My birthday is May 6… today!

And since today’s my birthday, I thought I’d share some free stuff with you guys and run a contest (the contest info is toward the bottom if you really don’t care about any of the free stuff).

And watch out: there’re lots of  ’s in this one.

Free Stuff

All of this is free to download or use, no opt-in required.

Gayle Erwin stuff

I’d recommend everything he offers, even though I haven’t read his latest book. He has a bunch of audio books and teaching videos available for free. Here are the two I’d suggest to get started:

• The Jesus Style: Gayle’s teaching which center on this book had a marked influence on my emphasis on serving here.
• That Reminds Me of a Story: This is a collection of 40 personal stories that Gayle shares when he teaches. <<Funny!

>> Gayle Erwin audio books <<

Michael Holmes’s book

Michael’s giving away free downloads of his book, I Shall Raise Thee Up, but only until May 15. You can read my review of it here or just grab your own copy:

>> I Shall Raise Thee Up audio book <<

CommentLuv

I had CommentLuv running a while ago but took it down. As of today, though, I’m running it again.

This means when you comment, if you have a blog, CommentLuv will automatically pull your latest post and display a link to it from your comment. Pretty cool, huh?

You’ve probably seen it around. It helps people find your blog by showing off your posts. Most of you commenters here are bloggers, so I thought I’d start showing a little more luv.

The contest

Here’s how this worked out: Renee Johnson ran a contest from her blog giving away her new book, Faithbook of Jesus, and I won. Thing is, I already have a copy. (I shared more about the book here.)

So I want to give this new copy to one of you. Here’s how it’s going to work:

• Guess what date I was born (Month/Day/Year), and leave your answer in the comments below. I already gave you the first part, so it’s not as difficult as you might think. If you answer with how old I am, you will not win. You must put the date I was born (yeah, you might have to do some math). <<I’m a pain like that.

But that’s it. I’m pretty sure this isn’t that popular of a blog, so it’s not like you’re competing against that many people.

Two other important rules:

• This is a U.S.-only contest. Sorry, dear friends in Germany and Canada and elsewhere – I don’t know how contest rules apply everywhere else. Instead, send this to one of your U.S. friends.
• My birthday’s just today, so the contest is just today (May 6) also. After midnight (EST), you can still comment, but the contest is over. Whoever guesses the correct answer is the winner, and I’ll let you know by email. (If it’s a tie, I’ll randomly select one of the tied contestants. If you all miss, I’ll go with whoever’s closest.)

For those outside the U.S. or for all two of you in the world who don’t really want a copy of Renee’s book, take a guess anyway and give the book away as a present if you win. 

All right, have at it…

Serving Suggestions:

(1) Guess what date I was born and leave your answer in the comments below.

(2) Check out the free stuff. Easy-peezy today.

• How a night club promoter switched to water – with Scott Harrison
• Raising money, watering Africa, becoming last – with Matt Windley
• Floating $20: How to creep into communalism
• Where to serve
• What you can learn from my most popular picture on Facebook

At 17, Nate’s already built two websites, sold one, and now released his Manly Manifesto and accompanying eCourse (more on that at the bottom).

I discovered Nate through a comment (I think) and wanted to support him since he’d just started. So when I found out he was about to give away a free eBook and eCourse on the topic of Christian manliness, I asked if he’d like to do an interview. He agreed, and this was the result.

*****

The vision

Marshall: All right… so Nate, for anyone who doesn’t know you or hasn’t visited your site, can you share a little about yourself and what you do?

Nate: Well, I am a 17-year-old, Christian, young man. I first started building websites at the age of 15, and I wrote a couple of blogs on topics such as eCommerce (Build Your Own eCommerce Website) and college (Debt-free Scholar).

In 2009, I re-evaluated my priorities and decided to start a blog on the topic of manliness. After selling Debt-free Scholar, I launched Practical Manliness in February 2010 with two goals…

1. To learn more about manliness.

2. To help others learn more about manliness.

3. To build a community of people working toward manliness.

Marshall: Which is how I found you.

That’s quite an ambitious start. Have you always been ahead of the game?

