I have really enjoyed my visits to the different small groups on Wednesday nights this year. It is the “year of the small group” and I have relished the privilege of meeting with four out of our six groups already. I played Bump and answered personal questions with the JH guys, I hung out with Sarr’s HS guys as they helped to fix the lights in my office, and I went out to the Olive Garden with the Higgins-Bradford-Trevett HS girls. I have been encouraged and benefitted by my time with each of those groups.
But this past Wednesday night something unexpected happened. I don’t know that it was surprising because I didn’t believe it could happen, but it was surprising because I didn’t plan on it happening. The schedule had me visiting with the Bone-Palmer HS guys out at the McAullife’s. We started the evening off with a little bit of guy-banter and added a little bit of sugar consumption before moving into a discussion on the topic for the night: prayer. There was some honest sharing about our individual prayer lives. Then we had some go-round on boldness in our praying - be it a good or bad thing. But I could not anticipate what was about to happen next.
As I recall is was probably around 8:15 when the decision was made to finish our discussion, spend some time praying, and then finish off the night by devouring the remaining sugared delights and hanging out with one another. But around 9:05 there was a hinting knock on the front door suggesting our time was up. But the thing was … we were still praying! Mr. Bone had to wrap us up with a brief prayer because it was already time to go.
Ten of the eleven students had prayed, and not just for their grandma’s cat or their cousin’s printer or even for good grades and physical health. They prayed for our nation, for our church, for the ministry, for their own spiritual growth, and for the spiritual growth of each another. Because we prayed for so long we had to scarf down a few cookies and put some candy in our pockets for later because our time was taken up before God in prayer.
That was an unexpected encouragement to me. It has been a cause of great joy to me since Wednesday night. I have been reinvigorated and refreshed in my own praying because of it. I have struggled to express my great thanks to God for His work in the lives of these guys.
I know that this love for God is something that is increasing across the entire ministry and throughout the whole Body. God is, He really is, blessing the collective effort to depend on Him in our doing and center on Him in our thinking and magnify Him in our speaking. Thank God for prayer and for the increasing number of pray-ers in our midst. And thank God for unexpected encouragements.
Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you excel still more. 1 Thessalonians 4:1
