Where has the commitment to prayer gone in the lives of so many Christ-followers? Time is made for everything under the sun, from work to family to recreation to the complete wasting of time. Yet there is little commitment to prayer by so many followers of Jesus Christ.

Where has the commitment to prayer gone from our churches? Most churches make time for music, for preaching-teaching, for announcements, for giving, but what about prayer? Jesus stated to us that He wants His house to be a “house of prayer for all the nations.” Praying has taken a back seat in the worship services of America, being replaced by outward acts of worship, which would become so much more genuine if saturated in prayer. While political activists get on their stumps denouncing the thought of prayer being removed from our schools, churches sit on their hands in worship, moving towards limited dependence on God through prayer. The result: forms of godliness portrayed but denying the power of God. Therefore, in our churches, criticism overrides compassion; apathy replaces service; and the cleverness of man is applauded while the altars are vacant of genuine repentance and revival.

Until the commitment to prayer returns, we will see limited movement of God in our midst. God responds to His people praying. When we are involved in a genuine seeking of God through prayer, He does not sit on the Throne in Heaven acting as though He does not hear us.

This week, pray personally.

This weekend, get your church involved in prayer.

Today, pray.

Yesterday, I celebrated Jeana’s birthday and honored her on Mother’s Day as the mother of our children. I want to give a personal word of testimony about this woman you see in various settings and always see sitting on the front row in church. Perhaps this will give you a little insight into our lives.

Jeana comes from the home of a West Texas pastor. Her dad served faithfully for 50 years in various churches until the Lord called him home. Her mom resides in a small town in Texas just outside of Fort Worth, the old hometown of her youth. Jeana has one brother who resides in Lubbock, Texas.

The Lord has been gracious to heal Jeana’s body from cancer. He is gracious and kind concerning her health and she never takes this for granted. Once you have walked where she walked, you do not take any day for granted … each one is a gift from God.

Jeana is the mother of our two sons, Josh and Nick. Josh is the Head Football Coach and Athletic Director at Shiloh Christian School. Nick is the Minister of Young Adults at the north campus of Prestonwood Baptist Church and plans to graduate with his Master of Divinity degree this December. Of course, we now have two daughters through marriage, Kate and Meredith, both lovely young women with a heart for God.

Jeana is being called “Gigi” by her grandson Peyton, who is the first grandchild. Within the next couple of weeks, Nick and Meredith will give Jeana her first granddaughter, Reese Caroline. At the end of August, Josh and Kate will give her a second grandson, and his name is yet to be determined, but he will not be named Ronnie or Don (Kate’s Dad’s name) – take that one to the bank!

Gigi is alive now more than ever before. She is rather excited about these three grandchildren, I mean, she is fired up! She will rearrange most anything in her life for them, and I am so glad she does. She is one great Mom and Gigi to her children and grandchildren.

So, following the special day where we recognized the wonderful women of our church, you can count on this one – our church has an outstanding example in Jeana. She can be imitated by other wives of pastors, as well as by other women who have the privilege of being a wife, a mother, and a grandmother. Oh, I almost forgot, in the late summer—early fall, Jeana’s first book will be published. It is entitled, An Uninvited Guest, One Woman’s Journey from Cancer to Hope.

Jeana, Happy Birthday, and Happy Mother’s Day again! I love you. You are the very best of all.

Can I get a witness?

This coming Sunday morning, I will kick off a back-to-back six-week series called, “Experiencing the Presence of God.” I am excited about what God has put on my heart. In this critical time in our church (and understanding to a degree where God has us), I believe it will be right on target for us personally and collectively. Your life will be encouraged, challenged, and prayerfully, changed by your response to the Spirit of God through the Word of God.

The first message is entitled, “When I Shut Up the Heavens.” Listen my friend, this is an outstanding opportunity we have before us. Pray for Sunday. Pray now for God to prepare you heart. Pray for our church to be ready to hear the Word of God. Pray for the Holy Spirit to instruct us into God’s Truth, moving us into experiencing His presence.

I am grateful for you being a part of this daily blog or whenever you are able to check in. I think it is very important to stay connected to each other. One of the reasons I began this blog a few days a week was to make this reach into our online world, as well as letting you into my life between the Sundays. Share the blog along the way with your friends.

