PRAYER REQUEST AND DEVOTIONAL ARCHIVE

June 18, 2009 Devotional

Dear Alumni, Family, Friends, and Generous Supporters,

I would like to give a special thanks to our 303 prayer partners who prayed fervently for answers to prayers. I’m so thankful and humbled at your dedication and love displayed for the Ivy League. I believe God strategically enabled us (prayer partners) to usher in many wonderful results witnessed over the school year. Prayer produced possibilities.

I look forward to our continued prayer partnership during the summer. Next week, I will delineate our shared goals for the summer and fall. Feedback is always welcome. I pray this devotional by Robert Reinner will bless your hearts and minds.

Blessings,
Quincy

For Best Results, Follow Instructions
2 Kings 5: 9-14 (KJV)

9      So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door
of the house of Elisha.        
10    And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times,
and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.
11    But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come
out to me,  and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God,
and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.
12    Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel?
 may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.
13    And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had
bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then,
when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?
14    Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God:
and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

Many consumer goods companies provide detailed instructions on assembling and obtaining the best use of their products. Almost all instructions contain the phrase, “For best results, follow instructions below.” This simple and yet profound statement recapitulates the purpose of step-by-step instructions.

In this passage, we encounter a miracle almost forfeited because of pride. Naaman’s pride was as cantankerous as his leprosy. Naaman needed deliverance from both. Naaman’s was offended and unwilling to follow Elisha’s specific instructions given to cure his leprosy. In Naaman’s mind, the instruction to dip seven times in the Jordan River (the muddiest river in the area) was too humiliating and mundane for him to accept. However, the servant of Naaman challenged him to accept God’s healing by following Elisha’s instruction.  Naaman humbled himself, and went to dip in the Jordan River seven times. On the seventh time his skin return to him healed. Blessings are procured first through obedience and second by understanding. Instructions have very little to do with understanding and more to do with obedience. Obey God at all cost! That’s what God desires of us. Whatever God’s instructions are for you, please follow them regardless if you understand them or not. Remember, God is not performing your blessing based on your understanding; but on your willingness to obey. For best results, we should follow God’s instructions below.

Dear Alumni, Family, Friends, and Generous Supporters,

We did it! Prayer for the Ivy League has accumulated over 1,000,000 minutes of prayer. To God be the glory for His wonderful and marvelous acts. We have witnessed amazing results of answered prayer on these campuses.

I would like to give a special thanks to our 303 prayer partners who prayed fervently for answers to prayers. I’m so thankful and humbled at your dedication and love displayed for the Ivy League. I believe God strategically enabled us (prayer partners) to usher in many wonderful results witnessed over the school year. Prayer produced possibilities.

I look forward to our continued prayer partnership during the summer. Next week, I will delineate our shared goals for the summer and fall. Feedback is always welcome. I pray this devotional by Robert Reinner will bless your hearts and minds.

Blessings,
Quincy 

 TAKE MY YOKE

Matthew 11:28-30 (KJV)
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart:
and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden.

The word "labour" in verse 28 is from the Greek word kopaio, which describes the most wearisome kind of labor. This is a person who is giving everything he has to a project or assignment. He is striving, laboring, and working with every fiber of his being. But the Greek tense describes people who have been laboring under this load without a pause for a very long time. Their work has been wearisome, exhausting, and unending.

The words "heavy laden" tell us why these people are so weary from their labors. These words are from the Greek word phortidzo, which denotes a load or burden that is normal and expected for an individual to carry in life. It was a military term that described the backpack or bag that every soldier was required to carry as a part of his career as a soldier. Carrying such a weight was a normal and expected requirement for soldiers. The weight of these backpacks and bags was determined by the length of the soldier's journey. If his trip was short, the weight would be less. But if the assignment mandated a longer journey, the weight of the backpack or bag would be much heavier laden.

This means Jesus was referring to people who had been doing their job for a very long time—and their job wasn't done yet. Their journey had not been a quick, short, and easy one, and much of it was still before them. They had quite a long distance yet to go before they reached their destination. Knowing how exhausted they were and yet how much further they had to go before they were finished, Jesus told them, "Come unto me... and I will give you rest" (v. 28).

The word "rest" is from the Greek word anapauo, which means to rest, to relax, to calm, or to refresh. The root is pauo, from which we get the word pause. So in Matthew 11:28, the word anapauo carries the meaning of to pause, to cease, to desist, or to refrain. In our modern-day language, it could be translated to take a breather; to have a break; to have a hiatus, a lull, an interval, an interruption, or to take time to get away from something or some responsibility.

Jesus never promised that He would take difficult assignments away from you. However, He did promise that if you would come to Him, He would give you the rest you need in order to be refreshed for the continuation and conclusion of the journey. So when it seems like you've given all you have, but there's still so much more for you to do before you're finished, just take a break from your journey and go to Jesus for some supernatural refreshing!

Then in Matthew 11:29, Jesus said, "Take my yoke upon you...." The word "take" is the word airo, meaning to deliberately lift or to deliberately take up. The fact that Jesus used the word airo implies that one must deliberately invite Jesus into the harness so He can help you pull the plow. The word "yoke" is the Greek word zugos, which describes the wooden yoke that joined two animals together so they could combine their strength to pull a load that generally would have been too difficult for one animal to pull by itself. This "yoke" made the team inseparable. As a result, they were stronger, and their combined strength made their task easier.

This is Jesus' offer to the weary and tired worker. Jesus offers to come alongside the worker and join him in his assignment or affairs. However, the worker—the weary soul—has to make the deliberate choice to enter into this working relationship and to come under the yoke of Jesus. He has to take the "yoke" of Jesus upon himself, reaching out by faith to lift it up and place it upon himself.

Becoming "yoked" to Jesus in your life, your ministry, your business, and your personal affairs is a premeditated, determined choice—not something that occurs accidentally. But just as two animals that are "yoked" together make a job much more easy and manageable, the strength of you and Jesus together is unbeatable! That is why the Lord went on to say, "For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:30).

The word "easy" is the Greek word chrestos, meaning pleasurable, delightful, or comfortable. This means it is a delight to work with the Lord. When you are yoked together with Jesus, even the most difficult assignments become pleasurable! Situations that would normally make you uneasy become comfortable. Being "yoked" together with Him changes the atmosphere and brings peace and strength to your soul. It is the most pleasurable experience in the world!

Jesus concluded this verse by saying that being "yoked" together with Him is "light." The word "light" is the Greek word elaphron, describing something that is not burdensome, but light or easy. I can tell you from personal experience—what was once hard, wearisome, and troubling because you were doing it all alone becomes pleasurable and lighter when you are partners with Jesus!

So what about you, friend? Are you going to keep pulling that plow through that solid ground all by yourself? Or are you going to allow Jesus to become partnered with you in your endeavors? Going it alone is the hardest course you can take. But when you choose to be yoked together with Jesus, you suddenly have the greatest Partner in the universe who will turn a once-hard situation into the most pleasurable experience of your life!

Dear Alumni, Family, Friends, and Generous Supporters,

In week thirty-eight classes are officially over.  Alumni reunions are kicking off over the weekend.  This has been an amazing year.  Your prayers and support made the difference.

As a quick update, we have 300 prayer partners with over 970,000 minutes of prayer.  Next week we will have reached our goal of 1,000,000 minutes of prayer.  Unbelievable!

Today's devotional was written by me.  I pray this will bless your hearts and minds.

Blessings,
Quincy

 STOP ACTING LIKE THE DEVIL

James 2:18-19 (ESV)

18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!

During my childhood days, my mother would often recite two phrases that resonate with me today: “Birds of a feather flock together, and a tree is known by its fruit.” Today, I know both phrases highlight homogenous behavior among close friends, and actions that reveal a true nature of a person. Therefore, when people say someone is “acting like the Devil”, they make reference to similarities of practicing sin and opposition to Lordship of Jesus Christ. Their devilish behavior is deleterious and incongruent with the lifestyle of a true believer. A believer must be willing to sever any habit or behavior associated with evil. But, what happens when sin in a believer’s life is not the issue but yet they are still “acting like the Devil"?

In this passage, James addresses this possibility as the silent killer in a believer’s life. Many believers shamefully settle for a faith void of good works. Today, upstanding Christians are resting on their laurels of orthodoxy while minimizing the true intent of faith. Faith and action are concerted efforts. Our faith must be internalized, and should be visible for others to see. Possessing only a belief in the Lord Jesus Christ neutralizes our advantages over the Devil because he believes in God as well. Faith is the starting point. Action determines the direction in which we are traveling. This statement is exactly James’ point; as long as we can only point to our beliefs and not what our beliefs have done through us, we are “acting like the Devil.” We must zealously desire to excel in good works to demonstrate our faith and love for the Lord.

It’s clear from James’ epistle that he has no intentions of undermining the doctrine of justification by faith alone, or the assurance of our saving faith. However, James reminds us that we are saved for a purpose and we need to fulfill that purpose. Talk is cheap; fear is the enemy. If we only talk about the Lord or exhibit fear, we are acting more like the devil than we care to believe. The devil is all talk and he has never done anything to build up the Kingdom of God. We must exceed the devil’s performance by doing more than just believing. Christians are the light of the world. If we refuse to shine our light, we are guilty by association. Let us not “act like the Devil.”

May 21, 2009 Devotional

Dear Alumni, Family, Friends, and Generous Supporters,

In week thirty-seven, classes are officially over. Seniors are preparing to graduate. Juniors, sophomores and freshmen are preparing for their summer internships and vacations. Our prayers are for the beginning of great careers, successful internships, wonderful times of vacationing, and consistency in seeking God during this time.

As a quick update, we have 300 prayer partners with over 975,000 minutes of prayer.  This is awesome. My motto for this year has been "Prayer Produces Possibilities." Our efforts together accentuate this point.

I wrote today's devotional.  I pray this will bless your hearts and minds.

Blessings,
Quincy

     Formula for National Healing

 2 Chronicles 7:14

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” 

There is a favorite saying of mine I often quote with my colleagues at Christian Union called “Secret Sauce.” I borrowed this term from several restaurant franchises claiming to use secret ingredients responsible for their prodigious success. This is my way of explaining when we (Christian Union) have arrived at our perfect combination of planning, people, and performance to make a demonstrable difference. 

In this passage, at the dedication of the Temple, God appeared to Solomon and gave him some important instructions. The verse for today is part of these instructions. It gives the divine formula for national healing. It involves humbling, praying, seeking, and forsaking.

Humbling: “Shall humble themselves.” This is where it begins. Pride is the genesis of trouble. It was Lucifer’s problem, and it is an acute problem in our society as is seen by the emphasis on instant gratification and on our rights. If one conducts his life in humility, people often think he’s weak or inferior. Pride doesn’t demonstrate confidence but an inflated sense of self. Pride is selfish, corrupting, and deleterious.

Praying: “Pray.” To pray to God acknowledges our need of divine help and healing. When a national disaster happens, our public officials sometimes call for a time of prayer. This acknowledges our need of God’s help. With the kind of national troubles we have experienced lately, the only help that can heal is God’s help.  Therefore, we need to get on our knees and do some earnest praying to the Almighty to help us.

Seeking: “Seek my face.” Not many people are seeking God today. Few are interested enough in God to seek Him in His Word and prayer. Furthermore, national church attendance is declining sharply as people have little desire to worship God. Most people have little time for God. But until our nation seeks God sincerely and regularly, its ills will not be healed.

Forsaking: “Turn from their wicked ways.”  We cannot endorse evil by legislating laws to allow evil conduct to exist without arrest. Also, we cannot excuse our sins because everyone else is doing it. Nor does it mean to belittle the seriousness of evil. It means to forsake our evil ways, and to forsake anything that would encourage evil. Our land, however, is pursuing evil, not forsaking it. But until it forsakes sin, the ills of society will not be healed.                                                              

 

May 14, 2009 Prayer Requests

Dear Alumni, Family, Friends, and Generous Supporters,

As I’ve said before, prayer is not a way of getting what we want, but the way to become what God wants us to be.  Our prayers should be less about ourselves and more about God’s will for our lives. The safest place for us to be is in the will of God.

In our thirty-fifth week of our “1,000,000 Minutes of Prayer Campaign”, we have accumulated over 940,000 minutes of prayer among the 300 prayer partners. This is absolutely amazing!  Thanks for your prayers as we believe “every prayer counts.”

This week’s prayer requests concentrate on prayer for leaders, students and special events. I pray the Lord will bless you richly as you pray for each Ivy League school.   

Blessings,
Quincy

 
BROWN
* for all students as they come to the end of taking final exams on May 15.  Pray they have a strong end to the term.
* as seniors prepare for graduation on May 24, pray they seek God’s guidance as they look to their futures.  Pray for their transition out of academia, that they find good churches where they can continue to grow strong in their faith. * that speeches made during Commencement will be edifying and make a worthwhile impact and contribution to the lives of the graduating class.
* for students from the Brown InterVarsity (IV) fellowships who will be attending the IV New England Region end of year retreat, Summit 2009 from May 24-29 at Toah Nipi, New Hampshire.  Pray that as these students join other campus fellowships from around New England, study John 1-4 together, worship, pray and celebrate how God is working among them, that they will be impacted and empowered to be faithful in their service to, and walk with the Lord.
* for the Lord to place believers at Brown in the class of 2013 and be in prayer for all the admits who are making choices about which university to attend.  Pray for these unknown faces.
* ask God to strengthen students in their faith, to trust Christ more deeply and take God-honoring risks throughout the summer, and that relationships built between students through life groups and campus ministry meetings over the past year would provide accountability throughout the summer. 

COLUMBIA
* for all students as they come to the conclusion of taking final exams on May 15.  Pray they finish the term well.
* be in prayer for students applying to, and those already accepted for the next academic year at Columbia. Pray that many Christian students will be among them who will be faithful witnesses for Christ once on campus.
* as the class of 2009 prepare for graduation on May 20, pray they seek God’s guidance as they look to the future. Pray for smooth transitioning out of academic life, that they find good churches, continue to grow in grace and remain encouraged.
* that the Commencement speech by university president, Lee C. Bollinger, will be edifying and make a worthwhile impact and contribution to the lives of the graduating class.
* that Intervarsity’s New York/New Jersey end of year retreat, Basileia, at Saranac Village, New York, will be a time of great blessing, encouragement and growth for those members of InterVarsity at Columbia who attend from May 16-21.  Pray that as they join students there from other campuses and spend time studying the Bible,  worshiping and having leadership and discipleship training together, that their knowledge of Jesus Christ will deepen and they will strengthen their impact as ambassadors for Him.
* ask God to strengthen students in their faith to trust Christ more deeply and take God-honoring risks throughout the summer, and that relationships built between students through life groups and campus ministry meetings would provide accountability over the summer.

CORNELL
* for Matt and Tracy Herman, the leaders of Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship, which has come under pressure from the university administrators, and had their funding suspended.
* as students are finishing their final exams this week, pray they finish the term well.
* and as seniors come closer to graduation on May 24, pray they seek God’s guidance as they look to the future. Pray they transition out of academic life easily, and find good churches, continue to grow in grace, and are encouraged in all they do.
* that David Plouffe, the keynote speaker at Cornell's Convocation, will be edifying and make a worthwhile impact and contribution to the lives of the graduating class.
* for students applying to, and those already accepted for the next academic year at Cornell. Pray that many Christian students will be among them who will be bold ambassadors for Christ once on campus.
* for students as they have to cope with the lack of structure over the summer and the difficulty this can cause them. Pray they will get the healthy rest and recuperation they need from the pressures and stress of the academic year.
* for Christian students whose parents are not believers and are critical of their Christian beliefs.  Pray that they will hold strong to their faith in times of difficulty over the summer and beyond.
* be in prayer for students who remain on campus over the summer and gather for regular times of Bible study and prayer through the Summer Christian Fellowship.

DARTMOUTH
* Praise God that He put an arm of protection around the 12 Dartmouth undergraduates, a faculty family and assistant teacher who were in the Language Study Abroad program in Cholula, Mexico for the past few weeks, and are now back at campus in good health and spirits.  Pray for their continued health so they can concentrate on finishing their classes at home.
* be in prayer for Louise Erdrich, a 1976 graduate of Dartmouth, who will deliver the Commencement address on June 14. Pray that her words will be edifying to the hearers and that it will make a worthwhile impact and contribution to the lives of all those graduating.
* continue praying for James Wright, president of Dartmouth, as he is in the process of handing over the leadership of this university to President-elect Jim Yong Kim by July 1. Pray that God will be with them both over the next few weeks.
* for seniors to be more urgent about the Gospel, to be open to making decisions of commitment, and that they seek God’s guidance as to what He would have them do upon graduating. 
* for the incoming freshmen and transfers next year, that they would be open to seeking out fellowships and groups on campus to help build up their faith.
* that God would guide Dartmouth’s Christian Impact to make Christ-glorifying decisions as they start making plans for the fall. 
* that God would raise up new student leaders for the various campus ministries, who walk closely with God and will be intentional about committing to pray for one another as well as encourage each member of their particular ministry.

HARVARD
* for students from the Harvard InterVarsity (IV) fellowships who will be attending the IV New England Region end of year retreat, Summit 2009 from May 24-29 at Toah Nipi, New Hampshire.  Pray that as these students join other campus fellowships from around New England, study John 1-4 together, worship, pray and celebrate how God is working among them, that they will be impacted and empowered to be faithful in their service to, and walk with the Lord.
* be in prayer for students entering Harvard for the next academic year. Pray that many Christian students will be among them who will be faithful ambassadors for Christ once on campus.
* as seniors graduate on June 4, keep them in prayer as they transition into a new phase of life, and that they find good churches quickly, continue to grow in grace and remain positive and encouraged.
* that the Commencement speech delivered by Energy Secretary Steven Chu, will make a positive and worthwhile contribution to the lives of the graduating class.
* for Christian students whose parents are not believers and are critical of their Christian beliefs.  Pray that they will be faithful to their faith in times of difficulty over the summer and beyond.
* for God to continue to unify the body of Christ at Harvard, according to His will.

