 29 - First Sunday In Advent

Opening Prayer: Lord God, only you can see into my heart and know that under all the busy-ness of my life, there is a deep longing to make this Advent one that welcomes you more deeply into my own life. My heart desires the warmth of your love and my mind searches for your Light in the midst of the darkness. Help me to be a peacemaker this Advent and to give special love to those who disagree with me. Give me the strength and courage to forgive those who have hurt me. Help me to free my heart from the prison of my anger and hurt. Amen. (Creighton University Online Ministries)

Scripture: Luke 21:25-36

Journal: What signs around you tell you that the kingdom of God is near? What signs within you? What do you think God wants to grow in you during this Advent season? How are you like the fig tree?

Reflection: Recognizing is such an important part of the spiritual life; recognizing what is going on within or beneath or beyond what we are able to see, and beginning to pay attention in such a way that we are actually able to really see both where God is present and what he is up to in the comings and the goings of our lives. But recognizing does not come automatically, it requires something of us. It requires us to stop living on the surface of things, to slow down enough to pay attention, to make space in our lives to reflect and to pray, and to train our souls - and thus our eyes - to look deeper into things. (Becoming by Jim Branch)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Paul and Karan Davis have been working with TEAM in France since 1978 in church-planting ministries. They have planted churches in the southern suburbs of Paris, northwestern suburbs of Lyon, and more recently in the Alps region around Albertville. Pray today for French believers living in the area who are catching the vision of starting a network of churches in and around Pontcharra. Pray also for a situation where people living in apartments above the church are complaining about noise during Sunday morning worship and Monday night choir rehearsals.

Knoxville Area Rescue Mission (KARM) provides emergency shelter and food to homeless men and women and offers recovery for those seeking a way out of drug and alcohol abuse. Pray today for the staff and volunteers of KARM as they prepare for their holiday outreach efforts.

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to learn the lesson of the fig tree. Help us to have keen eyes, and hearts, to recognize where you are at work during this season, both around us and within us. Come, Lord Jesus! Amen. Notes

34 MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30

Opening Prayer: Loving God, I sense that all is your creation and everything, and all of us, are being drawn back toward your loving heart. Help me to be a person of peace, to speak about it in an uneasy world, and to live it among the people you have put into my life every day. Light in me a desire to prepare for your coming to stand in the darkness, waiting, eager and filled with joy. Amen. (Creighton University Online Ministries)

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13

Journal: How have you recognized God recently in community? What words from today’s Scripture make something come alive in you? How does God want to use the community of faith to show his presence in the world? How does yours?

Reflection: God is always present to us. The greatest thing we can do in life is to teach ourselves to be always present to God. The small, routine tasks that fill every day spent in the care of others may seem to be a barrier to this, but they need not. They may in fact be turned into one of the finest of spiritual disciplines, a special sacrament of the routine through which what to others appears the most ordinary and mundane of tasks is revealed to be a sacred act, an act of prayer. Prayer is nothing more or less than this, being present to God. And so this is a spirituality that makes all of life into prayer, a prayer of love, a prayer of help for others, a prayer of courage. It is a prayer that spans a lifetime, a prayer of great beauty. (A Way in the World by Ernest Boyer, Jr.)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to recognize you today in those around us. Help us to see you and hear you through them, through their stories, and even through their needs. Help us not to miss you, and the way you are trying to be present to each of us. Amen. Notes

Opening Prayer: Continue to have mercy upon me, O Lord, to stir me from the doldrums of sin, to deliver me from my selfish involvements, to forgive me my sins and failures, to shore up the weak places in my life. Help me to feel something of Your loving acceptance and to reflect to others the joy of being Your son and servant. Amen.( Psalms/Now by Leslie Brandt)

Scripture: 1 Samuel 3:1-20

Journal: How will you make yourself aware of the voice of God in your heart and life during this season of Advent? How will you make space to listen? Who will be your Eli?

Reflection: Take all your present perplexities then to Jesus. Tell Him you only want to know and obey his voice, and ask Him to make it plain to you. Promise Him that you will obey, whatever it may be. Believe implicitly that He is guiding you, according to His word. Surrender all the doubtful things until you have a clearer light. Look and listen for His dear voice continually, and the moment you are sure of it yield an immediate obedience. (The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. Amen. Notes

2 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2

Opening Prayer: O God and Father, I repent of my sinful preoccupation with visible things. The world has been too much with me. You have been here and I knew it not. I have been blind to Your presence. Open my eyes that I may behold You in and around me. For Christ’s sake, Amen. (The Pursuit of God by A. W. Tozer)

Scripture: Genesis 28:10-22

Journal: How will you try to pay attention to God during this season, even in places you might not usually notice him?

Reflection: At the beginning of her course the Church looks out towards Eternity, and realizes her own poverty and imperfection and her utter dependence on this perpetual coming of God. Advent is, of course, first of all a preparation for Christmas; which commemorates God’s saving entrance into history in the Incarnation of Jesus Christ.

Whilst all things were in quiet silence and night was in the midst of her swift course: thine Almighty Word leapt down from heaven out of thy royal throne. Alleluia. A tremendous spiritual event then took place; something which disclosed the very nature of God and his relation to His universe. But there was little to show for it on the surface of life. All men saw was a poor girl unconditionally submitted to God’s Will, and a baby born in difficult circumstances. And this contrast between the outward appearance and the inner reality is true of all the comings of God to us. We must be very loving and very alert if we want to recognize them in their earthly disguise. Again and again He comes and the revelation is not a bit what we expect. (The Fruits of the Spirit by Evelyn Underhill)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Leoma Gilley works for Wycliffe Bible Translators and is responsible for developing university-level, accredited training in linguistics, literacy, Bible translation, Scripture use, anthropology and language assessment (survey) to people across Africa. Pray today for Leoma as she finishes a 3-month sabbatical at the end of this month. Her office was recently closed and her job in its current form ended. Pray for God to give the Area Directors and Leoma clear direction about His next steps for her work.

Knoxville Inner City Kids Outreach (KICKO) is a para-church ministry with a mission to “Mobilize the Message of Hope” to the at-risk children in our inner-city neighborhoods. This is done through a unique program called Sidewalk SONday School. Large trucks, outfitted to take the church into these communities, allow them to share the gospel with children at multiple locations each week. Pray today for the 1,500 kids they expect this Christmas at SONday School. Volunteers will share how God gave His Son that first Christmas and give each child a wrapped gift.

Closing Prayer: Keep us alert, we pray, O Lord our God, as we await the advent of Christ your Son, so that when he comes and knocks he may find us watchful in prayer and exultant in his praise. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (A Collect for Advent on Creighton University Online Ministries) Notes

3 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3

Opening Prayer: O Lord, our God, when the seas are rough and the winds are strong and we wonder how much longer we can hold on, help us to be aware of your presence and your peace, and to focus on you rather than on the storms. In the name of your Son, Jesus, we pray. Amen.

Scripture: Mark 4:35-41

Journal: Are you more aware of the storms in your life these days, or of the God who is with you in the midst of them? What keeps you from being aware of God? What is helping you be aware of God?

Reflection: In these days of intense distraction, I find it difficult to give my attention to any one thing. Multitasking, doing several things at once, without paying attention to any one thing, seems to be the norm. However, when I am unable or unwilling to stop and give my attention to a single task, all the tasks suffer. A phone conversation with a friend is diminished when I am also checking my email. A work task is done halfway when I attempt several chores at the same time. And my connection with God suffers if I’m meditating as I rush out the door on my way to work. What I value deserves my full attention. God’s love nourishes our attentiveness. When we are surrounded by distractions, fear, or grief, God’s love pierces our fogs and brings us closer to peace. (The Uncluttered Heart by Beth A. Richardson)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: O Lord, our God, you alone are able to give us peace in the midst of our chaos. Give that peace this day. Say to our restless hearts, “Hush. Be Still.” That we may know your heart and trust your hand. Amen. Notes

4 FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4

Prayer: Lord Jesus, it is so easy in this life to become distracted and forget what is most important, in light of the things that are most urgent. Help us to give you first place in our hearts and souls and lives today. Lord Jesus, be our first and truest affection this day. Amen.