Without Anita Stewart, my personal assistant, and Brian Armas, our webmaster, this would be impossible daily. I hope if you know them, you will thank them for their work. Even though it is relatively simple to do, it is one more thing added to most of their days.

Walk in gratefulness this weekend . . . God is good.

This week has been a major “touch base week” for me within our ministry. On this past Sunday, I was able to have some time with several hundred people on both campuses in unique settings. Last night, I spoke at THRIVE, a gathering of about 200 single adults from all over our region. As always, it is refreshing to be with so many people from all walks of life.

Speaking of THRIVE, I really appreciate Clint Smith, our Minister of Young Adults on our Springdale Campus. He has fulfilled a long-term vision of mine to see a major gathering of Singles from across Northwest Arkansas meet together periodically. This Singles gathering meets once a month. Of course, all single adults are welcome to come and participate. God is using Clint and Ashley Smith to touch people. I am really grateful for their friendship and heart for all people.

This Sunday, I will begin a six-week series on EXPERIENCING THE PRESENCE OF GOD. It will go from Mother’s Day through Father’s Day. I really believe it will be a meaningful engagement of our God and His Word. In these six back-to-back Sundays, we will embrace and pursue what it really means to live every day, experiencing the presence of God. Come and join me on this journey.

It is time to pray in our church . . . God IS RAISING UP a burden for prayer on both of our campuses. Armies of people are saturating Sundays and the campuses in prayer. There is a place for you to learn to pray if that is your need or to come and join in experiencing prayer, which is the greatest way to learn to pray. If you are developing that desire, please call: Jim Hyde at our Springdale Campus or Kathy Ferguson at our Pinnacle Hills Campus. These two staff team players coordinate these ministries on each of our campuses.

All of your concerns about anything seem to be put in perspective through prayer.

Brother Yun, known as The Heavenly Man, spoke at our services on Sunday, as well as at our school yesterday. Our Minister of Global Missions, Doug Sarver, recorded some incredible insights shared by Brother Yun. Doug has sent them to me, and I wanted you to be able to use them devotionally today, as well as in the future. Brother Yun, a Chinese preacher who has spent much of his life in prison for the gospel, is now being used by God globally as the work of God is exploding in China. Please let God speak to you through these words.

Brother Yun stated the following in various settings:

My first official certificate of ministry was an arrest warrant.

My first vacation house was a Chinese prison.

To succeed as a servant of God you must be willing to die for Christ.

We want to bring the gospel from the Great Wall of China to the West Wall of Israel.

Man can put you in prison, but no one can isolate you from the presence of God.

Jesus hears every individual voice of His sheep.

Your prison is Real, but Jesus is the TRUTH…stand up and walk out!

No matter how real your problems are, they are no greater than the truth of Jesus Christ.

I must know who I am and who I am not. (Speaking about keys to a victorious spiritual life)

He (God) speaks in a way we can understand. (Speaking on his prayer life)

It doesn’t matter what others say Jesus is, YOU must know who Jesus really is for yourself.

With a heavenly calling, no difficulties can destroy your future.

If I am going to be a Christian, I want to be the BEST Christian.

You may be locked in prison, but never allow the prison to be locked in your heart.

It was pain, but it wasn’t suffering. (spoken in regard to his receiving electrical shock torture in prison)

When you share the gospel, you are promised God’s presence.

The American church is too much like a Supermarket, you always want the best “deals.”

Let God not just stir you with these, but change you today.

Oh my, the Lord showed up with us yesterday in a mighty way. God used Pastor Yun and his interpreter in a powerful and special way. I was challenged and blessed personally. I know God used them in a mighty way on both campuses.

Complete surrender is what the Lord expects to receive from all Christ-followers, regardless of our geographical location. Our job, calling, family, or anything else determines that among us at all. We must move forward with Christ in complete surrender.

Yesterday God confirmed what He had been putting on my heart concerning our next series of messages from His Word. I will talk about that later this week, but from Mother’s Day to Father’s Day, God has a powerful invitation to each of us.

May your week be blessed. Challenges abound for each of us, right? Remember, complete surrender.