PENN
* as the Class of 2009 prepare for graduation on May 18, pray they seek God’s guidance as they look to the future and are willing to accept whatever He calls them to do.  Pray they quickly become involved in good churches and continue to grow spiritually.
* that those for whom the Commencement speaker, Eric E. Schmidt, Chairman and CEO of Google, will be directing his speech, will find it to be worthwhile and impactful to their future lives.
* that many Christian students will be admitted Penn who will be bold ambassadors for Christ once on campus. Be in prayer for these unknown faces.
* for students as they have to cope with the lack of structure over the summer and the difficulty this can cause them. Pray they will get the healthy rest and recuperation they need from the pressures and stress of the academic year.
* ask God to strengthen students in their faith to trust Christ more deeply and take God-honoring risks over the summer, and that relationships built between students through campus ministry meetings would provide accountability throughout the summer.
* that God would raise up new student leaders for the various campus ministries, who walk closely with God and will be intentional about committing to pray for, and encourage each member of their particular ministry.
* for students going on summer mission trips.

PRINCETON
* for all students taking final exams between May 13-23.  Pray they have a strong finish to the term.
* for seniors as they prepare for graduation on June 2.  Pray they seek God’s guidance as they look to the next stage of their lives, whether that is graduate studies, new employment or some other endeavor.  Pray that they find good churches where they can grow spiritually, and are encouraged each step of the way.
* be in prayer for the speakers during the 2009 Commencement, May 31-June 2, and  also that their messages for the graduating students will be both edifying and beneficial to their futures.
* for graduating women in Christian fellowships, that God would provide for them Godly women who can commit to discipling and mentoring them.
* for the Lord to place believers at Princeton in the class of 2013
* Impact Christian Fellowship continues to be a strong presence on campus among the African-American community through Bible studies, large group meetings and prayer circles.  Pray for the new student leadership who will be taking over next semester, that their walk with God, as well as their influence, discipleship and compassion for others, both Christian and non-Christian, will be evident.
* for Christian students whose parents are not believers and are critical of their Christian beliefs.  Pray that they will hold strong to their faith in times of difficulty over the summer and beyond.

YALE
* as seniors prepare for graduation on May 25, pray they seek God’s guidance as they look to their future.  Pray for their transitions, that they find good churches, continue to grow spiritually and be passionate ambassadors for Christ. * Commencement related activities take place between May 23-25.  Pray for safety at the events as well as for those traveling too and from the university.  Keep the speakers in prayer and pray their speeches will be of lasting benefit to graduating students.
* for students from the Yale InterVarsity (IV) fellowships who plan to attend the IV New England Region retreat, Summit 2009 at Toah Nipi, New Hampshire.  Pray that as these students join other campus fellowships from around New England, study John 1-4 together, worship, pray and celebrate how God is working among them, that they will be impacted and empowered to be faithful in their service to, and walk with the Lord.
* for the two new student leaders of Yale School of Management Christian Fellowship.  Pray for their walk with God, and that they be intentional to maintain the spiritual health of fellow Christians by praying with and for them, and that they be encouragers.
* some students will be staying in New Haven for the summer, pray that through the Yale Summer Christian Fellowship they can be an encouragement to each other and spend time exploring more about God through regular times of  Bible study.

 May 7, 2009 Devotional 

Dear Alumni, Family, Friends, and Generous Supporters,

In week thirty-four, classes are officially over. Students are now preparing for final examinations during reading period. This has been an amazing year. Your prayers and support made the difference.

At this time I ask you to pray for the leadership and members of Chi Alpha, a Christian campus ministry at Cornell, which is coming under great pressure from the university administrators, and have had their funding halted.  

As a quick update, we have 300 prayer partners with over 920,000 minutes of prayer. We are over 90 percent towards our goal. This is awesome. My motto for this year has been “Prayer Produces Possibilities.” Our efforts together accentuate this point.

Today’s devotional was written by me. I pray this will bless your hearts and minds.

Blessings,
Quincy

Embracing Doubt

April 30, 2009 Prayer Requests

Dear Alumni, Family, Friends, and generous Supporters,

As I’ve said before, prayer is not a way of getting what we want, but the way to become what God wants us to be.  Our prayers should be less about ourselves and more about God’s will for our lives. The safest place for us to be is in the will of God.

In our thirty-third week of our “1,000,000 Minutes of Prayer Campaign”, we have accumulated over 900,000 minutes of prayer among the 299 prayer partners. This is absolutely amazing!  Thanks for your prayers as we believe “every prayer counts.”

This week’s prayer requests concentrate on prayer for leaders, special events and Bible study fellowships. I pray the Lord will bless you richly as you pray for each Ivy League school.

Blessings,
Quincy

BROWN
* as campus ministry Bible studies and gatherings meet for the last time this semester over the next week, pray that these times would be fruitful and encouraging for students, and that relationships built between students through life groups would provide accountability throughout the summer.      
* for students from the Brown InterVarsity (IV) fellowships who will be attending the IV New England Region end of year retreat, Summit 2009 from May 24-29 at Toah Nipi, New Hampshire.  Pray that as these students join other campus fellowships from around New England, study John 1-4 together, worship, pray and celebrate how God is working among them, that they will be impacted and empowered to be faithful in their service to, and walk with the Lord.
* for the Lord to place believers at Brown next year in the class of 2013.  Be in prayer for all the admits who are making choices about which university to attend.  Be in prayer for these unknown faces.
* for all students as they prepare for, and take their final exams between May 6-15.  Pray they finish the term well.
* as seniors prepare for graduation on May 24, pray they seek God’s guidance as they look to their future.  Pray for their transitions, that they find good churches, continue to grow in grace, settle into graduate studies or new employment, and are encouraged through it all.
* as campus ministry Bible studies and gatherings meet for the last time this semester over the next week, pray that these times would be fruitful and encouraging for students, and that relationships built between students through these ministries would provide accountability throughout the summer.

COLUMBIA
* that Intervarsity’s New York/New Jersey end of year retreat, Basileia, at Saranac Village, New York, will be a time of great blessing, encouragement and growth for those members of InterVarsity at Columbia who attend from May 16-21.  Pray that as they join students there from other campuses and spend time studying the Bible, worshiping and having leadership and discipleship training together, that their knowledge of Jesus Christ will deepen and they will strengthen their impact as ambassadors for Him.
* for all students as they prepare for and take their final exams between May 8-15.  Pray they finish the term well.
* be in prayer for students applying to, and those already accepted for the next academic year at Columbia. Pray that many Christian students will be among them who will be faithful witnesses for Christ once on campus.
* as seniors prepare for graduation on May 20, pray they seek God’s guidance as they look to their future.  Pray for their transitions, that they find good churches, continue to grow in grace, settle into graduate studies or new employment, and are encouraged through it all.
* that evangelism would become a major focus for the Christian students and that God would give them boldness to share the gospel with their peers. 

CORNELL
* support the freshman from the various on-campus fellowship groups in prayer on Monday, May 4, as they meet together to pray for a stronger Christian community at Cornell, to bridge the gap between the ministries and to seek ways they can come together as one body of believers to serve and love those on the Cornell campus.
* that God will create a culture of gifted and skilled evangelists among the Christian students and that they would be excellent at starting up conversations and communicating the gospel through personal testimonies.
* for students applying to, and those who have already been accepted for the next academic year at Cornell. Pray that many Christian students will be among them who will be bold ambassadors for Christ once on campus.
* as students prepare for and take their final exams starting May 11, pray they finish the term well.
* and as seniors come closer to graduation on May 24, pray they seek God’s guidance as they look to their future.  Pray they transition into graduate studies, new employment or even volunteer work easily, that they find good churches, continue to grow in grace, and are encouraged in all they do.

DARTMOUTH
* that God put an arm of protection around the 12 Dartmouth undergraduates, a faculty family and assistant teacher who have been in the Language Study Abroad program in Cholula, Mexico for the past 6 weeks.  Pray for their health and that they be kept free of any illnesses as they imminently return home.
* continue praying for James Wright, president of Dartmouth, as he is in the process of handing over the leadership of this university to President-elect Jim Yong Kim by July 1. Pray that God will be with them both over the next few weeks.
* that God would raise up new student leaders for the various campus ministries, who walk closely with God and will be intentional about committing to pray for and encourage each member of their particular ministry.
* be in prayer for students applying for, and those already accepted for the next academic year at Dartmouth. Pray that many Christian students will be among them who will be bold ambassadors for Christ once on campus.
* for seniors to be more urgent about the Gospel, to be open to making decisions of commitment, and that they seek God’s guidance as to what He would have them do upon graduating. 

HARVARD
* for students from the Harvard InterVarsity (IV) fellowships who will be attending the IV New England Region end of year retreat, Summit 2009 from May 24-29 at Toah Nipi, New Hampshire.  Pray that as these students join other campus fellowships from around New England, study John 1-4 together, worship, pray and celebrate how God is working among them, that they will be impacted and empowered to be faithful in their service to, and walk with the Lord.
* be in prayer for students applying to, and those already accepted for the next academic year at Harvard. Pray that many Christian students will be among them who will be faithful ambassadors for Christ once on campus.
* As seniors graduate on June 4, keep them in prayer as they transition into a new phase of life, and that they find good churches quickly, continue to grow in grace and remain encouraged.
* that Christian students would have a passion to walk with god and boldly share their faith in Him.  Pray that God would sharpen their hearts as well as their spiritual senses to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  Pray that each student would seek God first, love each other and that Jesus Christ would be glorified in the lives.
* that God will create a culture of gifted and skilled evangelists among the Christian students and that they would be excellent at starting up conversations and communicating the gospel through personal testimonies.
 
PENN
* as seniors prepare for graduation on May 18, pray they ask God for guidance as they look to their futures. Pray they find good churches, continue to grow in grace, and are encouraged.
* for all students as they prepare for and take their final exams between May 4-12, pray they finish the term well.
* for students applying to, and those who have already been accepted for the next academic year at Penn. Pray that many Christian students will be admitted who will be bold ambassadors for Christ once on campus.  Be in prayer for these unknown faces.
* as campus ministry Bible studies and gatherings meet for the last time this semester over the next week, pray that these times would be fruitful and encouraging for students, and that relationships built between students through these ministries would provide accountability throughout the summer.
* for seniors to be more urgent about the Gospel, to be open to making decisions of commitment, and that they seek God’s guidance as to what He would have them do upon graduating.
* that God would raise up new student leaders for the various campus ministries, who walk closely with God and will be intentional about committing to pray for, and encourage each member of their particular ministry.

PRINCETON
*  Princeton University Gospel Ensemble (PUGE) are holding their annual spring concert “He Is Worthy To be Praised” on Sunday, May 3.  Pray that through the sharing of songs of faith, praise and worship drawn from the tradition of African-American gospel and celebrating Jesus Christ, that this concert will both edify and bless the Princeton community.
* for all students as they prepare for and take their final exams between May 13-23.  Pray they finish the term well.
* for seniors as they prepare for graduation on June 2.  Pray they seek God’s guidance as they look to the next stage of their lives, whether that is graduate studies, new employment or some other endeavor.  Pray that they find good churches where they can grow spiritually, and are encouraged each step of the way.
* that God will create a culture of gifted and skilled evangelists among the Christian students at Princeton and that they would be excellent at starting up conversations and communicating the gospel through personal testimonies.
* that Impact Christian Fellowship continues to be a strong presence on campus among the African-American community through Bible studies, large group meetings and prayer circles. Remember the student leaders in prayer.
* that God would lay on the hearts of many Christian students a passion to walk with God and boldly share their faith in Him.  Pray that God would sharpen their hearts as well as their spiritual senses, to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  Pray that each student would see God first, love each other and experience a rich relationship with Him and most of all, that Jesus Christ would be glorified.

YALE
* as seniors prepare for graduation on May 25, pray they seek God’s guidance as they look to their future.  Pray for their transitions, that they find good churches, continue to grow in grace, settle into graduate studies or new employment, and are encouraged through it all.
* for students from the Yale InterVarsity (IV) fellowships who plan to attend the IV New England Region retreat, Summit 2009 at Toah Nipi, New Hampshire.  Pray that as these students join other campus fellowships from around New England, study John 1-4 together, worship, pray and celebrate how God is working among them, that they will be impacted and empowered to be faithful in their service to, and walk with the Lord.
* for two new student leaders of the Yale School of Management Christian Fellowship for the upcoming year. Pray for their walk with God, and that they be intentional to maintain the spiritual health of fellow Christians by praying with and for them, and be encouragers to each other.
* for the Yale Divinity School Evangelical Fellowship as they meet weekly in small groups for Bible study, that they will be spiritually challenged and grow in their relationship with Christ.

April 23, 2009 Devotional

Dear Alumni, Family, Friends, and Generous Supporters,

In week thirty-two, seniors are finished with their theses. Juniors completed their junior papers. Sophomores are anticipating greater challenges, and freshmen are relieved they survived. Our prayers are for them to finish strong.

As a quick update, we have 299 prayer partners with over 855,000 minutes of prayer. We are over 85 percent towards our goal. This is awesome. My motto for this year has been “Prayer Produces Possibilities.” Our efforts together accentuate this point. Today’s devotional was written by me. I pray this will bless your hearts and minds.

Blessings,

Quincy

Extreme Makeover

Jeremiah 18:1-6 (NIV)

1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD:
2 "Go down to the potter's house, and there I will give you my message."
3 So I went down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel.
4 But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed
 it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.
5 Then the word of the LORD came to me:
6 "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD.
 "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.

In this passage, God reveals to Jeremiah His absolute power to influence and shape the lives of Israel as well as the surrounding nations. God is sovereign and righteous in determining the course of events. God uses Jeremiah’s visit to a pottery as a cogent illustration of exactly what this means. In the potter’s house, Jeremiah observes the potter molding a lump of clay into a desired vessel. However, on this occasion, the clay resists being molded and becomes spoiled in the hands of the potter. The potter does not discard the lump of clay; he simply reworks the lump into another vessel. God explicates to Jeremiah that His ultimate will for all things will be accomplished. The potter has power over the clay.

The message is clear; God is the potter, the world (us) is the clay. God’s sovereignty is always present in the world and our lives. God predestines all events without mitigating our human responsibility. Our freedoms to choose, and the choices we make, were accounted for in eternity past. Our choices are real and variegated. But, they are lumps of clay in God’s ultimate and final desire for our lives that cannot be altered or aborted.   

Today, many of us have become marred over the years or resistant in the master’s hand. Our desire for our lives is different from God’s desire. We attempt to rescue our lives from God’s hands by resisting what God wants to do in us. We ignore or do the opposite of what God requires. We are spoiled but God is not going to throw us away. Our blatant or subtle act of rebellion precipitates God’s way of realignment called “Extreme Makeover.”

In God’s Extreme Makeover, he sends a deluge of interventions to drastically change our lives in a short period of time. Some of them feel good but often many of them are painful. Furthermore, God simultaneously works on multiple areas in our lives compared to rehabbing a home or having multiple surgical procedures. God’s Extreme Makeover is analogous to the hyper-reality shows “Extreme Makeover" & "Extreme Makeover-Home Edition."  Both shows have electrified and touched our hearts in watching them take on worst cases and transforming them in a short period of time. For example, in Extreme Makeover-Home Edition, it takes 1,800 volunteers over a week’s time to transform an impoverished and dilapidated house into a prodigious home.

The end result is that God will get the glory from our lives. We can either become a vessel of honor or a vessel fitted for destruction (Romans 9:17-23). Finally, if there are multiple unpleasant things occurring in your life simultaneously, before you panic, consider the possibility that you have been chosen for God’s Extreme Makeover. God’s Extreme Makeovers are bittersweet. The best taste in the world! 

April 16, 2009 Prayer Requests

Dear Alumni, Family, Friends, and Generous Supporters,

As I’ve said before, prayer is not a way of getting what we want, but the way to become what God wants us to be. Our prayers should be less about ourselves and more about God’s will for our lives. The safest place for us to be is in the will of God.

In our thirty-first week of our “1,000,000 Minutes of Prayer Campaign”, we have accumulated over 760,000 minutes of prayer among the 299 prayer partners. This is absolutely amazing!  Thanks for your prayers as we believe “every prayer counts.”

This week’s prayer requests concentrate on prayer for leaders, special events and Bible study fellowships. I pray the Lord will bless you richly as you pray for each Ivy League school.                     
Blessings,

Quincy

BROWN
* keep in pray the 60 students, both Christian and non-Christian, who attended the First Friday event on April 4, hosted by College Hill for Christ (CHC).  Pray that the message on The Christian Struggle, presented by Reverend Mathis, Brown’s Protestant chaplain, will lead to continued inquiry and discussion about Christianity, as well as to open up further opportunities for CHC members to share the gospel.
* Praise God that the 2 missing students were found safe.      
* for students who have recently come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ on Brown’s campus, pray that God will lead them to a body of believers who can provide spiritual guidance.
* as seniors come closer to graduation, pray they seek God’s guidance as they look to their future.
* Athletes In Action is coming to the end of their informal weekly dinner discussion series at which they have covered such topics as prayer, sin and purpose, as a way of exposing every Brown student-athlete to Christianity.  Pray that these discussions have helped foster a better and healthier community among the student-athletes and given a better understanding what it means to be a Christian and an athlete.

COLUMBIA
* for female students to grow in their understanding of their femininity as well as what healthy dating relationships and marriage look like, when they attend the discussion about the topic organized by Columbia Students for Christ leadership on April 20.
* be in prayer for students applying to, and those already accepted for the next academic year at Columbia. Pray that many Christian students will be among them who will be faithful ambassadors for Christ once on campus.
* for seniors to be more urgent about the Gospel, to be open to making decisions of commitment, and that they seek God’s guidance as to what He would have them do upon graduating.
* for students who have recently come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ on Columbia’s campus, pray that God will lead them to a body of believers who can provide spiritual guidance.
* that evangelism would become a major focus for the Christian students and that God would give them boldness to share the gospel with their peers.

