Overwhelmed.

Haiti.  Chile.  Potential tsunami in Hawaii.

Broken relationships, unfulfilled dreams, lost hope, death, sickness, depression, lost jobs, and unrepentant hearts.

Opportunity!

Haiti.  Chile.  No tsunami.

Repentance, new hopes, eternity, God’s provision.

These are the themes I have heard the last few days, even weeks.  Whether the circumstance from our perspective is positive, negative or neither, we are called to pray.  Therefore, I will.  How about you?

I am feeling overwhelmed, but hopeful.  I will pray, will you?  Specifically we’d appreciate your prayers for the teams heading out on YMV’s this summer.  While the spiritual preparation is being taught and lived out in the teens right now, will you pray for the places they are headed.  Over the next 5-6 weeks we will be solidifying the relationships with churches in rural and urban settings to be the temporary harvest field for these teams going on our trips.

I am excited yet apprehensive.  I will pray, will you?  Specifically I’d appreciate your prayers for a few messages I am honored to give in the next week.  Tonight I get to speak at Young Life.  This weekend I am speaking at a Men’s Retreat for Highline Christian Church.  I am very excited to speak God’s Word, the apprehension only comes from the time I want to put into the talks vs. the time available this week to finish the prep.

I am convinced prayer works, but don’t know how. I will pray, will you?  Each year I am literally floored (in praise) by God’s specific answered prayer as I read the blogs from our teams.  It works then, how about now?  My specific requests:

• I would like each mission team to have a mission location by the end of this month.  Please pray.
• I am praying that each Youth Pastor is able to testify to the change taking place in their students in their own Jerusalem, and not just on the trip!
• I am praying that Youth Pastors get their blogs rolling so we can know the specific things to pray about for them.  Check out Youthmark.com and click on missions (or just click here).  We have a new format for the blog, color coded dots indicate how recent a teams last post was.  As you’ll see, not a lot of YP’s have started, pray that many get those started this month!
• I am praying for the six retreats Youthmark has in April and May to train the (600+) students/staff for missionship (mission lived out anytime/anywhere).  Will you join me in this praise and prayer?

Don’t hesitate to list a specific prayer you may have in the comments.

Though you and I may feel overwhelmed from time to time.  He is not.  May we trust him and become overwhelmed with/by His presence!

Grace,

Brian