As we enter the summer, I find myself in a interesting place. Both my church and vocational ministry have a heightened focus on prayer, which is encouraging.
At Jesus Film® leaders and others are reading “Lead with Prayer,” by Skoog, Greer and Doolittle (2024). It looks at leaders; their prayer lives and application ‘to live it out’ in whatever context we find ourselves. The Men’s ministry at my church is looking at prayer through a study of Andrew Murray’s, book, “With Christ in the School of prayer.” It also has an emphasis on application.
Although prayer has played an important role in my life, going back to my undergraduate years at Colorado State where I was first was involved with Cru®. I also was in a good, praying church in Ft. Collins during those days.. Five decades later, it feels like I’m coming full circle. I having recently come off a month-long illness, I am late in my career and know I need to start thinking about succession planning. So, it’s interesting that God is bring me back to a focus on prayer for the summer of 2026.
I am fully recovered health-wise and back to normal activities including exercise. And I am not planning to retire soon. But I am looking forward to seeing how God might speak to me in the coming weeks. I know I still have much to learn about prayer..
As a partner ministry with me, I wanted to invite you to be praying not only for my role with Jesus Film Project® but also for the summer’s prayer focus. I invite you to consider a similar focus, to have prayer a heightened emphasis this summer. “Wasting time with God,” not only grows our relationship with Him, but brings deeper “joy” and power to supernaturally “live out” the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Thank you.
Why I am still excited about working every day, and not quite ready to retire, it is because of the many life-impact stories I hear that come in from across the globe. Reports of how God is working in the lives of men women and children. Here is one example from Burkina Faso in West Africa.
“I came to watch the “JESUS” film out of curiosity, but when I saw Jesus carrying the cross, despite His pain, I understood that this was not a simple story. When the nails pierced his hands, I felt in my heart that it was because of my sins. I cried silently in my seat. That evening, I began to understand that Jesus loves me personally. I gave my life to Him, and I am no longer the same.”
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