I was reminded last week of the importance of prayer. Not just personal prayer that is a regular part of our daily spiritual disciplines, but a fervent, congregation-wide or region-wide movement of prayer. In a meeting last week about the Great Barrington, MA church plant, I was asked if I had initiated a Converge Northeast – wide prayer effort.

Where are the next generation of pastors, leaders and missionaries coming from? What is your role in raising up the next generation of leader?

What do we do with the delays of life? The moment when we ask God to move, and it doesn’t seem like He’s doing anything or at the very least, He is moving at a very slow pace. The moments when we ask for healing that doesn’t come, for restoration that doesn’t happen, for the mending of a broken heart that seems to break more.

Many of us are familiar with the story of Jonah. God calls Jonah to go to Nineveh, but he proceeds to go the opposite direction, essentially trying to flee from God. He ends up on a ship in the middle of a storm, gets tossed overboard and is swallowed by a big fish. Jonah calls out to God in his distress, God hears and causes the fish to eject Jonah on dry land.

Christian friendships are valuable. What does that look like in your life?