That’s the title for chapter one in Carson’s book A Call to Spiritual Reformation, our text for the 9:30 equipping hour during the first quarter of 2010.
Apart from my bleeding mouth (so sorry about that for those who saw it – near as we can figure I bit myself in an area numbed by my cancer surgery – I had no idea it happened until Nancy pointed it out to me), we got off to a smashing start in our study on prayer.
At the end of the class on Sunday I challenged us to four action steps for the quarter:
- Read the book.
- Attend the class.
- Enlist a prayer partner.
- Pray through the church directory.
As I made my way yet another time through chapter one in preparation for this week’s study, I was struck by something when I came to the third lesson Carson lists: At various points in your life, develop, if possible, a prayer-partner relationship (p. 22). He talks about several variations on that theme including meeting with a handful of people weekly, perhaps in the early morning, for an hour or more of intercessory prayer.
God has given me just such a group in our staff, interns, and others on Mondays from 6:30-7:30 AM.
The participants change from time to time. This picture was taken on our last day with several of the guys who recently took positions elsewhere around the country. But we continue to meet and it remains a highlight of my week to join with these men in pouring out our hearts to God. We never fail to pray for Monday’s group of folks in the directory!
My hope for what we do in those prayer meetings is well summed up by Dr. Carson on p. 25:
Such clusters of prayer partners have been used by God again and again to spearhead powerful ministry and extravagant blessing. They may continue unnoticed for years, except in the courts of heaven. Some little groups grow and become large prayer meetings; others multiply and divide, maintaining the same principles. But whatever the precise pattern, there is a great deal to be said for developing godly prayer-partnership relationships.
How about you? With whom do you have a prayer-partner relationship? I for one am so grateful for the men God has given me on Monday mornings!
curtheffelfinger.com 
Yes, I thought I saw you looked a little vampiric in the mouth on Sunday morning, but I was sitting in the back, so I wasn’t sure.
… and I knew Gjertse would dig that.
Meaning “Gjertsen”, of course.
What you guys think of! Sorry, Jeff, didn’t mean to end with a preposition.