I woke up in the middle of the last night and I was super thirsty so I went to get a drink and then I had to go to the bathroom and by the time I was heading back to bed I was wide awake. So I read for a while. I’m reading this book called Prayer by Philip Yancey. I love this book. It wasn’t anything in particular that I read that caused me to do it, but I just decided to pray. Well, I did like this part. It was a quote of Henri Nouwen (who I also love) – “To pray is to walk in the full light of God, and to say simply, without holding back, ‘I am human and You are God.” So I prayed. I wanted to sit with God until I fell asleep. It was 3:00am and I was awake and I was happy. I was with God. I didn’t fall asleep for about 45 minutes and I just felt a sense of the presence of God with me and I was at peace.

Today I am going to lead our staff in a time of prayer. We have a routine that we do – which is good – but I want to break it up a bit. Normally, after a brief devotional we share “big” prayer requests and then break up into groups and share more personal things and then pray in groups of three or four. Today I’m going to have us walk around the church campus and just walk and talk to God. Very little direction. Very limited content. Just walk and talk with God. I’m looking forward to it.

Take 59 – 01/25/08: Day of Prayer of Kenya (public)

“Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and
pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from
heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land” (2 Chronicles
7:14, NLT).

A call to prayer has gone out through email making its way through
worldwide prayer networks—a call to a day of pray for the country of
Kenya on January 25, 2008. Their desire is to see every Kenyan and every
friend of Kenyans on every continent praying together on behalf of the
people in their country. Would you take some time today and join our
brothers and sisters everywhere in prayer for Kenya? Would you also
encourage others to pray?
Pray for peace in Kenya.
Ask the Lord to strengthen the body of Christ in Kenya and through the
power of the Holy Spirit, extend the love Christ to their fellow
countrymen.

“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace; where there is hatred, let me
sow love; when there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where
there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is
sadness, joy.” St Francis 1915

“The Lord doesn’t mind,” Goedert said. “If you’re holding a newborn baby in your arms and it falls asleep, are you going to love it any less?”
Rev. Robert Goedert, a Dominican priest in Chicago

I think that’s a beautiful thought? Agree? Disagree?