For the rest of our lives - Jesus Army Life, Day 406

Wow, it's 6.30 in the morning and I've already been awake for about 20 minutes. I don't mind, there's something beautiful about waking up early and gathering in those first thoughts of the day. If you actually bother, the mind seems so much more lucid when the day is young.

I'm just waiting for the kettle to boil so that I can make some coffee and then I'll go and pray, but using this moment this helps me think about what I want to pray for so I don't feel I'm wasting time.

It's looking like it's going to be a lovely day. In a short while I hope to go for a run and then come back, do some household chores, travel over to Birmingham for the wedding, return to welcome early birds for tonight's gathering and then lead the proceedings for our weekly house-church meeting. There are many things I could pray for but most importantly of all it's that people today will advance into the blessing of God's kingdom. It's what Jesus came to bring, it's what he taught, it's all that we have to live and fight for, so I'm going to give my attention to that.

I do so want to be a man of real and deep prayer. I don't really think I've got a lot else going for me when it comes to increasing the life of the church, so I want to learn to truly pray. Seeing the words I've just written before me makes the reality of that aim very stark. Prayer, walking and talking things through with God, is a real challenge and there can be no room for boasting about this. I'm a total beginner trying to learn the ropes. But, what I really want to gain, and this I will boast about, is the heart of God. At least with his passion, a sense of his will and his perspective, I have a modicum of a chance of bringing the power of change to people's lives - the possibility of opening a doorway for others into his kingdom.

I think I could have expressed this clearer but I've said everything that I wanted to say so it's okay... The stag-do by the way was wonderful, with a barbecue in a wooded glade, many friends, worship around the fire, bringing prophetic words with symbolic gifts to the groom and praying for his future, it seemed pretty perfect. And now for the blessing of his wedding.

And now for the rest of our lives. Carpe Dium.