PERSONAL

//affirmation from GOD// My prayer is that I am with God. Also, that I know that He is with me.
//direction form God// My prayer is that He will continue to open doors and build relationships that will help me live out my URL.
//hearing GOD//I am understanding more and more where God wants to take me as a leader, continued prayer of hearing and listening. I am hearing and seeing more direction, but this is still a HUGE thing between God and I
//motivation from God// I am feeling re-charged and motivated, I know that this is coming from God so I thank Him and also ask Him to keep it up.
//family first// as always keeping the family first needs to be a priority, it is the longing of my heart but as things get busy i feel a tug...

CESSION
//GOD’s anointing// we as a community need t be fueled by the Holy Spirit
//summer trip// cession is praying (some of us anyway)for direction for the summer
//depth// we have had some great gatherings and my prayer is that we continue to move closer to Jesus
//new faces// I am praying that the students will feel a burden to share their life with those who are not followers of Jesus.
//breakthrough// many of our students need God to break through... i know He wants to, but many of the students are resistant, especially the "christian" students.
//partnerships// we have talked with several churches about partnering on an area wide senior high gathering. it looks like this may be happening in april

MOTO
//God’s Direction// we continue to seek God’s guidance and direction, especially as we develop a new series
//the future// planning for summer camp possibilities
//relationships// we are praying that the conversation at MOTO will spill over into the home and that relationships will be healthy and fruitful
//community// we are praying that the students will continue to grow together and share life together

personal
• Affirmation of GOD: My prayer is that I am with God. Also, that I know that He is with me.
• Hearing GOD: I am understanding more and more where God wants to take me as a leader, continued prayer of hearing and listening. I am hearing and seeing more direction, but this is still a HUGE thing between God and I
• Motivation: I am feeling re-charged and motivated, I know that this is coming from God so I thank Him and also ask Him to keep it up.

cession
• GOD’s anointing: we as a community need t be fueled by the Holy Spirit
• Summer Trip: cession is praying for direction for the summer; new zealand or something different, we want to hear from God.
• Depth: we have had some great gatherings and my prayer is that we continue to move closer to Jesus
• New Faces: I am praying that the students will feel a burden to share their life with those who are not followers of Jesus.
• Partnerships: we have talked with several churches about partnering on an area wide senior high gathering.
MOTO
• God’s Direction: we are in a conversation series called “The Relational Suitcase”, we continue to seek God’s guidance and direction
• Spring Hill Trip
• Continued good relationship with Covenant Life

big fat thanks to all who have been praying for me and my family… as i look at the last post i can see God’s faithfulness…

personal: things are becoming more and more clear to me. God has shown me several areas for me to grow and seek Him in. i also trying to be more committed to people and not mission. (ironic as people are a large part of the mission but, i somehow have lost sight of that.) so an area of growth will be to commit more to people. i’m praying for what that looks like. i’m also praying for me to find rest. physical? yes. emotional? yes. spiritual? yes. i am in need of a good day alone with God. nobody’s fault but my own… pray that i’ll do it. and pray that i’ll find times of rest on the everyday. with football done, finding the time will be a little easier.

family: obviously… this is the “people” I need to commit to the most. the fall was a crazy time of year with football, dance, school, etc. we are now finding a new rhythm of life… one that is much slower…which is nice. more family dinners, more wrestling with the kids (maybe jenn too ), more family bonding! also we are definitely approaching puberty full speed ahead with dakota so wisdom would be a great way to pray. 

cession: i am praying that i can let go. i can make students fall in love with Jesus. i can’t make students want to be a part of cession. i can’t make students attend regularly. i can’t make students stop the drugs, the sex, the apathy, and listening to country music. but i can love them. i can pray for them. i can offer hope. i can be there. i need to remember the things i can do, and remember the things that only God can do. as much as i want them to experience and live in the true fullness of life and in the freedom that comes from Christ, i know God wants it for them even more. so i need to let go.

moto: pray for wisdom. God is at work and i have no idea what to do to keep up. pray for strength for wally and for new guides.

personal: in multiple situations, i am praying that i am able to discern between extending grace and speaking truth. finding the balance between the two can be like walking a tightrope. though in many situations it is more like finding the right mixture of both. i am also praying for sharp vision, humble leadership, God's wisdom, and encouragement i can trust. i am also hoping to lock up a few mentors, so i am praying they will work out and be a positive thing in moving me closer to being my original creation.

family: quality time. quantity time. lots of hugs. God has broken my heart several times latley as to the lack of time i have spend with my kids. with the kids at school all day, things are different. with jenn i think the honeymoon period of the empty house is over. i am praying that she can begin to find out who God has called her to be and where he has called her to be.

cession: discernment of teaching content. (see personal discerning of speaking grace and truth) purity for our students. apathy. we are seeing many new faces to cession. many students who want to find a place they can just "be". it is very cool. some of the "old cessioners" are slow to adapt to the new faces. also we have changed to meeting in homes which has gone great, but creates new challenges as well.

here is how i am praying...

strength: total nate strength; body, mind, soul, emotional... i am coming out of a busy time where i gave of myself at a higher level than typical. and it is taking its toll.

worship: we/i am also entering the crazyness of fall. football, new ministry season, kids back at school, new schedule, etc. etc. i want to keep a worship mindset in all that i do. i want to fight from going from one thing to the next. i want to make the most of it all, soaking up every moment and keeping in mind God is with me.

new chapter: jenn and i are writing a new chapter this fall as all of our kids will be in school all day, everyday. that means radical change for jenn. the past eleven years she has been with our one of our kids all day. i know that we are looking for ward to the freedom, but with it as well, is the reality that the story of their lives is getting new chapters too... they are growing up.

from team to community: the genmark teams at watermark, surf city, moto, and cession, need to make the shift from team to community. with that also means we need people to join us in our quest to make the vision God has set for us a reality. moto and cession oin particular need guides. i am also praying that the wider church will begin to understand and embrace the mission and vision of those ministries in particular.

God's heart His heart is the ultimate pursuit of my heart. really the rest of my prayer life is nothing if this isn't a top priority.