Pass It On: Prayer for Spiritual Awakening

Hello Grounded 3.17 friends,

I wanted to share about an upcoming Prayer Gathering in Minneapolis, May 5th.

If you are in the area please consider being a part of Unite.

For those of you like me who are too far away to attend I would encourage you to be in prayer for this event.

Blessings on your week!

Naomi

A Unique Prayer Gathering at the University of Minnesota

Prayer for Spiritual Awakening on Our Campuses

www.unitetwincities.com

www.unitetwincities.com

Dear Friends of Global Day of Prayer:
 

History has been changed through great moves of God in revival and spiritual awakening, especially on college and university campuses. As students pray with radical faith, God answers by empowering with passion for holiness and the salvation of the lost. Historically, these moves of God have fueled missions and extended to the ends of the earth!

Global Day of Prayer is partnering with Pulse, Praise FM, and Christian colleges, universities and campus ministries to host a prayer gathering on the National Day of Prayer at the Mariucci hockey arena on the University of Minnesota campus.

Leeland

We have invited Leeland to lead us in worship, along with the 

UNITE Twin Cities worship band.

Nick Hall

 I will help co-host the evening with Nick Hall (Pulse) and Fern Nichols (Moms in Touch International). Already the 10,000 Moms In Touch prayer groups around this nation are being mobilized to pray for us on May 5. This is an event with extraordinary support!

This student-led gathering of prayer and worship will be targeted specifically toward college students. But all generations are welcome to come, and in fact, the students have requested that we all be 

present with them.

Fern Nichols

To get an idea of the excitement being generated around this historic event, please look at our website. You can download bulletin inserts, posters, handouts, and video clips. You can also stay current on prayer requests. 

The Lord has brought spiritual awakening to our campuses in past years - and it has changed the course of history. May He do it again!

Bob Bakke

Director of Global Day of Prayer MN

Other opportunities to join with UNITE: 

April 15 - May 5: 21-Day Daniel Fast (see Daniel 10:2-3). Join us in fasting and praying for the 21 days leading up to May 5.

Wednesday, May 4: Prayer walk around Mariucci Arena, 7:30 p.m. If possible, we will also pray inside the arena over the 10,000 seats.

Then and Now

I got an idea yesterday.

Knowing that I would be writing this blog today, I planned on bringing with me my journal from the winter of 2008. I had an inkling that the words I wrote during the second week of February during my ski bumming experience would in some way connect and correlate with reality today. So, while eating lunch with a special someone in the "Multi-cultural Kitchen" at school, we read what I wrote.

Here's what I read ...

2/10/2008
" ... It's snowing again so I'm getting up early to go up to the hill & give'er. I read the Beatitudes this morning but I didn't take much time to think about it or pray about it much. This week I will be trying to focus more on my prayer habits and learning new things and growing in some way."

This was intriguing to say the least. At eight o'clock this morning I turned in a group project covering the first six verses of Matthew chapter 5 - the beginning of the Beatitudes. For the past two months I have once again been focusing on my prayer habits. When this semester started, I was blown away by all the new things I have been learning and I am continually pumped about growing. Most of this growth is spiritual, emotional, or relational in nature, unfortunately little growth is happening with hair follicles.

After reading from the exact date, three years ago, I opted to read from the Thursday before. Once again, stars aligned, dots connected, and the rooster crowed again.

2/7/2008 (Day 40)
"Another really fun day of skiing. I rode the gondi w/ Brady the patroller & he told me that Poacher's just got ski cut and was open. I was the first one there & it was knee deep. Very fun run. I met up w/ Ethan & skied w/ him and Eirik, Scott, and Kate. We got into White Wall just after it opened - it was great snow. We had a great day rippin around. I left them & skied Truth off of Terminator Peak - was an awesome run - I was like 3rd or 4th into that. Had an amazing time enjoying God's creation - He is blessing me so much this winter. This morning I read about prayer again and how it needs to be me seeking God & what God wants me to do for Him rather than me asking God to do things for me. I know God is really pushing me to spend more time in prayer to be in conversation w/ Him to grow in my relationship w/ Him."

Simply speaking, this is where I'm at again today. While I haven't skied forty days this winter, I have been blessed so much by God. I still see that prayer needs to be me seeking God and what he wants me to do for Him. Today, the words that come to mind are solitude and listening. To know what God wants me to do for Him, I need to listen. Prayer is a conversation with God. As I spend time talking to God and listening to Him in solitude, I grow closer to Him.

I'm not claiming to be a prophet, but in three more years I will say something similar to this again. My geographic location may change, but my spiritual location will be the same. As a human, humbly coming before God, quietly listening to Him, sharing my honest feelings, and doing this thing we call "prayer" it will be of the utmost importance to remember where I've been and look forward to where I'm going.

During February of 2008, I saw in front of me was saw snowy mountains, skiing, new friends, long beards, and a growing faith. During February of 2001, I see snowy flat lands, school, new friends, long beards, and a growing faith. The space between has been filled with adventure, dreams coming true, stress, physical and emotional pain, laughter, memories, and a whole lot of God's grace. If I've learned one thing in three years it is this:

God never ever ever changes. The love He has for every human is consistent. If I spend an hour with Him or 5 minutes, He loves me the same. If I eat pietistic pie, walk around with a halo over my head, and do innumerable good things, God loves. If I spit in someone's face, lie to my friends, steal, kill, and destroy, God loves. Unconditionally loving unconditionally is God's favorite thing to do.

Now, that's better than hearing it snowed a foot last night ...

Speak Out - Sidetracked

One night my friend and I were driving around the country roads of Eastern North Dakota. We weren’t driving anywhere in particular, or for any particular reason—just driving. My friend and I soon realized that we no longer knew exactly where we were. I wouldn’t say that we were lost, but you might say we were sidetracked.

Sometimes this is how I can feel in my spiritual walk with Christ. Today, it seems like everyone is busy every minute of the day. As a senior at AFLBS (Association Free Lutheran Bible School), and with the school year rapidly coming to an end, there are many things that I get caught up in and worried about. What to do this summer, where to live, where to work, where to go to school… etc. It is easy to get caught up, worried, and end up being side tracked from what should really be the focus of my life: Jesus Christ and His amazing love. One thing, among many other things I’ve been learning, is the importance of prayer. When I feel “side tracked” or worry about things I turn to the Lord in prayer. Whether to us it may seem little or big, He is always there to listen to and answer our prayers. Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

I’m also encouraged as I remember that the Lord never gives us obstacles too large to handle. The obstacles we face can strengthen our faith. Every bend in the road that He takes us on is according to His wonderful and perfect plan for our lives. All we have to do is trust Him. When we as Christians get “sidetracked” or lost, God is always there, reaching out his hand to guide us in the right direction. “Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73:23-26

by Chris Gullikson
originally posted May 2008