Tomorrow, Saturday, April 21, is a mission-wide day of prayer. Read what our president, Newt Crenshaw, wrote about it below.
In Luke 24 we find two friends walking together along a seven-mile stretch of road between Jerusalem and Emmaus. They were downcast and discouraged. Jesus had been crucified, and now his body had gone missing from the tomb. In the middle of their sadness and confusion, we find these tender words: Jesus himself came up and walked along with them.
On April 21, I would like to invite you to go for a walk and expect Jesus to join you. We have decided to celebrate this Young Life Day of Prayer by inviting our entire mission to Move Forward together in the presence of our risen Lord.
You might choose to walk and talk with your leaders or committee members, a fellow staff person or a friend. I would even encourage you to invite new partners to join us in this Day of Prayer as we unite our hearts for the sake of young people in our communities. You might walk around the perimeter of a school, through a barrio or around a camp. The board of trustees and I will kick things off with a prayer walk around Los Angeles as our meeting concludes April 20. Whatever vision the Lord gives you, go walk it out and talk it out with Him!
The two friends in Luke 24 poured their hearts out to this stranger on the road. (He was just that kind of person.) Then He warmed their aching hearts so deeply with His words, they invited Him to dinner. As Jesus broke the bread, their eyes were opened, and they recognized the Savior. What would happen if Jesus revealed Himself clearly to our mission on April 21?
I believe our Lord longs to make Himself known. If you do the math in Luke 24, you will discover that the two friends covered 14 miles that day! After Jesus revealed Himself at dinner, they jumped up and walked back to Jerusalem. Or, more likely, they ran! Let’s expect Jesus to join us. Let’s pour out our hearts to Him and let Him warm them with His words. Some of us might even break bread together on that day. Fair warning: When the resurrected Lord reveals Himself to us, be prepared to run!
You will notice that April 21 is a Saturday so that our friends who work on weekdays might be free to join us. You will also find this guide as an optional resource for that day and a brief prayer list from me focused on our Forward movement. Thank you for considering the needs of the larger mission as you pray. May we be a mission that walks together daily in the presence of Jesus. It is a privilege to join you on this sacred journey in Young Life. -Newt
