Category: Making Disciples

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Making Disciples

Parenting teens

I remember the day it hit me. Specific prayer for my teen was a much more effective way to persuade her to do something.  Words seemed to have little effect. Even triggered resistance. And created a rift between us, making matters worse. 

But silent prayers by faith—with a sincere heart—brought change in a way my parental speeches had not.

And praying changed me. Helped me consider what was true. What was necessary. Brought back memories of my own journey in adolescence.

This experiment was a process. And led to a few practices that paid off in building relationships with our teens. 

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Crossing Cultures Making Disciples

Gospel conversations

The lines were forming to board several Air Asia flights out of Penang. I asked the woman behind me if this was the line for Singapore. Yes. She was also going to Singapore.  She asked which seat I was in. 18B.  Her seat? 18A. 

Once we boarded, I found out she was traveling to visit her brother and sister who are now Singaporean citizens. I was going there to overnight with our daughter before heading to the US.  

In further conversation, we talked about the weather and she said, “I like cold weather.” 

In this tropical country? “Where do you go for cold weather?” 

“London,” she said and shared that her other sister had lived there until her sudden death from cancer the year before.  I told her I was sad to hear of her loss.

In flight.
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Devotional Making Disciples

Open to His Word

In our first meeting, I described how a follower of Jesus sets aside time and space every day for focused communion with the Lord. This conversation on abiding continues each time we meet. We talk about the soul’s need for daily food from the Word of God. And how to come with minds and hearts open to the Truth of Scripture. About the importance of waiting and listening as we pray.

Open hearts

There’s a prayer written multiple times with several variations in my journals. Simple and basic.  “Lord, open my eyes that I may see. Open my ears that I may hear. Open my heart to obey Your Word today.”

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