Scripture: Mark 12:28-34

Journal: What (or who) is first in your life these days? What (or who) truly has your heart? What would it look like for God to have all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength?

Reflection: In recent years I have become more and more aware of my own tendency to think that the value of my presence depends on what I say or do. And yet it is becoming clearer to me every day that this preoccupation with performing in fact prevents me from letting God speak through me in any way he wants, and so keeps me from making connections prior to any special word or deed. In no way am I trying to minimize or even to criticize the importance of training for the ministry. Am simply suggesting that this training will bear more fruit when it occurs in the context of a spirituality, a way of life in which we are primarily concerned, not to be with people but to be with God, not to walk in the presence of anyone who asks for our attention but to walk in the presence of God - a spirituality, in short, which helps us to distinguish service from our need to be liked, praised, or respected. Over the years we have developed the idea that being present to people in all their needs is our greatest and primary vocation. The Bible does not seem to support this. Jesus’ primary concern was to be obedient to his Father, to live constantly in his presence. Only then did it become clear to him what his task was in his relationships with people. This also is the way he proposes for his apostles: “It is to the glory of my Father that you should bear much fruit and then you will be my disciples” (John 15:8). Perhaps we must continually remind ourselves that the first commandment requiring us to love God with all our heart, all our soul, and all our mind is indeed the first. I wonder if we really believe this. It seems that in fact we live as if we should give as much of our heart, soul, and mind as possible to our fellow human beings, while trying hard not to forget God. At least we feel that our attention should be divided evenly between God and our neighbor. But Jesus’ claim is much more radical. He asks for a single-minded commitment to God and God alone. God want all of our heart, all of our mind, and all of our soul. It is this unconditional and unreserved love for God that leads to the care for our neighbor, not as an activity which distracts us from God or competes with our attention to God, but as an expression of our love for God who reveals himself to us as the god of all people. It is in God that we find our neighbors and discover our responsibility to them. (The Living Reminder by Henri Nouwen)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Bill Harding is currently a special representative for SIM in North America. God is using Bill’s gifts and rich experience in Ethiopia as a conference speaker to challenge and reaffirm the priority of world missions. Pray today for Bill and Grace and their family during the Christmas season.

Cedar Springs adopted Lonsdale Elementary in 2003. Lonsdale, with more than 400 students PreK through 5th grade, only serves the Lonsdale area. Over the years, the racial make-up of the school, whose students are 100% free lunch qualified, has changed to primarily Hispanic and African-American children. Pray today for the children that attend Lonsdale Elementary that they might have a great finish to this semester and know the love of Jesus during the Christmas season.

5 SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, sometimes we find you in the most surprising places and circumstances - places that are full of grief or angst or frustration or pain or confusion. These tend to be the places where you most often show up. And sometimes it is only after the fact that we are able to notice that, indeed, we have been visited by You. Help us to see you this day, Lord Jesus. When you pay us a visit, help us to notice, and be amazed and encouraged. Amen.

Scripture: Luke 7:11-17

Journal: How has God come to visit you lately? How has he come into the midst of your pain?

Reflection: How is it that sometimes subtly, sometimes with sudden startle, God breaks through the thick fog of our collective blindness? Our lives confront us with the inevitable experience of suffering: our own suffering, the suffering we cause to others, the pain we experience in and with the suffering of others. “Pay attention,” says the voice of God within us, “Here is an opportunity to deepen your relationship with me! You will find me when your heart breaks open with compassionate love for all of creation. But you must let the suffering touch you deeply enough that you begin to see your own path as a path of compassion on behalf of all living creatures.” (With Open Eyes: Discerning the Pattern of God’s Presence by Elaine M. Prevallet, SL in Weavings, Volume XXV, Number 3)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Bruce and Laura Harris run SEND International’s camp and conference ministry in the mountains of western Tokyo. In this ministry, their goal is to glorify God by serving the church of Jesus Christ through camping programs of evangelism and Biblical education. Pray today for several outreach parties and concerts that will be attended by non-believers during the Christmas season.

The Love Kitchen serves Knoxville’s homeless, helpless, hopeless, hungry, and homebound by providing food and clothing. Many CSPC members volunteer there every week preparing and distributing meals. Pray today for all of the people who will receive meals from The Love Kitchen this week that they may know the love of God for them because of this ministry.

Closing Prayer: For your heart that loves me, for your feet that pursue me, for your voice that calls out to me, I think you, O God. Thank you for raising the questions that draw me into a dialogue with you about my life and how I have been living it. Thank you for every tug of conscience that has led to every timid step that has brought me out in the open in my relationship with you. My hope, O God, my only hope, is that you are more persistent in your seeking than I am in my hiding. (Reflections of the Word by Ken Gire) Notes

6 Theme for the Week: Waiting

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6 - Second Sunday in Advent

Opening Prayer: Lord, help me to be watchful for your presence in my life and your movement in my world. Help me to not get distracted by the obligations, demands, and activities of this day, but help me to be attentive and alert to you and your greater purposes for my life. Amen. (Watch and Wait by Jim Branch)

Scripture: Psalm 130:1-8

Journal: How does a watchman wait for the morning? What is unique about that kind of waiting? Where in your life are you waiting for God? How does this Psalm speak into that?

Reflection: I don’t know about you, but I hate waiting. And I guess the biggest reason why I hate it is because I’ve never been very good at it. I’ve always been one of those “let’s get this show on the road” type of people. Waiting demands both an attitude and a posture that are the opposite of my normal default mode. In fact, waiting almost completely takes the ball out of my hands. It asks me to let go of my agenda and my control, and to surrender them both to God. And that is a really difficult thing to do. But maybe the biggest reason that I hate waiting is because, deep down, I am really afraid that whatever, or whoever, I am waiting on will never appear. I mean, what if I just wait forever and nothing ever happens, or no one ever comes? It is a frightening thought. That is where this Psalm speaks so deeply to my heart and soul. Because the type of waiting that Psalm 130 is talking about - and the type of waiting that the season of Advent calls us to - is the type of waiting where we can rest assured that there will be an arrival. It is not a question of if, but a question of when and where and how. That’s why we have to pay very careful attention. That’s why we have to be like watchmen. The image of a watchman waiting for the morning is so helpful during this time and this season. A watchman waits for the morning because he knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that the morning will indeed come. All he has to do is wait. That’s why I said that waiting almost takes the ball completely out of my hands. Because we still determine how we will wait. For once the watchman has dealt with the fact that he cannot hasten the morning’s arrival, nor can he delay it (thank goodness), only then can he settle down in trust and begin to truly wait for its coming, being both attentive and expectant. So these beautiful words from this Psalm, and the amazing image it contains, are so helpful because they do not just tell us that we must wait, but they tell us how we must wait. Thanks be to God.( Watch and Wait by Jim Branch)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Steve Hoke works with national church denominations and mission organizations in 25 countries and North America in the area of leader development and strategic life coaching. Pray today for Steve for renewed energy and focus as he continues daily, weekly and monthly coaching and supervising calls with CRM’s staff and team leaders around the world.