Nate: Not quite…

In fact, I am still not ahead of the game.

Marshall:

Nate: I try to write useful posts that will help my readers learn more about manliness, but I have made more than my share of mistakes.

For instance, the week that I started, I published a post about stationery (as in letters). However, I spelled the word as “stationary” (standing still) in the title. Embarrassingly, I did not notice the mistake until a reader pointed it out.

Just yesterday, I made another major blunder. My posts are automatically scheduled to post at 6:00 in the morning (while I am still asleep). Normally, this works fine, but yesterday I discovered that I had accidentally scheduled two posts to publish.

By the time I realized the problem, there was nothing I could do about it. Already, all my RSS, email, Twitter, and Facebook readers had been notified of the two new posts. As a result, I lost about five subscribers who didn’t want that many emails.

Well, live and learn.

Marshall: Yeah, but for the rest of us, we got to read two posts from you, though.

Nate: :)

Marshall: I think I’ve done something similar on a few occasions actually. But like you said, live and learn… better to learn now than never.

Nate: Exactly.

Another time, I accidentally published a draft… I meant to hit “Save” but instead I hit “Publish.”

Marshall: Yes, I remember that one, Nate. And I got a chance to get in touch with you more as a result.

Nate: Hopefully I will at least never repeat the same mistake twice.

It is great to see how my mistakes can actually be used for good through the Providence of God!

Marshall: Absolutely.

I want to ask you about how you got interested in working online in the first place, but first I want to go back to what your site is about. I’ve been a fan of The Art of Manliness for a while now, and your site’s similar in theme. One major difference, though, is the Christian background. Is that right?

Nate: I started Practical Manliness in the same general niche as AoM, but with the major difference of Christianity.

1. Christianity: PM is Christian while AoM is secular (according to their FAQ)

2. Practical: As the name indicates, PM is more focused on the practical side of manliness, although some “theoretical” topics are published also.

Marshall: Right, which is why I really appreciated your writing.

BondChristian is Christian and tries to be practical too. I tend to value those highly.

Nate: Yes, I always enjoy the “serving steps” at the end of each of your posts!

Marshall: Hey, thanks so much, Nate.

The background

Marshall: Okay, how did you get into working online? Was there a particular person or site that inspired you?

Nate: That’s a hard one…

Actually, I can’t remember exactly how and why I started working online, but I think that one of the main motivations was the opportunity.

As a 15 year old, I didn’t really have that much opportunity for offline ventures, but my interest in entrepreneurial activities lead me to look for different opportunities online. Especially back then, the playing field was virtually level.

Since I didn’t have much money, I first started using Blogger and WordPress.com to build my blogs. After a year or so, I upgraded to a BlueHost account and purchased a few (to many) domain names.

Right now, I have probably about 10 different domains registered, and I run two websites. The others are all vacant.

Once I got my own hosting account, I started using WP self-hosted, and I have used it ever since. I am a HUGE WordPress fan.

Marshall: Yes, I use WordPress and BlueHost too.

Nate: They are both great!

The manifesto and eCourse

Marshall: So jumping into what initially inspired me to do this interview with you, I hear you have a manifesto coming out soon (Update: It’s totally out now. Grab your copy here). Tell us about that.

Nate: Yes, I first started working on this manifesto about a month ago.

Soon after Practical Manliness launched (or perhaps just before, I don’t remember), I started writing this ebook to explain what I consider the “17 vital attributes of manly men.”

Marshall: How did you come up with those?

Nate: I brainstormed a variety of important traits and then condensed them to 16. After writing those 16, I decided to add the 17.

Marshall: I’m looking forward to checking it out. Are you going to sell it from your blog, or how is that going to work?

Nate: I plan to give the manifesto away rather like Chris Guillebeau did on The Art of Non-Conformity.

At the end of the manifesto, I have a three-step, action plan that will help people apply these traits. The action plan involves signing up for my five week “Manliness Boot Camp” (also launched on April 6th).

In the boot camp, people will be given practical challenges to help them apply the principles discussed in the ebook.

