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We’ve had excellent response to our call for 1,000 people to join us in prayer at 6 a.m. on Monday, March 26. At that hour, the first-ever Keep Believing China broadcast will beam into mainland China from the island of Guam. Here are some responses:

From a friend in another country: “I will get up early on March 26 and pray for the first broadcast into CHINA ... what a privilege to do it! You will have more than a thousand people praying on our knees for this matter."

From missionaries in Haiti: “March 26th is on our calendar and we will pray -- WOW 878 million God can go to town on the hearts of the people.”

From a friend in Chicago: “You can count on me for one of the 1,000. I have it in my calendar!”

From a friend in Australia: “Here in Western Australia we are in the same time zone as China so I will be able to pray with you after dinner on the 26th March.”

From a friend in Chicago: “My alarm is already set for 5:30AM that day so I can make the coffee.  You remember the proverb “No coffee, no prayer”.  As a pastor who once preached weekly at my current church used to say, “It’s in the Greek!"

From a friend in Chicago: “Count me in to be praying on March 26th at 6 a.m.  I will be at work by then, so not a sacrifice to get up, but even if I wasn’t up I would get up.”

From a friend in California: “Yes, I will pray for the China radio first broadcast! Can we hear the broadcast live? If so, how? Online?”

From friends in Florida: “Just put Mar. 26 on our calendar.”

From a pastor in India: “I and our church will pray with you on 26th of March.”

From a friend in Chicago: “I’m certain it will go good … but you are being prudent and wise in soliciting  1,000 people. Count us in for 2.”

From a friend in Chicago: “I have my calendar marked to get up early on March 26 to pray for the first broadcast at 6 a.m.”

Will you be one of 1,000 praying with us on March 26?

You can reach the author at ray@keepbelieving.com. Click here to sign up for the free weekly email sermon.

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After Robert Schuler attended one of our Chicago home meetings for the new China partnership with Trans World Radio, he wrote me a note containing his “so that” prayer for China:

“I’ll be praying every day between now and 3/26 -- that God would prepare the hearts of the Chinese people, that He would bring attention to the broadcasts, that the translators would do their work with excellence, that all the technology work as designed, SO THAT each hearer would be edified to overflowing by God’s Spirit and motivated to do His will and bask in His wonderful grace which lights darkness in hearts and foils every plan and device of the evil one. O, let it be so in China and let it spread to every country in that region -- even all the way to Jerusalem!!”

I love that prayer because it is tightly focused on what we want God to do. If you don’t know how to pray for the China project, use this prayer as a way to begin. 

This is how we ought to pray every day. I thank my friend Robert for showing us the way.

P.S. We’re asking God for 1,000 people to get up early on Monday, March 26 at 6 AM CT and pray with us as the first Keep Believing China broadcast goes into China. Would you pray with us on March 26?

You can reach the author at ray@keepbelieving.com. Click here to sign up for the free weekly email sermon.

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A few years ago my friend Robert Schuler shared with me one of the most important insights on prayer I’ve ever heard. Over supper one night Robert told us how he prayed:

“When I pray I always try to include the phrase ’so that.’ I heard a guest preacher mention that in a sermon several years ago, and I’ve been doing it ever since.”

He went on to say that he has been praying a particular “so that” prayer for me for several years. I can’t remember all the details of the prayer, but I do remember the three “so thats”:

So that I would be strong in the Word of God,
So that I would be faithful to the end,
So that God would be greatly glorified through my life.

Needless to say, I was touched by his faithfulness in praying that way for me. Later I thought about it and realized how entirely biblical it is. Consider how many times Paul prayed “so that” prayers:

“So that you may overflow with hope” (Romans 15:13).
“So that you may know him better” (Ephesians 1:17).
“So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith” (Ephesians 3:17).
“So that you may be able to discern what is best” (Philippians 1:10).
“So that you may have great endurance and patience” (Colossians 1:11).
“So that you will be blameless and holy” (1 Thessalonians 3:13).
“So that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you” (2 Thessalonians 1:12).

I’ve discovered that using the “so that” principle gives a clear focus to my prayers. So many times our prayers are good but aimless. We ask God to “bless” someone or to “strengthen” someone, but we have no particular end in view. But when you add “so that” to your petitions, it forces you to ask yourself, “What do I really want God to do in this person’s life?” And if you don’t have a reason for praying a particular prayer, perhaps it’s not worth praying in the first place.

So I’ve been experimenting with this “so that” principle and I find it very challenging and encouraging because it focuses my wandering mind and causes me to think about why I want God to “bless” my family, friends, and acquaintances. Here’s an example: “Lord, please help Nick to excel at his work so that he will have opportunities to talk about his faith so that others might come to Christ through him.” That’s much deeper than “Lord, please bless Nick.” It’s amazing how “so that” can transform an ordinary prayer into a powerful petition to our Heavenly Father. I’m glad Robert shared this prayer with me so that I could share it with you.

You can reach the author at ray@keepbelieving.com. Click here to sign up for the free weekly email sermon.

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If Jesus visited your church, what would he say about it?

Would he be impressed by the things that impress others?
Would he comment on your buildings?
Would he mention the size of the congregation?
Would he notice how much money was given last week?
Would he feel like an outsider?

Pastors always feel a bit nervous when someone says, “I visited your church last Sunday and . . ."
It’s what comes after the “and” that worries us.

What if Jesus himself dropped by?
Would the pastor wish he had worked harder on his sermon? (The answer is yes.)

What if Jesus himself dropped by?

Many years ago John Stott wrote a fine little book called What Christ Thinks of the Church based on the letters to the seven churches in Revelation 2-3. The book itself is excellent, but it is the title that catches our attention.

What does Jesus think about the church?
What does he think about the church you attend?

You can read the rest of the message online.

You can reach the author at ray@keepbelieving.com. Click here to sign up for the free weekly email sermon.