The Red Bike Prayer
The 10X Request
Wow! I just finished another strategy retreat with some of my “all in” soul allies. The guys in this photo are far from the only inspiring partners I have; however, these are the ones who just made another exceptional impact.
Last night they “floored me” with their whole-hearted investment. To my surprise they asked me to lie down on a small carpet for prayer. They then read the account from Mark 2 of the paralyzed man who was brought to Jesus by his friends. That’s what they sought to do. Then as they gathered around me, they read the account of the blind beggar recorded in Mark 10, who was asked a stirring question by Jesus: “What do you want me to do for you?”
They said, “Alan, what do you want Jesus to do for you?” I wasn’t prepared for that. At first, I had no clue what to request. I was stuck, so I asked for the space to just be quiet for a moment. Then something occurred to me.
As you may know we’ve just celebrated reaching the 100 mark in our ministry. It’s taken ten years, but we now have 100 in the fraternity . . . including those who have completed a three-year soul care covenant group, as well as those currently participating in one. That’s a big deal to us.
It’s not just a nice round number—it’s a transformational one. We know that lives have been profoundly changed. We know that marriages and ministries have been saved. We know that the ripple effects of soul health are reverberating in congregations numbering tens of thousands of people!
I surprised myself with the request to 10X Covenant Connections — growing from 100 to 1,000 leaders in our network! Everyone resonated and that became the focus of heart-felt prayers as they “lifted me up” before the Lord. These guys were serious as they prayed for even more than we could ask or imagine!
Have you ever boldly asked Jesus for something? We all want blessings for our churches, for our families and for ourselves. That’s not automatically a selfish thing; it can be a good, noble and God-honoring thing. We all have needs. Just like in the two stories from the Gospel of Mark, we all live with limitations of various sorts. While none of us are paralyzed or blind in the physical sense, we have certainly at times all been paralyzed and blind in the spiritual sense.
When you’re stuck, it’s always a good thing to look up! As we gathered in the high county of Colorado, we were all looking up, seeking the blessing of God — and we got it! As Psalm 133 says, “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity . . . For there the Lord has commanded the blessing . . .”
What meaningful and measurable blessing are you seeking? One of the guys told us that his mother used to say, “If you’re going to dare to ask God for a new bicycle you might as well ask for a red one!” He went on to talk about “red bike prayers.” Those prayers aren’t just vague ones . . . they’re bold, specific and measurable ones.
So, will you join with us in the “red bike” prayer to 10X the impact of Covenant Connections? One more thing, let us know if you’d like to become a financial partner in this!
Grace and Peace,
Alan