Marshall: Chris Guillebeau… I’m a huge fan. I was just about to ask about how you decided to do this. It seems like you got much of the idea from Chris.

Nate: Pretty much…

Marshall: I know I’ve been working on something similar, and I got the idea from him as well. I already have the newsletter up, but it’s pretty lame right now.

Nate: I am signed up for your newsletter, and I have enjoyed reading your points in them!

Marshall: Thanks, Nate. I’m looking to revamp that soon hopefully. Getting back to yours, though, I love the practical, action plan side of it and can’t wait to see what you’ve done.

Nate: I am still working on weeks two through four, but week one is ready to go. To “graduate,” a person must complete one challenge per week. Each week will have about five to ten different challenges to choose from with links to sources for more information.

During week one for example, one task is speed reading, another is nonfiction reading, one is giving a speech, another is giving a debate.

Each enlistee only has to complete one task per week, and each task has solid guidelines to help evaluate when the goal is reached.

Marshall: That’s pretty intense… from your end, I mean, putting it together and from the user’s side.

Nate: Once the brainstorming is finished, the rest is pretty simple, but the brainstorming (of task ideas) can be a difficult process.

Marshall: I was about to ask why you were doing this through the ebook (to start with) instead of just blogging it, but it seems like this way you’ll be able to present it in a much more structured and action-oriented format.

Nate: Yes, that and the permanency. The way I see it, an ebook is a bit more “formal” or timeless than a blog post and a bit less timeless than a physical book.

Marshall: Ah, good point. Same reason I started my newsletter: so I could recycle old posts to new visitors.

Nate: That is handy too.

Marshall: Apart from getting people to sign up and complete the various tasks, what do you hope we get out of this program?

Nate: I plan to write thorough articles about most of the goals in the “boot camp” and then link to them from the emails. So far, I have done that for at least one. The article on essay writing will be linked to (if I remember) from the first week’s email.

Marshall: So your main goal then is to drive traffic back to the site. Am I understanding that correctly?

Nate: Yes, I hope to drive traffic to my site so that I can keep building a strong community of manly men.

Marshall: What does “manly men” mean to you? I mean, why not write about some other topic?

Nate: I was just having a conversation about the definition of “manly” with a reader yesterday, so I have been doing some thinking on this topic.

In short, I would define “manly” as “a state of being in conformity with the role the Bible explains for men”. A manly man, in my opinion, would be a man who is working toward that goal.

Obviously, no one can be completely manly (i.e., conformed to the role explained in the Bible), but we should all be working toward it.

Marshall: I like that definition… it definitely sets Godly, manly men apart from manly men who define it by some arbitrary standard of “coolness” or “toughness.”

Nate: Yes, I have always been frustrated by people thinking that manliness is simply some vague idea of a big, “tough” guy. While that guy could be manly, a normal office worker could be just as manly.

Marshall: So it seems like that’s the primary benefit readers could get from your blog and the course… they could learn how to better define what it even means to be a man, and find the encouragement and resources to pull it off. How’d I do with that summary?

Nate: Sounds good!

The advice and future plans

Marshall: What’s one piece of advice you would give to someone reading this interview, particularly related to manliness, how to encourage it, and really live it?

Nate: Well, that’s a tough one. Probably my best piece of advice would be to read the Bible daily.

Since true manliness is the state of conforming to God’s truth (revealed in the Bible), every man should know the Bible thoroughly.

Marshall: Excellent advice, Nate. Certainly can’t go wrong there.

All right, finally, what are your plans down the road, Nate?

Nate: Well, in the short-term, I hope to promote my new manifesto, continue writing three weekly articles, and build a thriving community of manliness.

In the longer-term, I plan to continue writing PM and hopefully write an actual book on the topic.

Besides that, I am not really sure. I will be looking for where the Lord leads.

Marshall: That’s awesome. You certainly have a lot going on as it is. It’s such an encouragement to hear from others who are really digging into the Word and living it out for others.

Nate: You, with your blog and life, have certainly been an encouragement to me!

Marshall: Thanks, Nate. I appreciate that. I’ll link up to Practical Manliness, but are there any other ways you’d like people to get in touch with you?