CORNELL
*  be praying for the Roundtable event on April 25, co-sponsored by Cornell Graduate Christian Fellowship and Chesterton House Center for Christian Studies, at which Dr. Jonathan Butcher, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Cornell, will be speaking on the topic: Creation and Manipulation of Life God restricted or God inspired?  
* that God will create a culture of gifted and skilled evangelists among the Christian students and that they would be excellent at starting up conversations and communicating the gospel through personal testimonies.
* for students applying to, and those who have already been accepted for the next academic year at Cornell. Pray that many Christian students will be among them who will be bold ambassadors for Christ once on campus.
* that God will continue to use the experiences gained on spring break mission trips to transform lives, and to help make them skilled and fruitful laborers in God’s Kingdom for life.
* for seniors to be more urgent about the Gospel, to be open to making decisions of commitment, and that they seek God’s guidance as to what He would have them do upon graduating.

DARTMOUTH
* for James Wright, president of Dartmouth, as he prepares to hand over the leadership of this university to President-elect Jim Yong Kim on July 1. Pray that God will be with them both over the next few weeks, granting them both wisdom and courage to do what needs to be done to keep the integrity of the university during this time of economic instability.
* be in prayer for students applying for, and those already accepted for the next academic year at Dartmouth. Pray that many Christian students will be among them who will be bold ambassadors for Christ once on campus.
* that God will create a culture of gifted and skilled evangelists among the Christian students and that they would be excellent at starting up conversations and communicating the gospel through personal testimonies.
* for students struggling with addictions, such as drinking, eating disorders and others.  Pray that these students will have the strength and desire to face the problem head-on, get the help needed and won’t fear the stigma of being at an Ivy League school and needing such help.
* for seniors to be more urgent about the Gospel, to be open to making decisions of commitment, and that they seek God’s guidance as to what He would have them do upon graduating.

HARVARD
* be in prayer for students applying, and those already accepted for the next academic year at Harvard. Pray that many Christian students will be among them who will be faithful ambassadors for Christ once on campus.
* for seniors to be more urgent about the Gospel and to be open to making decisions of commitment.  Also, as seniors think about their futures, keep them in prayer as they start the process of looking for employment in difficult economic times.
* that Christian students would have a passion to walk with god and boldly share their faith in Him.  Pray that God would sharpen their hearts as well as their spiritual senses to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  Pray that each student would seek God first, love each other and that Jesus Christ would be glorified in the lives.
* Harvard Business School Christian Fellowship hold weekly Bible Study and prayer groups for both men and women, as well as couples and women with children.  Be in prayer for each group as they explore life through scripture, encourage one another and support each other through prayer.
* for students applying to, and those who have already been accepted for the next academic year at Harvard. Pray that many Christian students will be among them who will be bold ambassadors for Christ once on campus.

 
PENN
* for seniors to be more urgent about the Gospel, to be open to making decisions of commitment, and that they seek God’s guidance as to what He would have them do upon graduating.
* for students applying to, and those who have already been accepted for the next academic year at Penn. Pray that many Christian students will be admitted who will be bold ambassadors for Christ once on campus.
* that relationships formed and questions answered during Jesus Week will continue to bear much fruit.  Pray that PennForJesus will continue to reach out on the campus.
* that God will create a culture of gifted and skilled evangelists among the Christian students and that they would be excellent at starting up conversations and communicating the gospel through personal testimonies.
* that God continues to use the experiences gained on the spring break mission trips and retreats to transform students’ lives, and to help make them skilled and fruitful laborers in God’s Kingdom for life.

PRINCETON
* that God will create a culture of gifted and skilled evangelists among the Christian students and that they would be excellent at starting up conversations and communicating the gospel through personal testimonies.
* Princeton’s Graduate Christian Fellowship has invited Shara Pradhan, Princeton ‘01, back to campus on April 27, along with Heidi and Rolland Baker, to share with the Princeton students and the community about their missions work and what Jesus means by “Blessed are the poor”.  Pray that this will be an impactful event, one of encouragement and a blessed time of worship and prayer.
* that Impact Christian Fellowship continues to be a strong presence on campus among the African-American community through Bible studies, large group meetings and prayer circles.
* that God would lay on the hearts of many Christian students, a passion to walk with God and boldly share their faith in Him.  Pray that God would sharpen their hearts as well as their spiritual senses, to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  Pray that each student would see God first, love each other and experience a rich relationship with Him and most of all, that Jesus Christ would be glorified.

YALE
* Yale Gospel Choir will be spreading the gospel through their ministry of song at their annual spring concert, entitled “I’ll Rise!” on Friday, April 17.   Pray that there will be a large turnout and that many hearts will be touched.
* after a Bible study to explore the biblical basis of fasting, social justice and how it applies to everyday life, students from different Christian organizations on campus will come together today to fast and pray specifically about the issues of homelessness in New Haven.
* that many believers will attend the All-Campus Worship for an evening of prayer and worship, this Sunday in Battell Chapel, as well as celebrate the 100th Anniversary of William Borden, class of 1909, who dedicated his life to God on the mission field. 
* join with Yale School of Management Christian as they pray for God to raise up new students leaders for the upcoming year, who are committed to the mission of the ministry to maintain the spiritual health of fellow Christians by praying with and for one another, and being an encourager in each others walk with Christ.
* for the Yale Divinity School Evangelical Fellowship as they meet weekly in small groups for Bible study, that they will be spiritually challenged and grow in their relationship with Christ. 

April 9, 2009 Devotional

 Dear Alumni, Family, Friends, and Generous Supporters,

In week thirty, students are rapidly approaching the finish line for this academic year. Seniors are preparing to graduate, juniors and sophomores anticipating greater challenges, and freshmen are relieved they survived. Our prayers are for them to finish strong.

As a quick update, we have 299 prayer partners with over 760,000 minutes of prayer. We are over 75 percent towards our goal. This is awesome. My motto for this year has been “Prayer Produces Possibilities.” Our efforts together accentuate this point.

Today’s devotional was written by me. I pray this will bless your hearts and minds.

Blessings,

Quincy

 We Need Supernatural Help

Luke 22:41-43 (ESV)
41 And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed,
42 saying, "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me.
Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done."
43 And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him.

Many people vehemently object to the existence and possibility of miracles until they are facing dire circumstances requiring one. It’s within this moment that our hearts are malleable to human frailties, and the veil is removed from our eyes to behold a supernatural world more real than ours.

In this passage, when Jesus' disciples couldn’t be depended on in His hour of need, God provided an angel that imparted strength, empowered and recharged Jesus, renewing His fervor with the strength needed to intrepidly face the most difficult hour of His life. After being supercharged, Jesus was ready to victoriously face the cross.

When Luke writes that the angel "strengthened" him, he uses the Greek word enischuo. This is a compound of the words en and ischuos. The word en means in, and the word ischuos is the word for might or strength.  Normally in New Testament times, the word ischuos was used to denote men with great muscular abilities, similar to the bodybuilders in today's world. But when these two words en and ischuos are compounded together, the new word means to impart strength; to empower someone; to fill a person with heartiness; or to give someone a renewed vitality. A person may have been feeling exhausted and depleted, but he suddenly gets a blast of energy so robust that he is instantly recharged! Now he is ready to get up, get with it, and get going again!

Today, many of us may feel trapped and alone. We assumed our friends would help us, but they really let us down at a time when we really need them. We cannot allow desperation to overwhelm us. Our friends may have fallen asleep on the job, but God hasn’t fallen asleep. The Lord is committed to delivering us through the situations we are facing right now. And when necessary, Jesus will provide supernatural assistance to recharge us and keep us moving full steam.

April 2, 2009 Prayer Requests

Dear Alumni, Family, Friends, and Generous Supporters,

As I’ve said before, prayer is not a way of getting what we want, but the way to become what God wants us to be.  Our prayers should be less about ourselves and more about God’s will for our lives. The safest place for us to be is in the will of God.

In our twenty-ninth week of our “1,000,000 Minutes of Prayer Campaign”, we have accumulated over 690,000 minutes of prayer among the 296 prayer partners. This is absolutely amazing!  Thanks for your prayers as we believe “every prayer counts.”

This week’s prayer requests concentrate on prayer for leaders, special events and Bible study fellowships. I pray the Lord will bless you richly as you pray for each Ivy League school.

Blessings,

Quincy

BROWN

* on April 4, College Hill for Christ (CHC) will hold a First Friday event, where any Brown student can come to a safe environment, be served a meal, can discuss their religious backgrounds and beliefs and learn more about Christianity, and at the same time the CHC members gain an opportunity to share the Gospel.  Pray that God would clear the way for those seeking students He would have be there and that their hearts are receptive to the Gospel.
* for God to protect the 2 missing students wherever they are and bring them home safely.  Be in prayer for the families also.
* uphold Ruth Simmons, president of Brown, in prayer.  Pray that God would guide her and give her wisdom in her position of leading Brown through these tough economic times.
 * continue praying for the campus ministry leaders including: Jarrod, Greg, Angela, Brodie, Susan, Kathy, William, Eddie and Annie.  Pray that despite their busy schedules, they take time each day to be alone with the Lord, and that they will be strengthened and prepared to totally rely on God to meet their needs.
* Athletes In Action is coming to the end of their informal weekly dinner discussion series at which they have covered such topics as Bible, Sin, Evangelism and Suffering, as a way of exposing every student-athlete at Brown to Christianity and to give them an opportunity to put their faith in Christ.  Pray that these discussions have helped foster a better and healthier community among student-athletes and given a better understanding what it means to be a Christian and an athlete.
* Campus Crusade for Christ at Brown just returned from spring break in New Orleans where students as well as some of their non-Christian friends were assisting in the Hurricane Katrina Relief Project.  Praise God that all of the students came back from the trip as changed for the better and many of the students came back with a renewed passion for God.
* as seniors start looking for employment in this difficult economy, pray they not become discouraged but will seeks God’s guidance as they look to their future.

COLUMBIA

* for God to burden students to have a greater heart for prayer.
* be in prayer for students applying, and those already accepted for the next academic year at Columbia. Pray that many Christian students will be among them who will be faithful ambassadors for Christ once on campus.
* for seniors to be more urgent about the Gospel and to be open to making decisions of commitment.  Also, as seniors think about their futures, keep them in prayer as they start the process of looking for employment.
* As Christian ministries prepare for campus outreach events over Easter, pray with them that many souls will be touched through the presentation of the gospel, in ways such as a cappella groups, conversational evangelism, acts of kindness and sunrise services.
* uphold Lee C. Bollinger, president of Columbia, in prayer.  Pray that God would guide him and give him wisdom as he leads Columbia through these tough economic times.
* for students who have recently come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ on Columbia’s campus, pray that God will give them zeal and boldness to share their new found faith with others.
* that evangelism would become a major focus for the Christian students and that God would give them boldness to share the gospel with their peers.
* for unity and spiritual growth within the individual Christian campus ministries.
* for campus ministry leaders including: Vicki, Regina, Ashley, Glennis, Jon, Susan, Fr. Jacek, Daniel, Brian and Hon. Pray that they take time each day to be alone with the Lord, and that they will be streng ened and prepared to totally rely on God to meet their needs.

CORNELL

* for seniors to be more urgent about the Gospel and to be open to making decisions of commitment.  Also, as seniors think about their futures, keep them in prayer as they start the process of looking for employment in difficult economic times.
* As Christian ministries prepare for campus outreach events over Easter, pray with them, that many souls will be touched through the presentation of the gospel, in ways such as a cappella groups, conversational evangelism, acts of kindness and a sunrise service.
* be in prayer for students applying, and those already accepted for the next academic year at Columbia. Pray that many Christian students will be among them who will be bold ambassadors for Christ once on campus.
* that God will continue to use the experiences gained on the recent spring break mission trips and retreats to transform lives, and to help make them skilled and fruitful laborers in God’s Kingdom for life.
* uphold David Skorton, president of Cornell, in prayer.  Pray that God would guide him and give him wisdom in his position of leading Cornell through these tough economic times.
* for campus ministry leaders including:  Barbara, Michael, Doug, JW, Brian, Chuck, Matt, Tracy, Dahlia, Lindsay and Matt. Pray that they take time each day to be alone with the Lord, and that they will be strengthened and prepared to totally rely on God to meet their needs.

DARTMOUTH

* be in prayer for students applying for, and those already accepted for the next academic year at Dartmouth. Pray that many Christian students will be among them who will be bold ambassadors for Christ once on campus.
* that God continues to use the experiences gained on the spring break mission trips to transform students’ lives, and to help make them skilled and fruitful laborers in God’s Kingdom for life.
* for James Wright, president of Dartmouth, as he prepares to hand over the leadership of this university to President-elect Jim Yong Kim on July 1. Pray that God will be with them both over the next few weeks and grants them both wisdom and courage to do what needs to be done to keep the integrity of the university in good standing during this time of economic instability.
* for students struggling with addictions, such as drinking, eating disorders and others.  Pray that these students will have the strength and desire to face the problem head-on, get the help needed and won’t fear the stigma of being at an Ivy League school and needing such help.
* remember the campus ministry leaders in prayer, including:  Chris, Ryan, Jenny, Tony, Kaylene, Jolyon, Emily, Jessa, Kent, Sandy and Denise.   Pray that they take time out each day to be alone with the
Lord, that they will be strengthened and prepared to totally rely on God to meet their needs.
* As Christian ministries prepare for campus outreach events over Easter, pray with them, that many souls are touched through the presentation of the gospel, in ways such as a cappella groups, conversational evangelism, acts of kindness and sunrise services.

HARVARD

 * that the campus ministry leaders take time each day to be alone with the Lord, and that they will be strengthened and prepared to totally rely on God to meet their needs.  Uphold leaders including: Pat, Carson, Tammy, Rebecca, Don, Adrian, Nick, Rebekah, Bradley, Jeff, Bill, Russ and Marie.
* be in prayer for students applying, and those already accepted for the next academic year at Harvard. Pray that many Christian students will be among them who will be faithful ambassadors for Christ once on campus.
* for seniors to be more urgent about the Gospel and to be open to making decisions of commitment.  Also, as seniors think about their futures, keep them in prayer as they start the process of looking for employment in difficult economic times.
* that Christian students would have a passion to walk with god and boldly share their faith in Him.  Pray that God would sharpen their hearts as well as their spiritual senses to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  Pray that each student would seek God first, love each other and that Jesus Christ would be glorified in the lives.
* Harvard Business School Christian Fellowship hold weekly Bible Study and prayer groups for both men and women, as well as couples and women with children.  Be in prayer for each group as they explore life through scripture, encourage one another and support each other through prayer.
* for any racial/ethnic tensions among students to be broken down and be replaced by harmony.
* As Christian ministries prepare for campus outreach events over Easter, pray with them, that many souls will be touched through the presentation of the gospel, in ways such as a cappella groups, conversational evangelism, acts of kindness and sunrise services.
* hold up Drew Faust, president of Harvard, in prayer, that God would guide her and grant her wisdom as she leads Harvard through these economically challenging times.
 
PENN

 * for seniors to be more urgent about the Gospel and to be open to making decisions of commitment.  Also, as seniors think about their futures, keep them in prayer as they start the process of looking for employment in difficult economic times.
* Pray that as a result of Jesus Week at Penn, a Christian presence has been made known on campus, that fellowship among Christians has been edifying and encouraging, that many non-believers have become curious about faith in Christ, and above all, that Jesus was honored.
* as Christian ministries prepare for campus outreach events over Easter, pray with them, that many souls will be touched through the presentation of the gospel, in ways such as a cappella groups, conversational evangelism, acts of kindness and a sunrise service.
* that God would send his Holy Spirit over the Penn campus during April 4-11, when there will be a week of unbroken 24/7 prayer in the Prayer Tent set up in the middle of campus.   Pray that the body of Christ will
be mobilized and encouraged to reach out to the lost during this time, that it will foster personal prayer, expose nonbelievers to God, prayer and the Christian community, and that God would be glorified.
* keep Amy Gutmann, president of Penn in prayer, and pray that God would guide her and grant her wisdom as she leads the university through this challenging economic time.
* continue to uphold campus ministry leaders in prayer, including: Michael, Steve, Dave, Susanne, Kevin, Jeff, Charles and Todd.  Pray that they set aside time each day to be quiet with the Lord so they will be refreshed and prepared to totally rely on God to meet their needs.
* that God continues to use the experiences gained on the spring break mission trips and retreats to transform students’ lives, and to help make them skilled and fruitful laborers in God’s Kingdom for life.

PRINCETON

* students from Aquinas, the campus Catholic ministry, just returned from their spring retreat in Ocean City, New Jersey.  Pray that this weekend was uplifting, a time of spiritual growth and refreshment as they prayed, had fellowship and reflected on Christ as they prepare for the Easter season.
* Praise God for the ways students lives were transformed by taking part in a spring break mission trips. Pray that they will become skilled and fruitful laborers in God’s Kingdom on campus and for life as a result.
* for Shirley Tilghman, president of Princeton, that God would guide her and grant her wisdom as she leads the university through these hard economic times.
* for campus ministry leaders and workers including David, Scott, Blake, Quincy, Debbie, Kevin, Scott, Dan, Chris, Chuck and Keith, that they take time each day to be quiet with the Lord so they will be renewed, refreshed and prepared to totally rely on God to meet their needs
* that God would lay on the hearts of many Christian students, a passion to walk with God and boldly share their faith in Him.  Pray that God would sharpen their hearts as well as their spiritual senses, to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  Pray that each student would see God first, love each other and experience a rich relationship with Him and most of all, that Jesus Christ would be glorified.
* as Christian ministries prepare for campus outreach events over Easter, pray with them, that many souls will be ouched through the presentation of the gospel, in ways such as a cappella groups, conversational evangelism, acts of  kindness and a sunrise services.

YALE

 * Praise God for the ways students lives were transformed by taking part in a spring break mission trip. Pray that they will become skilled and fruitful laborers in God’s Kingdom on campus and for life.
* join with Yale School of Management Christian Fellowship as they pray for God to raise up new students leaders for the upcoming year, who are committed to the mission of the ministry to maintain the spiritual health of fellow Christians by praying with and for one another, and being an encourager in each others walk with Christ.
* for students who have recently come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ on Yale’s campus, pray that God will give them zeal and boldness to share their new found faith with others.
 * as Christian ministries prepare for campus outreach events over Easter, pray with them, that many souls will be touched through the presentation of the gospel, in ways such as a cappella groups, conversational evangelism, acts of kindness and a sunrise service.
* for Richard Levin, Yale’s president, that God would guide him and grant him wisdom as he leads Yale through these tough economic times.
* continue to keep praying for Yale campus ministry leaders including John, Bonnie, Charmain, Sang, Kevin, Hugh, Tom, that they take time each day to meet with the Lord, that they will be strengthened and prepared to totally rely on God to meet their needs.
* for the Yale Divinity School Evangelical Fellowship as they meet weekly in small groups for Bible study, that they will be spiritually challenged and grow in their relationship with Christ.

