Indianapolis

I am currently in Indianapolis for the NCEA (National Catholic Educational Association) convention. This is the 105th annual event and there are 7000 people here who have assembled representing schools from across the globe. While the National Day of Prayer Task Force does not endorse any particular religion or association, we are delighted to share about Drive Thru History America and the need to teach the truth about America's founding to our students. This truth has been diluted and even lost over the years since we abolished the New England Primer and the teachings of God and even prayer from the school system in 1962. Many of our founders were men and women of faith. They were driven - not for exploration - but for freedom to worship and to establish a nation of people who honored God. The Mayflower compact specifically states that their intent was advancement of the Christian faith. The National Day of Prayer has a mission to preserve America's godly heritage. You cannot understand why we as a nation have a "National Day" of prayer if you do not know the original intent of our fore fathers. If you can change the past, you have power over the future. Revisionism is wiping out our identity as a people. We are passionate about making sure the truth is told. We worked for 4 years on the Drive Thru curriculum with David Barton and Dr. Nita Thomason. This is our first opportunity to unveil it to the Catholic School System in hopes that they will adopt this material and implement it in their programs. Please be in prayer that our mission is successful. We will be returning to Colorado Springs next week. While in Indianapolis we intend to greet some of the members of the National Prayer Committee and Prayer Harvest Ministries. That will be a wonderful time of prayer and refreshment. In addition, we will be meeting with the state coordinator to share in his excitement over what God is doing throughout Indiana. We thank you in advance for all your prayers while we are on this trip.

It is Awesome!

There are only a few weeks until the National Day of Prayer. It would take several pages for me to tell you about all the doors God is opening to unite the body of Christ on May 1 in prayer. It is truly awesome to see. Ministries of all sizes are stepping forward to ask, "how can we help"? We have over 1300 radio stations carrying 70 unique messages to encourage participation. A business man contacted me yesterday and asked for billboard artwork. He is placing a billboard ad in every city across America. Coach Tony Dungy filmed two commercials for us that will be airing on television programs throughout the day. Millions of emails and direct mail pieces are being distributed internationally. The NDP NASCAR #78 will be racing again in April at Talladega. It will be completely covered with the NDP flag logo. Last year, it was the teams best race. Millions watched the car lead the race on several laps. It was very exciting. With all our partners stepping forward to assist our volunteer network in driving awareness for the National Day of Prayer, we are seeing tremendous growth in all areas. Answered prayers and testimonies are coming in faster than we can keep up. You can't imagine the joy we feel every day as the phones are ringing off the hook with passionate people on the other end talking about their prayer events. For those on the front line, it can feel lonely at times, but I am here to tell you that you are not alone. Millions will be praying together on May 1. Think about what that will sound like before the throne room of our Lord. It will be a sweet aroma indeed. Remember, prayers outlast the lips that utter them. They are a blessing to our God and King.

On another note, I thank all of you who have emailed or called me to share your prayers for my wife. She is strong and courageous. Her battle with cancer has only drawn us closer to the Father. We are grateful for every day together. I don't know how many days we will have, but we are going to use them wisely to honor our King. Enjoying a sunset is a lot more important than it used to be. Life gets busy. It is easy to overlook the blessings around us. God is so creative. Non of us know the day or hour when God will call us home, so make every minute count. We only have one life on this earth to do it right. Stay the course. Talk to you soon.

Welcome to the Front Lines

I am honored that you decided to take a few minutes to hear my heart on prayer. There are so many things taking place here at the National Day of Prayer Task Force. Every week, I will try to keep you informed on new projects and even share prayer requests with you.

Here is just a little about me. I really don't like to talk about me, but you should know some of my history so we can move on with more important things. I really enjoy dialog so be sure to leave your comments. I will read every one of them.

Okay here we go...

Currently I serve as the Senior Director of the National Day of Prayer Task Force. I have been in ministry for over 15 years. My history in ministry takes me back to 1st Baptist Church of Atlanta where I worked in new member services. Our pastor, whom I still have a great deal of respect for, was Charles Stanley. I then traveled with a group from Texas as a missionary into Mexico. From there, I went into Seminary. These experiences changed my life. I came out of school with a great deal of passion for sharing the incredible story of Jesus Christ. I couldn't wait. So, God directed me into Youth Ministry. However, it wasn’t the nice large church building with a high-tech video and audio system I was hoping for. Rather, I agreed to be a youth pastor for an inner city church for nearly 2 years. What I mean by a church was a group of believers that pulled equipment out of a van that we set-up every Sunday near a street corner. It was a tail-gate church. That was hard. It was difficult to see so much pain in these young people...anger, frustration, confusion...I am sure you understand. I had gang members, pregnant teens, abuse cases - God taught me a lot about patience through their eyes. Simply telling them about Christ and expecting change was foolish. They needed to see action not just hear words. I had this illusion that the greatest trials were across the border when some of the most hurting people were right in my own backyard. I didn’t get a paycheck for being an inner city pastor. So, I had to keep “tent-making” to pay the bills. I really wanted to work in ministry. God heard my heart. He opened a door for me at Focus on the Family. There I worked in Family Ministry. It was right where my heart was. It also enabled me to continue serving as a pastor. I was able to work on video and book projects. Dr. Dobson even allowed me to go on the speaking circuit for Heritage Builders and the Spiritual Growth of Children Seminars. I had a heart for families and in every seminar I started by giving families a model for prayer. So, Shirley Dobson asked me to join National Day of Prayer. There is nothing more powerful than communion with God and it is foundational in our Christian walk. I am blessed to be a part of this prayer ministry. I now have an amazing wife and 5…yes FIVE, wonderful children – 3 girls and 2 boys. They are ages 4 to 13 so we have our hands full.

There is so much more I intend to share with you. My wife is currently battling cancer. We are in need of your prayers. I will tell you more in another blog.

Since you are reading a National Day of Prayer staff blog, I imagine that prayer is something of great importance to you. You have probably experienced spiritual warfare first hand. Welcome to the front lines!