The
month of May 2017 has been full of activity. For new readers of this blog, I
attempt to analyze events from a Biblical Worldview. I had the privilege and
honor to speak and teach on the subject of strategic and tactical prayer at the
2017 Colorado Christian Writers Conference. The conference Director, Marlene
Bagnull, Litt.D., believes, “God is raising up an army of Christians to ‘Write
His Answer’ to the critical needs facing our nation and the world.” I
believe this is true. Therefore, I was grateful for the opportunity to share
what I believe the LORD has taught me about getting this army ready for battle
using laser-focused prayer. As I’ve written in earlier posts (#6, and #7), the Christian prayer
warrior must preserver through hardships and be prepared to confront the enemy,
including counterattacks, because the number one goal of our enemy is to
convince us to give up. And he will use every lie imaginable to drive us to
quit, even create personal frustration with the unpredictable Colorado weather.
May 8, After the
Storm
|
May 9, Damage Assessment
|
May 9, Punched
Through
|
On
May 8th, we were hit with an intense hail storm. CCWC opened on
I
was scheduled to speak the evening of the 18th. With the snow
falling heavily, it took me over an hour to dig the snow away from my truck so
I could drive up the YMCA camp where the conference was held. I stopped by the
campground office to ask if I could fill my propane tank. They said they could not get to their fill
station and didn’t know when they’d be able to reach it. The short drive from
the campground to the YMCA was treacherous. When I reported to Marlene, she
took one look at my soaked condition and asked about Mary. I told her Mary went
home. Then, Marlene asked if I was still in my trailer. I said yes. She
immediately picked up the phone, said she was booking me a room at the YMCA, to
go get what I needed, and move to the YMCA before the road closed. For those
who know Marlene, she is a woman one doesn’t say no to easily.
The
snow kept falling and by the time I had my truck packed, the snow had reached a
depth of two feet. I got stuck trying to get out of the campground.
Fortunately, I shifted into four-wheel drive mode and was able to pull through
and back to the YMCA. Exhausted, I checked into my room at 4:20 PM.
I
said all of the above to say this, the main point I wanted to make in my
presentation on strategic and tactical prayer was the follower of Jesus in the
Army of God must pray with perseverance. The term occurs 22 times in the New
American Standard Bible (NASB) version. Each time it is used to encourage believers
to press on in their faith, to never give up. I was literally slogging through
the message God had given me to deliver, which I did.
At
the close of my presentation, Marlene asked that everyone in attendance put
into practice what I addressed. We opened the auditorium of approximately three
hundred conferees and faculty to prayer. And then, the powerful presence of
Almighty God took over and He brought forth a clear command that set the tone
for the rest of the conference. His concern for the next generation became
evident through the voiced prayers raised from 8:30 to 10:15 that evening.
While
listening to the prayers for our children, nation, and requests for another,
“Great Awakening,” I had an impression. I’ve learned over forty-six years of
discipleship to pay attention to these whispers. I heard, “I’m going to give
you a Gideon moment. Watch.” For those of you unfamiliar with the story of
Gideon, I suggest reading the Bible book of Judges, Chapters 6 and 7. Around 9
PM, people began to leave the auditorium. As I have said in earlier posts (#6 and #7), and in my presentation not every follower
of Jesus is called to serve in His army and not everyone in His army is granted
the privilege to engage in the battle. Near 9:15 PM, a core of twenty people
remained. We gathered in a smaller group and prayed for another hour. During
this last hour, He solidified his concern for the next generation and I
committed myself to write in obedience to His command.
May 18, Outside My Room
|
May
|
May 19, Sunshine
|
The
next day, the snow tapered and stopped. Once again, God unveiled His
unmatchable, majestic artistry. This was my twelfth ColoradoChristian Writers Conference.
I have learned much over the years and I’ll say it again, Marlene Bagnull
offers a unique experience in her conferences. The growth as a writer I’ve
experienced I believe has come from the relationships God has established with
others I’ve met in this environment. The Bible says that Christians are a
peculiar people and it is my opinion, Christian writers are even more peculiar.
Christians are to live our faith in His salvation. The atmosphere Marlene
fosters grants Christian writers the opportunity to come along side each other
and practice our faith in Him and encourage one another to, “Write His
Answer,” to the critical needs facing our nation, world, and the next
generation.
May 20, After CCWC
|
May 20, Digging Out
|
May 20, Digging Out
|
As
I drove home, I prayed, “Okay Father, I got Your message. I haven’t written a
children’s story in over twenty-five years. I suppose I could dust off some of
the old stuff and see if we can resurrect those. But I honestly don’t know what
to do. So Father, my eyes are on You. I trust You will show me what’s the next
step.”
After
I got home, I received two e-mails. One was from a conferee who sensed God’s call
to join His army and write for the next generation. He sent me a synopsis of a
fantasy that would appeal to middle school age children, who by reading the
story would learn the Gospel of Jesus. Then, he asked for my help to develop
the story. The second e-mail was from my son. He had written a short story for
elementary school age children. It is cute with a soft biblical message. He
specifically asked for my help. As one who takes Jesus’ command to make
disciples of all nations seriously, I believe The Commander of the Hosts has
made His orders crystal clear. What an honor it is to serve these men as they
write for the next generation. I think it is time to pray strategically and
tactically for them and their work.
