Kenneth Olson.org

Working Vacation

I've been on vacation this week, however I say that in the technical sense. Actually, I've been working on a variety of projects, mostly to get caught up and in position to go on our real vacation in about a week.

In the next few months we have a pretty steep incline ahead of us as we incorporate to become a church plant and transition to a new facility and location. There's an endless number of details and things to consider, pray about and plan for. 

Articles of incorporation, by-laws, vision/mission, form of government, leadership structure, finances, demographics, marketing and a transition plan just to mention a few. What's my approach to navigate through it all? Much Prayer.

Someone once said, the history of every great accomplishment is the history of answered prayer or conversely, every failure in life is a prayer failure.

Sobering words, but so true. Much time alone with God is the most strategic and effective thing I know. It's our super-natural, God-given instrument to process the plan of God for our lives. To prepare us for our future and our future for us!

There won't time in heaven to catch up on our prayer lives, the time is now!

There's a New Year Coming

I'm looking forward to 2009. There's something about a new year I love. Probably the opportunity for a fresh start, renewed focus and the anticipation of new things.  Already,I'm scheduling time to fast and spend with the Lord in the coming weeks.

For me there's something about fasting, prayer and meditation in God's presence that organizes my thoughts and brings clarity to the planning process. If I'm going to proceed forward in a particular strategic direction for my life or ministry, I've got to know I'm first inspired and instructed by the Spirit of God.

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. - John 16:13

Vital Necessity of Prayer

God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you. - 1 Samuel 12:23

And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor. - Isaiah 59:16

More than ever I'm acutely aware of the extreme need to pray. Not only for personal things, but for so many things in God's great plan that seem to be converging in this hour. Even though prayer is a spiritual activity, I don't remember a time when the need and effect of prayer was so tangible.

Someone once said, "prayer processes the plan of God", that it so true. It's evident in my day to day life when I pray and when I don't pray. When I've taken the time to pray out into my future and prepare a way, my experience of life is completely different from when I fail to partner with the Father in prayer.

It's sobering to think about our true responsibility in prayer and what hinges on our responsiveness to this divine call. What happens in our families, cities, nation and world is a result of our faithfulness to pray.

I believe as we progress through the end of days the need for Christians praying will be increasingly evident and will prove to be the difference between God's permissive will and perfect, success and failure, even life and death.

Pray for an expanded and inspired understanding of the true importance, power and purpose of prayer.

Late Night Prayer Walk

Just returned from a late night prayer walk. It was especially enjoyable since it was a balmy 75 degrees at 11 o'clock at night on September 25. You know that can't last. I've always loved going on prayer walks, it's been a favorite spiritual habit through out my life. There's something about the quiet, fresh evening air that's therapeutic to my soul.

Growing up I always loved walking the fence lines and fields of our central Minnesota farms talking to God and dreaming about my future. When I moved to NE Minneapolis I found the railroad yards, bridges and golf courses near my house Ideal for late night times of prayer. One of my favorite spots for years was a railroad bridge over the Mississippi river that overlooked downtown Minneapolis. I was often inspired to pray for my city and the countless people in need of knowing Jesus. 

Now days, my prayer walks are confined to my short driveway or back deck, but time outdoors walking and praying still recreates my outlook on life and invigorates my desire to see God's plan unfold in my life and ministry.

I figure I'm in good company since scripture tells us Jesus often departed from the pressures of ministry and life to a quite place (often in the desert or mountains) to be alone with His Father. 

Prayer Reflctions

We enjoyed a great prayer service tonight. During worship I had a real sense that God was calling us to a deeper walk with Him. I know our natural human tendency is to live spiritually shallow but, when I listen to my heart I sense the desire I think everyone has to live from a deep place in God. A place that truly satisfies our heart's longing and enables us to realize our creative purpose. 

Turn Your Invisible Into Visible

Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life. (Proverbs 4:23)

I love this verse because it reminds me the visible world is a product of the invisible. That our ability to realize God's plan and destiny is a result of drawing from the wellspring of dreams and direction issuing from our hearts. Prayer is the very thing that enables us to access the invisible and through obedience and action to it, we turn it into reality.

Let me challenge you as I have been recently, to see prayer as an opportunity for God to download into your life His plans and purposes and to deliberately act on what you see in your heart. Maybe it's to give someone a call, to outline a plan for a new business or to pray for someone.

No matter how small or great the step, it's through this simple progression of drawing God's direction from within and acting on it, that you will advance in His plan and experience your dreams.

Morning Prayer

I took time this morning to be a part of a corporate prayer gathering. Prayer has always been such an integral and important part of my life. My life's story could essentially be mapped out by connecting the dot's of specific season of prayer. Spirit-led prayer always re frames my outlook on life, refreshes my soul and moves me forward in God's plan.

I endeavor to remind myself often of the truth of James 5:17, The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. (NLT)