Northwestern University has been on the news recently. The university suspended its women’s soccer team as the school investigates the alleged hazing incident from last year. As we are getting ready to plant a church on the Northwestern University campus, it just dawned upon me the ever-increasing need for prayer. Without prayer, we will not be able to do the things that God is calling us to do in Chicago.
Prayer is really the “pre-evangelism” stage. It is through prayer that we are able to see God work even before we enter into the scene – which is a good thing because humans have a tendency to mess things up. Without the Lord’s help what can we really do? As Jesus stated in John 15:5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
I have been telling people that whenever something is in the news (whether good or bad), it is sometimes a trigger (or reminder) for God’s people to pray. Even though this whole hazing incident doesn’t really help Northwestern’s reputation, it reminds us to pray for the campus and the work that is going to start there soon.
As I was looking through some of the hazing pictures, I was reminded of my younger years when I played soccer and was far away from God. I cannot help but to praise God for His grace and mercy in my life. The fact that God loved me when I was spiritually lost is truly beyond my comprehension.
It reminds of the words of Apostle Paul,
“This is a true saying, and everyone should believe it: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – and I was the worst of them all. But that is why God had mercy on me, so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life.” (1 Ti 1:15-16, New Living Translation).