When you are a little kid one of the big questions that people ask you as you get close to your birthday is, “What do you want?” My daughter turns 9 this week and people want to know what she wants. This month I turn 40, which I know is hard to believe, but what would I really want?
Last week I had the opportunity to attend America’s National Prayer Committee meetings for the first time as a member. It was a great opportunity to meet and hear reports from these key leaders across the country. I was one of the youngest people in the room and it was great fun to be with some of my heroes. The meetings were held at the beautiful CRU headquarters, formally Campus Crusade for Christ.
Being in this place where Bill Bright and team strategized to complete the great commission gave me a good opportunity to look up from my day to day activities to the broader vision of Christ Connection. Sitting next to one of my mentors, Dick Eastman from Every Home for Christ, did something to help me see the worldwide mission that God has called me to complete.
After the meetings were over I took a couple days to just be with God and hear what He had to say. It was an amazing time of reaffirming what this ministry is all about. It was a time of dreaming and recommitting to the big opportunities that God has for Christ Connection. On the flight home I even read a quote from my pastor from high school which said, “Oh for heaven’s sake, don’t pray little prayers.”
[tweetthis]Oh for heaven’s sake, don’t pray little prayers.-Mark Denyes[/tweetthis]
So what do I want this year when I turn 40? One of the things that I really want is for every pastor to be a praying pastor with a group of people praying for them. I want every church to be a house of prayer with every Christian excited to be a part of it. And not only excited to pray, but walking out of that prayer time following Jesus to the adventure they have together.
[tweetthis]Are you not only excited to pray, but walking out following Jesus to adventure together?[/tweetthis]
Which is why I am excited to launch our annual February challenge. Each year we challenge you to consider a gift to the ministry in the amount of how much I am turning this year. Would you consider a $40 donation to help us equip and encourage pastors? Since this is also the month that I celebrate 20 years in ministry maybe God would have you give a multiple of that: $200, $2000 etc.
Maybe this special year God would prompt you to become a monthly support of this ministry. Every dollar makes a difference. Could you give $20 a month to help raise up a movement of prayer around the world? What about $100 a month to see countries changed for eternity?
As I hit 40 this month I am more committed than ever to helping ignite pastors and church through the power of prayer ministry here and around the world. But I am more convinced than ever that I can’t do that alone. Will you be a part of this great month and let’s see what God will do?
