Forty Days
This blog is really is a collection of random thoughts based on what God has been doing in my heart in recent months.
In April I went on a spiritual tour of the Capitol with David Barton and it rekindled my love of history. History was my favorite class in Junior High and I thought I'd possibly teach history someday. I guess I'm teaching history from the pulpit instead of a classroom.
In 1986, Peter Marshall (the son of the former Senate Chaplain and Pastor of New York Avenue Prebyterian Church in DC) visited the church I attended in Naperville, Illinois. I remember being inspired by his message on America and getting a signed copy of his book The Light and the Glory. It tells amazing stories about God's hand in our history as a nation. All of them documented by impeccable research and scholarship.
Over the past few months I've been a pilgrimage to rediscover the spiritual history of DC. I've researched the history of the city by reading books on the topic. I've been reading different passages of Scripture trying to discern how national revivals have taken place historically and biblically. And I've been interceeding for the city with a greater level of intensity. I feel like I'm still in the early stage of trying to figure out what to believe God for--praying that I know how to pray! I want to see this city the way God sees it. I want his heartbeat for Washington. I want to discover the strongholds and opportunities that exist. I want to understand the soil. I want the mind of Christ so that I know where we fit in God's plan for this city.
I feel like I'm making inroads, but I have a long way to go. This blog is an attempt to "leave a trail"--breadcrumbs along the way. I've come a long way. I have a long way to go.
Convictions
I have several convictions that grow deeper and deeper the more I research and pray.
I think the intensity of our intecessions will only equal our compassion for the lost. We've got to get II Peter 3:9 from our minds into our hearts. He is "not willing that any should perish." People go to hell against God's will. By virtue of what Jesus did on the cross, the only way people can go to hell is over His dead body!
In the words of Ed Silvoso, "We need a bapstim of compassion for the lost." I think every church faces the danger of becoming internally focused. Ed Silvoso says, "When the Church does what it is supposed to do--to the take the gospel to everyone--the Lord takes care of all of its needs." We need to aggresively go after the lost in innovative and creative ways. God did not position in the middle of the marketplace to "hold the fort." We are called to the frontlines! I'm concerned that our focus may have shifted in recent months. We need to get back on the evangelistic edge. We have to continue to find creative ways of helping people come to church and come to Christ. Altar calls and sinner's prayers have been powerfully used of God. But they are old wineskins. We need some new wineskins--ways to help people "cross the line" and commit their lives to Christ.
I have dreams that still seem like undeveloped polaroids, but someday I've like to invite the entire city to church. I'm not sure how that takes shape, but I'd like our reach to encompass the entire city! I'm not sure if it'll be word of mouth or word of mouse, but we need to use the technology and creativity at our disposal to "go into the highways and byways" and "compel them to come in." I think prayer is what prepares the soil. I still remember one of our first direct mailings. Even more meaningful than the mailers was the fact that we touched and prayed for every single person we sent a mailer to. A direct mailing turned into a strategic way of praying for everybody on a carrier route!
Ideas
I've felt led for some time know to do 40 Days of Prayer and Fasting. I've just struggled with how to do it. Here are some ideas:
I love prayer walks because they are a way of establishing a "spiritual perimeter" around the city. I still remember doing a prayer walk around Capitol Hill in 1996--asking God to give us the Hill. It took several hours and I had blisters on my feet by the time I was done, but I feel like it was a one small step/one giant leap for NCC. We staked claim to the territory. I've always loved the promise in Joshua 1:3, "I will give you everyplace you set your foot." I believe the blessing of God can be traced back to prayer walks where we establish a "spiritual perimeter" around the places God was giving us--201 F Street, NE (future site of our coffeehouse on Capitol Hill) and Union Station and Ballston (our two locations on Sunday mornings).
Along with "prayer walks" I like the idea of "prayer pilgrimages." We did a prayer pilgrimage when we launched our Ballston location. We started at our first location--Giddings School (now Results Gym) in SE DC. We retraced our steps and ended up at Ballston. In the same sense, DC is a great place to do prayer pilgrimages. The monuments serve as markers or milestones.
I love redeeming places that are used for other purposes and using them to serve God's purposes. We currently do a monthly event at the largest nightclub in Washington, DC. Lots of ungodly things happen in the space, but when we pray it is filled with the presence of God. It turns into a "sacred space." One idea is to pray at strategic places around the city. I often pray more effectively when I pray "on location." It's one thing to pray for our President or Congress. It's another to pray "on location" at the Whitehouse or Capitol. I'd love to see prayer cells meeting at strategic locations all over the city for the next forty days. I Timothy 2:8 literally says, "I want men to pray in every place!" I'd love to see NCCers praying at strategic locations all over the city!
I don't like legislating the time or place of prayer because it takes away the sense of ownership. And I believe that the Lord can lead each of us individually. But I think there is wisdom is a "weekly appointment" with God with a "set agenda." It often helps to make it a day of fasting.
I think another idea is to use symbols to help us pray. They can also serve as prayer reminders. I think a map of DC or a picture of DC can help us be more intentional and more consistent in praying for the city.
I think another way to personalize prayer is to have "prayer targets." Pray for the people in your network of influence. Maybe it means carrying a picture of that person. Or maybe it is praying for a city block or a congressional office or a circle of friends. The bottom line is this: every person who comes to Christ is the answer to someone's prayer.
Finally, I feel called to pray for other churches. That may be as simple as praying through the yellow pages. Or maybe it means praying for every church you pass. There is one Church in Washington--with lots of different expressions. There is one Kingdom. The individual congregations play different roles, but we're all on the same team!