Nate: That would be great! Thanks again for this interview!

Marshall: You’re welcome. I loved it. Thank you for spending so much time with me and sharing.

Any last thoughts you’d like to share? Otherwise, I’m going to sign off.

Nate: I think that is it. Thanks for the opportunity!

Marshall: All right, I’ll see you around. Adios.

*****

Serving Suggestions:

(1) Check out Nate’s blog, Practical Manliness, get your free copy of The Manly Manifesto, and sign up for the course (at the end of the manifesto). I’ve been impressed so far. Even if you’re not into manliness, #fistbump Nate on Twitter or shoot him an email. Support is always amazing, especially when you’re just getting started.

(2) It’s easy to read something like this but not actually learn anything practical. So what do you take from this interview? What lessons did you learn that you can (and will) apply right now?

(3) As always, I’d love some feedback on the interview. How’d I do with the introduction? What kinds of questions would you like me to ask? Should I keep doing these at all?

• I Shall Raise Thee Up and my case study of Michael Holmes
• 15 ministry ideas to get your brain going
• Contest + free stuff = My happy birthday to you!
• How a youth pastor quit to write and speak – with Josh Riebock
• The “Is that contestant on American Idol a Christian?” Scorecard

When Jon Acuff, the sarcasm behind Stuff Christians Like, asks for blogs where he can share a massive guest post, what’s “your practical guide for serving others” to do? Say, “No way, man, we’re not helping you”? Nah, I opened it up for him. So here’s a way to tell if American Idol contestants are Christians:

74. They manage to insult the theory of evolution during one of their interviews = + 2 points

Serving Suggestions:

(1) To add up your score with over a 130 other ideas on this scorecard, visit stuffchristianslike.net. This’ll all make more sense when you read Jon’s original post… then follow the scorecard around. (Jump to the next part here.)

(2) Also, Jon’s book is out now, but you can listen to it for free by signing up to download your copy here. The offer’s good for this month only. Check it out and let me know what you think. It definitely helped me understand how similar, as a Christian, I am to other Christians.

• Contest + free stuff = My happy birthday to you!
• How a 17-year-old is teaching Christian manliness – with Nate Desmond
• Let’s encourage Evan Blackerby: 9 posts to check
• Touching Godliness Through Submission – “Free” book
• I Shall Raise Thee Up and my case study of Michael Holmes

Photo: Totally stolen from twitter - hope you don't mind, Evan!

This guy writes like I write. Or at least the way I’d like to write sometimes. I think that’s why I like him.

That, and he uses headlines that capture my attention.

I discovered Evan (from Vacant Hands) for the first time “I don’t know when.” But I’ve enjoyed his posts ever since. He hasn’t posted anything new, though, in a couple weeks.

My goal is to encourage others to encourage others, so I thought I’d highlight some of his posts I’ve enjoyed. Check ‘em out. Leave a comment. Encourage.

…he’ll give it back.

9 Vacant Hands posts I enjoyed

1. Why laughing together is so important

Seriously!

2. Paris Hilton and Billy Graham

Which strategy are you using? Better one than the other (I’d say), but better either than none.

3. Why do you do what you do?

Asking the big, meta questions keeps you on track. Are you?

4. Why you should stop doing everything

Captures the vision behind the whole “vacant hands” deal.

5. How can I help you?

That’s what I want to ask. And I want to encourage you to ask.

6. 3 things you can’t overdo

You know these, I know these – what we don’t is remember.

7. Do something beautiful

We all want to, but do we? Do you?

8. How to be a hero?

Hint: it doesn’t happen by accident.

9. Are you my sun? -Sincerely, Orbiting Object

A different take on the “everyone serves someone” idea.

Serving Suggestions:

(1) Visit the site. Read some posts.

(2) If for whatever reason you find yourself back here, let me know which ones you liked best (they don’t have to be from my list).

