Bon Jour and welcome to the ICOM Prayer Vlog for July. I’m Peggy Welch, the 2017 Prayer Chair, and I am recording this inside Notre Dame—not Paris, but Montreal, and in this church, I am surrounded by paintings and reminders of men and women who came to Quebec as missionaries.  My husband and I have been in Montreal for a few days, and as I have traveled about the city, I have been impressed with the diversity.  Every color, race, religion are here.  And I have thought of ICOM, and that we will be gathering in November with multiple colors and races but under one God, the only God.  At ICOM we will be encouraged, equipped, and enlisted to go, whether that is next door or half-way around the world.  This month we are praying for the third leg of the ICOM mission:  to enlist.  One does not find the word enlist in a Bible word search, but the directive is clear in words like joined, engaged, and called.  So, please pray with me:

Father, You told Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew and approved of you as My chosen instrument, and before you were born I separated and set you apart, consecrating you,  and I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

Lord, not all are called to be prophets to the nations, but You still set us apart and consecrate us to serve You and Your children in some capacity.  To serve our next door neighbor, be a church usher, a mentor for students, to teach at a college, rescue those in slavery, serve in a homeless shelter, or yes, maybe leave home to serve in a foreign country.   No matter where You call us, You call us all to be bright lights in a dark world offering the Word of Life.

We pray for all associated with ICOM that You will use the convention through fellowship, teachings, and divine appointments to call and challenge every attendee to defined and divine service for You. 

I pray that we answer You as Samuel did when he said, “Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.” Yet may we not just listen, but may we hear and be obedient. 

Holy Spirit, anoint ICOM 2017 to be Your instrument at which we all will listen, hear, and be obedient as You enlist us to Your service. 

Jesus, You told Your disciples and You tell us that the harvest is indeed plentiful, but the laborers are few.  So, we pray to You, the Lord of the harvest, to send out, even thrust out, laborers into the fields.

In the Name of the Lord Who enlists us to the harvest. Amen.