God’s favor on you today and on this week.

I am writing to you today from the gorgeous setting of Colorado Springs, Colorado, as I will be speaking at Focus on the Family this morning for our National Day of Prayer emphasis. What a beautiful city and region, one that is so strategic in our nation spiritually. Pray for me today, but also participate today in a local National Day of Prayer gathering.

Many call Pastor Yun “The Heavenly Man,” due to the miraculous works of God that have taken place through his life and ministry. His work in China is a demonstration of God’s work in his life. Our hearts will never be the same after we hear him. Last year, he did all the weekend services in the church of my friend, Rick Warren, in California. They were blessed and blown away at how God used him. Every report we have received has been powerful. He will speak at all of our Sunday morning services, so please be there.

Jeana and I will be sitting on the front row at both of our campuses on Sunday morning, waiting for God to speak to us personally. I hope you will be as eager and excited as we are to hear the Lord use this Chinese pastor to speak to us and to our church. We need a fresh touch of God in our church … may this be the day!

Finally, God wants to do a great work in our church … pray for it with me. Our challenges are before us, but our opportunities are so much greater. Please pray with me. Please join me in the journey.

See you Sunday … what a GREAT day to invite people to church.

I will be writing to you on Thursday from beautiful Colorado Springs, Colorado, as I will be leading the National Day of Prayer emphasis for Focus on the Family and for Colorado Springs. Obviously, there will be other meetings Christians will have tomorrow in that city, but there will be a high emphasis on this one at Focus on the Family. Our time for meeting is between 10:30-12:00 noon MST. I appeal to you, please pray for me and for that meeting. I am very excited about the Word God has given to me to share.

There are many opportunities nationally for you to engage in this special day; therefore, it is time to seek the Lord for our nation. Please do all you can to insure your attendance at one of those gatherings. Your local newspapers may have some of those listed, as well as on various church websites like ours. For all of you in Northwest Arkansas, please engage in prayer for our nation. Both of our campuses will be open for prayer and solitude as well, so come and pray. We will assist you with guidance if needed.

So many things pull at our nation today from both ends. In my adult life, I have never witnessed more polarization in our country as there is today. It is not only happening politically, but in every segment of life. I believe one of the reasons this has occurred is that so many churches are divided and ripped from the inside out. This is tragic.

We have traded away God’s power for man’s cleverness, God’s anointing for man’s approval, and God’s Truth for man’s point of view. It is time this ceases in every church house. So many Christians get livid that we cannot pray in public schools and rightfully so; however, we need to become just as concerned when so many churches do not involve the element of prayer within their worship and ministries.

It is time to seek the Lord.
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Can you believe it? The month of May is now here! Where in the world have the first four months of 2007 gone? I am amazed at the pace of life. I remember when it seemed to be so slow. Now, rapid fire and fury day by day.

Let’s permit the month of May to be a month to pray:

• Pray for spiritual revival in our nation: You can participate somewhere in this nation in a National Day of Prayer meeting on this Thursday. It would be more impressive if we turned the church into a house of prayer and our lives into temples of prayer.
• Pray for the expansion of the gospel: People really do need God. They find Him and experience Him only through His Son, Jesus Christ. There is no other way. We must pray for the expansion of the gospel of Jesus throughout the world, beginning in our own communities.
• Pray for the provision of God: Yes, He can meet our needs. Right now, I am praying for God’s provision in a bountiful way in our church. Additionally, I am praying for God’s provision for our lives.
• Pray for God’s protection: His protection is necessary daily. On our hearts this month as a family is God’s protection upon Meredith, our daughter-in-law, and our grand-daughter who is only days away from entering this world. We pray for Meredith and for Reese Caroline, asking God to protect them in this critical month. Whatever you need in protection, ask God for it. He can do it.
• Pray for each other: I am not ashamed to ask you, “Please pray for me.” I need it drastically, especially now. I need His wisdom and knowledge. Last night, a couple called our home to share a specific dark situation they are encountering. We stopped all. Jeana and I held hands, while this brother and his wife held hands, and we prayed for them over the phone. God calls us to pray for one another.

PRAY IN MAY.