Closing Prayer: Help, God - the bottom has fallen out of my life! Master, hear my cry for help! Listen hard! Open your ears! Listen to my cries for mercy. If you, God, kept records on wrongdoings, who would stand a chance? As it turns out, forgiveness is your habit, and that’s why you’re worshiped. I pray to God - my life a prayer - and wait for what he’ll say and do. My life’s on the line before God, my Lord, waiting and watching till morning, waiting and watching till morning. O Israel, wait and watch for God - with God’s arrival comes love, with God’s arrival comes generous redemption. No doubt about it - he’ll redeem Israel, buy back Israel from captivity to sin. (Psalm 130, The Message) Notes

7 MONDAY, DECEMBER 7

Opening Prayer: Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you. (Psalm 33:20-22)

Scripture: Psalm 33:13-22

Journal: How are waiting and trust related to each other in your life and heart? Where are you waiting, in trust, on the Lord? Where are you not?

Reflection: Waiting is essential to the spiritual life. But waiting as a disciple of Jesus is not an empty waiting. It is a waiting with a promise in our hearts that makes already present what we are waiting for. We wait during Advent for the birth of Jesus. We wait after Easter for the coming of the Spirit, and after the ascension of Jesus we wait for his coming again in glory. We are always waiting, but it is awaiting in the conviction that we have already seen God’s footsteps. Waiting for God is an active, alert – yes, joyful - waiting. As we wait we remember him for whom we are waiting, and as we remember him we create a community ready to welcome him when he comes. (A Spirituality of Waiting by Henri Nouwen)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Hugo and Jackie are from South Africa and have two children, Marlena and John. Hugo has been the leader of a media ministry and has also been providing oversight to the PALM ministry (Preparing Arab World Leaders for Ministry) for the last few years. Their mission is to engage young people of the Arab world through new media to facilitate church planting movements in partnership with local churches. Pray today for a new media campaign focusing on disillusioned and disenfranchised Muslims.

Since 1996, the Mission of Hope has ministered to the people of various counties in Kentucky and Tennessee from which 80% of the residents no longer have jobs in the coal mining industry. In their first event in 1996 they were able to assist 150 children. This past Christmas, because of the generosity of so many people, the Mission of Hope was able to help more than 18,000 children and their families with food, clothes, toys and hygiene items. Pray today for Mission of Hope as they reach out to the children of Appalachia during this Christmas season.

Closing Prayer: From high in the skies God looks around, he sees all Adam’s brood. From where he sits he overlooks all us earth-dwellers. He has shaped each person in turn; now he watches everything we do. No king succeeds with a big army alone, no warrior wins by brute strength. Horsepower is not the answer; no one gets by on muscle alone. Watch this: God’s eye is on those who respect him, the ones who are looking for his love. He’s ready to come to their rescue in bad times; in lean times he keeps body and soul together. We’re depending on God; he’s everything we need. What’s more, our hearts brim with joy since we’ve taken for our own his holy name. Love us, God, with all you’ve got - that’s what we’re depending on. (Psalm 33:13-22, The Message) Notes

8 TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to wait expectantly for you during this season. And help that waiting have a good result. Help it produce in us a growing desire for your presence, your rule, and your kingdom. Amen.

Scripture: Luke 1:24-25

Journal: What is growing in you these days? How is waiting a part of that? How is God trying to enlarge you in your waiting?

Reflection: Waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don’t see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy. - Eugene Peterson

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Navigators Collegiate ministry at UT Knoxville has this mission: “To advance the gospel of Jesus and His Kingdom into the nations through spiritual generations of laborers living and discipling among the lost.” Pray today for the leaders of this ministry and the students as they wrap up the Fall semester and prepare for the Spring.

Closing Prayer: Lord, thank you for what you are doing within us during this time and this season. May we take great care to nurture and attend to whatever it is that you are growing in us. For your glory. Amen. Notes

9 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to wait for you with confidence - both this day and this season - knowing that we will indeed see your goodness in the land of the living, no matter what our current circumstances may be. Help us to be strong, to take heart, and to wait for you, O Lord. Amen.

Scripture: Psalm 27:11-14

Journal: Where do you need God to give you strength in your waiting? Where do you need him to give you patience? How do you need him to help you “take heart?”

Reflection: Our spiritual life depends on his perpetual coming to us, far more than on our going to him. Every time a channel is made for him he comes; every time our hearts are open to him he enters, bringing a fresh gift of his very life, and on that life we depend. We should think of the whole power and splendor of God as always pressing in upon our small souls. - Evelyn Underhill

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

J & M are in their third year of serving in Creative Access using the platform of micro finance lending to engage in church planting with holistic development. Pray for this family as they have recently returned to their country with their new son.

The focus of Navigators International at UT Knoxville is the over 1,000 international students at the University of Tennessee who come from 100+ nations. Spouses and family networks back home multiply the potential for the gospel to spread. Navigator’s mission is to advance the gospel of Jesus and His Kingdom to the nations through spiritual generations of laborers living and discipling among the lost. Pray today for the leaders of this ministry and the students as they wrap up the Fall semester and prepare for the Spring.

Closing Prayer: O Lord, my God, I am confident I will see your goodness while I am here in the land of the living. Wait patiently for the Lord, O my soul. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord. (Psalm 27:13-14, NLT) Notes

10 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10

Opening Prayer: Today, O Lord, I yield myself to you. May your will be my delight today. May your way have perfect sway in me. May your love be the pattern of my living. I surrender to you my hopes, my dreams, my ambitions. Do with them what you will, when you will, as you will. I place into your loving care my family, my friends, my future. Care for them with a care that I can never give. I release into your hands my need to control, my craving for status, my fear of obscurity. For Jesus’ sake. Amen. (Prayers from the Heart by Richard Foster)

Scripture: Luke 1:5-23

Journal: What about this passage speaks to something within you today? Why or how? How can you relate to Zechariah and Elizabeth? How is their “story” like your own? How does the reality of God meeting them in the midst of their doubts and fears speak to something deep within you?

Reflection: Waiting is not a very popular attitude. Waiting is not something that people think about with great sympathy. In fact, most people consider waiting a waste of time. Perhaps this is because the culture in which we live is basically saying, “Get going! Do something! Show you are able to make a difference! Don’t just sit there and wait!” For many people, waiting is an awful desert between where they are and where they want to go. And people do not like such a place. They want to get out of it by doing something. It impresses me, therefore, that all the figures who appear in the first pages of Luke’s Gospel are waiting. Elizabeth and Zechariah are waiting. Mary is waiting. Simeon and Anna, who were there at the temple when Jesus was brought in, are waiting. The whole opening of the good news is filled with waiting people. And right at the beginning all those people in some way or another hear the words, “Do not be afraid. I have something good to say to you.” These words set the tone and the context. Now Elizabeth and Zechariah, Mary, Simeon and Anna are waiting for something new and good to happen to them. (A Spirituality of Waiting by Henri Nouwen)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Darlene Johnson has been a member of MTW’s church-planting team in Nagoya, Japan, since 2000. She teaches conversational English and evangelistic Bible studies and is involved in choral and instrumental music ministry. Pray today for Yuri, Etsuko, and Yoko, three women that Darlene meets with for Bible study, that they will become followers of Jesus and also for other outreach efforts through the Christmas season.

Closing Prayer: Dear God, I so much want to be in control. I want to be the master of my own destiny. Still I know you are saying: “Let me take you by the hand and lead you. Accept my love and trust that where I will bring you, the deepest desires of your heart will be filled.” Lord, open my hands to receive your gift of love. Amen. (With Open Hands by Henri Nouwen) Notes

11 FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11

Opening Prayer: You offer us a refuge amidst the trials of life. May our waiting prepare us to see glimpses of your face, even as we long for the full appearance of your goodness throughout all the earth. Amen. (A Guide to Prayer for All Who Walk with God by Rueben P. Job, Norman Shawchuck, and John S. Mogabgab)

Scripture: Matthew 1:18-20

Journal: What do you think Joseph’s waiting was like? What do you think God was trying to accomplish in him through this waiting? How can you relate to it? What is God trying to accomplish in you through your waiting?