March 26, 2009 Devotional

Dear Alumni, Family, Friends, and Generous Supporters,

In week twenty-eight, students have returned from Spring Break ready to finish the second half of the Spring semester. Our prayers are for them to finish strong.

As a quick update, we have 295 prayer partners with over 685,000 minutes of prayer. We are over 60 percent towards our goal. This is awesome. My motto for this year has been “Prayer Produces Possibilities.” Our efforts together accentuate this point.

Today’s devotional was written by three of our prayer partners in response to my request for feedback on Devotional 13 “Your Loyalty will be rewarded.” I want to personally thank all our prayer partners for their devotional submissions. I selected these responses that I believe would reflect the breadth of our group. Thanks for all your prayers. I pray this will bless your hearts and minds.

Blessings,

Quincy

 
Loyalty will be rewarded - Part 2 
(Prayer Partners' Response)

 W. Webb--

“Dear Quincy,  I have prayed about this all week and have so many thoughts and revelations it's hard to answer without writing a book.  I wish you and the CU prayer warriors could have an open classroom
discussion instead of an email reply :) 

As I read 1 Chronicles 11, I first realize that my first loyalty over everything is to seek Christ first.  If whatever I am doing, supporting, or desiring, honors God and brings glory to God, and then I ask in His
Name for the support that is needed to accomplish it.  I also ask God to reveal His Scriptures that support whatever I am doing to make sure it is in line with His Work and would bear His Fruit.  In these verses of
the Old Testament I am taken to Jesus’ teachings in the New Testament:

a) Matthew 10:42 - Jesus said, "If anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is one of my disciples, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward."
b) Matthew 26:40 - Jesus said, "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me…”

R. Anderson--

“Brother Quincy, here's my "Readers Digest" response.  I believe that God desires 100% loyalty to His Word, e.g: "obedience is better than sacrifice."  If our loyalty to people takes priority over our loyalty to
God then we have wandered into idolatrous territory.  Unfortunately, there are people in and outside of the church that may take advantage of our loyalty.  It is because of our "loyalty" to a cause or organization
that we may find ourselves drained, so much so that we have little time or inclination to spend with God.  We must guard against burning out for Jesus--- it's not scriptural, nor is it healthy. I believe that following Christ's model of a deliberate and guilt-free separation from the crowd to spend quiet time with the Lord would serve us well; and provide a model for maintaining balance.”

M. Smith--

"David seems to have returned to the underground cavern which he hid in when Saul was searching for him, and to which place "400 men in distress" joined him and were pleased to serve him as their captain. Could it be that the 3 that were with him later when he mentioned a longing for a cup of water from the well at Bethlehem (not a command) longed to please their captain and king without fear for their lives? They had fought for him and some must have died for him before this moment. David so touched by their act of love and bravery, thought the act too precious to gulp down the water, but instead let his men see it as an offering to God.

Did these loyal men deliberately put themselves in harm's way, or did they just do what they needed to do to comfort and please their King? Can there be too much loyalty? To things, ideas and people probably,
(all imperfect) but to the Lord God? No, we cannot begin to be as loyal to Him as He is to us."

March 19, 2009 Prayer Requests 

Dear Alumni, Family, Friends, and Generous Supporters,

As I’ve said before, prayer is not a way of getting what we want, but the way to become what God wants us to be. Our prayers should be less about ourselves and more about God’s will for our lives. The safest place for us to be is in the will of God.

In our twenty-seventh week of our “1,000,000 Minutes of Prayer Campaign”, we have accumulated over 646,000 minutes of prayer among the 294 prayer partners. This is absolutely amazing!  Thanks for your prayers as we believe “every prayer counts.”

As students are on spring break, this week’s prayer requests concentrate on prayer for leaders, spring break mission trips and other events, as well as Bible study fellowships. I pray the Lord will bless you richly as you pray for each Ivy League school.

Blessings,

Quincy

BROWN

* Campus Crusade for Christ students as well as some of their non-Christian friends at Brown will be traveling to New Orleans over spring break, March 21-28, to assist in the Hurricane Katrina Relief Project: Building Better Communities. As they finish planning for this trip pray that God will supply all their financial needs and be preparing them emotionally and spiritually for situations they will encounter while there.  Pray that many opportunities would arise for them to share their faith with Katrina victims and also with non-Christians in the group.  
* Athletes In Action continues to hold informal weekly dinner discussions, covering topics such as Bible, Sin, and Suffering, as a way of exposing every student-athlete at Brown to Christianity and to give them an opportunity to put their faith in Christ.  Pray that these discussions would help foster a better and healthier community among student- athletes.  
* for Ruth Simmons, president of Brown, as she leads the university through these difficult financial times. Pray that God would give her wisdom and courage to do what needs to be done to keep the integrity of the university in good standing. 
* for the campus ministry leaders: Jarrod, Greg, Angela, Brodie, Susan, Kathy, William, Eddie and Annie.
* that God will use the spring break mission trips to transform students’ lives, and to help make them skilled and fruitful laborers in God’s Kingdom for life.

COLUMBIA

* for the campus ministry leaders: Vicki, Regina, Ashley, Glennis, Jon, Susan, Fr. Jacek, Daniel, Brian and Hon.
* as seniors start looking for employment in this difficult economy and pray they will not become discouraged but will seeks God’s guidance as they look to their future.
* for  God to burden students to have a greater heart for prayer.
* for seniors to be more urgent about the Gospel and to be open to making decisions of commitment.  Also, as seniors think about their futures, keep them in prayer as they start the process of looking for employment in difficult economic times.
* for any racial/ethnic tensions among students to be broken down and be replaced by harmony.
* for the president Lee C. Bollinger, as he leads Columbia through these difficult financial times. Pray that God would give him wisdom and courage to do what needs to be done to keep the integrity of the university in good standing.
* join with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship as they continue 40 Days of Prayer,  seeking God’s face and kingdom, and asking Him to move at Columbia and other campuses.
* that God will use the spring break mission trips to transform students’ lives, and to help make them skilled and fruitful laborers in God’s Kingdom for life.
* for unity and spiritual growth within the individual Christian campus ministries.

CORNELL

* as Cornell Navigators are in Washington DC from March 14-21, serving the Christian urban ministry “Little Lights”, pray that the leaders and students alike show love and unselfishly serve fellow believers and inner city children through words and actions, gain insight and a vision for meeting other people’s physical and spiritual needs. Pray also that the experience will deepen the unity among the group making the trip. 
* during spring break, a number of students from Cornell will be driving down to Panama City Beach, Florida for a one-week mission experience, known as "Big Break".  As they explore biblical truths, learn how to share the gospel with other college students during times of beach evangelism, large-group meetings and times of prayer, pray that they will grow in their walk with God.
* that God will use the spring break mission trips to transform students’ lives, and to help make them skilled and fruitful laborers in God’s Kingdom for life.
* for the president David Skorton, as he leads Cornell through these difficult financial times. Pray that God would give him wisdom and courage to do what needs to be done to keep the integrity of the university in good standing. 
* for campus ministry leaders:  Barbara, Michael, Doug, JW, Brian, Chuck, Matt, Tracy, Dahlia, Lindsay and Matt.
* for seniors to be more urgent about the Gospel and to be open to making decisions of commitment.  Also, as seniors think about their futures, keep them in prayer as they start the process of looking for employment in difficult economic times.
* that God will use the spring break mission trips to transform students’ lives, and to help make them skilled and fruitful laborers in God’s Kingdom for life.

DARTMOUTH 

* from March 18-28 at least 12 students plus leaders involved in Christian Impact, and from March 19-17, eleven members of Agape Christian Fellowship, will travel to Milan, Italy, to share their faith with university students and assist in establishing new campus ministries. Pray for traveling safety, good health while away be praying for the students whom they will be ministering to, that God has opened their ears to hear and softening their hearts to receive the Gospel.
* that God will use the spring break mission trips to transform students’ lives, and to help make them skilled and fruitful laborers in God’s Kingdom for life.
* for James Wright, the president of Dartmouth, as he leads the college through these difficult financial times. Pray that God would grant him wisdom and courage to do what needs to be done to keep the integrity of the university in good standing. 
* for students struggling with addictions, such as drinking, eating disorders and others.  Pray that these students will have the strength and desire to face the problem head-on, get the help needed and won’t fear the stigma of being at an Ivy League school and needing such help.
* for campus ministry leaders:  Chris, Ryan, Jenny, Tony, Kaylene, Jolyon, Emily, Jessa, Kent, Sandy and Denise.
* up to 150 staff members at Dartmouth will be laid off over the next few weeks due to the budget cuts being made. Keep these people in prayer as they cope with this unforeseen situation and try to find employment elsewhere.

HARVARD

* that God will use the spring break mission trips to transform students’ lives, and to help make them skilled and fruitful laborers in God’s Kingdom for life.
* for students traveling to New Orleans over spring break, March 21-28, to assist in the Hurricane Katrina Relief Project.  As they plan for this trip pray that God would supply all their financial, and be preparing them emotionally and spiritually for situations they will encounter while there.  Pray that many opportunities would arise for them to share their faith with Katrina victims and also with non-Christians in the group.  
* for God to move in the hearts of faculty members so they are prompted to take part in the March 31st Cambridge Roundtable on Science, Art & Religion, which exists to further the cause of Christ at Harvard by promoting a Christian worldview through hospitality-guided dialogue. 
* for campus ministry leaders:  Pat, Carson, Tammy, Rebecca, Don, Adrian, Nick, Rebekah, Bradley, Jeff, Bill, Russ and Marie.
* that Christian students would have a passion to walk with god and boldly share their faith in Him.  Pray that God would sharpen their hearts as well as their spiritual senses to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  Pray that each student would seek God first, love each other and that Jesus Christ would be glorified in the lives.
* for any racial/ethnic tensions among students to be broken down and be replaced by harmony.
* for Drew Faust, president of Harvard, as she leads the university through these difficult financial times. Pray that God would grant her wisdom and courage to do what needs to be done to keep the integrity of the university in good standing. 

PENN

* on March 29, New Spirit of Penn Gospel Choir is hosting the Total Praise Café, an evening of fellowship, outreach and performers.  Pray that this event will encourage fellow Christians in their walk with the Lord, spread the Word through song, and be a celebration to God.
* March 20-21, Penn Newman Center seniors will be spending time on a contemplative retreat in the Lehigh Valley, PA.  Pray that they will feel God’s presence and be drawn closer in their relationship with Him.
* for Amy Gutmann, president of UPenn, as she leads the university through these difficult financial times. Pray that God would grant her and her advisors, wisdom and courage to do what needs to be done to keep the integrity of the university in good standing.
* that God would send his Holy Spirit throughout the Penn campus and open ears and soften hearts, so many non- believers will hear and accept the gospel message during Jesus Week and 24/7 Prayer , March 29-April 11, as well as be exposed to prayer and Christian fellowship. Pray also that the body of Christ will be mobilized and encouraged to reach out to the lost.   
* for campus ministry leaders: Michael, Steve, Dave, Susanne, Kevin, Jeff, Charles and Todd.
* that God will use the spring break mission trips and retreats to transform students’ lives, and to help make them skilled and fruitful laborers in God’s Kingdom for life.
* for any racial/ethnic tensions among students to be broken down and be replaced by harmony.

PRINCETON

 * students from Aquinas, the campus Catholic ministry, are heading to Ocean City, New Jersey for their Spring Retreat from March 27-29.  Pray that this weekend during the Lenten season, will be uplifting and a time of spiritual growth and refreshment as they pray, fellowship and reflect on Christ.      
* for the 8 students and leader from Princeton Faith and Action who are spending spring break in Panama City, Florida sharing the gospel through beach evangelism  Pray that they will have many opportunities to share the gospel with other students there, be strengthened in their own walks with God and inspired to continue sharing the gospel once back on campus. 
* for Shirley Tilghman, president of Princeton, as she leads the university through these difficult financial times. Pray that God would grant her and her advisors wisdom and courage to do what needs to be done to keep the integrity of the university in good standing. 
* for campus ministry leaders:  David, Scott, Blake, Bill, Debbie, Kevin, Jan, Dan, Chris and Keith.
* that God would lay on the hearts of many Christian students, a passion to walk with God and boldly share their faith in Him.  Pray that God would sharpen their hearts as well as their spiritual senses, to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  Pray that each student would see God first, love each other and experience a rich relationship with Him and most of all, that Jesus Christ would be glorified.
* that God will use the spring break mission trips to transform students’ lives, and to help make them skilled and fruitful laborers in God’s Kingdom for life.

YALE

* for students who used spring break to go on a mission trip, retreat or other service project, that they grew closer to God, gain insight and a vision for meeting other people’s physical and spiritual needs, and that the experience has, and will continue to deepen their faith.
* join with Yale School of Management Christian Fellowship as they pray for God to raise up new students leaders for the upcoming year, who are committed to the mission of the ministry to maintain the spiritual health of fellow Christians by praying with and for one another, and being an encourager in each others walk with Christ
* that God will use the spring break mission trips to transform students’ lives, and to help make them skilled and fruitful laborers in God’s Kingdom for life.
* for Richard Levin, Yale’s president, as he leads the university through these difficult financial times. Pray that God would grant him and his advisors wisdom and courage to do what needs to be done to keep the integrity of the university in good standing. 
* for campus ministry leaders:  John, Bonnie, Charmain, Sang, Kevin, Hugh and Tom.
* for the Yale Divinity School Evangelical Fellowship as they meet weekly in small groups for Bible study, that they will be spiritually challenged and grow in their relationship with Christ.
* for any racial/ethnic tensions among students to be broken down and be replaced by harmony.

March 5, 2009 Devotional 

Dear Alumni, Family, Friends, and Generous Supporters, 

In week twenty-five, students are off to a good start and seniors are experiencing the upcoming reality of their last semester.

As a quick update, we have 290 prayer partners with over 640,000 minutes of prayer. We are over 60 percent towards our goal. This is awesome. My motto for this year has been “Prayer Produces Possibilities.” Our efforts together accentuate this point.

Today’s devotional was written by me with you and Ivy League students in mind. I pray this will bless your hearts and minds.

Blessings,

Quincy 

1 Chronicles 11:15-18 (KJV)

15 Now three of the thirty captains went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam; and the host of the Philistines encamped in the valley of Rephaim.
16 And David was then in the hold, and the Philistines' garrison was then at Bethlehem.
17 And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, that is at the gate!
18 And the three brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: but David would not drink of it, but poured it out to the LORD

Webster’s dictionary defines loyalty as “the state or quality of being loyal; faithfulness to commitments or obligations. Loyalty connotes sentiment and the feeling of devotion that one holds for one's country, creed, family, friends, etc.” I believe many of us would concur that our lives fit within this definition. Whether loving a spouse, supporting a friend, or respecting an employer, we want to demonstrate our devotion.

In this passage, David, in the midst of a ferocious battle with the Philistines, had a sudden craving: "What I wouldn't give for a drink of water from the well in Bethlehem, the one at the gate!" Next, three of his mighty men penetrated the Philistine camp, drew water from the well at the Bethlehem gate, shouldered it, and brought it to David. Without regard for their lives, the three mighty men risked their lives to fulfil a desire for David. David in return would not drink it and poured it out as an offering to the Lord.

Many of us consider this act of loyalty on David’s behalf to be deleterious and extreme. The men risked everything to provide David with a cup of water. If this is the case, what should be our take-away from this passage? Should we deliberately put ourselves in harm’s way to fulfill someone else’s desire? Is there such a thing as too much loyalty? When does loyalty become insanity? What kind of loyalty does God require from us in serving him?

These are questions for which I need your help and input. My request is that you cogitate on these questions over the next week and email me some of your thoughts. I look forward to reading them. We will resume part 2 of this devotional next time.

 February 26, 2009 Prayer Requests

Dear Alumni, Family, Friends, and Generous Supporters, 

As I’ve said before, prayer is not a way of getting what we want, but the way to become what God wants us to be. Our prayers should be less about ourselves and more about God’s will for our lives. The safest place for us to be is in the will of God.

In our twenty-fourth week of our “1,000,000 Minutes of Prayer Campaign”, we have accumulated over 598,000 minutes of prayer among the 288 prayer partners. This is absolutely amazing!  Thanks for your prayers as we believe “every prayer counts.”

This week’s prayer requests concentrate on prayer for leaders, special events, and Bible study fellowships. I pray the Lord will bless you richly as you pray for each Ivy League school.

Blessings,

Quincy
                                                                                                                       
BROWN

*  for Ruth Simmons, president of Brown, as she leads the university through these difficult financial times. Pray that God would give her wisdom and courage to do what needs to be done to keep the integrity of the university in good standing. 
*  keep the leaders and students of Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) in prayer as they continue their study of the book of Galatians during their weekly time of fellowship, singing praises and praying together.  Pray that God would open each of their hearts and minds to what He is saying to them.
* Campus Crusade for Christ students as well as some of their non-Christian friends at Brown will be traveling to New Orleans over spring break, March 21-28, to assist in the Hurricane Katrina Relief Project: Building Better Communities. As they plan for this trip pray that God would supply all their needs and be preparing them emotionally and spiritually for situations they will encounter while there.  Pray that many opportunities would arise for them to share their faith with Katrina victims and also with non-Christians in the group.  
* Athletes In Action continues to hold informal weekly dinner discussions, covering topics such as Forgiveness, Sovereignty of God and Heaven, as a way of exposing every student-athlete at Brown to Christianity and to give them an opportunity to put their faith in Christ.  Pray that the discussion on Evangelism at the March 2 dinner will equip students to be bold and encourage them to step out of their comfort zone in order to share their faith with those in their sphere of influence.   Also pray that these discussions would help foster a better and healthier community among student-athletes.  

