A Big Dream

This morning as I woke up to pray for the Maasai, there was one phrase that was burning on my mind..."that none may go unreached".

I hear often about the need to have a heart for the nations and to pray for the nations, and as the reality of what this Exodus Conference is all about has set in...I'm encouraged and excited about crying out for the nations!

What if this conference began a ripple effect to reach the unreached... not just in Kenya but throughout every nation of Africa?! It's a big dream, but we have a BIG GOD...and I think too often we forget that!

So my prayer is that none may go unreached and that the LORD alone will be exalted! (Is 2:11, 17)

Maasai Monday: Day Before

That's right...this is the day before the team officially leaves for the Exodus Conference, April 15-24. If you haven't already, go to the Exodus 24/7 prayer site & sign up to be praying around the clock for the team...go here.

As far as today's prayer focus...this one is taken straight from an email I sent myself this morning. That's right, I sent myself an email reminder to pray for the Maasai. It's something I set up about a year ago through this website called Echo Prayer. You can create an account for free and enter in different stuff you're praying for. Then you can set up a calendar of when you want prayer emails sent to you. It's totally helped my prayer life! You can try it here.

So, today's prayer focus...

• Pray for revival among the people.
• Pray for Christian leaders to be raised up.
• Pray for hearts to be softened toward the Good News of Christ.
• Pray for God to send out the workers into the harvest field.
• Pray for Caleb & his burden & passion for these people.
• Pray for the training conference for raising up Christian leaders to come together.
• Pray for the unreached & unheard of groups- that they will be found & that they will hear about the awesome love of Jesus Christ.

Maasai Monday: The Team

http://themaasaiproject.blogspot.com/2008/03/pray-for-team-by-picture.html

Today's focus is praying for the team. Just follow the link above to view pics of the team & their families.

Things to be praying for...

• Safety- for the team that will be leaving and for their families that they will be leaving here at home.
• Strength- traveling long distances followed by long days of ministry can really take a toll on you...so be praying that this team would daily be reminded of and trust in Philippians 4:13.
• Freedom- pray that God's Spirit would be free to move among the team, among the 30 groups, and among the unreached areas that these leaders will be heading back out into.
• Flexibility- things don't always go as planned (well, as we have planned) so pray that the team would be flexible and allow for God to move how He needs to!
• Prayer- I know it sounds funny to pray for prayer, but be praying that God would continue to stir in hearts and raise up more prayer warriors for this team, their families, and those who will be impacted by this Exodus Conference.
  

Maasai Monday: 30 Groups

"Therefore, GO and make disciples of all nations..." -Matthew 28:19

The ultimate goal of this Maasai Project is not that they can have a great conference and Caleb & his team can reach more Maasai. The Exodus Conference that will be happening from April 17-24th, is designed to be a MOVEMENT to train and equip pastors from over 30 denominations to then be SENT out to share Christ with their distant brothers and sisters.

It's a great picture of what Jesus' ministry here on earth was all about...He invested into 12 who He called to "COME" and follow Him. He poured into their lives, trained them, challenged them, and then told them to "GO and make disciples".

So, today's prayer focus is for the 30 groups that will be represented at the Exodus Conference.

Pray for safety as they travel long distances to get to the conference.
Pray for open hearts and minds to where God may be calling them.
Pray for the safety of their families as they're away.
Pray against any distractions that might keep them from fulling being able to engage with God.
Pray for new vision among these groups and for boldness as they take their next step.
Pray for the hearts of those in the villages represented by these 30 groups...that God would begin the process of breaking down barriers and drawing hearts unto Himself.
Pray that God would use the obedience of these 30 groups to begin an unstoppable force that will continue to GO and share the love of Christ to all nations.
Pray that the Lord would add to their number daily those who are being saved (Acts 2:47).

Maasai Monday: Refugees

Imagine being forced to leave the only home you've ever known. Imagine having to leave behind everything to ensure that you would live. Imagine trying to start a new life in a strange place away from the people and places you're most familiar with.

Over 250,000 people have been displaced since the uproar that took place in Kenya over the December elections. Many refugees have fled to Simon's village (Caleb's brother on this project & translator). Many refugees have lost their fathers, mothers, and children. Most are relying on the kindness of strangers to provide them with food, water, shelter, and comfort. So today's prayer focus is on the refugees...

• Pray for God's provision through the generosity of His people.
• Pray for believers to continue to step up and show unconditional love to these refugees that have lost it all!
• Pray for wisdom for Simon on how to best use the resources he's been given.
• Pray for the hearts of these many refugees to be drawn to the One who gives abundant life.
• Continue to pray for a spirit of peace to flood the hearts of those at the center of all the violence.

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." -Rm 12:12

Maasai Monday: Unrest

Just because it's not always front lining the news, doesn't mean it's not still happening! Today's prayer focus is on the unrest in Kenya. Over 1,000 people have been killed and over 250,000 people have been displaced from their homes since the outbreak of violence following the December 2007 elections. This battle is not just political...it's tribal.

Section of Kibera (slums in Nairobi) that was burned in the violence.

