Thank you for joining us for Reflections, short meditations on scripture intersecting life

Ezra 1:1-5

In today’s podcast, we’re talking about the phrase “stirred up.”

Have you ever felt stirred up about something? Yesterday you weren’t the least bit bothered, but now all of the sudden it seems that a certain situation, person, or injustice is all you can think about.

Well in these verses, and many other places in the Old Testament, we see God stirring up people to do something, and it just may be that God is doing the same thing in your life.

To listen to the podcast, just click on the arrow below. You can also subscribe to the Only By Prayer podcast on iTunes.

Thanks for listening. What is God stirring up in your heart, in your life today? We’d love to hear about it in the comment section below.

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Jane and I welcome you to Lesson Seven of Wounded Lives. Healed Hearts. We are very excited to join you during this journey into encouragement  and healing. Jane and I are praying that this week you delve more deeply into your prayer life as we consider the issue of injustice.

Weekly Homework

Each week we will add your assignments to a password-protected post. Look for the password every Tuesday evening in your email. Below you will find homework for each level of study. Feel free to change from Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3  as your schedule allows! Remember, there is no pressure to complete every activity. These are just options for your growth. They can be accessed at any time, even after the study ends

Level 1, Study: Weekly Goals 

• For Lesson 7, watch the video posted below: The Priority of Prayer
  
• Complete pages 99-110 in Luke: Discovering Healing in Jesus’ Words to Women.
• Feel free to do any of the other activities from Levels 2 and 3 as your time allows.

Level 2, Community: Weekly Goals 

• For Lesson 7, watch the video posted below: The Priority of Prayer
  
• Complete pages 99-110 in Luke: Discovering Healing in Jesus’ Words to Women.
• Answer the question on the Speak Your Mind comment section at the bottom of this post.
• Don’t forget to check out our private Facebook page. Leave your comments about this week’s study, post your prayer requests, or share any insights/questions you may have. Only members of our Bible study group will see these posts.
• Join the Community Call, Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. EST on Talk Shoe (information on TalkShoe is in your weekly email.)

 Level 3, Opportunity: Weekly Goals

• For Lesson 7, watch the video posted below: The Priority of Prayer
  
• Complete pages 99-110 in Luke: Discovering Healing in Jesus’ Words to Women.
• Answer the question on the Speak Your Mind comment section at the bottom of this post,  and join the Community Call on Wednesday night on TalkShoe.
• Complete the Digging Deeper questions in the margins of each lesson.
• Don’t forget to check out our private Facebook page. Leave your comments about this week’s study, post your prayer requests, or share any insights/questions you may have. Only members of our Bible study group will see these posts.
• Take advantage of the Help for Healing resources by clicking on the links below:

Abiding with Jesus to Fuel Your Prayer Life

Butterfly Prayers

An Hour of Prayer Bible Study

 Video for Luke 7: The Priority of Prayer

Please take a few moments to worship and express your gratitude to God through music for His many blessing and gifts.

Questions of the Week (Please respond in the Speak Your Mind section at the very bottom of this page).

Who or what is Jesus calling you to intercede for?

A Franciscan Benediction

May God bless you with discomfort

At easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships,

So that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger

At injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people,

So that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace.

May God bless you with tears

To shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger, and war,

So that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and

To turn their pain into joy.

May God bless you with enough foolishness

To believe that you can make a difference in the world,

So that you can do what others claim cannot be done

To bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor.

Amen.

(from many sources, including Prayer, Does It Make Any Difference by Philip Yancey, p. 105)

Can we really make a difference in the world today?

Barry Rodriguez with some of his Haitian friends at Nehemiah Vision Ministry’s children’s home in Chambrun, Haiti.

Well, according to Barry Rodriguez, director of WorldNextDoor.org, yes, we can! Join Jane VanOsdol as she and Barry discuss how we can pray effectively for the huge issues of oppression and injustice in the world–and what we can actually DO to make a difference.

Barry travels around the world to spotlight the injustices he finds–not just to report about them, but to get people involved in changing lives. You don’t want to miss this podcast. If you’ve always struggled to get beyond the generic prayer that says, “Lord, please stop human trafficking,” then tune in today for some concrete things you can pray and do. Just click on the sideways triangle below to listen, or you can find Only By Prayer on iTunes.

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Here’s a few updates from Barry:

Web Site
First of all, if you haven’t seen our website yet, be sure to check out www.worldnextdoor.org.  In fact, next week will be a great time to start reading because we’re kicking off a collection of “2010 Favorites.”  And this spring I’ll be writing from Kenya, Haiti and Israel!

Random Stuff!
We have a Facebook fan page, of course.  Then there’s our twitter feed.  Oh, and my personal twitter feed. If you’re interested in joining our work financially, there are plenty of ways to give.

Flickr
Finally, in case you want to take a deeper look at some of the photos I used at the seminar, you can find some of my favorites on my brand new Flickr account.  I’ll be updating it with my best shots from each trip I take in the future.