Last spring the Lord began to convict me about praying more urgently regarding
my ministry area, mercy and hospitality. It sprouted from a disappointment in not
having more people come to planned ministry events to learn about what we were
doing. It also stemmed from a growing realization that not everybody at Calvary had
a heart for the refugee, the prisoner, the orphan - the “other” that had become my
flock. This was a heavy burden to me and I began to fear that I was incapable of
fulfilling my new assignment.
However, slowly the Lord began to reveal to me that “you don’t have because you’re
not asking.” The Lord impressed upon me that If I came to Him, He would soften the
hearts of people at Calvary to be merciful and hospitable. I was actually dumbfound-
ed that I hadn’t put into practiced what I know to be true- “Ask and it will be given
to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you…. Which of
you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone. Or if he asks for a fish will give
him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your
children, how much more will your father give good gifts to those who ask him”
(Matt. 7:7, 9-11).
From here, I simply began with what if! What if everyone on the Mercy and Hospi-
tality Team recruited 100 people to pray? What would God do if 800 people were
praying that Calvary Church would become more merciful and more hospitable over
the course of this year? I began to bring this up at our weekly team meetings. At first
it was greeted with underwhelming support. But as spring gave way to summer, the
idea began to gain momentum.
All eight of the ministries aligned with Mercy and Hospitality began building their re-
spective prayer teams over the summer so that we could begin the initiative in Sep-
tember. Some on our team were so excited about the possibilities that they didn’t
wait until September, they got their prayer team together straight away and began
bombarding the gates of heaven. The stories they began to tell encouraged the rest
of us.
Judi Warner recalled praying for families with children with special needs who were
feeling isolated. The very next week a family came forward that they were able to
visit and help. Sheri Schmidt had a similar prayer, praying for people in our congre-
gation who were fostering or adopting that needed care. Again, families began to
come for help and encouragement. I myself prayed for widows that were not on our
radar. Within days I had a phone call from a woman who asked me to meet with her
mother-in-law, a widow who was having a really hard time connecting. And to think,
we have only just begun to experience the blessings of answered prayer.
Leading this initiative has made me reflect deeply on my own expectations in prayer.
Do I really expect God to do great things through my prayers? Are my requests lame
and little? With encouragement from what my team has seen, I have been challeng-
ing myself to be bolder and more confident in my prayer life. I’m now expecting the
unexpected. Perhaps it’s time for you to do the same!
By Lee Content
Seek
and you shall
Find
Expecting the
Unexpected in Prayer
Pastoral Staff, Mercy & Hospitality
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