Thursday, March 26, 2009

Tapping the Line

Tapping the Line
By Jeremiah Hughes
A New Life Church Write4Him Author

The 60/60 experiment is far from an ordinary movement. It is an absolutely revolutionary idea that has enhanced my spiritual relationship with God and opened my eyes to His presence in everyday life. My communication with the Lord is at an all time high; I am speaking more freely and hearing more clearly. 60/60 has provided the framework for the Lord to construct a type of cell phone tower in my heart, or “prayer phone” tower, and my provider rings clearer than ever before! No dropped calls, no interference, unlimited minutes, free nights and weekends … the whole nine yards! Well, maybe eight and a half yards … I don’t exactly have text messaging. ;)

But, I digress. In order to help keep on track with 60/60, I have set my iPhone alarm to go off every hour, and the ringtone I selected is an old-fashioned doorbell. *DING DONG* … God’s at the door … *DING DONG* … God is calling … *DING DONG* … Time to talk to God. It is a great illustration for the 60/60 experiment. God is always at the door, always on the other line, always ready and waiting to talk with us. So I must admit, I have been feeling pretty proud of myself, what with my own personal “prayer phone” tower and all. How could this get any better?

Then, something amazing happened! Somebody tapped into my private line. Somebody else started using my “prayer phone” tower to talk with God. My own father started borrowing my phone line to communicate with God. Now, please don’t think that my father was previously a non-believer and that 60/60 has brought him to God. He is a religious man, baptized Christian, and prays before meals. He is an amazing father and loving husband. But he doesn’t have the greatest attendance record and only occasionally finds his way to church on Sunday. However, throughout this experiment, I would hear that familiar *DING DONG*, and my dad would say, “God is at the door. Tell him I said hi.” I thought nothing of it at first and played it off as him making a small joke. But as the little comments continued, I noticed that my father had started actively thinking about our Father, just as I was, on an hourly basis. How incredible is that?!

It really hit home when I was sitting at work, and a call was transferred in. I answered the phone like I always do, but this time my dad was on the other end. It was nothing out of the ordinary at first; we exchanged words about how our days had started and what we were doing. But after a few moments passed he said, “The reason I called was to let you know that I am going into an important meeting in a couple of hours. Next time God rings the doorbell, please ask him to be with me. It could be a really big sale.”

Wow!

At that precise moment I realized that my focus on the 60/60 experiment had started impacting those around me. Even though the foundation of my “prayer phone” tower was secured firmly in my heart, the signal was resonating in the hearts of those around me. Just like AT&T, or Verizon, or any other cellular phone provider, one tower has the ability to connect thousands of people together. Why can’t we be like that? Why can’t our signal reach out to everyone around us, connecting them to God and connecting them to other people?

As I reflect on the past three weeks, I remember others who may have tapped the line of my “prayer phone” tower. I remember those people who asked why my phone made the doorbell sound every hour, and those individuals to whom I have explained the experiment…coworkers, family members, friends. I remember those who I am attempting to help connect on an hourly basis, my 60/60 running partners. My only hope is that my tower’s signal has been strong enough in those moments, strong enough for all of them to connect with God on their own level and in their own way.

So, how strong is your signal? I am willing to bet it is a lot stronger than you might realize. You may not even recognize it, but one simple little explanation of what you are doing on an hourly basis could very easily have a world of impact on that one individual. Your diligence and commitment to 60/60 could be the inspiration one person needs to continue their own growth. Keep up the good work! Continue building your very own “prayer phone” tower with the Lord. Strengthen that signal in prayer with God. You never know who might be tapping in!

“Pray continually; Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not put out the Spirit’s fire” (1 Thessalonians 5:17-19).

-Jeremiah Hughes
jeremiah@hughescollections.com
Please feel free to contact me with any comments or questions.

No comments: