prayer walk in the garden

...while early this morning claire hustled to the subway to meet a church member and spend time with her, i went on an extended prayer walk around the neighborhood...nearly every day, claire and i do a prayer walk for this suburb and it has been an important focal point to our new life in japan...with each day, the radius and reach of our prayer walk expands and we've been discovering the increasing measure of potential this area has for generational gospel ministry...

...with the pictures below, we intend to give you -- our prayer partners -- a visual-virtua tour of some markers along our prayer walk...beginning with our building...as we leave for our walk, we pray for the salvation of our immediate neighbors, asking that God would "lead us in triumphal procession, and through us spread the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere" (2 cor. 2.14)...

...walking under this arch, we raise the banner of Christ in our hearts and in our prayers (psalm 60.4; song 2.4)...this picture is taken facing back toward our building...

...we make a left out of our complex and walk down this street...

...immediately on the right side, we see our local market called "fresh heart"....in an almost humorous way, God uses this market to remind us of our need for such a heart...we awaken to his word that promises that His mercies are new every morning and great is His faithfulness (lamentations 3:22-23)...

...a few yards down to the left we are reminded to pray for the light of the gospel to shine freshly upon the hearts of japan's next generation (psalm 24.3-6; 1 john 2.12-14)...

...the end of the street marks the beginning of a busy intersection...the quiet tree-lined walkway gives way to a major thoroughfare lined with buildings...on one corner sits the local y.m.c.a., an established center of community, resources, and learning in this neighborhood...we pray for God to restore this valued organization back to its christian heritage...

...directly diagonal from the ymca is a small shopping area called "campus square"...we pass through this square en route to the subway station....students of all ages flock here to eat and hang out...along with doing their daily shopping, mothers with small children find community here during the day...

...it is often in the campus square that we realize the need for much prayer for God to reach and redeem the many students and wives and mothers through the beautiful feet of those who preach the good news of Jesus Christ (romans 10.14-15)...

...gakuentoshi consists of the word "gakuen" (learning) and "toshi" (garden)...with several universities and compulsory schools within a 5-mile radius, indeed we are living in a garden of learning...between 3 and 5 o'clock, the walkways and open spaces (like below) are swirling and swelling with navy-blue uniformed students on up to grad students...

...one institution that makes up this growing garden of learning is ryuka university...this morning i spent a couple hours on campus...the first hour i spent prayer-walking around the spacious grounds, praying that the truth of scripture (e.g., psalm 24, 67, 96, and daniel's prayer in dan. chp. 9) would be a reality here and asking that by His Spirit God would prepare this place for meaningful and creative gospel ministry...

...with a small bento box i bought at the campus square, i spent the lunch hour in the vibrant student center/cafeteria, where hundreds of students eat and hang out...as i prayed for open doors of witness and with-ness, i trust that with God's direction and timing, such doors will open...

...as we prayer walk in and around this garden of learning, please join us in praying -- as psalm 67 promises -- that God will shine the light and truth of His gospel into every heart, every home, every hallway, and every business hub in gakuentoshi...

May God be gracious to us and bless us

and make his face to shine upon us,

that your way may be known on earth,

your saving power among all nations.

Let the peoples praise you, O God;

let all the peoples praise you!

Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,

for you judge the peoples with equity

and guide the nations upon earth.