Reflection: A waiting person is a patient person. The word patience means the willingness to stay where we are and live the situation out to the full in the belief that something hidden there will manifest itself to us. People who wait have received a promise that allows them to wait. They have received something that is at work in them, like a seed that has started to grow. This is very important. We can only really wait if what we are waiting for has already begun for us. - Henri Nouwen

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

PALM (Preparing Arab-World Leaders for Ministry) is Arab World Media’s discipleship and theological training ministry. It provides high quality leadership and discipleship training materials in Arabic, Kabyle and French. It is an excellent way to meet the need for training in leadership and ministry among Muslim background believers throughout North Africa, Middle East and Arabian Peninsula. Our 2015 mission conference guest Belkacem Guermouche works with PALM Algerian. Pray for him and others who work with PALM today.

Closing Prayer: May the goodness and loving-kindness of our God sustain us in our longing, and transform the desert of our waiting into a garden of fertile expectation. (A Guide to Prayer for All Who Walk with God by Rueben P. Job, Norman Shawchuck, and John S. Mogabgab) Notes

12 SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12

Opening Prayer: My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. Amen. (Luke 1:46-50, ESV)

Scripture: Luke 1:26-56

Journal: What makes Mary’s waiting different from everyone else’s in the Christmas narrative? What does she have to teach us about waiting on the Lord? How does her response to God speak to you today?

Reflection: The birth of Christ in our souls is for a purpose beyond ourselves: it is because his manifestation in the world must be through us. Every Christian is, as it were, part of the dust-laden air which shall radiate the glowing epiphany of God, catch and reflect his golden Light. Ye are the light of the world- but only because you are enkindled, made radiant by the one Light of the world. - Evelyn Underhill

The purpose of Advent is to make us pregnant with hope. - The Work of the People

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: I’m bursting with God-news; I’m dancing the song of my Savior God. God took one good look at me, and look what happened - I’m the most fortunate woman on earth! What God has done for me will never be forgotten, the God whose very name is holy, set apart from all others. His mercy flows in wave after wave on those who are in awe before him. (The Message) Notes

13 Theme for the Week: Hope

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13 - Third Sunday in Advent

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us, during this season, to navigate the ground between the now and the not yet. In so many ways it is the space we are given to live in. And if we are going to thrive and flourish, rather than just survive and endure, we must begin to find your joy in the present moment and in our present circumstances. Joy that gives us confidence in your care for us, as well as hope for the future. Amen.

Scripture: Luke 1:39-45

Journal: If you were Mary, how would you receive Elizabeth’s words? What would they produce in you? How do the words of Elizabeth give Mary hope? How do they give you hope this day? What promise are you hoping God will fulfill someday? Do you still believe?

Reflection: In many ways, Advent is a “not yet” season. Mary and Joseph have not yet traveled to Bethlehem, the infant Jesus has not yet been born, the angels have not yet appeared to the shepherds, and the star has not yet come to rest over the manger. Still, with all these “not yets” embedded in the Advent story, we spend these days and weeks living in faith that God will provide what has been promised - a long-awaited Messiah, a living hope. (Behold! by Pamela C. Hawkins)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Tim and Barbie K. are currently working to translate the Bible into the “Makori” language. Their goal is to see a “Makori” church effectively using its own translation. Pray today for their family as they just recently moved to another town. Pray also for Yvette, a local woman with a medical condition that Barbie is working with.

Closing Prayer: Lord of all hopeful horizons, in the promise of your Word incarnate, Jesus Christ, you have given us solid ground on which to build our lives. We offer you the toils and struggles of our days in faith that by your grace they will become sources of hope for others who seek to walk in your ways. Amen. (A Guide to Prayer for All Who Walk with God by Rueben P. Job, Norman Shawchuck, and John S. Mogabgab) Notes

14 MONDAY, DECEMBER 14

Scripture: Psalm 62:1-12

Journal: What are you putting your hope in these days? During this season, what does it look like to put your hope in God’s unfailing love?

Reflection: Advent is a time of the unexpected gift, both in our remembering and in our hoping. It is a season when we recognize that God became flesh in a place emptied of comfort and privilege, a presence that took form in a forlorn crib as the start of a journey that would carry all the way to an ignominious cross. It remains a season haunted by such memories. . . , longing as we do for some trace of the One who was among us for a season and whose coming again we await in life’s long winter. (The Hardest Love We Carry by Mark S. Burrows, Weavings)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Bobby and Teresa LaDage are working with Redeemer City to City (the church planting arm of Redeemer Church in NYC) envisioning, equipping, and mentoring church planters and their wives in order to see gospel-centered churches reach the major cities of Eastern and Central Europe. Pray today for Bobby and a pastor from Krakow as they attend City to City meetings this month in NYC to become trainers so more men can be taught how to plant churches in the cities of Poland.

Cedar Springs partners with Redeemer City to City to plant churches in urban areas around the world. Pray for all of the church planters that are supported throughout the world, especially the Nelson family in Paris. Several of their church members were directly affected by the recent terror attacks. They ask that you “pray for peace, healing and for a renewed trust in our Good Shepherd.”

Closing Prayer: O God, you brought all things into being and know the secrets of the furthest galaxies as well as those within the hidden universe of the human heart. May we always hope in your faithful love, which surrounds us all our days. Amen. (A Guide to Prayer for All Who Walk with God by Rueben P. Job, Norman Shawchuck, and John S. Mogabgab) Notes

15 TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15

Opening Prayer: O God, at times life can get so hard and overwhelming that it’s all we can do to try to find hope in our own hearts from day to day. But you, O God, want so much more for (and from) us. You not only want us to find our hope in you, but you want us to offer hope to those in our lives and in our world. Give us the strength and the courage to do just that during this Advent season - as well as every season. Amen.

Scripture: Romans 8:18-28

Journal: How does God want you to find your hope in him during this season? How does he want you to offer hope to others?

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

John and Kathy Lesondak are church planters who work across denominational lines in Slovakia to encourage and enable pastors in their work. John founded the Kosice Fine Arts Center in 2013. Pray today for John and Kathy as they are in the midst of the flood of refugees arriving from Syria and are working with others to show the love of God to them in the turmoil and uncertainty. They have been sharing reports with us and you can learn more by watching this video: http://reclamationstories. org/europe-refugee-crisis-part-1

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, give me a vision bigger than myself today. Amen. Notes

16 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16

Opening Prayer: Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you. For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. (Psalm 139:7-16)

Scripture: Matthew 1:23

Journal: What is your current sense of God’s presence in your life? How does the promise of his presence give you hope?

Reflection: What a promise! And more than just a promise, what a statement of who God is! He is Immanuel! That is his name! Thus, he is the God who just can’t stay away. He is God with us! In the midst of our deepest darkness, he is with us. In the midst of our most desperate loneliness, he is with us. In the midst of our most unimaginable pain, he is with us. When our hearts have been broken beyond repair, he is with us. When we have made a total mess of our lives, he is with us. When tragedy strikes, he is with us. When we are lost, left, or abandoned, he is with us. At the times we feel most unlovable and ashamed, he is with us. When we feel like complete and utter failures, he is with us. When we feel like all hope is lost, he is with us. When we feel completely broken and inept, he is with us. When we are terrified of what lies before us, he is with us. When we are uncertain about our futures, he is with us. And even when life seems to be going “just fine thank you” he is with us even then. In fact, the Psalmist (Psalm 139:7-12) tells us that there is nowhere we can go where he is not with us. Just open your eyes and your ears, he is there. Somewhere. Even if he is there in a way - or a place, or a form - that you didn’t expect. He is with us! It’s just who he is. Thanks be to God.( Watch and Wait by Jim Branch)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Josh and Jenny M. are working with the RAK Church Plant in the United Arab Emirates. The RAK Evangelical Church has now been formally constituted as a church with about 40 members. They have recently celebrated the ground breaking for the church building. To find out more, go to the Reclamation Stories blog and watch a video: http://reclamationstories.org/ groundbreaking-rak.

