The Hour That Changes the World

by | Aug 28, 2007 | Thoughts

Back in June during my missions training week, one of our teachers, Jim Lo, did a session where we talked about the importance and power of prayer. The best part was that, instead of just talking about it, he actually took the time to lead us in an extended time of group prayer. It was an inspiring and impacting time for all of us.

I want to recommend a great little book that Jim told us about, a book on prayer called The Hour That Changes the World, by Dick Eastman. (If you follow that link you’ll see that you can actually pick up a used copy for as little as 1¢! Plus shipping, of course)

In this book, Eastman lays out a challenge: What if you were to spend one hour every day in prayer? How would that impact your personal life, your family, the world? Eastman goes beyond challenging the reader, though, and lays out a very practical plan for getting it done, breaking an hour into 5-minute segments, each focusing on a different aspect of prayer.

This book has really encouraged me to spend more time in prayer, to make it a priority, and to pray specifically. I don’t follow Eastman’s exact method every day (in fact, he recommends coming up with your own version), but I have found it a helpful model to use and learn from.

I would encourage anyone who’s serious about prayer, who wants to go deeper with God, and who wants to be a part of changing the world to read this book. And pray.

Lessons on Missions

by | Apr 18, 2006 | Thoughts

I just finished KP Yonanna’s Revolution in World Missions tonight. KP is the founder of Gospel for Asia, a missions organization whose policy is sending native missionaries to reach people in their own countries, regions and cultures. As a non-native missionary, it reminds me of some things I’ve been mulling over anyway:

First, it reminds me of the importance of presenting the Gospel in a way that is culturally relevant to the people I’m trying to reach. We need to “speak their language” both literally and figuratively.

I’ve also been thinking about the importance of discipleship. Ultimately it’s the Japanese who are going to reach the Japanese. My vision is to not only share God’s love with those who don’t know Christ, but also to disciple Believers to the point where they will be motivated, prepared and mobilized to minister to their fellow-Japanese.

Here’s some other stuff that stood out to me:

“When the Holy Spirit moves and does His work, we become restless because we want to control it. It is an inherent weakness of the flesh.”

“The life of the missionary is the medium of his message.”

“The only ones who can win others to Christ are men and women who are so lost in Jesus that they are like Him.”

Lord, make me like Jesus!