“I am realizing just how much power prayer has!” A young man who attended the Journey to the Heart held July 1–8, in Big Sandy, Texas, shared how God had used the Journey to impact his prayer life. During the week, through the power of Christ, he was able to call home and confess things he needed to. Later that week, he testified that in the past his prayers had felt empty. A few days after he dealt with unconfessed sin, he sought the Lord in prayer and experienced the reality of communing with God in a way he never had before! 

That first week in July, that young man was one of thirteen fellows and four leaders who embarked on a Journey to the Heart. Their goal was to seek and draw close to the heart of God. As the week progressed, the leaders were thrilled and encouraged to observe the receptive hearts these men had to the Word of God and their desire to surrender to the Lord by saying “yes” to Him in the areas He was touching on.

Partway through the Journey and incidentally on Independence Day, the topic of bitterness and forgiveness was covered. God touched people’s hearts! At the end of that day, attendees were given the opportunity to forgive those who had hurt them. Multiple men took this important step of obedience. As a result, while the nation was celebrating her independence, these men were rejoicing in newly found independence from the bitterness that had spiritually bound them! 

One young man shared what God had taught him on the Journey. A big lesson for him was realizing the importance of what we meditate on. He told about how he would often fill his mind with things that were not edifying him in his walk with Christ. God was working in this young man’s life as he began the habit of meditating on God’s Word during the Journey. At the end of the week, the young man shared with everyone there that, because of the truth that we become like those we “hang around” with, he wanted now to spend time with God so he could become more like Him! 

Another attendee shared his testimony at the end of the Journey. The year prior, he had given his life to Christ. While on this Journey, he decided that he wanted God to not just be a part of his life; rather, he wanted God to be his life—to live in and through him!

To God be all the glory for the work He did in the lives and hearts of those young men. God worked mightily in their lives as they purposely chose to set time aside to participate in the Journey and sought to prioritize and deepen their walk with Christ!