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The word the Lord placed on my heart for 2023 was PRAYER. This year seems like more of the same with a little twist. The words “Intentional Outreach/Prevailing Prayer” have been ringing in my soul. Let me share a little with you about what that means.

Intentional Outreach

By intentional outreach I am not referring to a program or a ministry of the church. I am talking about our church family as individuals intentionally crossing barriers, whether real or imaginary, for the sake of the Lord. These barriers can be present in an existing relationship. For example, there are those with whom we interact regularly that we don’t have spiritual conversations with. This is a barrier that can be crossed, but we must intentionally purpose to have those conversations. Some barriers exist with those we don’t know or don’t know well. Expanding our network of relationships in the direction that the Spirit will lead us can be a scary thought, but it can also be an exciting new adventure. If we are going to be the light of the world, then we must shine bright enough for people to see. This requires relationship development, and in order to do that, we must be intentional.

Wayne Gretzky, the great hockey player, was quoted as saying, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” He first heard that quote from a coach of his who was frustrated over his lack of scoring in an important game.

We can take from this bit of wisdom and apply it to expanding our connections with people. There are “shots” that we can take to break down barriers with others. In hockey, some shots are not taken because the chance of succeeding is zero. However, some players, like Gretzky when he was younger, wait for the perfect shot, and the perfect shot rarely shows itself. Crossing barriers can look as simply as complimenting a person or giving a smile or doing an act of kindness. The important part is being intentional.

Prevailing Prayer

Prevailing prayer builds on the work the Lord began last year. Prevailing refers to being diligent in our prayers. We must see success in prayer not so much by determining that we receive what we ask for, but by consistently growing in the habits of prayer. We must prevail against our own sinful nature and against the devil. These do not want us to pray. These are the enemies we fight against. Let us seek renewal in our efforts in prayer. Prayer does take work, and we must work at it. Thank the Lord, he gives us supernatural strength to prevail in prayer!