"The fighting is so intense that it is not only threatening the safety of hundreds of thousands of Kenyans, but it is debilitating various other aspects of daily life, including economic transactions, education, and health. Indeed, the economy has reached a near standstill as the movement of people and goods is severely restricted; teachers are fleeing and children are unable to attend school in affected areas of the country; and violence against women has skyrocketed, with one women's hospital in Nairobi registering unheard of numbers of rape victims." (OneWorld.net)


What can we do?

We are called to be people of prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17; 2 Chronicles 7:14; Romans 12:12; Ephesians 6:18; Philippians 4:6; Jude 1:20) So...let's be that!

Pray for this unrest in Kenya.
Pray for the peace of Christ to dwell in the hearts of His people (Col 3:15).
Pray for reconciliation between these tribes at war.
Pray for godly men and women to rise up and stand for Christ.
Pray for those who have lost everything, that they would find their hope in Christ.
Pray for an outpouring of love from the believers to those who are hurting.

Kenya Night Continued...

Last night, NMC Student Ministries took part in a student-led night that centered around two ministries in Kenya, the AGC Abandoned Baby Center & the Maasai Project. The night was filled with all kinds of activities ranging from a bake sale, talent show, silent auction, and time spent in prayer for the ministries.

Thoughts from the night...

• We have some incredibly talented students! Lots of small groups put together items for the bake sale...that looked amazing! Several students were involved in the talent show, ranging from a Preteen Dance & Sign Language Workshop to a Junior High drama to some hilarious skits and great vocal performances from the Senior High. Overall, it was incredible!
• People know how to give! Earlier in the day, we updated the prices for the silent auction items. By the end of the night, I was floored by some of the bids that had come in!!! There's still 3 days left to get involved there! So check out the Kenya Night site and bid like crazy!!!
• Prayer is still the key! The close of the night was probably my favorite part. Why? Because everyone took time to pray for these two ministries! There were pictures up all along the walls of the Maasai and babies from the Baby Center, and so, people gathered around them and just began to pray. If there's one thing we're going to get right...it will be prayer! The Prayer Army is growing. God is up to something big! Consider how you might get involved!

Kenya Night was certainly not just about one night. It's a movement that is continuing to charge forward calling all Christ-Followers to MOVE. It's a chance for each of us to look beyond ourselves and recognize that "we are not our own." We have been given an incredible invitation to jump onboard with what God is already doing!

Are you ready to MOVE?

Text Message From God: Part 2

I recently had a conversation with a good friend of mine that has continued to play over and over again in my mind. The conversation we had inspired this "mini series" but more than that challenged me in my own faith. With her permission, I'd like to share a bit of the conversation with you. She was telling me about a text message she received one night on her phone. Thinking she was about to tell me a funny story, the conversation took an unexpected twist.

The text message she received was from a number she didn’t recognize. The text included some very personal information which was clearly meant to be read by someone other than my friend. The message, as she soon found out, was from a young junior high girl. What the message said pails in comparison to how my friend responded.

What would you do if you received a text filled with personal information from someone you didn't know?
Ignore it knowing that it was obviously not directed to you?
Respond back, “You have the wrong number.”
or…
Respond back like this…“You know, there's a guy who loves you unconditionally for who you are."

Do I think my friend received this text by accident or mere chance? No way! Certainly not by the conversation that soon followed.

The conversation continued as my friend shared about this incredible guy she knew who loved unconditionally. She had struck a cord with this young girl who was now intrigued and wanting to know this guy’s number so that she could get a hold of him. As my friend continued to share with the girl that this perfect guy was God, a shocked response came back over the phone, “Why would you share with a stranger that someone loves them? No one has ever told me that before.”

Wow!

Okay, so I live in a small yet extremely “religious” community as it’s been dubbed. People have seemingly come to the assumption that “everybody’s heard about God.” We assume that everyone’s already heard at least a hundred different times and ways what I have to share, so what’s the point of sharing it? They already know!

This girl that texted my friend is from the same religious community that I’m from and nobody has every really taken the time to show & explain to her God's unconditional love?!

The conversation continued only a little while longer, resulting in the two girls planning to get together in person. So…last week, my friend took the opportunity to meet with this young girl face to face to build a friendship with her and show her love she’s never experienced. The results? Not only was my friend able to share her personal story with this girl, but she was also asked to go with her to her house and share the same thing with her family! The results? That night, because of my friend’s obedience and because she recognized the “miss-sent” text as an opportunity, a family sat blown away that a stranger would care for them enough to come and share with them about a God who loves them unconditionally!

And while I’m so incredibly proud of my friend, I don’t share this story with you to let you know how amazing she is. In fact, she would be the first to tell you that she is far from having this thing called “being a Christ-Follower” figured out. But I do share this story with you to say, are you letting opportunities to simply love others pass you by? Am I letting these opportunities slip away, passing them off as "miss-sent"?

As soon as she told me this story, I was reminded of Esther in the Old Testament, a story I’m sure many of us grew up hearing. The powerful statement made was one many of you probably know, “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14).

What if we truly took to heart that we have been placed where we are with the people we’re with “for such a time as this?” What if I realized that the Jesus I reflect to others may be the only Jesus they ever see?

Maybe you’re thinking, “What are the chances that something like that would ever happen to me?” The point isn’t how this opportunity came about…the point is, are we living with expectancy for these God-given moments? Will we recognize it when it comes our way or simply ignore it & continue with life as usual?