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January 2004 letter to small group leaders from Bill Christensen, Small Groups Pastor

Dear fellow leader-

Last fall I wrote an email that referred to a study done on several thousand small groups from around the world. This study found that the two most critical factors in groups that are alive are 1) the leader having a regular daily walk with Jesus in prayer, worship and the Word, and 2) the leader praying regularly for those in the group. This past month has been revitalizing for me with respect to prayer and I'd like to share with you a thought from Andrew Murray.

Jesus told Philip (as He says to us today), "I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father." (John 14:13) It is for the purpose of glory to our Father that Jesus answers prayer. Murray says, "...it is to this end (the Father's glory) that Jesus on His throne in glory will do all we ask in His Name. Every answer to prayer He gives will have this as its object...the glory of the Father must be the aim and end, the very soul and life of our prayer."

Bill's Small Group Letters :
	Apr, 2005
	Sep, 2004
	Apr, 2004
	Jan, 2004
	Aug, 2003
	Jan, 2003

Take some time to meditate on Jesus' prayer to the Father in John17. It constitutes a back and forth desire that everything given to the Son be given back for the glory (fame, recognition, pleasure) of the Father. Everything Jesus asks for is in order that, once granted, it is immediately given back to the Father so that the Father's fame and pleasure grows! Now that's love! And this is to be our motive today when we pray for ourselves and those we love and minister with.

Asking the Father that He be glorified in the lives of those in our groups frees us to "really go for it", boldly coming to God for all of God's best. Praying this way gives us assurance that the ways God answers will always be for good (His goodness is part of His glory) and also fires our imagination to pray big things (His glory is so vast and limitless!). Praying this way keeps us from praying small, boxed in limited prayers and opens us to the freedom to pray for anyone, no matter how challenging the circumstances, and pray with more faith, because we know that at the end of the day, God will be glorified!* I love the fact that He is the God of the impossible. Only God can inject Life into what's dead or dying, Hope into despair, Light into the dark! When we see Him do what no one else ever can, He is glorified!

My prayer for you is that He be glorified in your life and in your service to Him as you pastor and lead those in your small group. May you and your people see God work in and through you, answering your prayers, demonstrating His love and His strength among you, that we all glorify our Father!

I am grateful to serve with you...for His glory,

Bill