As a ministry of the Presbyterian Church in America, RUF holds to the core beliefs of historic Christianity which motivate a heart for God and love for the university. CSPC supports RUF on two college campuses - UT Knoxville and Carson Newman. Pray today for Matt Howell at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and for RUF as it connects with students on both campuses.

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus. Help us to believe that it’s true. Help us to truly believe that you are Immanuel - God with us. Help us to believe it in spite of our fears and our uncertainties. Help us to believe it in spite of our anxieties and insecurities. Help us to believe in spite of our loneliness and isolation. And help us to believe in spite of our feelings and our circumstances. Thank you that you are Immanuel, it’s just who you are. And since you are Immanuel, which means you will always be with us, help us to seek always to be with you in return. Amen. (Watch and Wait by Jim Branch) Notes

17 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17

Opening Prayer: O God, you offer us a refuge amidst the trials of life. May our waiting prepare us to see glimpses of your face, even as we long for the full appearance of your goodness throughout all the earth. Amen. (A Guide to Prayer for All Who Walk with God by Rueben P. Job, Norman Shawchuck, and John S. Mogabgab)

Scripture: Isaiah 11:1-10

Journal: How do these words strike your heart today? What do they bring to life within you? How do they disrupt or disturb you? How do they offer you hope?

Reflection: We will experience the minutes and hours and days of our lives differently when hope takes up residence. In a letter to Jim Forest, who at the time directed the Fellowship of Reconciliation, Thomas Merton wrote, “The real hope is not in something we think we can do, but in God, who is making something good out of it in some way we cannot see.” Hope is not dependent on peace in the land, justice in the world, and success in the business. Hope is willing to leave unanswered questions unanswered and unknown futures unknown. Hope makes you see God’s guiding hand not only in the gentle and pleasant moments but also in the shadows of disappointments and darkness. (Turn My Mourning into Dancing by Henri Nouwen)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Heath and Angela Many are now serving at Tenwek Hospital, a Christian mission hospital in rural Kenya, as medical missionaries in their respective fields (surgery and obstetrics/gynecology). Pray today for Angela who now has the responsibility of teaching their daughters due to the lack of a MK teacher. The Manys were featured recently in a video on the Reclamation Stories blog. You can watch it here: http://reclamationstories.org/life-in-africa/

Safe Families for Children is an innovative collaboration between area churches, volunteers and child care professionals designed to support at-risk children and parents in need. Pray today for a young father who has been very ill and whose son has been with a host family. Pray for his recovery and for his family to find Jesus. For more information, contact Janet Cockrum at [email protected].

Closing Prayer:

Holy preparation, counterweight of surprise, plum line of hospitality; you are fresh hay quickly strewn, soft linen bands newly torn, to hold the One who is to come. O Preparation, catcher of the off guard, leveler of all things high and low; you are the smoother of rough edges and bearer of good news. Come, reveal our webs of apathy with holy, sweeping light. Amen. (Behold! by Pamela C. Hawkins) Notes

18 FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18

Opening Prayer: Enliven us, O God, with a great hope. The hope of your coming. The hope of your redemption. The hope of your healing. The hope of freedom. May we be agents of this hope in your world. Amen.

Scripture: Zechariah 9:9-12

Journal: What hope does the Zechariah passage cause to rise in your heart? What images enliven you? Why? What does it look like to be agents of this hope in the world?

Reflection: Hope is a force of God that enlivens us to life. We can easily miss the radical significance of this definition to our lives. Hope is often described as the expectation that desires will be fulfilled or as a feeling of assurance about current and future circumstances. When someone thinks positively or believes deeply about desired outcomes, so this line of reasoning goes, then hope happens. However, hope is more than a positive attitude or elevated feeling of assurance. Like faith and love, hope is a force. Yes, it functions within individuals to transform their lives. But hope also resides and functions outside an individual’s attitudes and feelings. The very character of hope as energy that comes to us from God means we encounter hope as a transforming force that we do not control. Hope’s mission is to save us from a false sense of aliveness. Rather than fulfill whatever fantasies claim our hearts, hope rescues us from a diminished life. Its mission to us is congruent with its mission to the world: to enliven all to life and to save the world from a false sense of aliveness. The opportunities to experience hope are as close to us as we are to our neighbors and our bodies. God has given us the capacity to pay attention, imagine, and enter into the wonder of life together. This capacity is also our God-given assignment. God created us to be a home for hope, to discern its work, and to be a people of hope. (The Work of Hope by Luther E. Smith, Weavings)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Mark and Mary are living in a Creative Access country. Mark is working for a U.S. corporation there as a “Tent Maker.” Mark’s work gives him unparalleled access to the local population. Pray today for wisdom for Mark and Mary as they lead a growing team. Pray for unity of spirit and vision, and that the Lord would use them for his kingdom, and that the gospel would take root across the land where they live.

Closing Prayer: O Expectancy, born of fertile wonder, belabored by narrowed hope; craning curious lives forward, You are the brother of holy surprise. Come startle awake our dozing apathy, our complacent dreams, that we may behold your borning, Advent cry. Amen. (Behold! by Pamela C. Hawkins) Notes

19 SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19

Opening Prayer: O God, anchor our souls in the hope that your promises are all true. Helps us to find peace and comfort in the faithfulness of your character, in spite of our circumstances. Hold us fast when the storms of life are blowing us around so much that we are afraid that at any moment we might crash upon the rocks of life. Be our strength and our shield, O God, our shelter from the storm. Through Jesus we pray. Amen.

Scripture: Hebrews 6:13-20

Journal: What is state of your soul these days? How are you being tossed about? What is anchoring your soul?

Reflection: Anchor – a person or thing that can be relied on for support, stability, or security; a mainstay. The Greek word is agkyra, which is used four times in the entire New Testament; once here in Hebrew 6:19, and the other three times in Acts 27. The three instances in the book of Acts all refer to a literal anchor on a ship; that which provides safety, stability, and security. The anchor is the thing that keeps you from crashing into the rocks, or keeps you from getting tossed about by the sea, or keeps you docked securely in the harbor. It doesn’t offer to change the circumstances, but offers to help you in the midst of them. Here in Hebrews the word is used metaphorically to describe the effect God desires for hope to have on our souls. Hope (in God’s promises) is meant to be an anchor for our souls, to keep them safe and secure in the midst of the storms and chaos of life. The promise is not that the seas will be smooth, or that the storms will stop, or even that everything will turn out alright. The promise is that even if the circumstances never improve, his promises will be an anchor for our souls. The only thing about an anchor is that in order for it to work, it has to be used. An anchor does no good sitting inside the ship, it must be tossed into the sea. Nor does hope in God’s promises do us any good if they are never tossed into the raging sea of our fear and doubt and anxiety. Once we rely on, and trust in, his promises - which remind us of his heart and his character - as our soul’s anchor, then, and only then, will we find that “the rope holds.”

