day eleven: praying BIG is praying globally.

Every night, as a family we pray for a GOB LOAD of kids that we love:

"Jesus, we pray for Karis, Gabe, Naomi, Crews, Tate, Adah, Canaan, Maggie, Peter, Wonyaka, Landon, Haddie Jo, Cora, Jeremiah, Katie's new baby on the way, Casey's new baby on the way, Olivia's new baby on the way, and Courtney's new baby on the way that they would know you from a young age and be passionate about following you." (Seriously, y'all, there is something in the water in Alamance County.  EVERYONE married and of childbearing age is preggers. I love it. :))

It's a mouthful, but it's more than worth it to bring those precious little ones to Jesus nightly. They are all either our two girls, family, or our friends' kiddos--except for Peter and Wonyaka. They are two boys that we've never met and who live on the other side of the world.  They are our Compassion kids and even though we have gotten terrible at writing them since Haddie was born, praying for them--even just mentioning their name to the Father every day--makes me pray BIGGER.

Most of my days are filled with cleaning our house, reading books, preparing and planning meals, hanging out with people, doing dishes, trying to figure out how many days it's been since we vacuumed, disciplining and loving and training, snuggling, changing diapers, folding laundry but not putting it away, cutting and painting little girls' toenails, reading more books, picking up toys, cleaning applesauce packets out of the corners of my car, and the list goes on.  And in all of that, it's so easy to forget.  This is not all there is to life! And I'm not just called to serve me and mine but to "go and make disciples of ALL NATIONS." (Matthew 28:19)  

And so from where I sit in this house, with these two little girls, and as a wife to my favorite pastor, and in this community where we live, I'm learning that part of the way I am to fulfill this great commission is to pray BIG.  Not just praying for what I can see and who I know, but for the billions I don't know, who I don't see, but who God knows, loves, created, sees, and is pursuing. 

There are lots of ministries that are fulfilling this call and sharing the Gospel across the globe and one way I am praying BIG right now is praying for them.  Samaritan's Purse.  Compassion International.  And Uhuru Child.  Uhuru is a ministry founded by some of our friends through Young Life, Brad and Annie Brown.  One girl who was on my summer staff at Windy Gap in 2009, Ellie Reich, went on staff with Uhuru about a year and a half ago and I'm so glad she asked me to join her team by praying for Uhuru.  What they are doing is LITERALLY making disciples of all nations and when I pray with them I get to be a part of something SO MUCH BIGGER than my laundry and my unwashed hair and my iPhone having glitches. 

Check out Uhuru's prayer blog here and join us in praying for Gladys and her family this month--watch this amazing video about what Uhuru is doing for her life join along in the redemptive work of Christ being done across the globe.