COLUMBIA

*continue to keep in prayer the 50 people who attended the Asian American Leadership Seminar on February 18, when they heard from Jane Hyun, a Christian executive coach and leadership strategist.  Pray that her testimony about how her faith helped her make wise career choices, her leadership role as a Christian Asian American, and using ones God-given gifts and talents, will continue to be an encouragement as students leave Columbia and go out into the work force.
* for the encouragement and love shown by members of Columbia’s Catholic Ministry as they serve members of the community on Friday mornings at the Missionaries of Charity’s soup kitchen.
*  for the president Lee C. Bollinger, as he leads Columbia through these difficult financial times. Pray that God would give him wisdom and courage to do what needs to be done to keep the integrity of the university in good standing. 
* the Veritas Forum took place at Columbia, February 24-25, with the topic being: Is God Necessary for Morality and Who was Jesus, Really.  Continue to pray for the students, faculty and community members who turned out, and continued discussions of these topics will impact this largely secular university in God honoring ways.
* keep in prayer each student, staff and faculty member involved in volunteer work through Community Impact, the non-profit student service organization on Columbia’s campus, as they help the less fortunate in the community in such ways as cooking and serving lunch on Fridays at the Soup Kitchen, mentoring community youth and companionship to the elderly.
* join with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship as they begin 40 Days of Prayer, to seek God’s face and kingdom, and ask Him to move at Columbia and other campuses.

CORNELL

* for the president David Skorton, as he leads Cornell through these difficult financial times. Pray that God would give him wisdom and courage to do what needs to be done to keep the integrity of the university in good standing. 
* for continued conversations and spiritual growth of participants of the retreat the Cornell Catholic Community who just returned from Mount Saviour Monastery in Pine City, New York, where they studied the theme:  Experiencing God’s Grace in Everyday Life. 
* Cornell Navigators head to Washington DC from March 14-21, to serve in the Christian urban ministry of Little Lights. Pray that the leaders and students going prepare their hearts to love and serve fellow believers and inner city children selflessly through words and actions, gain insight and a vision for meeting other people’s physical and spiritual needs and that the experience will deepen the unity among the group making the trip.
* on February 21, the Korean Church at Cornell English Ministry, along with members of other Cornell Christian Fellowships, organized the event “Light ‘09” to encourage the body of Christ at Cornell and to challenge them to live for Christ wherever that might be.  Pray that this time which included praise, worship, exhortation and a time of prayer, will mobilize the Christian community to seek God’s will for their lives.

DARTMOUTH

* for James Wright, the president of Dartmouth, as he leads the college through these difficult financial times. Pray that God would grant him wisdom and courage to do what needs to be done to keep the integrity of the university in good standing. 
* up to 150 staff members at Dartmouth will be laid off over the next few weeks due to the budget cuts being made.  Keep these people in prayer as they cope with this unforeseen situation and try to find employment elsewhere.
* at different times during March students and leaders involved in Christian Impact and Agape Christian Fellowship, will travel to Milan, Italy, to share their faith with university students and establish new campus ministries.  Keep them in prayer as they finish raising necessary funds and make final preparations for the trip.  Also be praying for the students whom they will be ministering to, that God would be preparing their ears to hear and softening their hearts to receive the Gospel.
* for Christian students from Dartmouth who are studying abroad this semester.  Pray that they would find a solid church or group to be apart of, so they stay strong in their faith while away from family and friends to support and encourage them.
*  for students struggling with addictions, such as drinking, eating disorders and others.  Pray that these students will have the strength and desire to face the problem head-on, get the help needed and won’t fear the stigma of being at an Ivy League school and needing such help.

HARVARD

* for Drew Faust, president of Harvard, as she leads the university through these difficult financial times. Pray that God would grant her wisdom and courage to do what needs to be done to keep the integrity of the university in good standing. 
* for members of SoulFood, the Christian Fellowship for Harvard’s black community, as they meet together 4-5 mornings each week to pray together and with other fellowships.
* for the freshman reached by the outreach event held by Harvard’s True Love Revolution on February 13, when they distributed a gift to each freshmen letting them know about the lifestyle choice of abstinence.  Continue to pray that this event will continue to have very positive outcome for many students, result in many open discussions about abstinence, and also continue to strengthen the Christian students to stick to their values.
* Harvard Business School Christian Fellowship is preparing for their Winter Retreat in West Dover, Vermont, March 13-15.  Pray for the speakers, leaders and all students, both those committed to attend, and those whom God still wants to attend, as they study God’s word to see what it looks like to follow Jesus while at HBS and beyond.
* for God to move in the hearts of faculty members so they are prompted to take part in the March 31st Cambridge Roundtable on Science, Art & Religion, which exists to further the cause of Christ at Harvard by promoting a Christian worldview through hospitality-guided dialogue. 

PENN

* for Amy Gutmann, president of UPenn, as she leads the university through these difficult financial times. Pray that God would grant her and her advisors, wisdom and courage to do what needs to be done to keep the integrity of the university in good standing.
* the Penn Faculty-Staff Christian Forum is holding a Roundtable on Lincoln’s Faith today.  Keep them in prayer as they seek to learn from Lincoln’s example and from one another, as to how to better face the challenges of integrating their faith with their professional and academic lives.
* for any racial/ethnic tensions among students to be broken down and be replaced by harmony.
* for the many Penn Alumni groups across America and the world who hold regular meetings as well as continue to support Penn and Christian campus ministries with their time, talents and finances.
* with thanks for the men and women who patrol the campus day in and day out keeping it as safe as possible, and may they not grew weary of the tasks God has given them.
* for Living Water Christian Fellowship which serves the Chinese community at Penn, has chosen the theme   Intimacy with God for this semester.  Pray that through prayer, Bible study and fellowship, they will become more intimate with God and the many blessings He has for their lives.

PRINCETON

* for Shirley Tilghman, president of Princeton, as she leads the university through these difficult financial times. Pray that God would grant her and her advisors wisdom and courage to do what needs to be done to keep the integrity of the university in good standing. 
* for Princeton Faith and Action as they hold a five-week long series of dinner discussions on Monday evenings called One Question,  covering various topics of the Christian faith, such as Who Is Jesus & What does it mean to be a Christian.  Be in prayer for the leaders. Pray especially for the non-believing students who attend, that God would prepare their hearts to be open to accepting Him as their Lord and Savior.
* that God would lay on the hearts of many Christian students, a passion to walk with God and boldly share their faith in Him.  Pray that God would sharpen their hearts as well as their spiritual senses, to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  Pray that each student would seed God first, love each other and experience a rich relationship with Him and most of all, pray that Jesus Christ would be glorified.
* for students struggling with addictions, such as drinking, eating disorders and others.  Pray that these students will have the strength and desire to face the problem head-on, get the help needed and won’t fear the stigma of being at an Ivy League school and needing such help.
 
YALE

* for the Yale Gospel Choir as they prepare for their spring tour from March 7-15, when they will take the message of Jesus Christ and share the His love through song in elementary and high schools, daycares, homeless shelters, prisons, and nursing homes throughout the community.
* the Believers In Business Conference was held from February 20-21 and hosted by the Yale School of Management Christian Fellowship Club.  Praise God that this event was so encouraging to attending MBA students who had an opportunity to learn from Christian business leaders how to integrate their faith and their work.
* for Richard Levin, Yale’s president, as he leads the university through these difficult financial times. Pray that God would grant him and his advisors wisdom and courage to do what needs to be done to keep the integrity of the university in good standing. 
* for the Yale Divinity School Evangelical Fellowship as they meet weekly in small groups for Bible study, that they will be spiritually challenged and grow in their relationship with Christ.

February 19, 2009 Devotional

Dear Alumni, Family, Friends, and Generous Supporters,

In week twenty-three, students are off to a good start and seniors are experiencing the upcoming reality of their last semester. 

As a quick update, we have 283 prayer partners with over 574,000 minutes of prayer. We are half way towards our goal. This is awesome. My motto for this year has been “Prayer Produces Possibilities.” Our efforts together accentuate this point. 

I wrote today’s devotional with you and Ivy League students in mind. I pray this will bless your heart and minds.

Blessings,

Quincy
                                                                                      
                                                                                   I Have A Cosigner

                                                               Mark 16:17 (KJV) 
                                               And these signs shall follow them that believe...

Most people avoid cosigning for anyone with whom they do not have a significant relationship. Even those with a close relationship intact are generally ambivalent and extremely cautious about assuming liability for others. I agree. It’s almost taboo to agree and affix your name on someone else’s purchase. To need a cosigner is a red flag for creditworthiness. Lack of creditworthiness often points to significant flaws in one’s life. However, there are exceptions to this rule. There will be times when you must accomplish a prodigious event that exceeds your ability to handle on your own.  

In this passage, Jesus was sending His disciples into the world to preach the Gospel. As He sent them forth, He said that God's signature would be upon their ministry. These "signs" were to be the signature of God—the official declaration that they were sent by Heaven and that the Gospel message was true.

The word "signs" comes from the Greek word semeion, which described the official written notice that announced the final verdict of a court. It also described the signature or seal applied to a document to guarantee its authenticity and a sign that marked key locations in a city. These "signs" that should follow believers would authenticate the fact that their message was not manmade, but a message straight from God Himself. And just as street signs point a traveler in the right direction, these signs would point the unbeliever to the Lord if he would only pay heed to them.

The word "follow" is the Greek word parakoloutheo. When the word para and akoloutheo are joined to form one word as in this verse, it means to tirelessly accompany someone; to constantly be at the side of an individual; to always be in close proximity to a person, like a faithful companion who is always at one's side. This is a picture of someone’s faithfulness to follow and determination to never be out of step with his leader. Signs and wonders are to faithfully follow us and the Gospel message.

These signs and wonders are continually to be in step with us and with the message we preach. To preach without473 these miraculous signs should seem very strange to us, for God intended these signs to persistently follow us and the message anywhere and everywhere we go.

In today’s moral and socioeconomic turbulence, we need God to cosign for us to effectively do ministry in and through us. Jesus promises to sign on the dotted line for believers when we step out on faith and attempt to manifest his signs and wonders. The very nature of the times dictates to us that now is the time that we use our cosigner.

February 12, 2009 Prayer Requests

Dear Alumni, Family, Friends, and Generous Supporters, 

As I’ve said before, prayer is not a way of getting what we want, but the way to become what God wants us to be. Our prayers should be less about ourselves and more about God’s will for our lives. The safest place for us to be is in the will of God.

In our twenty-second week of our “1,000,000 Minutes of Prayer Campaign”, we have accumulated over 550,000 minutes of prayer among the 265 prayer partners. This is absolutely amazing!  Thanks for your prayers as we believe “every prayer counts.”

This week’s prayer requests concentrate on prayer for leaders, special events, and Bible study fellowships. I pray the Lord will bless you richly as you pray for each Ivy League school.

Blessings,

Quincy

BROWN

* from February 13-15, RUF at Brown will be joining the RUF ministries from Harvard and Yale at the ministries Winter Conference in Brewster, Massachusetts.  Pray that the weekend will be a time of relaxation away from campus as well as spiritual renewal, as they hear from speaker Rev. Rick Downs, Senior Pastor, Christ the King Presbyterian Church, on the topic “What is love? Gospel-Centered Relationships”.
* for traveling safety as members of Athletes In Action at Brown drive to the AIA Winter Retreat in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, from February 13-15.  Pray that as they join with fellow athletes from other campuses, they will grow in their relationship with Christ through the teaching from God’s word, worship through song, small group discussions, prayer and fellowship with each other.
*  for the president of Brown, Ruth Simmons as she leads the university through these difficult financial times. Pray that God would give her wisdom and courage to do what needs to be done to keep the integrity of the university in good standing. 
* lift up members of Brown Graduate and Medical Student Christian Fellowship as they meet on Wednesday mornings for a time of prayer and encouragement.  Also pray for the students who volunteer their time at various medical related non-profits in the Providence area. 
* as students join Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) each week this semester for a time of fellowship, singing praises, praying and studying the book of Galatians together, pray that God would open each of their hearts and minds to what he is saying to them.

COLUMBIA

* for students attending the Asian American Leadership Outreach on February 25, when they will hear from Jane Hyun, a Christian executive coach and leadership strategist.  Pray that as she speaks about the use of ones God-given gifts and talents, as well as leading as Christian Asian Americans, that God would open many doors to share the Gospel with non-believing attendees.
*  for the leadership of Columbia Students for Christ (Campus Crusade for Christ) as they continue to work so diligently bringing the message of the Gospel to the students.  Keep each one in prayer Glennis, Vicki and Regina.
* The Veritas Forum is taking place at Columbia, February 24-25 and will discuss Is God Necessary for Morality and Who was Jesus, Really.  Please pray that many students, faculty and community members will turn out for this and the continued discussions of these topics will impact this largely secular university in God honoring ways.
* Keep in prayer each student, staff and faculty member involved in volunteer work through Community Impact, the non-profit student service organization on Columbia’s campus, as they help the less fortunate in the community in such ways as cooking and serving lunch on Fridays at the Soup Kitchen, mentoring community youth and companionship to the elderly.
*  for the president Lee C. Bollinger, as he leads Columbia through these difficult financial times. Pray that God would give him wisdom and courage to do what needs to be done to keep the integrity of the university in good standing. 
*from Monday to Thursday each week, students from different fellowships meet together to pray for the Columbia campus, each other’s fellowships as well as each other.   Pray that they will become a united body of believers who can work together for the glory of God.

CORNELL

*  Navigators annual Winter Conference is coming up from Friday, February 13-Sunday February 15, at which the topic will be "The Old Road" on the Lordship of Christ.  Pray that students attending will become more deeply connected with Christ as well as with their friends.
*  on February 21, the Korean Church at Cornell English Ministry, along with members of other Cornell Christian Fellowships, is organizing an event called “Light ‘09”, to encourage the body of Christ at Cornell and to challenge them to live for Christ wherever that might be.   Pray that this time which will include praise, worship, exhortation and a time of prayer, will mobilize the Christian community to seek God’s will for their lives.
*  for the president David Skorton, as he leads Cornell through these difficult financial times. Pray that God would give him wisdom and courage to do what needs to be done to keep the integrity of the university in good standing. 
* for the Cornell Graduate Christian Fellowship members who serve the community monthly, by volunteering their time to cook and serve week-end meals to the poor in the Ithaca area through a local organization.
* from February 20-22, Cornell Catholic Community will be at Mount Saviour Monastery in Pine City, New York, for a retreat where they will be studying the theme for the weekend:  Experiencing God’s Grace in Everyday Life.  Pray this will be an especially blessed time as they leave the campus for a few days to study God’s word.
* for the final planning of the Festival of Black Gospel taking place from February 20-22 to promote spiritual and cultural awareness through Gospel music. Pray for God to provide any last minute needs, to prepare the hearts of the attendees and to bless the Cornell community through this event.

DARTMOUTH

* up to 150 staff members at Dartmouth will be laid off over the next few weeks due to the budget cuts being made.  Keep these people in prayer as they cope with this unforeseen situation and try to find employment elsewhere.
*  for James Wright, the president of Dartmouth, as he leads the college through these difficult financial times. Pray that God would grant him wisdom and courage to do what needs to be done to keep the integrity of the university in good standing. 
* for Christian students from Dartmouth who are studying abroad this semester.  Pray that they would find a solid church or group to be apart of, so they stay strong in their faith while away from family and friends to support and encourage them.
* for good health, wisdom and God’s blessing for campus ministry leaders including:  Chris West, Tony Feiger, Kent Dahlberg, Jolyon Rivoir-Pruszinski, Sandy Hale, Faye Jaffee and Ryan Bouton.
* for students living on the Interfaith dorm floor as they interact with one another, have set times of discussion about their faith and work together in unity.
*  for students struggling with addictions, such as drinking, eating disorders and others.  Pray that these students will have the strength and desire to face the problem head-on, get the help needed and won’t fear the stigma of being at an Ivy League school and needing such help.

HARVARD

* for traveling safety as members of Athletes In Action at Harvard drive to the AIA Winter Retreat in Stroudsburg, PA being held from February 13-15.  Pray that as they join with fellow athletes from other campuses, they will grow in their relationship with Christ through the teaching from God’s word, worship through song, small group discussions, prayer and fellowship with each other.
*  Veritas Forum will take place at Harvard from February 18-20 and will address the topic of beauty.  Pray for the presenters as they prepare and also that true Biblical beauty will be clearly defined.
* from February 13-15, RUF at Harvard will be joining the RUF ministries from Brown and Yale at the ministries Winter Conference in Brewster, Massachusetts.  Pray that this weekend will be time of relaxation away from campus, as well as spiritual renewal, as they hear from speaker Rev. Rick Downs, Senior Pastor, Christ the King Presbyterian Church, on the topic “What is love? Gospel-Centered Relationships”.
* for the outreach event being planned by Harvard’s True Love Revolution for February 13, when they will be distributing a gift to each freshmen letting them know about the lifestyle choice of abstinence.  Pray that this event will have a very positive outcome for many students, but also that it will strengthen the Christian students to stick to their values.
*  for Drew Faust, president of Harvard, as she leads university through these difficult financial times. Pray that God would grant her wisdom and courage to do what needs to be done to keep the integrity of the university in good standing. 

PENN

* this weekend is the Inter-Varsity Graduate and Faculty Ministries Mid-Atlantic Region Winter Retreat in Airville, Pennsylvania, to which members of the Penn Graduate Christian Fellowship are going.  Pray that as they take time away from their academics they will be refreshed in both body and spirit, as they study the Book of Ruth to learn more about the retreat theme of Being Hospitable.
* for the atmosphere of the campus as the students arrive back to begin a new term starting on January 14.  Pray that they come back refreshed and ready to embrace whatever God has for each one to experience this term.
* for the many Penn Alumni groups across America and the world who hold regular meetings as well as continue to support Penn and Christian campus ministries with their time, talents and finances.
* for Amy Gutmann, president of UPenn, as she leads university through these difficult financial times. Pray that God would grant her and her advisors, wisdom and courage to do what needs to be done to keep the integrity of the university in good standing.
* with thanks for the men and women who prepare and serve the food in the student dining rooms day in and day out, and may they not grew weary of the tasks God has given them.
* for Living Water Christian Fellowship which serves the Chinese community at Penn, has chosen the theme   Intimacy with God for this semester.  Pray that through prayer, Bible study and fellowship, they will become more intimate with God and the many blessings He has for their lives.