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Martyn and Elissa live in a Creative Access country as “Tent Makers.” Martyn’s work gives him unparalleled access to the local population. Pray today for growth of Martyn’s business so that it can better support them and so that it can open more doors for ministry.

Closing Prayer: Disturb us, Lord, when we are too pleased with ourselves, when our dreams have come true because we dreamed too little, when we arrived safely because we sailed too close to the shore. Disturb us, Lord, when with the abundance of things we possess we have lost our thirst for the waters of life; having fallen in love with life, we have ceased to dream of eternity and in our efforts to build a new earth, we have allowed our vision of the new heaven to dim. Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly, to venture on wilder seas where storms will show your mastery; where losing sight of land, we shall find the stars. We ask you to push back the horizons of our hopes; and to push back the future in strength, courage, hope, and love. This we ask in the name of our Captain, who is Jesus Christ. - Sir Francis Drake Notes

20 Theme for the Week: He is Coming

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 20 - Fourth Sunday in Advent

Opening Prayer: O Holy Spirit of God, visit now this soul of mine, and tarry within it until eventide. Pervade all my imaginations. Suggest all my decisions. Lodge in my will’s most inward citadel and order all my doings. Be with me in silence and in my speech, in my haste and in my leisure, in company and in solitude, in the freshness of the morning and in the weariness of the evening; and give me grace at all times to rejoice in thy mysterious companionship. (A Diary of Private Prayer by John Baillie)

Scripture: Malachi 3:1-4

Journal: What do the images of a refiner’s fire and fullers’ soap do within you? How do they speak to your life or heart right now? How do those images make you feel about his coming? How do they disturb you? How do they inspire you?

Reflection: There are many avenues of attraction to God. Some are drawn to him through his beauty, others to his peace, and still others are attracted by his power. Most men find themselves drawn to God as the source and wellspring of the very meaning of life, the ultimate ground of human existence. But it may be that the first motion of God within the believer- to-be is one of disturbance. Sometimes we forget that God comes to us, not only to give us peace but also to disturb us. He comforts the afflicted and he afflicts the comfortable. (A Reason to Live! A Reason to Die! by John Powell)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Tom Matthews serves as a translation consultant to Bible translation teams from multiple people groups in northern Tanzania and Kenya. Some of the groups are minimally reached for Christ and some are dominated by Islam. Pray today for Tom and Juanita as Tom continues work on the Rendille translation. Pray that the Holy Spirit would unite the translators as a team, using all of them working together to strengthen the Rendille text so that it may communicate God’s word accurately, clearly and naturally to Rendille people.

Closing Prayer: O Lord, who can endure the day of your coming? Who can stand when you appear? In the midst of this season of angels and shepherds and mangers and wise men, let us never forget exactly who it is that is entering our world; the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Amen. Notes

21 MONDAY, DECEMBER 21

Opening Prayer: O Lord God, whose chosen dwelling is the heart of the lowly; we give thee thanks that thou didst reveal thyself in the holy child Jesus, thereby sanctifying all childhood in him. We beseech thee to make us humble in faith and love, that we may know the joy of the Gospel that is hidden from the wise and prudent and revealed unto babes. Amen. - The Book of Common Worship

Scripture: Isaiah 2:1-5

Journal: What does it mean for you, this day and this season, to walk in the light of the Lord? Where or how do you need to beat your swords into plowshares and your spears into pruning hooks?

Reflection: To pray means to wait for the God who comes. Every prayer-filled day sees a meeting with the God who comes; every night which we faithfully put at his disposal is full of his presence. And his coming and his presence are not only the result of our waiting or a prize for our efforts; they are his decision, based on his love freely poured out. His coming is bound to his promise, not to our works or virtue. We have not earned the meeting with God because we have served him faithfully in our brethren, or because we have heaped up such a pile of virtue as to shine before heaven. God is thrust onward by his love, not attracted by our beauty. He comes even in moments when we have done everything wrong, when we have done nothing. (The God Who Comes by Carlo Carreto)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

J. and C. are working in a Creative Access country for World Outreach. J. is developing an entry platform using sustainable technologies that will provide income and economic development among the people they are ministering to. Pray today for wisdom as they look critically at the pace and scale of the project heading into 2016.

Closing Prayer: Help me to be attentive, Lord Jesus, to all of the ways and all of the places and all of the people through whom you will come to me today. You are, and have always been, the God who comes. Thank you that your heart will not allow you to stay away. Come, Lord Jesus! (Watch and Wait by Jim Branch) Notes

22 TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22

Opening Prayer: O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel, that mourns in lonely exile here, until the Son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel, shall come to thee, O Israel.

Scripture: Isaiah 64:1-8

Journal: What does this passage do within you today? Where does it bring you to life? Where does it disrupt or challenge you? What are you longing for God to rend the heavens and come down into?

Reflection: Venite! O Come! It is the deepest cry of our hearts, and the constant cry of the Advent season. After all, we have watched and waited for so long. Not as long as Israel mind you, but, nevertheless, we have waited. We have waited for what has seemed to us to be an eternity. We have waited so long for that prayer to be answered, or that pain to be relieved, or that prodigal to return, or relationship to be healed, or that longing to be fulfilled. And so we cry, with all of humanity throughout the ages, Venite! O Come! Come, Lord Jesus, into our darkness. Come, Lord Jesus, into our sadness. Come, Lord Jesus, into our bondage. Come, Lord Jesus, into our brokenness. Come, Lord Jesus, into our chaos. O God, please rend the heavens and Come! Venite!

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Pete and Ruth Mitchell are church planters in Marseille under the auspices of Mission to the World (MTW) and in collaboration with the Eglise Réformée Evangélique de France (French Reformed Evangelical Church). Pete’s role is that of team leader. The Mitchells have recently moved to Toulouse to plant a new church. Pete recently presented plans for the church plant in West Toulouse to the National Evangelism Committee of the French denomination UNEPREF. Pray for their efforts to establish a core group needed for the new church plant.

Thrive Lonsdale is led by CSPC member Clayton Wood. This organization challenges inner-city youth with the love of Jesus Christ to serve others and reconcile by creatively meeting their spiritual, educational, and recreational needs through Bible study, tutoring, mentoring and outings. Pray today for the students impacted by this ministry during the Christmas season.

Closing Prayer: Oh, that you would rip open the heavens and descend, make the mountains shudder at your presence - As when a forest catches fire, as when fire makes a pot to boil - To shock your enemies into facing you, make the nations shake in their boots! You did terrible things we never expected, descended and made the mountains shudder at your presence. Since before time began no one has ever imagined, no ear heard, no eye seen, a God like you who works for those who wait for him. You meet those who happily do what is right, who keep a good memory of the way you work. But how angry you’ve been with us! We’ve sinned and kept at it so long! Is there any hope for us? Can we be saved? We’re all sin-infected, sin-contaminated. Our best efforts are grease-stained rags. We dry up like autumn leaves - sin-dried, we’re blown off by the wind. No one prays to you or makes the effort to reach out to you because you’ve turned away from us, left us to stew in our sins. Still, God, you are our Father. We’re the clay and you’re our potter: All of us are what you made us. Don’t be too angry with us, O God. Don’t keep a permanent account of wrongdoing. Keep in mind, please, we are your people - all of us. (Isaiah 64:1-8, The Message) Notes

23 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, master of both the light and the darkness, send your Holy Spirit upon our preparations for Christmas. We who have so much to do seek quiet spaces to hear your voice each day. We who are anxious over many things look forward to your coming among us. We who are blessed in so many ways long for the complete joy of your kingdom. We whose hearts are heavy seek the joy of your presence. We are your people, walking in darkness, yet seeking the light. To you we say, “Come Lord Jesus!” Amen. - Henri J. M. Nouwen

Scripture: Jeremiah 33:14-16

Journal: What words from this passage cause hope to rise up in your heart? What life is springing up within you these days? How do the promises of God give you strength and encouragement in the midst of your current situation?

