The last chapter offers a challenge to the reader. The Radical Challenge is comprised of 5 challenges:
-Pray for the entire world
-Read through the entire word
-Sacrifice your money for a specific purpose
-Spend your time in another context
-Commit your time to a multiplying community...
Since I am "savoring" the last chapter I have only read through the first challenge and the scripture that tags along.
In Matthew 9 Jesus sends out His disciples. He sends them out and asks them to pray. That seems easy enough because at the time they found themselves surrounded by destitute, starving, hurt, troubled, LOST people. It's easy to pray when it's so obvious. Jesus then became a little more specific. He challenged and sent His disciples out to pray for the CHURCH. The CHURCH which was at a "better" place...the people of the CHURCH which were healthier...the people of the CHURCH who weren't consumed with such circumstances...and they weren't lost...but were they really better off? Jesus' concern wasn't with the hurting people and if they would come to know the Father--Jesus had a bigger concern. Jesus was concerned with His people not going to the lost like He commands.
There are a multitude of lost people waiting to hear and so my biggest prayer is that the Lord would begin preparing the hearts of His people (and my heart) that He will begin sending out into the harvest field...My inadequacy and my inability to accomplish anything apart from prayer has become very clear to me since my move to Arkansas in August. I have learned since August that I am: a planner, strategic, controlling, and an implementer of the plans and strategies I make for my life. Yet, the greatest call upon my life is obedience to Christ no matter the obstacles, and true obedience to Christ requires that I be a woman of prayer.
Enjoy your day!