PRINCETON

* as planning in underway for Alumni Day on February 21, keep in prayer everyone involved in the preparations for the day, as well as those Alumni who will be attending.  Pray that the day will be one of encouragement as they return to campus and reconnect with old friends.
* for Princeton Faith and Action as they being a five-week long series of dinner discussions on Monday, February 16, covering various topics of the Christian faith, such as What does it mean to be a Christian.  Be in prayer for the leaders as well as the many non-believing students who have shown interest to attend, and that God would prepare their hearts to be open to accepting Him as their Lord and Savior.
* for Shirley Tilghman, Princeton’s president, as she leads university through these difficult financial times. Pray that God would grant her and her advisors wisdom and courage to do what needs to be done to keep the integrity of the university in good standing. 
* Praise God for the many blessings the 10 Princeton athletes experienced through attending the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Northeast College Retreat the weekend of February 6-8.  Pray that through the encouragement from the Bible studies and fellowship with other Christian athletes they will have a renewed boldness to share their faith with others on campus.

YALE

* from February 13-15, RUF at Yale will be joining the RUF ministries from Brown and Harvard at the ministries Winter Conference in Brewster, Massachusetts.  Pray that this weekend will be time away from campus for relaxation as well as spiritual renewal, as they hear from speaker Rev. Rick Downs, Senior Pastor, Christ the King Presbyterian Church, on the topic “What is love? Gospel-Centered Relationships”. 
* the Believers In Business Conference will be held from February 20-21 and hosted by the Yale School of Management Christian Fellowship Club.  Pray that this event will be well attended, run smoothly and that it will give attending MBA students an opportunity to learn from business leaders how to integrate their faith and their work.
* for the All-Campus Worship in the Battell Chapel this coming Sunday.  Pray that this will be a way of unifying all the believers on campus as they join together for a time of praise, prayer and worship.
* for Richard Levin, Yale’s president, as he leads university through these difficult financial times. Pray that God would grant him and his advisors wisdom and courage to do what needs to be done to keep the integrity of the university in good standing. 
* for the Yale Divinity School Evangelical Fellowship as they meet weekly in small groups for Bible study, that they will be spiritually challenged and grow in their relationship with Christ.
*  for the Yale Gospel Choir as they prepare for their spring tour, when they will take the message of Jesus Christ and share the His love through song in elementary and high schools, daycares, homeless shelters, prisons, and nursing homes throughout the community.

February 5, 2009 Devotional

Dear Alumni, Family, Friends, and Generous Supporters,

In week twenty-one, spring semester is underway and students are back into the academic flow. Personally, I’m thrilled to spend time again with students through Bible courses and discipleship, but deeply saddened by the news that two students, whom I know personally, are not returning for spring semester due to poor academic performance. We all recognize the pressure and workloads that are placed on Ivy League students are laborious at times. However, there is always a personal accountability connected to performance. I gave both students tough love, and encouraged them that even through this difficulty the Lord can work it out for their good. They are in my prayers. I look forward to their return in the Fall of 2009.

As a quick update, we have 228 prayer partners with over 524,000 minutes of prayer. We are half way towards our goal. This is awesome. My motto for this year has been “Prayer Produces Possibilities.” Our efforts together accentuate this point.

Today’s devotional was written by me with you and Ivy League students in mind. I pray this will bless your heart and minds.

Blessings,

Quincy 

God Knows My Heart

1 John 3:20 (ESV)
for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.

Today, some Christians boldly excuse or justify sinful behavior by saying “God knows my heart.” This statement infers a license to compromise during a trial as intentions become a suitable substitute for actions. Some believers reference Romans chapter 7 (where Paul discusses a war in his flesh that produces a bad outcome from good intentions) as supporting evidence of this harsh reality.  However, there are other believers who affirm Jesus words when he says “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” Therefore, if we break his commandments, our love for him is questionable. 

In this passage, John addresses a potentially explosive problem in a believer’s life; our hearts can and will play tricks with us. It is a known fact that our hearts can be extremely unforgiving toward ourselves. Our hearts cripple and rob us of our assurance and confidence before God. Jeremiah 17 tells us that our hearts are deceitful, desperately wicked, and it’s impossible to know the depths of our own heart. This statement is not to depress us but to inform us of our limitation in assessing reality based solely on the conditions of our hearts. John knows this and uses this opportunity to assure believers that God is greater than our hearts and knows all things. This is significant, because if after repentance, our heart continues to torment us with debilitating self-criticism, the Lord intervenes by personally driving out condemnation and restoring peace in our heart. If we confess our faults, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all iniquity. Your heart may say that you’re a failure, a fraud, and worthless. However, the Lord sees your intentions and accepts the righteousness of Jesus as our righteousness. So in a greater sense, God really does know your heart.

January 29, 2009 Prayer Requests

Dear Alumni, Family, Friends, and Generous Supporters, 

As I’ve said before, prayer is not a way of getting what we want, but the way to become what God wants us to be. Our prayers should be less about ourselves and more about God’s will for our lives. The safest place for us to be is in the will of God.

In our twentieth week of our “1,000,000 Minutes of Prayer Campaign”, we have accumulated over 480,000 minutes of prayer among the 230 prayer partners. This is absolutely amazing!  Thanks for your prayers as we believe “every prayer counts.”

This week’s prayer requests concentrate on prayer for special events, and Bible study fellowships. I pray the Lord will bless you richly as you pray for each Ivy League school.

Blessings,

Quincy

BROWN

* as students join Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) each week this semester for a time of fellowship, singing praises, praying and studying the book of Galatians together, pray that God would open each of their hearts and minds to what he is saying to them.
* now that classes have resumed again for the second semester at Brown, please pray that students are ready to focus on studies and willing to serve the Lord in whatever way He asks.
* for all faculty, staff and campus ministry workers that they will have the much needed rest and relaxation over the break so they will be rejuvenated in body and mind for the new semester ahead.
* from February 13-15, RUF at Brown will be joining the RUF ministries from Harvard and Yale at the ministries Winter Conference in Brewster, Massachusetts.  Pray that the week-end will be a time of relaxation away from campus as well as spiritual renewal, as they hear from speaker Rev. Rick Downs, Senior Pastor, Christ the King Presbyterian Church, on the topic “What is love? Gospel-Centered Relationships”.
* lift up members of Brown Graduate and Medical Student Christian Fellowship as they meet on Wednesday mornings for a time of prayer and encouragement.  Also pray for the students who volunteer their time at various medical related non-profits in the Providence area. 

COLUMBIA

 * for students attending the Asian American Leadership Outreach on February 25, when they will hear from Jane Hyun, a Christian executive coach and leadership strategist.  Pray that as she speaks about the use of ones God-given gifts and talents, as well as leading as Christian Asian Americans, that God would open many doors to share the Gospel with non-believing attendees.
*  each Thursday evening at 7.30pm Columbia’s InterVarsity Christian Fellowship gathers for its weekly meeting, Ignite.  Keep them in prayer as they discuss various faith topics, such as this weeks Creation: What’s Our Purpose? with guest speaker Peter Heltzel, a New York Theological Seminary professor.
* students have now returned to Columbia for the spring semester, pray that they will be energized and ready to focus on their studies and will do well academically and grow spiritually.
* for this years seniors to be more urgent about the Gospel, and to be open to making decisions of commitment.
* from Monday to Thursday each week, students from different fellowships meet together to pray for the Columbia campus, each others fellowships as well as each other.   Pray that they will become a united body of believers who can work together for the glory of God.
* that campus ministry leaders, as well as students, will be faithful in their friendships with non-Christian friends who become curious about their faith and lifestyles.

CORNELL

*  Navigators' annual Winter Conference is coming up from Friday, February 13 - Sunday February 15, at which the topic will be "The Old Road" on the Lordship of Christ.  Pray that students attending will become more deeply connect with Christ as well as with their friends.
* for the Cornell Graduate Christian Fellowship members who serve the community monthly, by volunteering their time to cook and serve week-end meals to the poor in the Ithaca area through a local organization.
* for Christian students from Cornell who are studying abroad this semester.  Pray that they would find a solid church or group to be apart of, so they stay strong in their faith while away from family and friends to support and encourage them.
*  on February 21, the Korean Church at Cornell English Ministry, along with members of other Cornell Christian Fellowships, is organizing an event called “Light ‘09”, to encourage the body of Christ at Cornell and to challenge them to live for Christ wherever that might be.   Pray that this time which will include praise, worship, exhortation and a time of prayer, will mobilize the Christian community to seek God’s will for their lives.
* with thanks for the men and women who prepare and serve the food in the student dining rooms day in and day out, and may they not grew weary of the tasks God has given them.

DARTMOUTH

* Praise God that the 11 members of Agape Christian Fellowship who recently attended the Campus Crusade for Christ conference, Kingdom Come: Epic Conference, held in Philadelphia, January 16-19, were greatly blessed and challenged to be bolder in sharing their faith on campus, as well as having increased clarity for the vision and goals of their ministry. 
* from February 1-3, Christian Impact is sponsoring Karelyn Siegler, a Christian artist, to speak to art students at Dartmouth, as well as Christian fellowships, about how faith and art can be integrated in the secular world.
* for Christian students from Dartmouth who are studying abroad this semester.  Pray that they would find a solid church or group to be apart of, so they stay strong in their faith while away from family and friends to support and encourage them.
* for students living on the Interfaith dorm floor as they interact with one another, have set times of discussion about their faith and work together in unity.
* for Christian students from Dartmouth who are studying abroad this semester.  Pray that they would find a solid church or group to be apart of, so they stay strong in their faith while away from family and friends to support and encourage them.

HARVARD

* from January 30-February 1,  Harvard-Radcliffe Asian American Christian Fellowship will be off to Toah Nipi Retreat Center in Rindge, New Hampshire for their winter retreat where they will be learning more about sharing their faith.  Pray especially for the non-Christians attending, that God would touch their hearts and they may feel and see His love in a real way.
* from February 13-15, RUF at Harvard will be joining the RUF ministries from Brown and Yale at the ministries Winter Conference in Brewster, Massachusetts.  Pray that this week-end will be time of relaxation away from campus, as well as spiritual renewal, as they hear from speaker Rev. Rick Downs, Senior Pastor, Christ the King Presbyterian Church, on the topic “What is love? Gospel-Centered Relationships”.
* for the outreach event being planned by Harvard’s True Love Revolution for February 13, when they will be distributing a gift to each freshmen letting them know about the lifestyle choice of abstinence.  Pray that this event will have a very positive outcome for many students, but also that it will strengthen the Christian students to stick to their values.
* for the 15 Harvard students who just returned from their first winter retreat in Killington, Vermont.  Continue to pray that the groundwork was begun to reflect daily on God, they will continue to grow spiritually, and that God works in the hearts of those who have yet to make a decision to follow Him.
* for souls to be blessed during the short service of Morning Prayers held each morning in the Appleton Chapel. Pray that this time of music, Bible reading, prayer and peace, will be a refreshing start to the busy day ahead.

PENN

* for the atmosphere of the campus as the students arrive back to begin a new term starting on January 14.  Pray that they come back refreshed and ready to embrace whatever God has for each one to experience this term.
* for the many Penn Alumni groups across America and the world who hold regular meetings as well as continue to support Penn and Christian campus ministries with their time, talents and finances.
* for this years seniors to be more urgent about the Gospel, and to be open to making decisions of commitment.
* for increased excitement about Athletes in Action and about Christ in the athletic community.  Pray that God would continue moving through the athletic body as well as raise up leaders to guide them.
* for Living Water Christian Fellowship which serves the Chinese community at Penn, has chosen the theme   Intimacy with God for this semester.  Pray that through prayer, Bible study and fellowship, they will become more intimate with God and the many blessings He has for their lives.

PRINCETON

* Princeton Faith and Action are coming to the end of a week-long winter retreat in Killington, Vermont. 
Pray that the groundwork was begun to reflect daily on God, that each student continues to be challenged to grow spiritually, and that God works in the hearts of those who have yet to make a decision to follow Him.  Pray too that this was a special time for new friendships to be made and current friendships to grow deeper in positive ways.
* 10 Princeton athletes plan to attend the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Northeast College Retreat the week-end of February 6-8.  As they meet Christian athletes from other campuses, take part in Bible studies, worship and times of prayer, pray that they be encouraged, grow in their personal relationship with Christ, and return to campus with a renewed boldness to share their faith with others.
* for Princeton Evangelical Fellowship and Manna Christian Fellowship return from their joint winter retreat at Camp Spofford in New Hampshire this week-end.  Pray that this has been a good time away from campus to worship, grow in the Lord, fellowship together , have fun, and have safety when traveling back to Princeton.
* as planning in underway for Alumni Day on February 21, keep in prayer everyone involved in the preparations for the day, as well as those Alumni who will be attending.  Pray that the day will be one of encouragement as they return to campus and reconnect with old friends.

YALE

* from February 13-15, RUF at Yale will be joining the RUF ministries from Brown and Harvard at the ministries Winter Conference in Brewster, Massachusetts.  Pray that this week-end will be time away from campus for relaxation as well as spiritual renewal, as they hear from speaker Rev. Rick Downs, Senior Pastor, Christ the King Presbyterian Church, on the topic “What is love? Gospel-Centered Relationships”. 
* for the Yale Divinity School Evangelical Fellowship as they have an evening of worship and prayer on January 30, to seek God’s guidance for the new semester.  Pray for them also as they meet weekly in small groups for Bible study, that they will be spiritually challenged and grow in their relationship with Christ.
* the Believers In Business Conference will be held from February 20-21 and hosted by the Yale School of Management Christian Fellowship Club.  Pray that this event will be well attended, run smoothly and that it will give attending MBA students an opportunity to learn from business leaders how to integrate their faith and their work.
* for students who meet together for regular times of prayer.  Pray with them for spiritual transformation throughout the campus and that individually, they will grow in assurance and confidence in their faith.
* pray with Yale Student for Christ and Yale Christian Fellowship as they pray together each Wednesday lunchtime for spiritual renewal on the campus.

                                                 
                                                                  January 22, 2009 Devotional

Dear Alumni, Family, Friends, and Generous Supporters, 

In week nineteen, some students are on break, but others are still writing papers and taking final examinations. This time is very hectic and sobering for them with so much content to digest and write before deadlines. This is the time they solicit our prayers the most.

As a quick update, we have 226 prayer partners with over 455,000 minutes of prayer. This is awesome. My motto for this year has been “Prayer Produces Possibilities.” Our efforts together accentuate this point.

Today’s devotional was written by me with you and Ivy League students in mind. I pray this will bless your heart and minds.

Blessings,

Quincy 

 I’m in the Book

Luke 4:14-17 (ESV)

14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country.
15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.
16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read.
17 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written...

The Bible is a collection of 66 books written by about 40 authors, in three different languages, on three different continents, over approximately 1600 years. The Bible claims to be inspired and inerrant. This means that the Bible claims to be from God and that it is without error in everything it addresses.

Today, there are people that erroneously reject the Bible as outdated and irrelevant because of their difficulty in finding suitable passages to speak to their innermost concerns and needs. In my view, the problem is not about the relevancy of God’s word, but their inability to locate the right scriptures (or location) in the word of God exclusively for them. Every scripture in the Bible addresses and speaks directly to specific situations at any given time. Our goal is to locate the scripture passages that speak directly to us because we all are “in the Book.”  

In today’s passage, Jesus demonstrates for us all how to locate our place in the word of God. Look at what Jesus does; he goes to his hometown (a place), attends a synagogue service (another place) to open the scroll to find His place in the word of God. His place is now settled because the scripture is now fulfilled.

Our natural and spiritual life is comprised of a series of destinations within the context of seasons. Each place is located by an address; specific numbers and words to give you an exact location. For example where we live and work all have addresses.  Before Jesus incarnation, the word of God was talking about Him. This scripture (Isaiah 61) was written exactly for him. It reveals Jesus purpose and gives Him power for this assignment. His hometown & neighborhood synagogue was the most strategic place to read/find his spiritual place.

Are there such things as places for us in the Word of God? Do you think that Jesus was teaching us about finding our place? It is there we are acknowledged and identified. Three points we should remember as we discover that we are “in the Book:”

Place- Identification:  Scriptures in the Bible that speak directly to you and for you

Purpose-Revelation:   The Bible unveils or decodes the general and specific meaning of your life

Power Assignment:    There is a God-given mandate on your life to fulfill. It's unique to you and must be carried out to complete your destination.

January 15, 2009 Prayer Requests

BROWN

*  on January 21, classes will resume again for the second semester at Brown. Please pray that students return to campus relaxed, ready to focus on studies and willing to serve the Lord in whatever way He asks. *  for all faculty, staff and campus ministry workers that they will have the much needed rest and relaxation over the break so they will be rejuvenated in body and mind for the new semester ahead.
*  lift up members of Brown Graduate and Medical Student Christian Fellowship as they meet on Wednesday mornings for a time of prayer and encouragement.  Also pray for the students who volunteer their time at various medical related non-profits in the Providence area.

COLUMBIA

*  as students return to Columbia for the January 19 start of the Spring semester, pray that they will be energized and ready to focus on their studies and will do well academically and grow spiritually.
*  the Asian American Ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ, the Epic Movement, is holding a conference from January 16-19, 2009, at the Grand Plaza Hotel, Philadelphia.  Pray for God’s presence to be felt, that He would work in and move in the hearts of students to attend. 
*  that campus ministry leaders, as well as students, will be faithful in their friendships with non-Christian friends who become curious about their faith and lifestyles.  Pray that God would open their eyes to see how He is working and encouraging them to continue building bridges.