Reflection: There is a divine initiative in our every encounter with God. Even before we knew our Creator, God loved us. Even before we turned to look toward God, God was moving toward us. Our faintest yearning for God is assurance that God is already longing for us. Our first feeble step toward God is possible because God has already been moving toward us, drawing us nearer by the divine magnet-heart of love. (How to Conduct a Spiritual Life Retreat by Norman Shawchuck, Rueben P. Job, and Robert G. Doherty)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: O Lord, how hard it is to accept your way. You come to me as a small, powerless child born away from home. You live for me as a stranger in your own land. You die for me as a criminal outside the walls of the city, rejected by your own people, misunderstood by your friends, and feeling abandoned by your God. As I prepare to celebrate your birth, I am trying to feel loved, accepted, and at home in this world, and I am trying to overcome the feelings of alienation and separation which continue to assail me. But I wonder now if my deep sense of homelessness does not bring me closer to you than my occasional feelings of belonging. Where do I truly celebrate your birth: in a cozy home or in an unfamiliar house, among welcoming friends or among unknown strangers, with feelings of well-being or with feelings of loneliness? I do not have to run away from those experiences that are closest to yours. Just as you do not belong to this world, so I do not belong to this world. Every time I feel this way I have an occasion to be grateful and to embrace you better and taste more fully your joy and peace. Come, Lord Jesus, and be with me where I feel poorest. I trust that this is the place where you will find your manger and bring your light. Come, Lord Jesus, come. Amen. (The Road to Daybreak by Henri J. M. Nouwen) Notes

24 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24 - Christmas Eve

Opening Prayer: O Lord, the time has almost come. Just a few more hours and we will once again celebrate your coming into this dark and broken world. Soon the light will dawn, our hearts will be enlarged, and our joy will be increased. We wait, O Lord, in silence and wonder and hope for your arrival among us and within us. Come, Lord Jesus. Amen. (Watch and Wait by Jim Branch)

Scripture: Isaiah 9:1-7

Journal: What words about the coming of Jesus stir something to life within you today? Why? Which name for Jesus seems most fitting for where you are in your journey these days? Why?

Reflection: At times we drift in our lives. Amid the uncertainty and suspense of not knowing or the sheer tedium of things remaining the same, we can learn to keep our eyes wide open, scanning the horizon of our experience. Like Noah we may have to do this for a long time until at least some green sprig signals, “There’s land ahead.” Signs may beckon through something as ordinary as a phone call, as intimate as a touch of a child’s hand, or as subtle as an inner urge whispering, “This is where you need to go!” Like Paul and his near-sinking boatload, we would be wise to feast ourselves again and again on signs of promise and hope even as we are tossed about on the sea of not knowing. (The Way of Discernment by Stephen V. Doughty and Marjorie J. Thompson)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

F. & S. are working alongside Arab believers toward the goal of seeing churches planted for those who do not have a church. Their main focus is to work with, mobilize, resource and train nationals for this purpose. Pray today for local believers they work with to open their hearts and eyes to serve others in the region. Pray that F. & S. would be able to walk alongside to encourage and resource them as they lift their eyes to the harvest.

Closing Prayer: Gracious, loving and merciful God, on this Christmas Eve, as the light of your Word penetrates our hearts, as we are reminded of the gift of life and faith, as the glories of the heavenly hosts are echoed in our church, we open ourselves up to your Spirit and give you thanks. We are grateful, Lord Jesus, that your story has become our story, and we celebrate your birth. Continue, we pray, to instill in us a profound sense of your abiding presence, and help us to take to heart the wonder of your love, that we may walk in your ways and delight in your will. Help us, Lord God, to be the faithful, gracious, loving, giving and forgiving people you would have us be. - Rev. Dr. Sean B. Murray Notes

25 FRIDAY, DECEMBER 25 - Christmas Day

Scripture: Luke 2:1-14

Journal: How, or where, will Jesus be born within you or around you today? Give thanks to him. Adore him.

Reflection:

Lord of little things you made your home in a stable under a star in a cradle on straw and the little things shone their starlit welcome make your home with me in the little things of my days cards, gifts, mistletoe on tiptoe tree tinsel, multicolored lights and let the little things shine their glory for you and me once more… (Living the Questions by Robert A. Raines)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer: O almighty God, who by the birth of thy holy child Jesus hast given us a great light to dawn upon our darkness: Grant, we pray thee, that in this light we may see light. Bestow upon us, we beseech thee, the most excellent Christmas gift of charity to all, that so the likeness of thy Son may be formed in us, and that we may have the ever brightening hope of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our lord. Amen. - The Book of Worship Notes

26 SATURDAY, DECEMBER 26

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, Thou Son of the Most High, Prince of Peace, be born into our world. Wherever there is war in this world, wherever there is pain, wherever there is loneliness, wherever there is no hope, come, thou long-expected one, with healing in thy wings. Holy Child, whom the shepherds and the kings and the dumb beasts adored, be born again. Wherever there is boredom, wherever there is fear of failure, wherever there is temptation too strong to resist, wherever there is bitterness of heart, come, thou blessed one, with healing in thy wings. Saviour, be born in each of us who raises his face to thy face, not knowing fully who he is or who thou art, knowing only that thy love is beyond his knowing and that no other has the power to make him whole. Come, Lord Jesus, to each who longs for thee even though he has forgotten thy name. Come quickly. Amen. (The Hungering Dark by Frederick Buechner)

Scripture: Luke 2:15-21

Journal: Come to the manger today. Take in all of the sights and sounds and smells. What do you see? What do you hear? Look at the newborn King. Adore him. Marvel at him. What stirs and captures your heart?

Reflection: It is impossible to describe the joy that fills the room at the birth of the child. A midwife friend tells me that the excitement of welcoming new life never grows old. I wept and laughed simultaneously at the first sight of each of my children - beautiful, yet so small, and even to my favorably prejudiced eye, slightly comic. All the waiting and work had brought forth this morsel of promise. There is both mystery and absurdity in raw new life, and only those who have not seen it in its newness and rawness can indulge in sentimental and romantic rhapsodies about it. (Holy Listening by Margaret Guenther)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

H. & L. serve in Asia by providing strategic leadership for colleagues serving in several major urban centers in Asia. Their role involves encouraging and coaching these co-workers in their ministries, as well as networking with others to make sure they have the resources and training that they need for their respective ministries. Pray today for a 10-day trip to meet with church leaders this month. Please pray for safety in travel, good weather, and also wisdom from the Lord as they interact with colleagues.

Closing Prayer: Rest in me, my child, forgetting about the worries of the world. Focus on me - Emmanuel - and let my living presence envelop you in peace. Tune in to my eternal security, for I am the same yesterday, today, and forever. If you live on the surface of life by focusing on ever-changing phenomena, you will find yourself echoing the words of Solomon: ‘Meaningless! Meaningless! Everything is meaningless!’ Living in collaboration with me is the way to instill meaning into your days. Begin each day alone with me, so that you can experience the reality of my presence. As you spend time with me, the way before you opens up step by step. Arise from the stillness of our communion, and gradually begin your journey through the day. Hold my hand in deliberate dependence on me, and I will smooth out the path before you. (Jesus Calling by Sarah Young) Notes

27 Theme for the Week: God with us

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 27

Opening Prayer: Come, Lord Jesus! You are my righteousness. You are my goodness, the cause and the reason for goodness. You are my life and the light of life. You are my love and all my loving. You are the most noble language I can ever utter, my words and all their meaning, my wisdom, my truth, and the better part of myself. Amen. (Preparing for Jesus by Walter Wangerin, Jr.)

