I'm reading this book called Practitioners about the church in today's culture.  See, Jay, the campus minister at my church has a subscription to Relevant magazine.  They did a promotion recently and sent out a bunch of extra mags and books.  I picked this one up because the forward was by Erwin McManus, the barbarian that helped take over the Bronx with us this summer.

I'm on this chapter about prayer.  The Moravian church way back in the day did an entire year of 24-7 prayer.  It really shook up Western Europe and launched a lot of missions.  Why aren't we doing this?

One of the essayists wrote that his church attempted it because prayer was--as it is for so many of us--the thing that they were bad at.  Relationships were good, hospitality was good, zeal for Christ was good, but the prayer thing just wasn't there.  They created a space for prayer.  It was hard at first he said, but they ended up praying for months on end.  They did so by creating a space for prayer.  Why aren't we doing this?

My campus ministry (although I'm more alumni now than anything, and rather a prodigal member because I have not been able to attend for a while due to my school schedule and my illness and my grandmother's illness) has created a beautiful prayer room.  But we're not using it.  Why aren't we using it?

Here's the thing: every story I've heard about God taking a place by storm is prefaced by the Christians in that area praying--fervently, explosively, constantly.  This is not like a week-long thing, like Passion.  This is coming back from Passion and making time every day to fuel mission's flame.  We as Christians, in my neck of the woods anyway, just don't worship individually.  We're really good at the collective thing.  But we stink at the one-on-one communication with God thing. 

My small group Bible study delved into the subjects of prayer, fasting, and meditation last fall (and I began reading Hunger for God by John Piper, which I still haven't finished because I have to read every word at least three times to understand what he's saying).  We started experimenting.  Only a few of the girls really went through with it, but those that did really got something out of it.  Prayer is the hardest thing for me, because I don't know what to say.  Go figure: me, speechless...

Look at scripture: James said that the "effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much"--which means that if you are seeking God and are His redeemed, you have the ability to pray and have a huge effect.  You must mean what you say--have a passion.  But that's not hard, is it?  We all have a passion for something.

"If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray"--HUMBLE OURSELVES and ask for HELP--He will come and HEAL us.  I think we need healing for this generation.  I don't know about y'all, but I have had a lot of pain in my life.  I know a lot of people who have had a lot more.  Ask one of my students who has been sexually, mentally, emotionally, physically, and in all other ways abused.  She needs healing.  So do I.  So does everyone.  Life sucks.  We need to recover.

Paul urges us in Ephesians to pray at all times in the Spirit and to pay attention to what is going on around us and pray for our fellow believers--that's intercession, by the way, not "Lord, gimme..."--and again in II Thes. to "Pray without ceasing."

Why aren't we doing this?

I have an hour commute both ways every day.  I'm on the road from approximately 6am to 7am.  I'm going to start setting aside at least 15 minutes from loudly and obnoxiously listening to my amazing car stereo (it really is amazing, folks.  Graduation gift--and it pumps!) and PRAY.  I'm asking for someone to read this blog and hold me accountable.  Message me.  Ask me if I'm holding to it.  Anybody with me?  We have this great random network of believers--granted, not all phusers believe in Christ, but many do, and Lord-willing, many more will if his people will humbly pray.

Anybody with me?