Leigh Family Prayer Bulletin - April 2005

March 31, 2005

Spring done sprung!!! Ok, bad English, but since my French is full of mistakes, why not my English? ;c)

Many, many thanks for your "March Prayers"! Looking at our schedule in March (and the end of February), we were more like Mad "March Hares" than a normal family, but God was clearly faithful during a month of near constant activity. Angela spoke a bit about that in her last newsletter (our "general newsletter"). For you, our prayer support team, I'd like to give you the focus for prayer for our month to come. It is also a strategic month but in a different sort of way.

There are 3 strategic emphases to this month and they are the 3 areas of prayer that we would like you to focus on. On to those areas...!

Prayer Requests

1. Family - Last month was a strain on our family. This month doesn't look as full, but we need to really be careful and sow into our family relationships during this season. Please pray for our focus on our kids right now. Please also pray for Angela and me as we are trying to consecrate our afternoons for some specific sowing into our marriage...too easy to set aside for any number of reasons! The general state of our families speaks volumes to the world. There are some things that our family "speaks" that I think are good and some that need some work!
   
2. Europe - As most of you know, we have a heart for France but also Europe as a whole. Part of that is what we do here specifically, and part of that is related to connecting you all (mostly State-side Americans) in your hearts to God's heart for Europe. On the side of what we do specifically, Rachel and I will be spending a week in England, of which 1/2 of that time will be at a conference for Europe. It's a follow-on gathering to what we attended in Strasbourg, France last May when we came to the region of Alsace to connect permanently. This year the focus at the conference is on French/English-Francophone/Anglophone reconciliation. It is something that is deeply on our heart and important for what God wants to do in the world at this hour of history. Simply by praying for Rachel and me and praying for this conference (called "Target Europe") which happens April 14-17 in Portsmouth, England, you will be participating in reconciliation on this continent and between Europe and the States. Also by encouraging your prayer participation, we work on the other part of our heart for Europe...connecting your hearts to God's heart for Europe!
   
3. Passion For Jesus - This also goes under the name of Worship and/or Intercession and/or "The 1st Commandment". It represents our desire to be catalytic agents here in France and Europe to foster and facilitate a massive increase in the focused worship and adoration of the King of the Universe, Jesus. This is equally valid in the lives of individuals and in the Church, that is to say in individual and collective settings. Last month we had the opportunity to be involved in a great deal of this in collective settings, and we say, "More Lord!!!". Frankly however, we need to come alive in this in an individual way...for helping and leading others, yes, but rooted deeply in it ourselves. The level of "distraction" in our lives feels like it's increasing and I, for one, am convinced that there is a specific war for the passions of each person in this family because both the Lord and Satan know the profound difference in effectiveness of this family based on our level of passion for Jesus. Please pray for protection for the passions of our heart...that they be directed only to Jesus and not dispersed hither and yon...where in diluted form, they are worth nothing.

May the Lord guide your prayers...
David