The Cove

BATHOS

The last two days I have been at the Billy Graham training center at the cove located in Asheville, NC  for the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventist (the denomination I am employed with)  prayer summit. 

To be honest I wasn't sure what to expect. Perhaps boredom, bad food, pain from sitting for long periods of time, or even all of the above. 

Yet I have to say that my expectations were completely wrong praise the Lord. First the Billy Graham training center is truly one amazing place to say the least. The setting (in the blue ridge mountains), the rooms, food, and the incredible friendliness of the people is unbelievable! If you have never been here and want to get away from the daily routine this is the place. The rooms have no t.v., though there is limited Wi-Fi (it's how i'm writing this post:-). Really though this is a beautiful place.

The prayer summit itself has had some powerful speakers. Derek Morris, Ivor Meyers, Mark Finley, Ron Clouzet, and Wintley Philpps (if you've never heard these guys google them:-). They have challenged us (me) in many ways, more than what the scope of this post could take. 

Yet I will state two points that have stood out to me perhaps not so much because they are new concepts but something that I needed to be reminded of. The first one is that our churches shouldn't simply have prayer ministries but have the church be a house of prayer! Friends we truly need to make our places of worship a place of prayer for all people as Jesus wants. No revival ever started without prayer!

Secondly is that prayer must lead to missions. Any Christian that has a deep prayer life is a person on a mission to expand the kingdom of God. Just read the book of Acts.

This prayer summit has disturbed me! Disturbed me in a sense of  once again realizing how much are churches are not really seeking God in prayer.

Friend thanks for reading my blog, but stop now and pray, pray that your church/our church will be a house of prayer and pray that you will join God in His mission around you!

Javi

image by [mid-valley baptist association]