• Contest + free stuff = My happy birthday to you!
• How a 17-year-old is teaching Christian manliness – with Nate Desmond
• The “Is that contestant on American Idol a Christian?” Scorecard
• Touching Godliness Through Submission – “Free” book
• I Shall Raise Thee Up and my case study of Michael Holmes

Click here to learn more about submission

This isn’t a book review or case study, though I should probably do both for Touching Godliness Through Submission and its author, K.P. Yohannan. For now, though, I thought I’d point you to a wonderful resource.

The book is only $10. Not bad. Plus, you’re supporting an amazing organization.

But if you’re interested, I’d suggest checking out the free, downloadable version first. You have to opt-in by giving an email address, but that’s a small “price” to pay to learn more. When you do, you’ll get the full, PDF version. You can print that or read it on your screen. Either way, I’d say it’s worth it.

Check it.

Serving Suggestions:

(1) Sign up to grab your free, PDF copy. Read it. Live it.

(2) Consider purchasing the hard copy.

(3) Let me know your thoughts on it. And in general, how do you feel about submission? What have you learned about it?

(4) Do you like me pointing to various resources like this, or would you rather I stick to my own, original content?

• Renee Johnson interview and blog tour
• Stop waiting on the Lord
• Dig into bondChristian.com
• Living for something greater than yourself
• The bondC guide to slavery

Michael's new book

Michael Holmes offered to send me a free copy of his book I Shall Raise Thee Up toward the end of 2009. I had been impressed with his blog, so I jumped at the offer.

Since then, he and I have chatted briefly through Twitter and blog comments (he’s often over here too), and I’ve enjoyed getting to know him more.

Michael is Christian speaker, writer, and now author focused on leadership, business, and marketing. Whew – his book is about personal success from a Christian perspective.

I’d like to use this post to share my thoughts and notes on the book. In some areas, Michael did a fantastic job. In others, not so fantastic. I think you and I can apply some lessons from this to help serve others, even if we’re not writing or promoting a book.

I liked that Michael gave me a free copy

Michael’s blog attracted me in the first place because it offered practical, biblical tactics for marketing. That’s refreshing. Michael feels like he’s going for a “Seth Godin for Christians” strategy. I’m a Seth fan and a Christian, so naturally that jived.

The general idea here is to create amazing products and let their amazingness market themselves. Once everyone’s talking, the conversion takes care of itself, whether in pesos or lost souls.

I appreciated Michael’s take on this. And when he offered free review copies of his book, I wanted to support his effort since he seemed to actually be doing what he was teaching.

Lesson: Create an amazing offer, an offer others will love supporting. What do others love supporting about you?

I didn’t like the titles

To get a feel for it, here are the chapter titles:

• Greatness
• Isolation
• Desire
• Character
• The Law of Vision
• The Law of the Extra Mile
• The Law of Persistence
• The Law of Stewardship
• The Law of Service
• Greatness Revisited

Note to authors who want me to love their books: titles matter to me like crazy. I do judge a book (and a chapter and a section) by its cover.

The subtitle, Ancient Principles for Lasting Success, sounded like a better (though still not great) title.

I don’t always follow my own advice, and that’s a shame. But if you want to grab me, you need captivating titles (and headings) that both describe the content and make me a compelling promise. I’m picky like that – but more importantly, I think others are too, even if they don’t notice it.

Lesson: First impressions matter. Help others by describing benefits.

I liked the practical application

I loved it actually.

Toward the beginning, Michael talks about how to get the most out of his book. He says to apply the lessons and teach them to others. Apply and teach – that could have  been me thinking those exact thoughts. He had me at that point – I wanted to know more.

Also, at the end of each section, he includes group discussion questions. I wish everyone did this. Even including them at the back of the book would be cool.

I don’t read non-fiction straight through. I jump around, re-reading various sections. I read the discussion questions for each chapter first, wrote them down, and covered the chapter with the questions in mind. This seemed to help me keep the chapter in perspective.

Michael did a good job creating that framework with his questions.

Lesson: Get your followers to actually do something – anything. They’ll remember better.

I didn’t like that I couldn’t find the hook

The book was an awkward read for me actually. At times, the repetitiveness bored me. Let’s get on with it, I thought. The book wasn’t repeating itself – it was repeating other success books.

