For Roger

Tonight I went to get coffee with my buddy Nathaniel, as is usual for a Wednesday night after church.  We sat and talked about nothing important and left just before the store was closing.  We continued talking outside his car and out of the corner of my eye I saw a homeless man and knew instantly that he was going to come over to us.  So I said to God as the man was walking over, "Ok God, use me."  Simple.  He asked us if we had any money and I did so I gave him a couple bucks.  I asked him what he needed it for because I don't like to just give money away, and sure he could lie to me and say anything, but that's not so important.  We talked to him for a little while and found his name was Roger.  He camps out in Central Point, he's got a bad knee from surgery, and he has a few screws in there he said.

After talking with him for a bit I asked if we could prayer for him.  He said, "Sure.  A tall fella with blond hair just prayed for me."  The "tall fella" was my buddy Tory who was at the Dairy Queen just down the block. So we prayed.  We started declaring the goodness of God over his life.  That he would feel the love of God all around him and he would experience the blessings that God had for him.  We prayed that he would feel the Father's embrace and that his finances would be blessed.  We also prayed for healing over his leg.  Then I asked him if he believed in God and in Jesus, His son? And he said he did.  He even had one of those classic pictures of Jesus in his wallet.  Then we blessed him and me and Nathaniel went our separate ways home.

On my way home I found out that Tory had prayed many of the same things that we had prayed over Roger.  As I continued home I began to worship over Roger's life and did more praying and prophesying and contending for this man.

What's important about this story is not that I gave this man a few bucks and did a "good deed", it's that he heard the kingdom of God spoken over his life.  Giving to the poor is great, and we should do it, but it's not the only thing they need.  What they need is the truth of Jesus and the destiny He has for them.  They need to know the worth they have in God's kingdom.  Roger heard the heart of God tonight, what he chooses to do with it is his business.  But I believe that God was trying to get a hold of him tonight.  The fact that he ran into me and Tory is no coincidence.  Roger could of walked off in any which way but he ran into me and Nathaniel.  It's also no coincidence that our prayers were very much the same.  We're a couple of guys who hear God's heart and and speak it.

In the busyness of life, and sometimes self-centerness, it's easy to pass by the Roger's of the world and pay no attention to them.  But God is looking for people who are willing to lay down their lives and simply say, "Use me God."  What happened tonight was simple, but powerful!  Sometimes we're looking for the big things when all God wants us to do is pause and take a moment to value a life that the world would say doesn't have much value at all.  The glory of God is spread with the simple act of obedience and the willingness to lay down our lives.

So when you have time pray for Roger.  If you've never meet him or seen his face it's ok because God knows him.  Lives are changed because of prayer!  Make yourself available to God in your day to day life.  We don't always have to be the headliner.  Sometimes we're just asked to do the simple thing that has a powerful impact for the kingdom of God.

Be blessed!