My little town on the
prairie is a happenin’ place. The announcement of the world’s largest pea
protein processing facility opening here, followed by the announcement of
Simplot’s plan to double its production, is breathing optimism into the
atmosphere. I’m no economic development expert, but it doesn’t take a genius to
know the ripple effect means all this good news is only the beginning.
As it should, much
praise has been poured out on our municipal councils, city and RM staff,
provincial officials, and all involved in making these industrial dreams come
true. It takes the efforts of many people working together and putting in long
hours to make massive projects reality. We applaud you all!
Today, though, I’d
like to suggest there just might be an element to this success that is being
overlooked in our media, board rooms, and coffee shops. A catalyst that no one
can see. A force at work behind the scenes. Dare I speak of it? Consider the
evidence and judge for yourself.
In 2014, my church
(Prairie Alliance) embarked on a prayer journey where we discerned what God is
calling us to be in our community. This led to the start of 24/7 prayer weeks,
where ordinary people sign up to pray in one-hour slots, so that prayers go up around
the clock for that week. I’m not suggesting for a minute that ours is the only
church praying. A movement is definitely afoot across Portage la Prairie’s
community of faith. Ours is simply the one with which I’m familiar.
During these prayer
times, folks are given a list of specific things to ask God for. This list
would fill three of my blog posts by itself, so I’ll point out a few items as they
relate to recent news headlines. You can decide whether a connection exists.
The list includes a
section where we pray for our front-runners. It names our city and RM council
members by name, as well as other community leaders. We ask God to deliver our
citizens from pessimism to optimism, from a victim mentality to an empowered
one; from a scarcity mindset to an abundance mindset; from fear to joy; from
caution to vision. Are you seeing a link?
We’ve been praying
for creative partnerships in Portage – for organizations committed to similar
goals, that they can leverage resources for greater effectiveness. Have you
seen this happening anywhere?
Here’s a sentence
lifted right out of the prayer guide:
“Pray for the success
of industry and business in Portage; that the resources generated by this
success would be poured back into Portage for the good of the city.”
You can call it a
coincidence. Or you can call it psychological, that what we pray for we
somehow, subconsciously, cause to happen. Or you can consider the lyrics to the
Chris Tomlin song we’ve been singing for years, “God of this City,” or the promise
of the Bible where it says, “If my people, who are called by my name, will
humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways,
then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their
land.” (II Chronicles 7:14)
However you see it,
doesn’t it make you curious to know what else is on that prayer list? It’s not
top secret; anyone is welcome to jump on board. Trust me, if you live here, you’re
“on the list.” You are being prayed for. Momentum is building. Oh, did I
mention the repeating tag line in that song? “For greater things have yet to come, and greater
things are still to be done in this city…”