CORNELL

*  for Christian students from Cornell who are studying abroad this semester.  Pray that they would find a solid church or group to be apart of, so they stay strong in their faith while away from family and friends to support and encourage them.
*  for Cornell president David J. Skorton as he continues to lead the university through this year and the current financial climate.
*  as students return to Cornell for the January 19 start of the new semester, pray that they will be energized and ready to focus on their studies and will do well academically and grow spiritually.

DARTMOUTH

*  15 members of Agape Christian Fellowship are planning to attend the Kingdom Come: Epic Conference, to be held at the Grand Plaza Hotel, Philadelphia, January 16-19, 2009. The Epic Movement is the Asian American Ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ.  Please pray that the hearts and ears of students attending will be open and listening, and are ready and willing to receive the message of the gospel.
*  for Fr. Michael McCormack and Fr. Francis Christopher Belanger, as they lead the Catholic student community at Dartmouth.
*  for Christian students from Dartmouth who are studying abroad this semester.  Pray that they would find a solid church or group to be apart of, so they stay strong in their faith while away from family and friends to support and encourage them.

HARVARD

*  for God to work and move in the hearts of students to attend a winter retreat from January 23-27, in Killington, Vermont.  Pray that this will be a good time away from academia to reflect on God, and a time of spiritually growth as they read through Tim Keller’s book, A Reason for God.
*  for souls to be blessed during the short service of Morning Prayers held each morning in the Appleton Chapel.  Pray that this time of music, Bible reading, prayer and peace, will be a refreshing start to the busy day ahead.
*  from January 30-February 1,  Harvard-Radcliffe Asian American Christian Fellowship will be off to Toah Nipi Retreat Center in Rindge, New Hampshire for their winter retreat where they will be learning more about sharing their faith.  Keep all those going in prayer and that they will return to campus rejuvenated.

PENN

*  for the atmosphere of the campus as the students arrive back to begin a new term starting on January 14.  Pray that they come back refreshed and ready to embrace whatever God has for each one to experience this term.
*  for students training in the Healthcare profession, pray for God to put it on their hearts to attend the Winter Conference from January 16-18, 2009, at Sandy Cove Conference Center, MD, and be encouraged by the theme “The Reality of Following Christ as a Healthcare Professional”.
*  for the many Penn Alumni groups across America and the world who hold regular meetings as well as continue to support Penn and Christian campus ministries with their time, talents and finances.
* hold up the families of the two Penn students and a professor who have lost their lives during the past month.

PRINCETON

* for travel safety for the 55 Princeton students from various Christian campus ministries, who are traveling on a Princeton Pro-life sponsored charter bus to Washington, DC on January 22, to participate in the March for Life and demonstrate on a national level their support of the sanctity of life.
*  for students who meet together for regular times of prayer.  Pray with them for spiritual transformation throughout the campus and that individually, they will grow in assurance and confidence in their faith.
*  for Princeton Evangelical Fellowship and Manna Christian Fellowship leadership as they prepare for their joint winter retreat at Camp Spofford in New Hampshire.  Pray for the students already going, as well as those who have yet to sign up.  Pray that this will be a good time away from campus to worship and grow in the Lord, fellowship together as well as have fun.

YALE

*for the events coordinators as well as attendees, as Yale begins a week of special events to celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. The theme is “Because of His Dream: ‘Yes, We Can.”
*  as the Yale Divinity School Evangelical Fellowship meet weekly in small groups for Bible study, prayer and worship, pray that they will be spiritually challenged and grow in their relationship with Christ.
*  for all campus ministry workers that they will have the much needed rest and relaxation over the break so they will be rejuvenated in body and mind for the new semester ahead.
*  pray with Yale Student for Christ and Yale Christian Fellowship as they pray together each Wednesday lunchtime for spiritual renewal on the campus.

December 11, 2008 Devotional

Dear Alumni, Family, Friends, and Generous Supporters,

In week fourteen, students are leaving for winter break. This is a prime opportunity for students to visit/reconnect with their families as they focus on seeing family/friends and having fun.

As a quick update, we have added (214) with over 390,000 minutes of prayer. This is awesome. My motto for this year has been “Prayer Produces Possibilities.” Our efforts together accentuate this point.

I wrote today’s devotional with you and Ivy League students in mind. I pray this will bless your heart and minds.
 
Blessings,

Quincy

 The One and Only

Luke 10:40-42 (KJV)
40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.
41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

Most people today enjoy having multiple options to choose from. From having several acceptance letters from Ivy League Institutions or receiving several job offers, multiple options create a sense of privilege and security. I agree. Life is multifarious; having a plethora of choices at your disposal is more of a good thing than a bad one. However, what happens when multiple options become cumbersome, and the clear choice is obscured by the quantity of choices? Will you settle for second best?

In this passage, Jesus responds to Martha’s agitation by revealing the root-cause of her pain: her inability to choose the most important thing. Martha needed devotion (sitting at the feet of Jesus) before she could perform her duty to serve. Martha’s overture was a significant blunder as she ignored her inner state, and attempted the obvious (making preparations and serving). This approach backfired and Martha misguided her frustration at Mary’s ostensible insensitivity to offer her help in serving. The blame resided in Martha’s failure to ascertain the most important thing she needed to do. Mary obtained the better part because she seized what Martha could not or chose not to do.

Today, many of us suffer from the Martha’s syndrome because of the myriad choices we face daily. We as believers are being driven instead of being led. It’s time to settle down and ask ourselves what is more needful for us right now, duty or devotion? They both are instrumental but not always equally important. Sometimes a choice of importance at the moment is conspicuous but often it’s not. My modus operandi for determining priority is to remember “before something can be done through me; it first must be done in me.” Doing the most important thing at a given moment is predicated on the quality of our choice and not in what is necessary. Finding that “one thing” takes precedence over all others at any given moment. What is the one and only thing you should be doing at the moment above all else? This secret is the key to victorious living.

 Prayer

Father God, It is an honor to praise and exalt your Holy name. You are doing amazing things within the Ivy League campuses. Thank you for providing us with the prayer partners and resources we needed to propagate your gospel. All that we have or need is within you. Thank you for showering your blessings of strength, healing, and prosperity over our prayer partners and the lives of our students. Help us to decrease our personal agendas and increase the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Thank you for opening doors to share the gospel with students in the Ivy League. Your will shall be done in our hearts and on these campuses.   In Jesus' Name.

December 4, 2008 Prayer Requests

Dear Alumni, Family, Friends, and Generous Supporters,

As I’ve said before, prayer is not a way of getting what we want, but the way to become what God wants us to be. Our prayers should be less about ourselves and more about God’s will for our lives. The safest place for us to be is in the will of God.

In our ninth week of our “1,000,000 Minutes of Prayer Campaign”, we have accumulated over 315,000 minutes of prayer among the 215 prayer partners. This is absolutely amazing!  Thanks for your prayers as we believe “every prayer counts.”

This week’s prayer requests concentrate on prayer for key leaders, special events, and Bible study fellowships. I pray the Lord will bless you richly as you pray for each Ivy League school.

Blessings,
Quincy

BROWN 
 
* that God would bring comfort and peace to any students who feel lonely and depressed around this time of the year, as the Christmas season approaches.
* for two events held by Athletes In Action.  Today is the last large group meeting of the semester and an athlete who played in the Rose Bowl will be the speaker.  On December 13 AIA will be celebrating Christmas together at their Christmas Party.  Pray that both events will be a good time for all but especially that any non-Christian friends invited will be exposed in a very real way, to the true meaning of this season. 
* for God to work and move in the hearts of students to attend the Campus Crusade for Christ Boston Winter Conference called Kingdom Come, from January 2-6, 2009, to be held at the Sheraton Boston Hotel.  The conference provides an opportunity for the training and equipping of student leaders in evangelism, and a time for students to ask God how they can be used to build his kingdom.

COLUMBIA

*  as Columbia Gospel Choir have final rehearsals in preparation for their concert on December 6, pray for good health for the nineteen singers and three musicians as it pertains to their voices and abilities to perform, and also be in prayer for those attending the concert, that they will be blessed in a mighty way through hearing the gospel presented through song.
*  for students who have recently come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ on Columbia’s campus, pray that God will give zeal and boldness to share their new found faith with others.
*  that students attending the Awakening conference in New York City, January 23 & 24, 2009, will be changed for His glory.
*  for God to work and move in the hearts of students to attend the Campus Crusade for Christ Boston Winter Conference called Kingdom Come, from January 2-6, 2009, to be held at the Sheraton Boston Hotel.  The conference provides an opportunity for the training and equipping of student leaders in evangelism, and a time for students to ask God how they can be used to build his kingdom.

CORNELL

*  for the 20 students who are preparing for a mission trip to Los Altos Tres School in Venezuela from December 31-January 13.
*  on December 6, the Core Team members of Campus On A Hill, are hosting a Leadership Series for the purpose of encouraging and building up the current fellowship leaders and train the next generation of Christian leaders at Cornell.  Be in prayer for the Team as they answer the question: “What is a successful Christian Leader”, and for all who attend.
*  for continued blessings on the Saturday Night Praise Alive Gathering for students, held at Agape Church. As they meet on December 6, pray that God’s spirit would pour down on this time of celebration and fellowship.
*  for God to work and move in the hearts of students to attend the Campus Crusade for Christ Boston Winter Conference called Kingdom Come, from January 2-6, 2009, to be held at the Sheraton Boston Hotel.  The conference provides an opportunity for the training and equipping of student leaders in evangelism, and a time for students to ask God how they can be used to build his kingdom.

DARTMOUTH

* as a follow-up to a very successful freshman campaign, Christian Impact is having a major evangelistic outreach today and tomorrow on campus, as they offer a copy of C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity, to the entire student body.
* Praise God that the Thanksgiving Banquet held by Agape Christian Fellowship on November 22 and attended by 120 students, was such a great time of celebrating the national holiday, as well as providing a good opportunity and environment to share the message of Jesus Christ with unbelievers who attended with friends.
 *  that the space secured close to the Dartmouth campus, by Campus Crusade for Christ, Navigators and Agape Christian Fellowship, for the specific purpose of having a 24/7 Prayer Room, will be ready for use by Dartmouth students and community by mid-December.
*  for God to work and move in the hearts of students to attend the Campus Crusade for Christ Boston Winter Conference called Kingdom Come, from January 2-6, 2009, to be held at the Sheraton Boston Hotel.  The conference provides an opportunity for the training and equipping of student leaders in evangelism, and a time for students to ask God how they can be used to build his kingdom

HARVARD

*  for the students who continue to give of their time at the Harvard Square Homeless Shelter and for the lives they touch by sharing of themselves with the less fortunate.
*  keep Christian Union’s Harvard ministry team, Don Weiss and Nick Nowalk, in your prayers.  Praise God for the impact they are having in the lives of students through individual meetings and a weekly Bible study.  Pray also for the students whom God has raised up within this group to take on leadership roles.
*  for God to work and move in the hearts of students to attend the Campus Crusade for Christ Boston Winter Conference called Kingdom Come, from January 2-6, 2009, to be held at the Sheraton Boston Hotel.  The conference provides an opportunity for the training and equipping of student leaders in evangelism, and a time for students to ask God how they can be used to build his kingdom.

PENN

*  for students training in the Healthcare profession, pray for God to put it on their hearts to attend the Winter Conference in January 2009, and be encouraged by the theme “The Reality of Following Christ as a Healthcare Professional”.
*  with the Wharton Christian Group (undergrad) and the Wharton Christian Fellowship (MBAs) as they partner together in forming mentoring opportunities between the two groups.
*  as the Penn Faculty-Staff Christian Forum meet together for a time of fellowship at their Christmas Reception entitled “A Chinese Christmas”, and are energized after this brief break from their busy schedules to reflect on the season.
*  for God to work and move in the hearts of students to attend the Campus Crusade for Christ Boston Winter Conference called Kingdom Come, from January 2-6, 2009, to be held at the Sheraton Boston Hotel.  The conference provides an opportunity for the training and equipping of student leaders in evangelism, and a time for students to ask God how they can be used to build his kingdom.

PRINCETON

*  that the interfellowship Christmas Vespers Service on December 7, will generate reflection, bring unity between the campus ministries and create an opportunity to invite friends to a service that combines music, Scripture, and teaching as a means of reflecting on Jesus Christ and the true meaning of celebrating Christmas.
*  for Impact Christian Fellowship as they serve the African-American community on campus, through Bible studies and worship. Pray also for those planning to attend the Impact 2008 conference in Atlanta from December 27-January 1, that this will be a life changing experience.
*  for God would be especially real to students who have recently given their lives to Christ and that they will be bold in sharing their faith with family and friends over this Christmas season.
*  as a result of the Dinesh D’Sousa and Peter Singer debate at Princeton University’s Richardson Auditorium last night, pray that many ears were opened to hear God’s truth, and many hearts opened to accept it.  Continue to pray for the attendees who were hearing the truth for the first time.

YALE

*  lift up those involved in planning the 2009 Believers in Business Conference hosted by the Yale School Of Management Christian Fellowship, which will explore issues related to finding purpose and value in work drawing on Christian principles. Pray that His hand will be evident at every step of the way as well as preparing the hearts of all who will attend.
*  give thanks for the musical talents God has bestowed on students attending the Yale Institute of Sacred Music as they present Bach's Christmas Oratorio on December 6 & 7.  
*  for every member of the faculty and staff, that they would be role models to the students by showing patience, understanding, kindness and integrity in their lives.
 *  for God to work and move in the hearts of students to attend the Campus Crusade for Christ Boston Winter Conference called Kingdom Come, from January 2-6, 2009, to be held at the Sheraton Boston Hotel.  The conference provides an opportunity for the training and equipping of student leaders in evangelism, and a time for students to ask God how they can be used to build his kingdom. 

November 27, 2008 Devotional

Dear Alumni, Family, Friends, and Generous Supporters,

In week twelve, students are away for Thanksgiving break. This is a prime opportunity for students to visit/reconnect with their families as they celebrate giving thanks. Thanksgiving reminds us all that we have something which we are thankful. I’m especially thankful to be alive and in good health. The Princeton community is extremely thankful for the upcoming debate between Professor Peter Singer and Dinesh D’Souza on the question “Can there be morality without God?” on Wednesday, December 3rd @ 8:30 at Princeton. This debate is generating tremendous excitement and discussion within the Princeton Christian and Non-Christian community. A successful outcome of this debate will become a catalyst of change within Princeton University. I’ve called on Christian Union staff to join with me over the next 10 days to P.U.S.H. (Pray Until Something Happens). Our prayers can and will make a difference.

As a quick update, we have added 2 new prayer partners (213) with over 310,000 minutes of prayer. This is awesome. My motto for this year has been “Prayer Produces Possibilities.” Our efforts together accentuate this point.

Today’s devotional was written by me with you and Ivy League students in mind. I pray this will bless your heart and minds.

Blessings,

Quincy

It’s Over Before It Begins

2 Chronicles 20:15-17 (NIV)
15 He said: "Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's.
16 Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel.
17 You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.'"

In this passage, God speaks a favorable word to King Jehoshaphat under the most unfavorable circumstances. Israel is greatly outnumbered and in danger of extinction by their enemies. Nevertheless, God encourages Israel to look beyond/ignore their present difficulties and expect victory. This battle involves Israel but does not belong to Israel; it belongs to God. God will fight on their behalf and give them a resounding victory.

The D’Souza-Singer debate reminds me of such a battle. From the surface is looks natural and engaging. But on a granular level, there is a supernatural battle warring for a harvest of souls yet to be realized in the Ivy League. I believe as God fought the battle for King Jehoshaphat, He will intervene on our behalf and use this debate as a platform to display His might and goodness. The outcome of this debate, as well as many things in our lives, is over before it begins. God determines the end from the beginning. The battle is not ours but the Lord’s.

 
Prayer

Below, I have enumerated prayer requests that are of strategic importance.

Natural Events- Please pray
1. for record-breaking attendance of the debate.
2. God will open the hearts and minds of each attendees to the revelation and truth of Himself
3. The Holy Spirit will empower Dinesh D’Souza with supernatural wisdom and confidence to boldly proclaim and defend the truth of God
4. God will heal and deliver Peter Singer from things in his past, and deliver him from his destructive thinking.

Spiritual Events- Please pray
1. against demonic strongholds of pride and fear
2. the Holy Spirit will take charge of the debate
3. the Glory of God will manifest itself

November 20, 2008 Prayer Requests

Dear Alumni, Family, Friends, and Generous Supporters,

St. Augustine of Hippo, a prominent 4th century theologian, once said “Without God we cannot. Without Us He will not.” God by his power makes our impossibilities possible. However, our possibilities become improbable if we fail to partner with God. This is the essence of our Divine-Human relationship. Partnership is necessary if we are going to accomplish spiritual transformation within the Ivy League.

In our eleventh week of our “1,000,000 Minutes of Prayer Campaign”, we have accumulated over 249,000 minutes (or 172 days) of prayer with 196 days remaining. Absolutely amazing! Thanks for your prayers as we believe “every prayer counts.”

This week’s prayer requests are quite diverse but share a few key requests: prayer for key leaders, special events, and bible study fellowships. I pray the Lord will bless you richly as you pray for each Ivy League school.

Blessings,

Quincy

BROWN

*  Athletes In Action is holding weekly dinner discussions covering seven topics, such as Heaven, Forgiveness and Purpose. Pray for Jarrod Lynn as he leads these sessions and that this will be a time to train student-athletes in evangelism, solidify their faith, and expose non-Christian athletes to the relevance, reality and reign of a Christian worldview.
* for the Brown students who are studying abroad this year. Pray for safety, that each one would grow in maturity, take advantage of experience gained from being in other cultures, and return with a deeper understanding of their situation in life and with a truly thankful heart to God.
* that God would bring comfort and peace to any students who feel lonely and depressed around this time of the year, as the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons approach.
* Christian campus ministry workers face many challenges and struggles in their endeavors to bring the Gospel to all the students at Brown.  Pray that each one will take daily time out to spend personal time with the Lord preparing their hearts and minds for the work God has placed them at this particular campus to do.  
* for God to work and move in the hearts of students to attend the Boston Winter Conference in January, which provides an opportunity for the training and equipping student leaders in evangelism.

