Movements Everywhere

Worldwide Day of Prayer for Prodigals

As a result of some family struggles we were enduring 12 years ago, we recognized we needed lots of help. We invited friends we knew around the world to pray with us, people we knew as prayer warriors or as struggling through some of the same issues as we were. On June 2 each year, more joined us. Now for four years we have opened up this day as a Worldwide Day of Prayer for Prodigals. Now we have gathered many resources and ideas for praying for those who love who are far away from or struggling with the Lord.

 Last year, we prayed for hundreds of beloved friends and family members. If you’d like to join this community and Worldwide Day of Prayer for Prodigals on June 2, please email prayerforprodigals@gmail.com to be invited into the community. Since it is a sensitive matter with specifics and names, we do ask that you first be invited. Thank you so much.

The Three Amigos

I just returned from Barcelona, where I met with our national directors from Western Europe.  As you may know, most of the countries there have not experienced a high response rate to the gospel in recent history.  So it was especially gratifying to believe together that God will change things dramatically. I also deeply enjoyed meeting with “the three amigos”–Javier Garcia, Hans Prius and David Wilson, who give direction to this region of the world. Our hearts resonated with the idea of implementing more “broad sowing evangelism” so that our staff members could best redeem their time meeting with people whom God is drawing to Himself. You may also enjoy reading more about Javier, the Director of Affairs for Western Europe, in the this article from Worldwide Challenge [in English only]. 

New DOA in Eastern Europe

I was recently a part of the national directors conference for Eastern Europe and Russia.  What a privilege it was to interact with such dedicated and capable people who lead our ministry in some very challenging places.  Pray for them as they and their staff seek to raise higher percentages of their personal support needs.  Many of them have received the training on how to do that, and they are in the process of trusting God for His provision. While I was there I spent several hours interacting with them concerning the direction of our ministry.  It was energizing to think about the wonderful ministry opportunities God has given us to pursue.

I spent the Worldwide Day of Prayer with our staff from Ukraine and Belarus.  At the end of the day, there was a commissioning service for our new national director for Ukraine, Sergey Butenko.  As we laid hands on him and his wife, Dina, and prayed for them my mind flashed back to my own service in Colorado in July 2001.  I know from experience how much a new leader needs God’s anointing.

Praying with Parachurch Presidents

Steve and I met in Colorado Springs with the presidents and their wives of Navigators, Young Life, Youth for Chirst, InterVarsity and Fellowship of Christian Athletes for our semi-annual sharing and prayer together.  Always a rich time of fellowship, it was encouraging to hear each one say, “We are in a good place.”  Though each person and mission faces challenges, we all are seeing God growing our ministries, meeting financial needs. stretching our faith.

A devotional discussion on John 11 reminded us that God often has much different purposes in mind than we do.  When Jesus waited instead of going straight to Bethany when he heard Lazarus was dying, it felt unkind to Mary and Martha.  If Jesus had come sooner, he could have healed their brother.  But God had something much bigger planned.  We rejoiced as we related such events in our own lives and prayed together for people and circumstances and opportunities that needed God’s much bigger and better plan.