Update

Ah, the summer is upon us. It's been a while since I've done anything, I think the last post I did was in regards to the dream for 100 hours of prayer. It's amazing to witness the response, and to know that there are so many people who long for William and Mary to be revived. No worries, the dream is still alive (very much so), but I'm still praying for direction in regards to how it will take shape. I really wanted it to take place in a single place, but it seems like that might not happen. MIGHT. I'm not entirely sure, there's still a lot of time for details to come together, but I've been praying about it recently, and I'll be putting something out in order to get the process started. So keep your eyes open for that.

Anyways, I was thinking about it, and another challenge of a sort popped into my head. Incidentally it also was time-based. What came to my mind was 24 hours of Glorifying God. This isn't exactly a communal effort (well it could be), but instead a personal one. 

I think it started with some small group leader stuff that I learned over an AWESOME retreat. As a future small group leader, I was in a track to learn how to lead a small group. The format for a small group meeting that we learned had some guidelines. Start with a game, read through the passage, guide discussion with questions, discuss main points, and end with a challenge.

The challenge is what stuck with me. Too often I've left church and forgotten the teaching because it seemed so vague. My family would be sitting in the car on the way home, and I would have already forgotten most of the teaching. But a challenge that is specific, and direct is something that I can remember. It's not six points of a teaching that I'm trying to remember, just a sentence, or a phrase (which usually reminds me of the rest of the teaching).

I tried taking notes once or twice, and it was always so difficult for me. I would be writing down a main point, and when I started listening again, the speaker would be talking about something completely different, and I would be completely lost because I missed a key transition.

I'm not saying that this is the only way preach, or the best way, or that I have only heard bad speakers/pastors. It's just the way my brain works.

Anyways, the challenge taught me to be specific. Recently I've been starting the day with a prayer, generally running along the lines of "God help me to focus on you today". But, like the teachings, it was so vague, and hard to remember. So (running along the lines of specific), I've started to ask God to show me a SPECIFIC way that I could glorify Him today. By specific, I don't mean "Love your family more", I mean more along the lines of "Clean up your belongings, and make your bed". Yeah, I've only just started, and I won't pretend that I've been faithful in doing it every day. But it's a journey. A journey down a road. A road that is difficult to follow, even though following a road is not a complicated task.

Throughout the day I'll ask myself, am I glorifying God? That's what we're here for, right? This life is not my own, and God most certainly does not need us. All I can do is marvel at His greatness, and proclaim the wonderful news.