I am excited to post my first Sacred Everyday moment. If you’re not sure exactly what I’m talking about, read this post and you’ll understand.

Today I signed on to Facebook and was greeted by this post from my son.

I was staring at a full-fledged answer to prayer. I had been praying for my son for many years, and right if front of my eyes for all the world (at least Facebook world) to see was this post. Yeah! God is good. And I hadn’t even been bugging Jesse about getting baptized. I was quiet and let God be God and work in his life. Galatians 6:9 flitted across my mind as I held my own little happy-dance party:

“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” (NLT)

God collided this Sacred Everyday moment right into my everyday, and I didn’t even have to look to find it!

What about you? Have you noticed a Sacred Everyday today? Please share it below, as momentous or as everyday as it may be. We never know where or when the two will intersect.

Pray on!

For over 40 years, Voice of the Martyrs has worked tirelessly to help the cause of persecuted Christians around the world. Sunday, November 3, is recognized as IDOP, the International Day of Prayer for the persecuted church. While it is important to pray everyday for those suffering for their faith, VOM is hoping to unite many churches and people to pray in unity.

In this videocast, Jane VanOsdol of OnlyByPrayer.com and Todd Nettleton, director of media development at Voice of the Martyrs (Persecution.com), discuss how VOM’s resources can help you pray for the persecuted church on IDOP as well as all through the year.  This short, 20-minute discussion is available in both video and as an MP3 so that you can download and listen to it at your convenience. Todd outlines several resources that will help you pray effectively and take action on behalf of those who are suffering for their faith.

Prayer and Action Resources:

• Persecution.com
• Persecution.com/IDOP
• Icommittopray.com
• Facebook page
• Twitter

Here is the videocast of the interview:

Here is the podcast of the IDOP interview:

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“Image courtesy of hyena reality / FreeDigitalPhotos.net”.

On today’s podcast I (Jane VanOsdol ) welcome Todd Daniels, the regional manager for the Middle East for International Christian Concern. With the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP) coming up on November 3, 2013, we wanted to draw attention to this issue. Be sure to see the link below for your IDOP kit. The kit includes several resources to use for yourself, with a small group, or your church. You will even find a lesson for children in it.

In this podcast’s session, we discuss several issues concerning the persecuted church, including the following topics:

• The scope of the problem of persecution
• Steps to take to make a difference to suffering Christians around the world
• How to pray for persecuted Christians
• Relevant scriptures
• Parts of the world where persecution exists

Resources

www.persecution.org

IDOP kit: https://info.persecution.org/IDOP2013

Save Our Sisters: https://www.persecution.org/assistance/save-our-sisters/

Suffering Wives and Children: https://www.persecution.org/assistance/suffering-wives-and-children/

https://www.facebook.com/persecuted

Tweets by persecutionnews

The following organization is working with resettled Christians. It is a need, but a really challenging task:

https://www.iraqichristianrelief.org/our-projects/

What have you been learning from God lately? And more importantly, who are you sharing it with?

Many of the blessings God gives us are meant to be shared. This isn’t always an easy thing, is it? We often don’t feel accomplished enough or smart enough. We think  others are so much more worthy and could do a better job. That was my viewpoint — until one Sunday in church a few years ago.

A visiting pastor from our sister church in Africa addressed our congregation directly:

“Do you understand the value of the teaching that you receive every Sunday?” he asked us. “Those of you who hear these teachings every week have more training and learning than the average pastor does in my city. What are you doing with what you know?” he challenged us. “Who are you teaching?”

I no longer felt that I could use the “not knowledgeable enough” excuse I’d been hiding behind and decided to earnestly pray about where and how God wanted to use me. I found out that what God wants us to know is that we may not be perfectly ready for what He’s calling us to, but He is! As the saying goes, we should show up “prepared and prayed up” and then let God work.

I know it’s not easy to get past our insecurities. I wrote this poem to remind myself that God’s not looking for perfection; He’s looking for obedience and willingness.

The Vessel

by Jane VanOsdol

I offer you my life, Lord.
As flawed as it is.
As cowardly as I am.
You, who makes beauty out of ashes
and joy out of mourning,
Who breathes life into dead, dry bones,
What will do do with me?

I am the clay in your hands,
the hands of the Potter.
Fashion me into a vessel
that although imperfect on this earth,
is more than adequate for daily use
when you fill me to overflowing
with your Spirit.

You entrust this cracked, chipped vessel
with pouring forth Your Living Water to any parched soul who
will drink of it:  healing the hurting, planting a seed, setting a captive free.

Creating extraordinary out of  ordinary.

As Mary and I are preparing to kick off our first ever online Bible study offered by Only By Prayer called The Simple Life, I’ve naturally been doing some reflection on what I think the simple life looks like. I’ve come to the conclusion that I definitely know what the simple life doesn’t look like based on past and current experience. I can tell you that it doesn’t look like any of the following things, all of which I’ve done at some point in my life.

• It doesn’t look like working until 9:30 p.m. every weeknight grading students’  English papers.
• It doesn’t look like staying up until 10:30 p.m. or 11 p.m. every night writing an e-book.
• It doesn’t look like doing household chores all day Sunday to try and prepare for the next week.
• It doesn’t look like skipping my devotion time repeatedly because I’m too tired to get up in the morning.
• It doesn’t look like watching the whole summer pass by with the realization that I’ve only sat down twice in the evening on my deck to relax and read a book.
• It doesn’t look like my children and I only seeing my husband every other weekend for the duration of six months while he works across the country.
• It doesn’t look like wading through a house filled with too much junk!

I’m pretty good at knowing what the simple life isn’t; it’s what it is that I need to figure out.

Now, I know that life has its seasons, and some seasons just have to be endured, but when you realize it’s gone from a life season to a life pattern, then it’s time for a life change!

So far, in my early prestudy ruminations, I’m beginning to see that simply doesn’t necessarily mean easily. Here is what I think I want the simple life to look like: To me, the simple life means 1) sitting at the feet of Jesus 2) undergirding everything with prayer 3) being intentional with my time and resources, and 4) pursuing and listening for God’s next thing for me.

Now I just need to learn how to do all that! How about you? What do you think the simple life looks life for you?

Would you like to join us in exploring The Simple Life ? There’s till time for you to sign up.

   In His name the nations will put their hope. Matthew 12:21

Thursday, May 2, is the National Day of Prayer. Let’s all join together in praying for our nation. The theme this year is Pray For America. Here are two websites for you to access for prayer events to participate in.

National Day of Prayer

One Cry Radio Summit and Unite Event

We’re never at a loss for things to pray about for our country, are we? It’s especially true this year given some of the recent tragic events we’ve watched unfold in our country and around the world. Whether your church is holding an event, you’re going to tune in to the national podcast, or you’ll be praying at home, I’d love to hear what some of the requests are that you’ll be interceding for this year. What issues are on your hearts and minds that you’ll be praying about?

This is an important reminder for us to pray not only for our friends and families every day, but also for our country. Feel free to leave your requests/prayers below, and add to the list as God lays more requests on your heart.

Pray on!

Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net