I love prayer meeting for a number of reasons.  One of them is that I see God’s glory in ways I would not if I were simply at home.  I see God’s glory in my sister Linda Gepenaga.  She was blind for some weeks and is slowly recovering her sight (really slowly).  She has had a number of treatments and surgeries to her eye with more to come.  Yet she comes every Wednesday, she says, to pray for the church as a congregation and to be blessed in coming (actually her husband said the latter part).  I told her that she was a blessing to me in being there and rejoicing in God while she could barely see.  What a blessing, encouragement, and rebuke!

Where I was most impacted by God’s glory tonight was in her short statement: “I praise God for a good night of sleep.”  She went on to talk about how hard it has been for her to sleep well in the past few weeks (months?).  She was thankful she’s been able to sleep well the past week or so.  I thought to myself, “God gives me good sleep every night at this stage and season in my life.”  I sleep well for now.  Really well.  I’ve come to expect it and complain quickly when it takes me more than 6 minutes to fall asleep.  How ungrateful I am!  More importantly, how kind and gracious of God to give me almost 27 and a half years of nights sleeping really well!  He is so kind!  I pray I don’t forget it when I’m called to suffer sleepless nights for a year or three when my health deteriorates.  God, almost everyday gives me the gift of a good, refreshing, night of sleep.  I sat in prayer meeting and saw God’s kindness and thanked him not only for the sleep, but for letting me be at prayer meeting to hear my sister in Christ Linda say her blessing with joy and gladness in the kindness of God.  God is kind to give me sleep and to show me his glory in the words and lives of those I am partnered with for the gospel in my local church. 

1.       Pray for the students to know what endurance is required to run the Christian life well all the way to the end so that they have a lifetime of faithful and fruitful ministry (whether that lifetime ends in 50 days or 50 years).

2.       Pray for Eric Tibayan and Julian Leong who are the director and assistant director respectively.  Pray for wisdom for them in leading us through the camp.  Pray for humility and teachability for the two as well.  Pray that they would lead effectively and in a way that honors Christ.

3.       Pray for the speakers Christ Brown (3 sessions) and Andrew Callaway (2 sessions).  Pray that they speak in the power of God the Word of God that we would be transformed more and more into the image of God.  Pray for their last minute preparations and for sensitivity to God and holiness.

4.       Pray for the small group leaders: PJ, Yek, Ian, Louie, Caleb, Frances, Geneyem, Crystal, and Jennifer.  Pray that the discussions are fruitful and helpful for applying the gospel to their lives.

5.       Pray that those who are not believers in Christ will become believers in Christ this weekend.

6.       Pray for some to commit to full-time vocational ministry and for all to commit to full-time ministry no matter what “secular” vocation God calls them to.

7.       Pray that new friendships are formed and that old ones are strengthened with Christ in the center.  Pray that the friendships do not look inward but outward as a way to strengthen others who are not part of the friendship (opposite of forming cliques). 

8.       Pray that all of the campers commit to serving God in the context of a local church.

9.       Pray for safety on the road to and from the camp site.

10.   Pray for lasting fruit and application of the messages.

11.   Pray for a life focus that keeps Christ and the Heaven as valuable and worthy of living for, rather than friends, cars, food, fun, and 5,000 other distractions Satan throws at them at this crucial point in their lives.