Wow! I have to start out with a blog today, thanking God, for giving us coverage in the Caller Times that we couldn’t pay for if we wanted to! God is so good to us, all I can do is thank Him. I know that as we grow, God will continue to use us if we stay humble and pray. Speaking of prayer, as I said in my messages this weekend, I want to give our new prayer partners some instructions. In case you go to this blog and are not a part of our church, you may have missed what we are up to….I challenged our entire church to pray, collectively, over 100,000 hours of prayer this year (one hour a week, with over 2,000 people participating). I have also publicly committed to praying 730 hours this year (2 hours a day). I say that not because I’m “so spiritual” but to say God laid this on my heart, probably because if you know me you know I need to pray. Here are some of our plans to become a praying church:

1. I will create a CD series of “how to pray,” that will be given to each of our 2,000 prayer partners.
2. We are constructing a prayer path around our 100 acres complete with signs for people to follow instruction on what to pray about, every 40 yards or so…This will give people the opportunity to come to the church, jog, walk, push a stroller, even skateboard around the facility and pray.
3. Every weekend, during one of the worship songs, we will invite our prayer partners to step into the aisle, and invite people in need of prayer to step out for prayer as everyone else stands and continues to sing.
4. Every staff member will now have a prayer team dedicated to lifting up their needs.
5. Our home teams will be focusing on prayer and our web and blog will spotlight each prayer need.
6. Our staff has been instructed to never have a meeting without prayer as an emphasis.
7. Our management staff has committed to meeting each morning and praying together during the work week, as well as journaling at least 5 times a week, as they go through a systematic reading of the entire Bible this year.

Those are just a few of the things we have in store. I am a numbers guy, so to me, I love to count (attendance, salvations, baptisms, etc…) This year, God put it on my heart to count 100,000 hours of prayer, and if none of the rest of our plans happen, but we were with God this much, then we succeeded. For God’s glory.

For Prayer Partners:

Thank you for your commitment to joining me in prayer. The power of prayer happens when we all focus, so here is what I am asking you to pray for during your first hour:

1. Take time to thank God for this new commitment to pray 1 hour (or more) a week.
2. Pray for the vision to happen (Fill the house, National TV ministry, 4 more campuses).
3. Pray for the resources needed, as we approach a commitment weekend, to give above and beyond our regular tithe, to see the vision become a reality.
4. Pray for me (Pastor Bil) as I am laying out the details of how to pull off our crazy sized vision.

By all means, add to your prayers whatever needs you have as well. God is a providing God and He will be glorified when we call on Him, and He answers.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6 NIV