COLUMBIA

* for InterVarsity as the hold discussions about faith issues in various dorms on campus.
* as  the nineteen singers and three musicians of the Columbia Gospel Choir prepare for their fall concert on December 5, pray for the health as it pertains to their voices and abilities to perform.
* for students who have recently come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ on Columbia’s campus, pray that God will give zeal and boldness to share their new found faith with others.
* for Columbia’s diverse Christian international community, served by the International Christian Fellowship, where their common believe in Jesus Christ can be shared and together grow spiritually through weekly Bible studies. Also, remember them in prayer as they meet to pray three mornings a week.
* for revival among the students and throughout the campus.
* University Bible Fellowship gather around the Bible every Thursday evening for a time of study, praise and worship. Keep this group in prayer as their knowledge and understanding of God’s word deepens.

CORNELL

* every Saturday night a group of students get together to intentionally go out onto the Cornell campus and share the Gospel with people they encounter.  Pray that they would have joy in God, communicate the Gospel clearly, and that many people would be saved.
* for members of Navigators and invited friends, as they celebrate Thanksgiving with a meal on the evening of Saturday, November 22.   Pray that this would be a special time of fellowship and newcomers would feel welcomed and loved.
* the women of Cornell Christian Fellowship meet each week at the Mott House, to dig into a study on a book called “In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership”.  Pray that each individual will have an open heart and listening ears, to receive what God is communicating.
* Cornell Fellowship of Christian Athletes meet for separate men and women Bible studies on Sunday evenings at 9pm.  Pray that these young men and women will be challenged to spread the Word of God both on and off the field, and that first and foremost they make sufficient time to spend time alone with the Lord & to be refreshed spiritually.
* for the student group, Cornell Christian Legal Society, as they encourage one another to cultivate a heart for knowing God and loving others.  As they meet for regular weekly meetings of prayer, worship and Bible study, pray they will be spiritually encouraged.
 
DARTMOUTH

* Praise God that a suitable space has been found where a 24/7 prayer room will be established.
* that the Thanksgiving Banquet held by Agape Christian Fellowship on November 22, will not only be a great time of celebrating the national holiday, but also provide an opportunity and environment to share the message of Jesus Christ with unbelievers.
* for Sandy Hale, the campus minister for the Baptist Student Union at Dartmouth, as she leads student Bible Studies, as well as conveying to students the important role they have as Christians on campus.
* at God will raise up many students with a passion to walk with God and boldly share their faith in Him with fellow students, that they will be encouraging and supportive to one another daily, and will continue to pursue spiritual growth in their lives and remain true to Christ.
* for Dartmouth Faculty/Staff Christian Fellowship as they meet monthly to seek God’s guidance in what he wants to do through them at Dartmouth.
* Dartmouth Christian Graduate students as they meet on Monday evenings to continue their discussion around J.P. Morland’s book, “The God Conversation”.

HARVARD

* for God to work in the hearts of students so they be moved to attend the Boston Winter Conference in January, where an opportunity for the training and equipping student leaders in evangelism is provided.
* for the Catholic Student Association of Harvard Business School, which provides a place for Catholic students to explore and deepen their knowledge and understanding of the Bible, as well as fellowship with other graduate students.
* Athletes In Action provides a place where student athletes can come together weekly and study the Bible in small groups.  Pray that these young people will be filled with the Spirit, be committed to following God’s direction in their lives and be eager and willing to do what God would have them do.
* as future business leaders, members of Harvard Business School Christian Fellowship (HBS) meet for weekly fellowship and study of the Bible.  Pray that together they can provide interaction, support, inquiry, and outreach to the HBS as a whole, as well as better understanding their Christian purpose in the business world.
* the Graduate Christian Fellowship meet each Thursday, for stimulating discussions about the relationship between faith in Christ and their academic studies, and together find ways to engage more fruitfully with their peers. Pray that they will be passionate in their mission.

PENN

* that the presence of God would be felt at the evening of united worship and concert, entitled “Wake Me Up”, to be held at Christ Community Church in Philadelphia on November 22.  Pray that this event will strengthen the body of Christ at Penn, promote unity of all campus ministries and fellowships, and encourage and build up the faith of students whose faith has been challenged.  Keep the performer, Laura Kaczor in prayer, and pray that her witness through her songs and testimony will speak to the hearts of many students.
* with the Wharton Christian Group (undergrad) and the Wharton Christian Fellowship (MBAs) as they partner together in forming mentoring opportunities between the two groups.
* each Friday Cantonese speaking students, gather over dinner for fellowship, praise, worship and Bible study.  Pray they can learn more about Jesus Christ and His love and be equipped to share the Gospel with their fellow college students, as well as by discipling believers to be followers of Christ. 
* as the Penn Faculty-Staff Christian Forum meet weekly over lunch and listen to a presenter, pray that the discussions following will enable them to see more clearly how they can integrate different aspects of their faith with their academic and professional lives.
* each Friday evening Penn Graduate Christian Fellowship come together for praise, study of God’s Word and fellowship. Pray that the theme of the semester, The Joy of the Lord, will bring renewed understanding of what it means to live with joy in academia and beyond.

PRINCETON

* as the Aquinas Institute (the Catholic campus ministry) holds its biweekly brunch and Bible study on the morning of November 22, pray that this will be a profitable time of learning as they study and discuss Paul’s epistle to the Phillippians.
* Princeton Graduate Christian Fellowship meet regularly to encourage one another in a Christ-centered life, through Bible study, worship and prayer.  Pray that they will grow in love for God, His word, His work and His people.
* as the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons drawer near, pray for students who may be alone, feel alone or suffer from loneliness.
* for Impact Christian Fellowship as they serve the African-American community on campus, through Bible studies and worship.
* for the ministry leaders and students leaders of Princeton Evangelical Fellowship as they lead undergraduates and graduate students in Bible studies, prayer meetings and times of praise and worship through each week.
* for believers among the freshman to find vibrant spiritual community, where with a campus ministry or local church, and for non-Christians to meet a believer who is strong in their faith and bold in sharing it. 

YALE

* for unity within the individual Christian ministries on campus, that they would develop a sense of urgency and necessity for evangelism and would be maturing and growing in relationships with non-believers.
* at this time lift up those involved in planning the 2009 Believers in Business Conference hosted by the Yale School Of Management Christian Fellowship, which will explore issues related to finding purpose and value in work drawing on Christian principles. Pray that His hand will be evident at every step of the way as well as preparing the hearts of all who will attend.
* with thanks for the musical talents God has bestowed on students in both the Yale School of Music and the Yale Institute of Sacred Music.
* each Wednesday evening Yale Health Professionals Christian Fellowship meet together for Bible study and fellowship. Pray for this group who are united in their desire to grow in Christ and apply their faith in the field of medicine.
* for every member of the faculty and staff, that they would be role models to the students by showing patience, understanding, kindness and integrity in their lives.

November 13, 2008 Devotional

Dear Alumni, Family, Friends, and Generous Supporters,

In week ten, students resume their hectic academic schedules. Many students are elated after a stellar performance in mid-terms. I’m so proud of them. However, there are some students who are distraught from a dismal mid-term performance. Many of them are ambivalent about their academic future.  This is the time they solicit our prayers the most.

As a quick update, we have added 2 new prayer partners (210) with over 229,000 minutes (or 103 days) of prayer. This is awesome. My motto for this year has been “Prayer Produces Possibilities.” Our efforts together accentuate this point.

Today’s devotional was written by me with you and Ivy League students in mind. I pray this will bless your heart and minds.

 Trust But Verify

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) 

5  Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
6  in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Our students are moved in, and getting acclimated to college life. Their class schedules are confirmed as they move expeditiously to fill up their extracurricular activities calendar. Right now, students are saturated with a myriad of peer-pressured invitations and adult-like decisions. They feel compelled to trust and rely on their own judgment. In our passage, Solomon (the wisest man who ever lived) discourages self-reliance as he shares with us poignant points to ponder for our daily living. Solomon positively affirms that we do not have to, nor should we, face our decisions alone. Too much is at stake at our trial in the courtroom of postmodernity. We need an omniscient and omnipotent attorney to represent us at all times.

Help and direction from our Lord, prior to finalizing our decisions should be viewed as an insurance policy
mitigating our exposures and liabilities. Because life is multifarious, we need a systemic approach to managing life outcomes. Therefore, we must resist the urge to give in to the temptation of implementing our plans without inquiring from the Lord. Whatever our plans, whether they are large or small, we should run them by God first.  Giving the Lord our full and unwavering confidence as we face a proliferation of potentially deleterious choices is the best verification process we could adopt. The late Ronald Reagan, former President of the United States, coined a favorite and cogent statement, “Trust but Verify.”

Prayer

Father God, you alone are worthy of our honor and praise. It is by your power and might we live, move, and have our being. You are the best thing that has ever happened to us. We are so in love with you. Today, we pray that students of the Ivy League will understand and acknowledge that the buck does not stop with them but with you.
Help the students to see and utterly depend on your direction in all of their ways. Lord I pray that the month of October will be a month of blessings for our prayer partners. Despite the volatility of our economy, Lord would you generously provide for their needs? Also, we pray that you would increase their communion and knowledge of you. Lord please strengthen their bodies, minds, and families. Let them trust but verify all their decisions with you.     

In Jesus' name.

September 25, 2008 Prayer Requests

Dear Alumni, Family, Friends, and Generous Supporters,

The epistle of James states in 5:16 (MSG) “….The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with.” Our prayers are being heard and the results are unfolding.

In our second week of our “1,000,000 Minutes of Prayer Campaign”, we have accumulated over 51,282 minutes of prayer with 259 days remaining. Thanks for your prayers as we believe “every prayer counts.”

This week’s prayer requests are manifold but share a couple of key requests: prayer for leaders/staff, and ministry sponsored
activities. I pray the Lord will bless you richly as you pray for each Ivy League school.

Blessings,

Quincy

BROWN
*  Athletes In Action is starting two Men’s Life Groups for students interested in joining small group discussions about life, faith and sport.  Pray for the leaders and that God would raise up those students who would most benefit.
*  Keep in prayer the workers on campus, such as office staff, campus police, cafeteria and janitorial employees, who work diligently each day ‘behind the scenes’ to keep the university running.

COLUMBIA
*  During the first two weeks of school, Columbia Students for Christ (CSFC) were able to show the love of Christ to fifty-seven freshmen (Christian and non-Christian), transfers and graduate students who showed an interest in knowing more about the ministry and faith.  Pray that CSFC members continue to faithfully minister to the new students through their lifestyles.
*  Pray for each member of Columbia Gospel Choir, as they share the gospel and glorify God through song. 

CORNELL
*  Mott House, Christian Union’s Ministry House at Cornell, is used as a meeting place by many Christian campus ministries. Pray that the house continues to serve as a blessing for the cause of Christ throughout the year.
*  Keep in prayer the ministry leaders, and student leaders of Campus Crusade for Christ at Cornell, as they follow up with freshmen who showed an interest in finding out more about Christianity and the ministry, during the freshmen events at the beginning of the semester.

DARTMOUTH
*  Pray for a solid core of student leaders to emerge for the Navigators Ministry at Dartmouth, and that as a ministry they  will be faithful to follow God as He guides them in prayer and collaboration for the advancement of Jesus Christ on campus.
*  As a result of ‘First Night’, an event sponsored by Agape Christian Fellowship on September 23, many incoming students were encouraged by the strong, and supportive Christian community at Dartmouth.   Pray that these students continue to pursue spiritual growth in their lives.
*  Christian Impact’s campus director, Chris West and his wife Carolyn, hosted a barbeque as one of the freshmen outreach events.  Praise God 75 freshmen attended.  Please pray for each one, that God would work in their hearts and draw them to Himself.

HARVARD
*  Pray for unity among the campus ministry leaders and staff workers, and that God will use them in the lives of many students as they share the gospel of Jesus Christ.
*  The Leadership Connection is soon to hold a Roundtable on Science, Art and Religion, for the faculty at Harvard.  Pray that both Christian and non-Christian faculty would attend, so they can begin and then continue a dialogue about the intersection of academic and Christian thought.
*  Pray for the launch of Christian Union’s ministry at Harvard.  Keep the ministry team, Don Weiss and Nick Nowalk, in prayer as they begin meeting with students, holding Bible Studies and work to impact Harvard for Christ.  Pray that God would bring rich blessings to their labors for Him.
*  Pray that Pat and Tammy Mcleod, Campus Crusade for Christ campus ministers at Harvard, and their family, will experience God’s true comfort and unceasing love, as they face many new and difficult challenges.  Pray that God would pour out his healing power on their son Zack, in a miraculous way.

PENN
*  Pray for students involved in athletics, that they will have the stamina and discipline to balance the heavy demands of both a sport and academic workloads, and most importantly, to be diligent to spend time daily with God.
*  Penn Students for Christ are preparing for their Fall Retreat at the beginning of October, to be held at a camp near Philadelphia.  Pray that the words the speaker shares about God’s covenant with Abraham, will stir a passion in the hearts of those attending, to learn more about God’s plan for their lives.

PRINCETON
*  As the Impact Christian Fellowship, a ministry to African-American students, begins their weekly meeting of prayer, fellowship and worship, pray that it will be a time of great spiritual growth and renewal, and a deepening of relationships with one another.
*  Princeton Faith and Action is beginning another series of Bible Courses on the Book of 1 John, with three freshmen groups of men and two freshmen groups of women.  Pray that the hearts and minds of the students attending will be opened to a deeper understanding and knowledge of God.

YALE
*  Pray for Kevin Nelson, the new leader of Reformed University Fellowship, that he will grow the ministry as well as provide solid biblical training to their student groups.
*  As Yale Law Christian Fellowship leadership team and speakers prepare for their Fall Retreat the first week-end in October, in Cooperstown, NY, pray that God would work in the lives of non-Christian students to make their presence possible, and that Christian students who attend will be refreshed and encouraged by their time with the Lord and one another.

September 18, 2008 Devotional 

Dear Alumni, Family, Friends and Generous Supporters,

This has been a wonderful week welcoming/gathering freshman and praying through our prayer requests. 
First, I want to personally thank many of you who reached out to me by email during the loss of my best friend. Your words of encouragement touched my heart.  Second, your support for Prayer for the Ivy League is overwhelming. In one week’s time, we have accumulated over 16,400 minutes of Prayer for the Ivy League. Each of the Ivy League campuses and campus ministries are extremely grateful for your time and prayers. As a way of saying thank you, on the weeks that I do not send prayer requests, I will write a brief devotional for you as a source of your encouragement and strength. Each devotional will reflect my thoughts in prayer and intercessions on your behalf. As you read them, I pray the Holy Spirit will illuminate your mind and nourish your spirit.

Blessings,

Quincy

  
Christ Our Panacea

 1 John 1:1-4   (NIV)

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched--this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.
2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.
3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
4 We write this to make our joy complete. 

 I selected this passage as a result of a discussion with my students, and my struggle to work through my present pain. Our question was, “Can Christ become everything I need whenever I need him to be it?”  The students and I resoundingly say YES!!! Christ is everything we need today, tomorrow, and in the future. He is able to satisfy and fulfill all our needs according to His riches and glory. The incarnation of God through Jesus Christ cements and reveals his unfailing love for us. We love Him because He first loved us. The beloved Apostle John reminds us that the Life of Jesus Christ was a visible reality of His love for many to see, vulnerable to the same emotional pain ultimately causing His crucifixion for our sins, and victorious over the power of sin, sickness, and death. Jesus Christ continues to make his presence known to us by The Holy Spirit residing in us. Today, We enjoy a greater life and fellowship because Jesus lives vicariously through the lives of over 1 billion believers. 

Prayer

Father God, it is an honor to praise and exalt your Holy name. You are doing amazing things within the Ivy League campuses. Thank you for providing us with the prayer partners and resources we needed to propagate your gospel. Dear Jesus, we acknowledge you as our Panacea. All that we have or need is within you. Thank you for showering your blessings of strength, healing, and prosperity over our prayer partners and the lives of our students. Help us to decrease our personal agendas and increase the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Thank you for opening doors to share the gospel with students in the Ivy League. Your will shall be done in our hearts and on these campuses. Thank you Father, for using the month of September as a time of repositioning for us all.                                                                                                                                                                                                          

September 11, 2008   Prayer Request

 Dear Alumni, Family, Friends, and Generous Supporters, 

Thank you for your overwhelming support in signing up for Prayer for the Ivy League. We have reached 85% of our goal (for prayer partners). We appreciate you taking time from your busy schedules to partner with us. I humbly request that if you know of anyone who shares a similar passion for prayer and burden for the Ivy League, please ask them to join with us in our pursuit of 1,000,000 minutes of prayer for the Ivy League. 

I personally know how powerful corporate prayer can be. Last week, I lost my only best friend, college roommate, and fellow minister of 18 years to a massive heart attack. He was under 40. It was the prayers of my family, my colleagues at Christian Union, and my Ivy League students that really gave me hope and strength through my devastating loss. I believe our prayers will have the same impact for our Ivy league students.  

Today, our first prayer assignment will focus on the needs and support of all incoming freshman in the Ivy League schools. Below are enumerated the top prayer requests common to all the Ivy League.  Remember, if you would like to submit your personal prayer requests, I am delighted to received them and will personally pray for each one. 

Blessings,

Quincy

Please join together with us in prayer for:

Freshmen
*  Pray for the strength and academic acumen of incoming freshmen and transfers, as they matriculate into their Ivy League university.
*  Pray that each freshman will quickly acclimate themselves to their milieu and community as they seek out Christian Campus Ministries and a local church body.
*  Pray that God will open the hearts and minds of non-believing freshmen to hear and receive the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Administration
*  Pray for the stamina and productivity of the administration, faculty and staff, as they manage and execute heavy workloads for the year ahead. 
*  Pray for those who are Christian, to exhibit and reflect the presence and power of God in their lives by sharing their faith with colleagues and students whom they encounter daily sharing their faith and consummate work ethic. 

Campus Ministries
*  Pray for supernatural wisdom and favor for each campus ministry leadership as they embark to propagate the Good News of Jesus Christ through bible courses, social events, and discipleship programs.