IGNITE April 2024
The Triumphant Academy Night’s Gala!
On the eve of Friday, March 22, 2024, we wholeheartedly engaged in San Marcos Academy’s (SMA’s) first-ever Academy Night’s Gala since its founding in 1907. Although we’ve been to multiple, similar gala fund-raising events, I was overcome by the shekinah glory of God and His presence the moment we walked into the ballroom a little early that night.
I prayed, walked, and talked, as in a dream, in seamless communion with God and His people in and around the resplendently decorated “Tabernacle of God.” And I repeatedly declared, “BEHOLD; THIS IS OUR GOD; we have waited for Him.”
I began to weep with joy, literally experiencing Psalm 126 being made living and active in and through me:
When the Lord restored the fortunes of Jerusalem, SMA, we were like those who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations (represented by current and alumni students of SMA), “The Lord has done great things for them.”
The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. Restore our fortunes, Lord, like streams in the Negev. Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.
Nancy, Marsha, and Jeanine were interceding in the power of their three-strand prayer cord, not easily broken.
The Spirit of God was even in every facet of the gala preparation, ultimately revealing His glorious results!
In the preceding weeks at SMA, I’d had the joy and privilege of teaching prayer in 21 different classrooms, from seniors to Pre-K 3-year-olds. All 192 students either prayed individually or corporately as one of the students led their class in prayer for the gala.
Every facet of the gala, which comprised a year of relational and logistics planning, was executed in excellence and joy, bringing glory to God. Success ultimately came because of the dedicated, prayer-filled work of the seven mothers in the organizing committee. They brilliantly collaborated with SMA’s beautiful development and admin team of five.
That week, with all those beautiful children and the younger ones often calling out, “Hey Poppa Prayer Bear,” God expanded my heart for teaching children how to pray. Then, as the gala commenced, we watched our God answer their simple, honest prayers in a glorious way by filling virtually every dinner seat with 360 people and the atmosphere with the sound of heavenly music played by a clearly magnificent and Holy Spirit-led band.
I fell in love all over again with my Sweetheart. She looked more beautiful than ever, walking gallantly despite the pain in her knee. It was rather sad that for the first time in 39 years, we were unable to dance, having danced literally anywhere and everywhere, including down the aisles of HEB grocery store in Corpus Christi on our first date in 1985, Chkk-Chirrrrrrrrrrrrrr! Be sure to read below in the TRIAL that came the next day.
My beautiful bride, Nancy, and I enjoying the SMA Night’s Gala!
After SMA’s President— Dr. Brian Guenther’s heart-opening message, he invited me up to deliver the invitation to give.
These words are part of what I shared:
“We want to thank each one of you for participating in both our silent and live auctions. And now, I invite you to be still before the Lord and think about the amount of an additional gift you feel you might be able make to SMA on this momentous and history making occasion.” I paused, and the Tabernacle of God was silent for about 20 seconds; then, I continued…
“Now, with that dollar amount in your mind, let’s PRAY NOW: “Oh, Lord God, we desire to give You room in our giving. We choose to take a step of faith and trust in You to do the impossible and add a zero to our number!!!”
Again, there was absolute silence for 15 seconds— which I then broke with a little chuckle saying, “I think some of you are sitting here in shock, but now I’m going to share my own testimony of what God did through just three of our friends attending our IPA Awakening Dinner in 2022: Between the three, they “felt” they could give $18,300; but, they took a step of faith, gave God room, and added a zero! Over the next year, God grew their businesses, multiplied their investments, and sold a home. And by the end of 2024, these three will have given $183,000!!! We praise and thank You, Jesus!”
Colin and Dr. Brian Guenther embrace at the SMA Night’s Gala.
Back to SMA: Five days later, $217,000 was received from our first-ever Academy Night’s Gala! And we ask you to join the many of us and PRAY NOW again: “Oh, Father God in heaven, please add Your “0” and give us courageous faith to believe You, our God, and to move on the hearts of those who would give the additional $2 million before the end of 2024. In Jesus’ name, we pray, amen.”
God turns my Sweetheart’s knee TRIAL into Triumph.
The day after the Academy Night’s Gala, my Sweetheart’s knee gave out entirely. Unfortunately, she couldn’t take even one painful step without her walker. Our Lord graciously allowed her to attend the gala; He knew I would have been totally lost without her.
Thank you to the many of you who prayed for my precious Sweetheart, Nancy, in all aspects of the total knee replacement surgery she had on Wednesday, April 17th.
The picture on the left beautifully depicts God‘s presence called in by many of your 🙏prayers,❤️🔥especially this one by our precious Granddaughter Ella Grace Millar— 4½ years old!
God will bless you as you listen to Ella’s prayer. The “kicking the doctor” part refers to a time when my Sweetie was 10 years old and literally punched the doctor across the room as he came at her with a needle, much to the horror of her Dad!!
Ella’s beautifully-recorded heart prayer for her Dee-Dee was prayed just before her surgery on Wednesday, April 17, 2024.
We, and our prayer teams, had also prayed according to God‘s promise in Ephesians 3:20. We asked Him to be present and guide the surgical team’s hands. And our prayer was that this knee replacement surgery would be the best Dr. Heinrich, our surgeon, had ever done. So, we prayed that God do exceedingly above and over his 6,000 experienced procedures in 20 years. Hours later, Dr. Heinrich called me into post-surgery, saying although Nancy’s knee was much worse than he had expected, the surgery went absolutely perfectly!
“Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us.” Ephesians 3:20 ESV
As I write IGNITE, my Sweetie has had her third in-home PT session. She is boldly courageous, pushing through the pain in her steadily increasing exercises, and using less and less pain meds!
The Well’s Continuous TRIUMPHS
This is a short piece of last week’s message to our church family at The Well from our lead Pastor, Chris.
“What a gift of grace to be a part of a church that is full of the Spirit of God, as seen so evidently among you. Every time we are together as a church, I can see such a visible joy in being with God together that oftentimes, I cannot help but start smiling and thanking God.
God has blessed and matured our church in so many ways in these four short years, and it still surprises me that we get to be a part of it. What a gracious and merciful God we serve! Since this church began, we’ve celebrated over 60 baptisms!”
On Sunday, April 21st, The Well Church began a new sermon series called “Priorities of The Church,” looking back at several themes in the book of Acts.
(Above) Glorious group of eight people recently baptized at The Well! (Below) River baptism!
Thank You, Precious Partners & Prayer Igniters!
We extend heartfelt gratitude to all who have reached out in prayer and faithfully supported God’s continuing work through IPA.
Perhaps you haven’t yet, or haven’t for some time, made a gift to Igniting Prayer Action. In either case, will you pause now and be still? Ask God if He might have you make a financial gift to IPA today.
Click Here to GIVE!
Thank You. May God cause you to grow in your understanding of what it means to live in the fear of Him!
Chkk-Chirrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!
Colin