In April I went on a spiritual tour of the Capitol with David Barton and it rekindled my love of history. History was my favorite class in Junior High and I thought I'd possibly teach history someday. I guess I'm teaching history from the pulpit instead of a classroom.
In 1986, Peter Marshall (the son of the former Senate Chaplain and Pastor of New York Avenue Prebyterian Church in DC) visited the church I attended in Naperville, Illinois. I remember being inspired by his message on America and getting a signed copy of his book The Light and the Glory. It tells amazing stories about God's hand in our history as a nation. All of them documented by impeccable research and scholarship.
Over the past few months I've been a pilgrimage to rediscover the spiritual history of DC. I've researched the history of the city by reading books on the topic. I've been reading different passages of Scripture trying to discern how national revivals have taken place historically and biblically. And I've been interceeding for the city with a greater level of intensity. I feel like I'm still in the early stage of trying to figure out what to believe God for--praying that I know how to pray! I want to see this city the way God sees it. I want his heartbeat for Washington. I want to discover the strongholds and opportunities that exist. I want to understand the soil. I want the mind of Christ so that I know where we fit in God's plan for this city.
I feel like I'm making inroads, but I have a long way to go. This blog is an attempt to "leave a trail"--breadcrumbs along the way. I've come a long way. I have a long way to go.
Convictions
I have several convictions that grow deeper and deeper the more I research and pray.
I think the intensity of our intecessions will only equal our compassion for the lost. We've got to get II Peter 3:9 from our minds into our hearts. He is "not willing that any should perish." People go to hell against God's will. By virtue of what Jesus did on the cross, the only way people can go to hell is over His dead body!
In the words of Ed Silvoso, "We need a bapstim of compassion for the lost." I think every church faces the danger of becoming internally focused. Ed Silvoso says, "When the Church does what it is supposed to do--to the take the gospel to everyone--the Lord takes care of all of its needs." We need to aggresively go after the lost in innovative and creative ways. God did not position in the middle of the marketplace to "hold the fort." We are called to the frontlines! I'm concerned that our focus may have shifted in recent months. We need to get back on the evangelistic edge. We have to continue to find creative ways of helping people come to church and come to Christ. Altar calls and sinner's prayers have been powerfully used of God. But they are old wineskins. We need some new wineskins--ways to help people "cross the line" and commit their lives to Christ.
I have dreams that still seem like undeveloped polaroids, but someday I've like to invite the entire city to church. I'm not sure how that takes shape, but I'd like our reach to encompass the entire city! I'm not sure if it'll be word of mouth or word of mouse, but we need to use the technology and creativity at our disposal to "go into the highways and byways" and "compel them to come in." I think prayer is what prepares the soil. I still remember one of our first direct mailings. Even more meaningful than the mailers was the fact that we touched and prayed for every single person we sent a mailer to. A direct mailing turned into a strategic way of praying for everybody on a carrier route!
Ideas
I've felt led for some time know to do 40 Days of Prayer and Fasting. I've just struggled with how to do it. Here are some ideas:
I love prayer walks because they are a way of establishing a "spiritual perimeter" around the city. I still remember doing a prayer walk around Capitol Hill in 1996--asking God to give us the Hill. It took several hours and I had blisters on my feet by the time I was done, but I feel like it was a one small step/one giant leap for NCC. We staked claim to the territory. I've always loved the promise in Joshua 1:3, "I will give you everyplace you set your foot." I believe the blessing of God can be traced back to prayer walks where we establish a "spiritual perimeter" around the places God was giving us--201 F Street, NE (future site of our coffeehouse on Capitol Hill) and Union Station and Ballston (our two locations on Sunday mornings).
Along with "prayer walks" I like the idea of "prayer pilgrimages." We did a prayer pilgrimage when we launched our Ballston location. We started at our first location--Giddings School (now Results Gym) in SE DC. We retraced our steps and ended up at Ballston. In the same sense, DC is a great place to do prayer pilgrimages. The monuments serve as markers or milestones.
I love redeeming places that are used for other purposes and using them to serve God's purposes. We currently do a monthly event at the largest nightclub in Washington, DC. Lots of ungodly things happen in the space, but when we pray it is filled with the presence of God. It turns into a "sacred space." One idea is to pray at strategic places around the city. I often pray more effectively when I pray "on location." It's one thing to pray for our President or Congress. It's another to pray "on location" at the Whitehouse or Capitol. I'd love to see prayer cells meeting at strategic locations all over the city for the next forty days. I Timothy 2:8 literally says, "I want men to pray in every place!" I'd love to see NCCers praying at strategic locations all over the city!
I don't like legislating the time or place of prayer because it takes away the sense of ownership. And I believe that the Lord can lead each of us individually. But I think there is wisdom is a "weekly appointment" with God with a "set agenda." It often helps to make it a day of fasting.
I think another idea is to use symbols to help us pray. They can also serve as prayer reminders. I think a map of DC or a picture of DC can help us be more intentional and more consistent in praying for the city.
I think another way to personalize prayer is to have "prayer targets." Pray for the people in your network of influence. Maybe it means carrying a picture of that person. Or maybe it is praying for a city block or a congressional office or a circle of friends. The bottom line is this: every person who comes to Christ is the answer to someone's prayer.
Finally, I feel called to pray for other churches. That may be as simple as praying through the yellow pages. Or maybe it means praying for every church you pass. There is one Church in Washington--with lots of different expressions. There is one Kingdom. The individual congregations play different roles, but we're all on the same team!
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