Also, while the book certainly covered a number of crucial areas for success, I struggled to find a unique, central theme. If someone asked me why they should read this book instead of another book on the same topic, I’m not sure I could give a succinct response.

I think part of this was a result of trying to cover too much in one book. It’s only about 130 pages of reading. Tackling a topic like personal success in that space might have been too ambitious.

This also might be a personal preference. I tend to thrive on tactics, and it’s almost impossible to cover that much landscape adequately and stay practical at the same time. As a result, the book felt choppy.

Without a unique, driving theme, I felt lost at times. I Shall Raise Thee Up needed more consistency to hold it all together.

Lesson: There’s nothing new under the sun. Reminding is what it’s all about. But reminders have to be consistent.

I liked the sound bites

For me, the book was more about hidden gems. It was more about finding bits and pieces that grabbed me. I found many sections that resonated – I kept thinking, “Yeah, that’s a great point.” And I wrote them down.

These stand alone sections were fantastic because I was able to spring off them into my own thoughts.

Can you answer some of your toughest questions (or at least your most frequently asked questions) in a sentence or two and in a way that is memorable? That’s what these sound bites did. They might have been disjointed (see above), but they did provoke my thoughts.

Lesson: Be concise. And have concise answers ready.

And my biggest criticism of all..

I Shall Raise Thee Up is self-oriented.

Of course, that was the purpose of the book – personal success. It didn’t pretend to teach how to create success in others. Still, I wonder because for me, personal success is directly tied to creating success in others.

To be fair, I appreciated the group discussion questions at the end of each chapter as I said. They did promote some level of group interaction. And self-orientedness is my criticism of almost all writing (including this post) – I can’t blame Michael too much here.

From a learning perspective, the reading process taught me a lot about what works and what doesn’t for writers. I think it’s beneficial to study both the success and shortcomings of others to build a well-rounded understanding of anything.

Overall, I Shall Raise Thee Up was a good book, but I’m not sure it stands out from the many other Christian, success books on the shelves. As Seth Godin likes to say, “Good is the opposite of remarkable.” That’s why remarkableness is so elusive.

Serving Suggestions:

(1) I’d check out Michael’s blog first. If you enjoy what you read there, you might considering checking out the book as well. I should say, though, the book is focused more on personal success than on marketing and business as the blog is.

(2) Michael’s a great guy – I’d definitely encourage you to hit him up on twitter or shoot him an email to say hey.

(3) Finally, how do you learn from others? Do you just copy success? Why not also look at how you could improve on what others do? If you have lessons you’ve learned this way, feel free to share them in the comments.

• How a 17-year-old is teaching Christian manliness – with Nate Desmond
• 15 ministry ideas to get your brain going
• Contest + free stuff = My happy birthday to you!
• How a youth pastor quit to write and speak – with Josh Riebock
• The “Is that contestant on American Idol a Christian?” Scorecard

The Devo Diva herself!

Renee Johnson (a.k.a. Devotional Diva) asked me to participate in her book, blog tour. I don’t even know what that means. I’ve never participated in one before. So of course, my hand shot up (then I had to tweet back because she couldn’t see my hand).

Renee Johnson has been writing devotions for young adults for a while (like years). Now, though, she has her first book coming out, which… well, I’ll let her introduce you to it.

What I really liked about Renee when I began learning more about her was that she took what she enjoyed and turned it around to help others. In many of her interviews (which you can check out here by the way), she talked about how she was inspired to write devotionals after she had read through a number of them herself. She realized there was a need for devotionals that dig deeper and aren’t so cheesy. I can relate.

I liked, though, that Renee decided to do something about it, to actually start writing devotions of her own to share.

Finally, she compiled these devotions into her book, Faithbook of Jesus, and that’s what this tour is about. Renee’s letting me post a whole devotion right here for you to check out. She was also gracious enough to answer some quick questions (it’s not really an interview because I don’t know how to interview either). So with that, I’ll let her introduce you to her book.

*****

In one (perhaps) run-on sentence, how would you describe Faithbook to someone who’s unfamiliar with your writing?