Scripture: Luke 2:21-35

Journal: What about Simeon captures you, or stirs something in your heart? How are you like him? How do you long to be like him? What would Simeon have to say to you today?

Reflection: On tiptoe we stand, Lord Jesus eagerly awaiting your full revelation always expecting you to come some more.

Our hands and hearts are open to your grace. Our lives still waiting for the fullness of your presence. We are those who have been promised a Kingdom, and we can never forget Yet we have a foot in both worlds and so we stumble.

But still we stand on tiptoe Owning our kingdom-loving hearts and our earth-eyes We lean forward And hope. - Macrina Wiederkehr

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Paul and Dori Pittman currently serve as area directors for United World Mission’s Latin America region. Paul is also project coordinator of UWM’s Cuba Partnership Project. Pray today for God to bless their trips to Cuba as they seek to promote the partnership opportunities which are available for North American churches. YOKE mentors middle school children by building friendships with Christian adults through clubs, camps, and Kid Time (hanging out with kids in their world). Currently YOKE reaches out to nearly 20,000 students at 26 middle schools located in Anderson, Blount, Grainger, Jefferson, and Knox counties. Pray today for the Yoke volunteers as they reach students this semester and make plans for next semester.

Closing Prayer: Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel. Amen.

28 Notes

29 MONDAY, DECEMBER 28

Scripture: Matthew 2:13-23

Journal: What do these verses from Matthew do within you? What mourning or sadness or grief is within you during this season? What do you do with that? Where is God in the midst of it?

Reflection: Right in the middle of this joyful season of celebrating the extraordinary gift of God’s coming into our dark world, we get this stark reminder of just how dark our world and dire our need is for a Savior. Today is referred to as The Feast of Holy Innocents on the church calendar. It is the time when we remember the slaughter of innocent children by King Herod in his attempt to kill the infant Jesus. Herod was so threatened by the idea of losing his throne to this newborn King that he would go to any length to make sure his power and his position were not taken away from him. It is a vivid reminder to what lengths we fallen humans will go to preserve and defend our self-centered ways once they are threatened. In fact, we do it all the time, just not so obviously or violently. Ours is a much more subtle, covert operation, usually involving words as weapons. (Watch and Wait by Jim Branch)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Joe and Cindy Platillero proclaim the transforming presence of Jesus Christ through Biblical teaching and practical training to all who come through their doors. Their main ministry is through the Torchbearer Center where they have camps, conferences, and a small Bible School during the winter. Pray for them today as they focus on the local church and the church throughout Europe.

Young Life Europe is an organization that pursues and befriends teenagers to introduce them to Jesus. Jim McNamee is the Western Europe Regional Director and Barbara works on the regional staff. They direct and supervise YL staff in five countries: Belgium, France, Holland, Portugal, and Spain. Working from Madrid, they are responsible for both the national and international school teams in those countries. Pray today for Jim and Barbara and their extended family.

30 TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29

Opening Prayer: The day of joy returns, Father in Heaven, and crowns another year with peace and good will. Help us rightly to remember the birth of Jesus, that we may share in the song of the angels, the gladness of the shepherds, and the worship of the wise men. Close the doors of hate and open the doors of love all over the world. Let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting. Deliver us from evil, by the blessing that Christ brings, and teach us to be merry with clean hearts. Amen. - Robert Louis Stevenson

Scripture: Luke 2:36-38

Journal: What about Anna captures your heart? What do you love about the description of her? What do you think Anna would have to say to you? What does God have to say to you through Anna?

Reflection: Anna, her name meant grace. And her description was as compelling as her name: “She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day.” She was absolutely consumed with God, and the things of God, even though in her younger years life had evidently thrown her some pretty nasty curve balls. But somewhere along the line - though we are not told exactly when or where or how - she had been captured by God’s grace. God had put his song in her heart and she could not stop singing it. It is what she did day and night; she sang continuously to God. She was so full of his song within her that she simply had no choice, it was what poured out of her soul whenever she opened her mouth. I wonder if it was that song in her heart that allowed her to recognize exactly what was happening in the temple on this particular day. For when she saw the baby Jesus being presented, the song once again poured forth - a song of thanksgiving, a song of deliverance, a song of hope, a song of redemption. For after all of those years of waiting and watching, the Word had finally become flesh and she wanted everyone to know about it. Thanks be to God!

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Carlos and Sandy Rios are planting Rivers of Grace Bible Church in the San Andres area of Guadalajara, Mexico. The church is growing and many new families have begun attending. Pray for the Rios as they travel through the U.S. this month on home assignment.

Closing Prayer: Lord, during this Christmas season, may we be like Anna, not departing from your temple, but worshipping, fasting, and praying night and day. May we, like her, be constantly giving thanks for the gift of your redemption, both in our lives and in our world. Amen. Notes

31 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 30

Opening Prayer: O Lord our God, may something new be born in us this day, as well as this season—this season where we celebrate your birth into this cold and cruel world. This season where we rejoice over your amazing arrival to live among us; to give us light and life and hope and peace. We pray this in the Name of Jesus. Amen.

Scripture: John 1:1-18

Journal: How have you seen the Word become flesh during this season?

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

M. is living in an area in Southeast Asia where the Tai Lue, an unreached people group, live. She is trusting that God will open doors for the gospel and empower local brothers and sisters to make disciples among them. Pray today for M. who was recently married and for her husband G. as they seek to reach the Tai Lue with the gospel.

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, Word of God made flesh, thank you for coming into our dark and hurting world with your life and your light and your love. Thank you for descending from the throne room of heaven to become one of us, in order to show us the heart of your Father. Amen. Notes

32 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31 - New Year’s Eve

Opening Prayer: O God, as we come to the end of another year, help us to look back on all that has happened - both to us and in us - only as it is helpful to looking forward to all that you long to do in us and through us in the year to come. Thank you that you long to do a new thing. Help us to be totally open to whatever that may be. For your Kingdom and your glory we pray. Amen.

Scripture: Isaiah 43:16-21

Journal: What new thing do you long for God to do in you in the coming year? What former things do you need to forget?

Reflection: The years that lie behind you, with all their struggles and pains, will in time be remembered only as the way that led to your new life. But as long as the new life is not fully yours, your memories will continue to cause you pain. When you keep reliving painful events of the past, you can feel victimized by them. But there is a way of telling your story that does not create pain. Then, also, the need to tell your story will become less pressing. You will see that you are no longer there: the past is gone, the pain has left you, you no longer have to go back and relive it, you no longer depend on your past to identify yourself. There are two ways of telling your story. One is to tell it compulsively and urgently, to keep returning to it because you see your present suffering as the result of your past experiences. But there is another way. You can tell your story from the place where it no longer dominates you. You can speak about it with a certain distance and see it as the way to your present freedom. The compulsion to tell your story is gone. From the perspective of the life you now live and the distance you now have, your past does not loom over you. It has lost its weight and can be remembered as God’s way of making you more compassionate and understanding toward others. (The Inner Voice of Love by Henri J. M. Nouwen)

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Mostafa and Mona Sharkawy’s main area of work is the U.K., serving among Arab Muslims. Their goals are to see Arabic churches arise from Muslim background believers, to see new generations of leaders from Muslim believers, and to teach and prepare them for future ministry. Pray today for the Immigration Removal Center and the work that Mostafa is doing there.

Closing Prayer: Lord God, do a new thing in me, both this day and this year. And when you do, please give me eyes to see it and a heart to perceive - and receive - it. Through your son Jesus, who makes all things new, I pray. Amen. Notes