(I originally titled this post, “Where Have I Been? (part 1)”) 

It seems like forever since I’ve written with any consistency in my schedule.  My schedule is still busy, so I probably won’t finish this update, thus the “part 1” in the post title.

I was so blessed, encouraged, and challenged by the 30 Hours of Prayer God led through me at the Deer Run Church of Christ leading up to the midnight strike of the clock welcoming in 2008.  Going into this, I had no idea of what God might do with this time of prayer.  I was very anxious to see how many people God would call into participating and how “full” the schedule would become.  This was a new approach for the church and I wasn’t sure how receptive people would be to coming out at all hours of the day and night to pray.  To add to my worry, heavy snow was being forecast to begin sometime during the day on New Year’s Eve.  How would people respond to never having done anything like this and then be faced with potentially extreme weather conditions?

The 30 Hours of Prayer actually began for me with the opportunity to preach during the morning service at Deer Run.  It scares me to death most times, but I love to preach!  I’ll plan to write more about that message later.  By the time the church service was over that morning, the list of 1 hour time slots had nearly filled for the entire time between 6 PM on Sunday, December 30 and midnight on Monday, December 31.  Sunday afternoon was then spent setting up a prayer room at the church so people would have a more intimate setting to spend with God during their hour of prayer.  As I set up the room, I was in constant communication with God — examining my attitudes and mindset, knowing that I would be there at the building greeting, welcoming, and helping people for the next 30+ hours.  My mind began to doubt.  I love sleep, how would I manage to do what God had called me to do over the next 30 hour+ block of time?

And then it began!  6 o’clock came and with it the first person for their hour of prayer.  After some very brief instructions and guidance, I left them in the room to spend their hour with God on behalf of Deer Run.  7 o’clock came and a couple ladies came to pray together.  It was then that God said, “I’ve got this taken care of!”  The first participant wasn’t done . . . wasn’t ready to leave his communication with God on behalf of his church and the people in it.  As he came out after two hours, he wanted to see the list and find out if there were any times still un-taken.  Sure enough, I had a couple of hours that were open, so he signed up to come back for another of the hour time periods.  He did come back the next day and again spent two hours instead of the expected one!

All through the night, the next day, and into the next night people came and were reluctant to leave.  They had longed for something like this but didn’t know what “this” was.  As Monday progressed, the snow began to move in.  I would periodically check the weather radar and many times our location was completely surrounded by heavy snowfall and we were getting none.  Finally around 8 PM on Monday evening, the snow did begin.  It was a beautiful, fluffy snow that added a look of cleanness and purity to the surroundings.  As it fell, it added up quickly and I began to wonder if people would continue to come out and finish our 30 hours.  Without fail, they kept their appointments and as the time for our hour long group concert of prayer came — 11 PM to midnight — people began to show up and laugh about the craziness of being out in such a snow storm.  As we gathered and reflected on what God had been doing over the previous 30 hours, it began to thunder.  I’ve experienced a couple of “thunder snows” in my life, but this one was incredible.  It was as if God was saying, “Amen, and Amen!”  We broke into small groups and prayed for each person that was there.  As we finished, the clock said 12:04 AM and we welcomed in 2008 with a closing prayer circle and singing “The Doxology”.  We left the building praising God for all He had done and wondering how we were going to get home in the foot of fresh snow!

So much for “part 1”, my schedule calls me away from the computer.  Hopefully, I’ll be back and add more before too many days pass. 

God is an incredible God and He works in mighty ways through people who are fully surrendered to Him!