Faithbook is like facebook only with a lisp, which includes a wall post (daily devotional), comments (including prayer), tag (quotes from other 20-somethings), and a link to an online community (faithbookofjesus.ning.com).

I heard that you were homeschooled (I was too) and started out as a math major in college. How did that background birth an author?

I never thought I would be a writer until one day sitting at the newspaper where I was working, they asked me to be the music columnist because I took a history of rock and roll class. I never looked back. Plus I got a C in Calculus 2, and I never get C’s.

That’s quite the turn around. So what made you write this book – what one thing do you want readers to take away from your it?

How to have daily time with God that’s fun, meaningful, and changes their life in a positive way.

I like carrot juice. Knowing that, fill in the blank: Marshall is to carrot juice as Renee is to _______.

…cheese.

Nice. Finally, what question do you wish everyone asked you but no one does (and how would you answer it)?

I love this! I wish everyone asked me how introverted I was instead of assuming that I’m this huge extrovert. I grew up shy, homeschooled, and I journaled every day asking God to heal me. And now that He has, people don’t see where I’ve come from but only a product of God’s healing. So as touched as I am that people don’t ask – I still wish they would.

Right on, Renee. Thanks so much for sharing.

Faithbook excerpt

All right, here’s one of Renee’s devotions for you to get a feel for the Faithbook. I particularly like what she says about praying with Thank You’s. Perhaps I’m biased though.

Desperate Prayer Lives

“This, then, is how you should pray . . .” — M a t t h e w 6 : 9

What do you consider praying? There can be many reasons why you pray, but the best reason of all is to talk with Jesus as you would your best friend. Here are four examples of how to know Jesus more personally today:

1 . Pray with Please and Thank You

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).

2 . Pray About Anything

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:18).

3 . Pray in Secret

“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (Matthew 6:6).

4 . Pray as Jesus Did

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” (Matthew 6:9-13).

• Sheri, 23, said that prayer “is a place of quiet waiting on God. Other times it is requests for direction, healing of hurts, for Jesus to bring freedom to lives of friends, family, and for the many who do not know him.”

• Dear Teacher Jesus, Thank you for the privilege of knowing you. Teach us how to pray. Give us prayer lives that are desperate for more of you each day. Amen.

• What’s your desperation story? Think about a time in your life when God answered the cries of your heart. Please visit www.faithbookofjesus.com and click on “Community” to share.

• To Read Further: Matthew 6:9-15

And that, my friends, is a small glimpse into Faithbook and its author. I hope you enjoyed it.

Serving Suggestions:

(1) Visit Renee’s blog. She’s been posting daily devotions like the one you just read. You can sense her energy and enthusiasm when you get to know her more. If you enjoyed what you just read, show her a little support by leaving a comment on her blog or…

(2) Check out here book, Faithbook of Jesus, due out in March. You can get more information about it at www.faithbookofjesus.com.

• Touching Godliness Through Submission – “Free” book
• How a night club promoter switched to water – with Scott Harrison
• Sharing the meaning of life – with Mikey Robinson
• Dig into bondChristian.com
• Testimony Revolution: How to rock the ultimate story – eBook

I’ve briefly connected with the creator, Jon Batarse, and he seems like a really down to earth guy. I’m happy to recommend his project. (You’ll probably start seeing a link to his site in the sidebar soon.)

[Note: This is my first ever video screen cast. I had a lot of fun learning to do it. As you can tell, that's a good thing because I have a lot more learning to go.

My apologies for the lousy audio quality. Also, the ending cut off, but it should have said, "Thank you for serving."]

Serving Suggestions:

(1) Visit ThankChrist.com. Read through some of the thankful posts that have been left.

(2) Leave a comment of your own. Thank Christ… publically. Like I said in the video, writing it down helps make it real in your life. It seems like a small step, but these small steps add up to massive thankfulness, which (as I’ve said before) is the motivator for everything we do.

• What do you say? Say, “Thank you.”
• Permission to be grateful
• Becoming child-like: How to forget worrying and live now
• Becoming child-like: How to play
• Thankful for hands, eyebrows, things you’ve never lost